(08 Mar 2025, 9:05 pm)Michael wrote Which routes were you thinking?


I've said it over and over the 18 literally crosses most other routes, only a couple of sections will lose a service, such as the bus stops at the South end of the Queen Alex Bridge... wouldn't miss it, if it was took off.


99 is a pointless route too, no idea why NEXUS are still funding it.

Not sure if you have actually been on those services before but the 18 tends to pick up people making those short hops (outside of peaks) where they would alternatively have to swap in the city centre and get stuck in the congestion. I use this service sometimes and depending on the time of day depends how busy it is. I have been on it multiple times where there has been 10+ people on it from Pallion.

The 99 is an interesting one. I understand why the 99 exists as it is very useful for the journey it doesn't and you can tell why that it the only existing part of the butchered 99/99A, which both Stagecoach & GNE have ran at some point. Can't remember who was first (think Stagecoach as it was initially part of the 6 from Town to North of Queen Alexandra via Leechmere ASDA. When the 599 was introduced I seriously thought that it was going to be cut as the majority of the route that would be cut is walking distance from the 599, excluding the Barnes Pk/Leechmere bit. 

I am really pleased as firstly I often use the 599 to get to Jarrow/Hebburn from Pallion and have noticed since January that both Northstar & Stagecoach are working together to promote the 99/599 frequency of *roughly half an hour (give to take a few mins each side). There are paper timetables with both services on available on the buses (definitely 599 not sure about the 99). For LA funded services they do not do too badly - the most amount of passengers I have seen about on each service is 8 people on the 99 & 15 on the 599 and these are much more useful than other funded services around.  (pics below)



There is a reason the 18 isn't a Nexus funded service as it serves a purpose and avoids the mid-journey detour of the City Centre, and the 99 is funded but again gives fast direct connections to those who actually use it even though it is within limited operating hours.

(09 Mar 2025, 8:24 am)Storx wrote Yeah that would make sense then, guess whoever made the OP, misread it with the fully withdrawn comment. Did think it would be a rather big move to get rid of it altogether, unless there was some other motive behind it.


I'm not too sure you know, operators don't care about links as shown by cuts over the years. The 6/7 to the Freeman just to pick one North of the Tyne years ago.


Looks like the OP was a mistake so would be more surprised now but was thinking the 8 and 18 in Sunderland and X20 and 30 in South Shields. All 4 of them have been on life support, pretty much, for years now.

Mind the X63 North of the Tyne isn't healthy outside of peaks either, quite often see it and it's down to low single numbers, seems like most the Quorum workers have moved to the X7/X8 in recent times which aren't too healthy either because of the Northumberland Line (but that's another thread).

The 6/7 used to be every 15 mins until the major changes to Newcastle routes in 2017 (?) then they dropped to every 20 and were quite stable, although they were not necessarily needed to be this frequency during the day but definitely at peak times. Now they are a combined every 30 every day and the reliability it the worst it has ever been , however, due to the positive changes of Nexus binning off the 13 and extending the 6/7/62 in its place, they will not change this anytime soon. The 7 hardly picks up anyone in Dumpling Hall but the 6 can sometimes stop at every stop to pick up/drop off in West Denton Pk. The 6 has also had later journeys added as opposed to finishing at 6pm with the 30 mins frequency lasting later in the evening. Due to the frequency cut and upgraded to full single decks, they do pick up healthy loads all day.  I just wish that they had committed to every 20 and added in the 8 potentially being a short service to give different links. Stagecoach gave up on the Metrocentre as soon as COVID hit. Bye bye 100

I am surprised the 8 is still going and Nexus have not just funded the detour of the 62/62A to do the Barnes section and the 61 up to South Hylton. If all 3 services didn't do the loop of Pennywell and terminated at the KFC/ALDI (62/62A via western Pennywell) & (61 via Eastern Pennywell) it shouldn't be an increase in PVR and if so only 1. 

Regarding the X63 vs X7/X8 honestly Arriva would be better poaching the punters off the X7 by diverting it via Killingworth Bus Station and the edge of Backworth then up to Seghill. There are multiple reasons for this as it would get stuck in less motorway traffic, give a valuable alternative to the 62/63 from most of Killingworth and hopefully make up for the lost passengers from Northumberland Line opening; this would also create new links between Backworth, Killingworth & the rest of the route to Blyth. If needs be add an extra Killingworth short to the timetable as the X63 can be busy at peaks as discussed.