(7 hours ago)Busadvocate wrote Is it known why the "connections" are so peculialy loose?
Someone must have thought about the timetable, but it seems (at best) extremely cautious about the time needed to move between bus stop and the platform, and about the timekeeping of the bus and train. Perhaps desperate to avoid criticism about say a delayed incoming bus missing a train, and vice versa; but if so that feels very weak thinking, basically designing for failure. Or is punctuality really that bad?
[Edit] To Newcastle, morning connections from bus to train are 22 mins at both Ashington and Bedlington. Afternoon return connections are 17 and 18 mins. So AM buses better if about 12 mins later, and PM buses about 12 mins earlier (and wait for trains, within reason.) Or are the 434 timings constrained by also serving school travel?
Don't believe it's intentional, if I'm right.
The Northumberland Line changed it's times quite a bit back in December, believe the whole line got pushed back by 10 minutes or so (if I remember right) and they just haven't bothered to change the bus timetable.
Didn't help they slashed the frequency before Bedlington Station even opened which was a bit of an own goal as let's be honest no-one wants a bus to there without the railway station.