(4 hours ago)L469 YVK wrote I must admit, l loved your idea with the 45/46/47 which would also replace the V5 & X71 in hindsight too - with quite a smart idea to make the 46 more viable too.
As I've said before. Derwentside is a very similar demographic to Blyth, Bedlington and Ashington. Arriva have been resillient not only during covid but even with the ABTRL - give or take a few potential future tweaks. If they still had the old X/EX and 40's nonsense that eventually got morphed into simplier and easier routes such as the X10/X11 - would be a different story IMO.
All the 40's from Stanley & Consett had the MetroCentre going for them to make money.
https://www.northeastbuses.co.uk/attachm...nail=11055
This, especially the 46! ️️
I also mentioned it a good few posts back, but do all the Stanley / Consett to Newcastle boards need deckers? Volvo B8RLEs thrown in would be perfect for some trips. Worst case if routes grow and they're not suited capacity wise, put them on the 8/78.
Aye that's the one, it's just much tidier imo. There's too many buses one going quick, one going slow, an express which is longer than everything else. It's just a mess right now and they give most areas a link to the Metrocentre like you said, which might not be a million passengers but it's a place - unlike Dunston where people do not want to be (no offence Dunston).
The X30/X31/X32/X70/X71/X72/X73 for someone wanting to go Lobley Hill or Dunston must be up there with the most confusing bus routes in the country. Like who'd think the X30/X31/X71 are combined, the X32/X70/X72 are combined and the X73 is just something else altogether but maybe I'm just stupid... Imagine trying to explain that to someone when they're all going to Consett or Stanley, it's bad enough to tell them when the buses go to completely different places with completely different numbers never mind anything else.
The X73 being by far the most confusing, since it ain't express, doesn't go to Consett (70's), doesn't go to Sunniside (30's and 70's) and you'd be mad to use it from Stanley to Newcastle the only real common route, bar Dipton which then doesn't have the X71. Why it's numbered that just does not make sense.