(16 Apr 2026, 1:53 pm)V514DFT wrote Im still convinced that with a bit of jiggery pokery, the 32/32A could do it if the 18 were to ever get binned (which ngl, i can see happening), suppose atleast it would actually give the 32A a purpose, i remember rightly, the 18 (and 19) were the birthchildren of merging in the 00's i want to say between 2003 and 2005 when the 20/20A/34/35/35A/61/62A/62B/64/64A were all axed, i think it was 2006/2007 that the 19 was axed and it just became the 18, then it was left alone a good ten or so years until it was prodded and poked at again to become pretty much what it is now
Ngl, can't see the 18 going anywhere personally; if anything I could see the 32/32A go instead.
You could easily extend the 12 shorts to do a loop around the 32/32A loop in one direction and be done with it really and increase the frequency aswell with the 32/32A terminating short at Byker.
The other side is just an illogical mess nowadays though since the General shut imo; personally I'd split it at Benwell; send the Newcastle side through to Metrocentre and god knows with the other half. Maybe merge it with the 1, since it does most the route to about 300m from Newcastle anyway.