(12 Mar 2025, 11:10 pm)logidoodah wrote 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.

Yeah can't disagree with the 6/7 always looks well loaded whenever I see it, I'm surprised there's never been an idea to split the service as it's a bloody long service with no real end to end link, arguably really over the Kingston Park area, as it just becomes a trek beyond there and would be quicker with a change elsewhere. Would deal with the two bottlenecks at each end (South Gosforth and Metrocentre). Where the split is I'm sure other's would have a better idea than me. Would give the option to potentially to give a 15 minute service in which ever bit overlaps though.

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Don't disagree with the X7, at all, it's roughly the same time distance wise. Having links to Killingworth would be quite useful for connections aswell. You'd probably need to make the X8 slightly more frequent though as Burradon etc as a 4 BPH to 2 BPH is a big hit though. Not sure how though without making the X7 every 20 minutes aswell which is definitely not needed from Seaton Delaval -> Blyth, obviously cutting some short at Holywell would be an option but hourly services are a bit crap. Similar with Cramlington to Blyth but that could easily be done by extending the 43 to Blyth and curtailing the X8 short at Cramlington. Operationally that's a nightmare aswell.