(16 May 2025, 1:31 pm)Chris 1 wrote Sensible the 95 going around that part of Lobley Hill instead of the Consett express imo.  Thought they might have renumbered the 1 to 301 last time round when they did the North Tyneside changes.

Not sure I agree on the 95 personally, as it's coming to a cost of the Malvern Gardens area going down to hourly, which is useless for anyone. 

Personally I wish they'd just create an express from Whickham doing the 1 loop and then running to Newcastle direct via the X30/X71 (or whatever bus goes down there now) route through Dunston.

Means then you could slow down the 1 and send it via Malvern Gardens, while the 96 goes via Lobley Hill so the estates there can have a decent service and for the express you could have
X30/X31/X70/X71/X72 - Every 15 Minutes via Gateshead and Lobley Hill, 2 to Stanley and 2 to Consett as now
X32 - Withdrawn
X73 - Renumbered 7 since it's nothing to do with the expresses and is much closer to the 6 route instead. 

Means all the main towns around there get, at least, 30 minute services, excluding the 7 (could maybe increase the frequency?) to the places where they actually want to be rather than lots of hourly services going different routes causing confusion. Heck you could even up the 301 to every 15 minutes from Gateshead to Whitley Bay and then merge the 96 into it and have to 30 minute services doing the respective 96/301 routes.

(Jokingly you could also send the E400's to Riverside since they don't need low height buses anymore)