(28 Nov 2025, 3:22 am)V514DFT wrote If the PVR is going down, whats the betting its the 307 that gets the brunt of it, like every half hour to Cobalt South, hourly to Shields, real kick in the teeth if its your only bus to Shields (me included), and the 309 will go half hourly, thats my prediction, 307/309 are crashing, and crashing hard man, its gone from frequent and warranting double deckers, to (potentially) being reduced further, and at times feels like double deckers are overkill

I think the 309, that's quite strong to be honest and even more so with the re-route via High Farm.

The 307, I'd say Newcastle to Hadrian Park is strong but North Shields is in decline and to be honest that section alone would warrant a half-hourly frequency rather than every 15 or 20.

Either they keep the core 10 minute frequency, something like
- 307 every 30 minutes
- Full 309 to Blyth every 30 minutes
- Short 309 to Cobalt every 30 minutes

Or even keep as is now but with some journeys curtailed at peaks or......formed into the X39.

The other option, they go for a core 7-8 minute frequency through Battle Hill and High Farm like this:

- Full 309 to Blyth every 30 minutes
- Short 309 to Cobalt every 30 minutes
- 310 to North Shields every 30 minutes omitting Hadrian Park
- 311 to Hadrian Park every 30 minutes

Contrary to my screenshot, the full 309 would interwork with the short trips. And the 310/311 would interwork. Only slight caveat would be a 6 minute wait at the Bush in Hadrian Park.

Now Arriva would be well within their rights to re-dominate on the Coast Road. But they've got two issues:

1.) The vehicles coming in are to replace vehicles (some indirectly via cascades) that are dropping like flies. If Arriva was to temporarily divert resource for the Coast Road, they'd have to invest again in the future

2.) The 306 isn't a very strong route on it's own.

If GNE do just stick with a 10 minute core frequency, there'd be no harm Arriva having a go re-introducing pre-covid frequencies and I think a 7-8 minute core Billy Mill to Newcastle service would be welcomed.