(07 Oct 2025, 7:30 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote I've had a little think about it and to make it easier I will talk about current services...
306 - leave it alone in terms of route (except force it to visit North Shields HUB/Metro station/Interchange)
307 Haymarket to North Shields - limited stop Newcastle Haymarket - 5 Swans - Civic Centre Direct to Corner House (connections for pub and Freeman football etc - chilli road stop (for chilli connections then direct to Station Road stop on ramp approach remove the wills building stop to create a fast approach then all stops like the 306 through battlehill to jolly bowman pub (307 - does not serve Mullen Road Loop or Hadrian Park )
307 then turns right at jolly Bowman left onto Coast Road off at Silverlink up past McDonald's but turns Right to behind the cinema and use the direct Road through the Tyne Tunnel trading estate to the bottom (providing job opportunities and a connection from Newcastle and residents nearby) turn left then left again and drive up past the Percy Main depot then right onto verne road to North Shields HUB
A little different route but creates a little mix and the service is still covered by bus services nearby.
308 - create the Same Express route but to go via Battlehill Drive all stops in both directions and not the Coast Road stops (passengers often walk from coast road to battlehill drive and and users needing to use the subway they are used to it to access amenities so it's a very little impact as users use battlehill shops services anyway
309 Same idea as above omit going via Mullen Road to save time too
Now as Hadrian Park and and Mullen Road are bus less (ish )
340 -341 would operate a new service
340 Wallsend up Wiltshire Drive Mullen Road Battlehill Drive Hadrian Park back out loop around the roundabout at BNQ to serve the bingo and Wallsend pub (future development here so locals will use the service) then down onto Coast Road and up silverlink into Cobalt and to Northumberland Park
341 Operates Newcastle Haymarket to Chicken Road observing all stops creating it a "slower service" and hitting Wiltshire Drive and Mullen Road to Northumberland Park.
350 351 is removed.
342 from Wallsend will operate via Wiltshire drive and run around holystone to provide a link.
351 if anything operates from Holystone to Northumberland park hourly and ( 342 already providing a link too)
There is no loss for the 350 or 351 being curtailed.
For example the last bus leaves at Haymarket at 2325 but so does the 308 leaves the next stand at 2325 so they follow each other
Creating express style routes will benefit the later passengers wanting a 20min plus journey
Chilli road going into town is to be used as the traffic is usually up to the chilli road up ramp so up and down into a bus lane is a gain to save time
It also has the potential to not need 22X or X39
Additional links to Tyne Tunnel trading Estate Northumberland Park and faster Coast Road journey times
Some interesting ideas, not going to lie I've always thought that Hadrian Park should be connected to the Wallsend corridor somehow, it would be slightly longer but it would remove the annoyance of it.
Like if we're being ambitious and bringing your SL1 idea into it could you maybe do that and have something like
R1: Throckley to Hadrian Park via Wallsend - Every 20 Minutes
R2: Throckley to North Shields via Wallsend - Every 20 Minutes
R3: Gateshead Loop Clockwise (93/94) to Northumberland Park (short extension from Cobalt) via Wallsend - Every 20 Minutes
R4: Gateshead Loop Anticlockwise (93/94) to Northumberland Park (short extension from Cobalt) via Wallsend - Every 20 Minutes
97: Restored - Every 20 Minutes
307: Extended to Whitley Bay instead of the 301
I'll let someone else pick some numbers for the R1-4
It means you've now got the 340/341 free to do something with, unsure what mind but Hadrian Park is a bad terminus and you've moved the pain in the arse Hadrian Park loop away from the Coast Road to an increased service through some major towns. The 93/94 merger opening some seriously missing gaps right now, especially Newcastle to Team Valley and Saltmeadows which is crazy it doesn't exist and it's not a loop nowadays anyway.