(05 Oct 2025, 10:08 pm)L469 YVK wrote IMO, with all the changes and upscaling of frequencies, GNE aren't really behind where they were in terms of PVR before 2015 and 2021.
Now GNE's current MD whilst not keeping everyone happy, did simplify things in Northumberland & Tyneside. If GNE did the same in Derwentside and really pushed with with simple, easy to use and useful services, it could actually be quite a profitable network with growth.
Like in Bedlington for instance, there was one service stopping on Glebe Bank and the other stopping on the Front Street running at completely different frequencies. And Blyth and the myriad of different 'X' and 'EX' variations. Other than some tweaks (some actually very useful) and a loss of the 50's when Jesmond closed, there hasn't been much change to Arriva's network since 2012 when things were simplified.
Yeah agreed, imo they need to work on a way to get an, at least, 30 minute service between each of the main places rather than loads of hourly services.
Hourly services are completely useless, I'd much rather have a 30 minute service going round the world than a hourly service, still kind of going around with the world with an X at the front.
I won't make suggestions for the exact routes but they imo need to have an at least 30 minute service for these towns with these routes:
45/47: Consett / Rowlands Gill to Metrocentre and Newcastle
X70/X71: Consett / Burnopfield / Leadgate to Gateshead and Newcastle
X30/X31: Stanley to Gateshead and Newcastle
43/44: Annfield Plain / Stanley / Burnopfield / Dipton / Sunniside / Tanfield Lea to Metrocentre and Newcastle
How you serve all the villages inbetween, is open for answers as most probably aren't big enough to warrant an express so other than Meadomsley (impossible to send anything else up there), should be linked to Newcastle with the 43/44 service.
Ironically this was literally the network before they started pissing around with it.
The X30/X31/X32/X70/X71/X72/X73 nonsense is as much as a mess as the 25/81/82/82A mess around Birtley and Eighton Banks imo and as bad as the EX/X nonsense Blyth used to have as you mentioned above.