(03 Jun 2025, 6:36 pm)L469 YVK wrote Great set of ideas and I genuinely mean that!

Only little changes I would suggest:

- X30/X31 both via Gateshead

- X21 curtailed back at Bishop Auckland (was PVR of 7 with long layover at Bishop Auckland).

- X7 Newcastle - Whickham loop via Dunston, interworks with X21, previous long layover time re-invested to make it workable......note that X21 would need low height deckers but this would be fine with X30/X31/X70 all via Gateshead.

- New Kyo would need a service. So possibly the 7 would either need to continue to Stanley......or do an Anti-Clockwise loop via Shield Row Lane and A693.


Other than that......a nice simple easy service with no major duplication (which has been a bit of an issue).

Only direct link lost would be Sunniside and Burnopfield to Meadomsley.

Aye don't disagree with the short loop for Whickham. I wouldn't bother with New Kyo tbh, they've got the 16/78 and the traffic into Stanley is a nightmare lately, why bother affecting someone elsewhere to duplicate other services. They can just change, if need be. 

The Consett services are a bit of a mess lately imo especially the X70/X71/X71A/X72/X73 farce with some going via Gateshead, one going via Whickham and one going via the Metrocentre. How confusing for a set of numbers which are branded as 'common' when the only thing common is the number. It's almost as bad as the 8/25/81/82/83 farce in the Washington/Birtley area and to make it worse every set of change seems to flip them round to add confusion. 

This X71A running first in the morning and late at night via Gateshead just making things even worse.