(09 Aug 2025, 6:38 pm)PH - BQA wrote Why would that be the obvious one?
Again, as someone who sees these routes every day, at the start of the PM peak where there are 15 minute gaps between X21/22s they leave with a standing load if allocated a saloon. The 16:15 X22, which is a saloon daily because the commercial genius decided to put the 777 midnight on that board, leaves Haymarket every day with standees - even during the last couple of weeks during school holidays the loads have not dropped, if anything they're heavier. It's not as if I'm just seeing them double loaded either, I've checked each time I've seen this board and the prior X21/22 had both ran on each occasion (10+ at this point).
You say that there are only a few stops shared, this not only isn't the case but also totally misses the point of how close the routes are. From Newcastle, Gosforth, and Regent Centre, passengers for much of Bedlington and Stakeford will use the services interchangeably. That's added to those from and for Cramlington Arcot Manor, Cramlington Industrial Estate, and Ashington.
The obvious option is to hire some competent engineering staff so you can actually meet PVR.
Quietest bus route at Ashington, which wouldn't reduce it down to hourly pretty much. Nothing more.
The routes really aren't close to each other at all though. They're literally miles apart and the X21 really doesn't serve the main part Stakeford, at all.
imo though the X21/X22 would be better being split into 3, 30 minute services anyway, there's just so many gaps around from 'new' housing developments popping up which probably deserve a service to Newcastle somehow but it's not really possibly without punishing the extreme of the route.
Alnwick Drive, Stead Lane in Bedlington
Wansbeck Road, Blackthorn Road, Newbiggin Road and the huge housing estate in Ashington
Beacon Lane (unopened loop) working with the X9 in Cramlington
Being the most noticeable ones and it's not like they're little estates with 10 people either and all but Stead Lane (2) have zero public transport at all right now and the alternatives aren't really reasonably close either.