(07 Oct 2025, 7:30 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote I've had a little think about it and to make it easier I will talk about current services...

306 - leave it alone in terms of route  (except force it to visit North Shields HUB/Metro station/Interchange) 

307 Haymarket to North Shields - limited stop  Newcastle Haymarket - 5 Swans - Civic Centre Direct to Corner House (connections for pub and Freeman football etc - chilli road stop (for chilli connections then direct to Station Road stop on ramp approach  remove the wills building stop to create a fast approach then all stops like the 306   through battlehill to jolly bowman pub  (307 - does not serve Mullen Road Loop or Hadrian Park ) 

307 then turns right at jolly Bowman  left onto Coast Road off at Silverlink up past McDonald's  but turns Right to behind the cinema and use the direct Road through the Tyne Tunnel trading estate to the bottom (providing job opportunities and a connection from Newcastle and residents nearby)  turn left  then left again and drive up past the Percy Main depot then right onto verne road to North Shields HUB 

A little different route but creates a little mix and the service is still covered by bus services nearby.

308 - create the Same Express route but to go via Battlehill Drive all stops in both directions and not the Coast Road stops (passengers often walk from coast road to battlehill drive and and users needing to use the subway they are used to it to access amenities so it's a very little impact as users use battlehill shops services anyway

309 Same idea as above omit going via Mullen Road to save time too

Now as Hadrian Park and and Mullen Road are bus less (ish ) 

340 -341 would operate a new service 

340 Wallsend up Wiltshire Drive  Mullen Road Battlehill Drive  Hadrian Park back out loop around the roundabout at BNQ to serve the bingo and Wallsend pub (future development here so locals will use the service) then down onto Coast Road and up silverlink into Cobalt and to Northumberland Park

341  Operates Newcastle Haymarket  to Chicken Road observing all stops  creating it a "slower service"  and hitting Wiltshire Drive  and Mullen Road  to Northumberland Park. 

350 351 is removed.

342 from Wallsend  will operate via Wiltshire drive  and run around holystone to provide a link.

351 if anything operates from Holystone to Northumberland park  hourly and ( 342 already providing a link too) 


There is no loss for the 350 or 351 being curtailed. 

For example the last bus leaves at Haymarket at 2325 but so does the 308 leaves the next stand at 2325 so they follow each other 

Creating express style routes will benefit the later passengers wanting a 20min plus journey 

Chilli road going into town is to be used as the traffic is usually up to the chilli road up ramp so up and down into a bus lane is a gain to save time 

It also has the potential to not need 22X or X39 

Additional links to Tyne Tunnel trading Estate Northumberland Park and faster Coast Road journey times

The bus network in North Tyneside has been a complete mess since 2010. i would bring back an express bus from Whitley Bay via Marden Estate and onto the 308 route at the Foxhunters then fast from Billy Mill to Haymarket stopping only at Willington Square.  The 306 would be withdrawn between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay replaced by a new local service to Cobalt from North Shields via Tynemouth, Marden and New York.

(Yesterday, 9:47 am)ian foster wrote The bus network in North Tyneside has been a complete mess since 2010. i would bring back an express bus from Whitley Bay via Marden Estate and onto the 308 route at the Foxhunters then fast from Billy Mill to Haymarket stopping only at Willington Square.  The 306 would be withdrawn between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay replaced by a new local service to Cobalt from North Shields via Tynemouth, Marden and New York.

I think the billy mill express is to large and potentially means it could run on a Single deck or mini as it would miss key points. 

my suggestion caters for regular leisure users  people wanting to visit cinema shopping etc...  a mix of work users throughout the day and night and other links 

believe it or not adding Mullen road into a route increases journey times by 4 mins only but adds about 8-10 stops but in your head it feels longer 

I know that on Battlehill Drive if a 306 or 307 turns up the 306 is chosen for the psychological service of it being loads quicker 

You need to remember to operate a single bus it costs at least £40 per hour

(Yesterday, 10:34 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote believe it or not adding Mullen road into a route increases journey times by 4 mins only but adds about 8-10 stops but in your head it feels longer 

Not if it's already running 5 minutes late as a result of traffic at the Coast.....then gets hammered at Noble's on Mullen Road.

When the 309 ran via Selby Gardens......drivers could 'safely' (or maybe not unknown to us haha) make up time and arrive into Haymarket on time even if losing a bit time earlier en-route.

Since the 309 was re-routed, the timekeeping has not been as solid IMO. Thankfully, the 309 is keeping the B9TLs as I doubt StreetDecks could keep to time on a PVR of 8x.

(Yesterday, 10:34 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote I think the billy mill express is to large and potentially means it could run on a Single deck or mini as it would miss key points. 

my suggestion caters for regular leisure users  people wanting to visit cinema shopping etc...  a mix of work users throughout the day and night and other links 

believe it or not adding Mullen road into a route increases journey times by 4 mins only but adds about 8-10 stops but in your head it feels longer 

I know that on Battlehill Drive if a 306 or 307 turns up the 306 is chosen for the psychological service of it being loads quicker 

You need to remember to operate a single bus it costs at least £40 per hour

there is already more than enough buses through Battle Hill so why put any more in. there are plenty of people east of it who want a quick bus to Newcastle which they haven't had since the 44 was foolishly withdrawn back in 2010

(Yesterday, 10:34 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote I think the billy mill express is to large and potentially means it could run on a Single deck or mini as it would miss key points. 

my suggestion caters for regular leisure users  people wanting to visit cinema shopping etc...  a mix of work users throughout the day and night and other links 

believe it or not adding Mullen road into a route increases journey times by 4 mins only but adds about 8-10 stops but in your head it feels longer 

I know that on Battlehill Drive if a 306 or 307 turns up the 306 is chosen for the psychological service of it being loads quicker 

You need to remember to operate a single bus it costs at least £40 per hour

Quite a long time 4 minutes, when it's only 15-20 minutes in a car though for the full journey.

Btw I keep seeing stuff about express buses (me included) but maybe another option would be infrastructure upgrades instead and do something like:


Along by Selby Gardens so the buses never have to leave the Coast Road, at all, with both sides of the road down to one direction at their respective side (there's enough ways round for those who live in the section) while omitting Benfield Road and the Chillingham Road junctions so beyond Tyne Met they can bomb straight to Newcastle without any traffic lights / roundabouts which slow them down, with the whole hatched part of the road turned into a new bus lane. 

It means you could have a 'fast' 306/308 via the Coast Road direct and a slow 307/309 via High Farm and Battle Hill.

The time savings for an express bus would then be neglible really and it utilises part of the Coast Road which is effectively unused currently. You could probably do similar at the Tyne Met junction aswell, if you wanted to skip that roundabout aswell (Here: https://www.google.com/maps/@55.006728,-...?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAwNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)