(17 Nov 2025, 7:09 pm)PH - BQA wrote The 64 runs every 15 minutes, the 308 runs as part of a group which have a combined frequency of every 5 minutes. I'd say there's far more demand along the Coast Road than between the Arnison Centre and Sherburn. 

The 306/308 frequency drop was just after Covid from memory, when ridership was down? That they'd reduced the frequency and loads are now likely back up to pre-2020 levels likely means it's even more profitable than it was beforehand in reality. Similar money in, less money out. The loads I see leaving in the peak would certainly suggest the frequency could be increased and they'd still be carrying healthy numbers.

I don't think it's unprofitable let's make that clear, but just don't think they're the most profitable routes around. 

If they were operated by one operator under normal fares then 100% they'd be up there but they're not. 

In reality the fares are well below other routes and there's two operators with arguably way too many buses at the Western side carrying around pretty poor loadings really. 

You need to carry awful lot more passengers in comparison to other similar routes to make the same revenue and they're very one directional aswell ie. in/out of Newcastle. Well the 306/308 at least anyway. 

On the 64 I still think these are the hidden routes, just looking at departures between 4pm and 6pm which is arguably your core peak there's only 5 departures from Newcastle on the 308 (11 including the 306, for reference, but that's double the PVR), compared to 15 departures from Durham on the 64 (since it's on the middle and there's both way). The 64 might not be picking as many people up in Durham, but it doesn't need to since there's 3x the departures, not to mention the PVR is 1/2 buses less aswell which means there's less costs there aswell. Add a hospital, a college, 1 major retail destination and another quite big retail destination at the other side of town for passengers aswell.  

It's why something like the 39/40 are miles above everything else. These combined have 36 departures from Newcastle instead and they'll be as busy as the 306/308. The profit on those must be insane compared to most other routes in the North East imo.