(06 Oct 2025, 7:35 pm)Storx wrote Even known it's an interesting idea, I'm not really sure it's needed.
Like just picking out routes you could easily do something like
43: X73 Route, but flip it with the 6 between Tantobie Crossroads and the Pack Horse giving Burnopfield a much faster route to Metrocentre / Newcastle (Every 30 Minutes, Hourly Evenings / Sunday)
44: Current 6 route, again flip it with the X73 between Tantobie Crossroads and the Pack Horse giving Stanley a faster Metrocentre link (Hourly All Day / Sunday)
44A: Same route as above, but via Hobson rather than Tanfield (Hourly Daytimes)
X30: Via Gateshead, otherwise no changes (Hourly Daytime)
X31: Via Gateshead, otherwise no changes (Hourly Daytime)
X32: Withdrawn
X70: Run direct between Dipton and Burnopfield, otherwise no changes (Hourly Daytime)
X71: Via Gateshead, otherwise no changes (Hourly Daytimes, Every 2 Hours Evening / Sunday)
X72: Withdrawn, replaced by 43/44
X73: Withdrawn, replaced by 43/44
X40: Consett - Leadgate - Non Stop - Annfield Plain - Stanley - Non Stop - Sunniside - Lobley Hill - Non Stop (via A184) - Newcastle (Hourly All Day / Sunday) - Map of route
X301: Newcastle to Whickham via X30/X31/X71 route then do the 301 loop round Whickham (Every 20 Minutes, Hourly Evenings/Sunday)
It's not a million miles away from where things are now but the main towns would get the new X40 giving the fastest links between them and Newcastle with the main towns of Stanley and Consett supplemented with the X30/X31/X70/X71.
All the villages are then covered by the new 43/44 which is basically just the 6/X73 anyway and everywhere has an evening service with the same route as their daily service which isn't the case right now.
Your ideas are pretty good. I'm not sure the X40 could sustain an 'all day' operation although could run at peak times and maybe take advantage of CentreLink. I'd also be tempted to look at putting Medomsley into the 45 corridor.
Express services:
X30 - Every 30 mins Mon-Sat daytime | Evenings & Sunday daytime every 60 mins
Consett - Leadgate - Dipton - Burnopfield - Sunniside - Team Valley North - Gateshead - Newcastle
Note: X30 is basically a re-numbered X70 to keep in-line with the X31 & X32 below
X31 - Hourly Mon-Sat all day & Sunday daytime
**Stanley - Shield Row - Sunniside - Lobley Hill Estate - Team Valley North - Gateshead - Newcastle
** 2 hourly Sunday extension to Lanchester via X32 route below after Stanley
X32 - Hourly Mon-Sat daytime
Lanchester - Maiden Law - Burnhope - Quaking Houses & South Moor - Stanley - East Stanley - Sunniside - Team Valley North - Gateshead - Newcastle
X44 - Every 20 mins Mon-Sat daytime | Hourly evenings & Sundays - Basically the X301 suggestion but less of a 'mouthful' of a number
Newcastle - Central Station - Teams A184 - Dunston - Whickham Front Street - Fellside Park - Broadway - Whickham Front Street then back to Newcastle
Other services:
43 - Every 30 mins Mon-Sat daytime | Hourly evenings & Sundays
Stanley - New Kyo - Annfield Plain - Catchgate - Harelaw - Dipton - Tantobie - Burnopfield - Fellside Road - MetroCentre - Teams & Askew Road West - Newcastle
44 - Hourly all day daily
Stanley - Tanfield Lea - Tantobie - Tanfield - Crookgate Bank - Sunniside Kingsway - Broadway - Broom Lane - Watergate Crescent - Whickham Front Street - MetroCentre - Teams & Askew Road West - Newcastle
44A - Every 60 mins Mon-Sat daytime
Stanley - Tanfield Lea - Tantobie - Hobson - Sunniside Kingsway - Broadway - Broom Lane - Watergate Crescent - Whickham Front Street - MetroCentre - Teams & Askew Road West - Newcastle
45 - Every 30 mins Mon-Sat daytime | Hourly evenings & Sundays
Same as X45 and still limited stop MetroCentre to Newcastle
46 - Every 30 mins Mon-Sat daytime | Hourly Mon-Sat evenings & Sunday daytime
Consett - Leadgate - Medomsley - Hamsterley Mill then as 45 to Newcastle
47 - Same as now but Consett to Blackhall Mill reduced to hourly during Mon-Sat daytime
Note that the 43, 44, 44A would run double back via Tyne Street and Centrelink during AM peaks.
Not a great deal of difference other than the X40, and also the X30 & X31 running more frequent during evenings & Sundays.
Also, if the 45/46/47 was re-introduced to a 10 minute frequency Rowlands Gill to Newcastle - is there a need for so many deckers including on the X30's? A batch of new B8RLE's mixed in with some of the existing E400MMC would be perfect for all of the above.....offering the right capacity and frequency with a reliable allocation. Not forgetting that the B8RLE is actually quite a good performer on the fuel considering it's more heavy-duty than a StreetLite/E200MMC. Worst case if growth comes and more deckers are needed, hoy the B8RLEs on the 8/78.