Wouldn't the simplest way to cut PVR not just be to terminate the 309 in Whitley Bay Town Centre? That's three buses right there and removes duplication to Blyth.

Are Go North East really making three buses worth of revenue between Whitley Bay and Blyth?

(28 Nov 2025, 8:53 am)Kimlfixit wrote Wouldn't the simplest way to cut PVR not just be to terminate the 309 in Whitley Bay Town Centre? That's three buses right there and removes duplication to Blyth.

Are Go North East really making three buses worth of revenue between Whitley Bay and Blyth?

On paper maybe, but it'll be highly controversal, as you'd lose the Cobalt to Blyth links which is quite useful. In an ideal world, the 308 being cut short would be better with the 309 going into Blyth via the 308 route. There's nothing of real note between Rake Lane and Station Road on the 308 where people would really want to be unlike the 309 but obviously it's the wrong operator.

It's way overbussed between Blyth and Whitley Bay though.

(28 Nov 2025, 10:09 am)Storx wrote On paper maybe, but it'll be highly controversal, as you'd lose the Cobalt to Blyth links which is quite useful. In an ideal world, the 308 being cut short would be better with the 309 going into Blyth via the 308 route. There's nothing of real note between Rake Lane and Station Road on the 308 where people would really want to be unlike the 309 but obviously it's the wrong operator.

It's way overbussed between Blyth and Whitley Bay though.

The 309 Blyth/ Cobalt link is going to be redundant anyway.

More people in the Blyth area will end up using the Northumberland line to Northumberland Park and then the 19. Assuming the buses will link with the train

(28 Nov 2025, 12:03 pm)Kimlfixit wrote The 309 Blyth/ Cobalt link is going to be redundant anyway.

More people in the Blyth area will end up using the Northumberland line to Northumberland Park and then the 19. Assuming the buses will link with the train

Not sure about that personally, where the 309 serves in Blyth is nowhere near the train so it would be a heck of a trip and the 19 is infrequent as hell.

Truth be told though, if you wanted to go really gung-ho and think all about the £££ and not really give a toss about connections etc. You could easily cut it short at New York, never mind Whitley. It would be unpopular

ie. something like the attachment below, if you wanted to merge it into one route aswell with the 307 but I don't really expect them to do that tbh. It seems to be the peaks which are the issue and unless they cut the timetable then they need to increase the PVR as the timetable is allover the place. The 306/308 being as bad lately.

(28 Nov 2025, 12:22 pm)Storx wrote Not sure about that personally, where the 309 serves in Blyth is nowhere near the train so it would be a heck of a trip and the 19 is infrequent as hell.

Truth be told though, if you wanted to go really gung-ho and think all about the £££ and not really give a toss about connections etc. You could easily cut it short at New York, never mind Whitley. It would be unpopular

ie. something like the attachment below, if you wanted to merge it into one route aswell with the 307 but I don't really expect them to do that tbh. It seems to be the peaks which are the issue and unless they cut the timetable then they need to increase the PVR as the timetable is allover the place. The 306/308 being as bad lately.

IMO, I don't think the 307 would need to do a full circle loop.

Westminster Avenue services the houses currently served by the 307 at the top of Norham Road okay.

If anything,  a re-route via Westminster Avenue would help the elderly residents in Phoenix Court who would've previously used the 325/326 etc

(28 Nov 2025, 2:34 pm)L469 YVK wrote IMO, I don't think the 307 would need to do a full circle loop.

Westminster Avenue services the houses currently served by the 307 at the top of Norham Road okay.

If anything,  a re-route via Westminster Avenue would help the elderly residents in Phoenix Court who would've previously used the 325/326 etc

Aye probably isn't very clear there, it was meant to be the shorts which done the loop, then the North Shields ones running through, so it'd be something like:


To make it a bit clearer. Just means you'd get 6 BPH in New York and give them a link to North Shields, because why not.

(28 Nov 2025, 3:48 pm)Storx wrote Aye probably isn't very clear there, it was meant to be the shorts which done the loop, then the North Shields ones running through, so it'd be something like:


To make it a bit clearer. Just means you'd get 6 BPH in New York and give them a link to North Shields, because why not.

But New York already has the 353/354 to Shields

(28 Nov 2025, 6:31 pm)V514DFT wrote But New York already has the 353/354 to Shields

That's true, tbh just seemed tidier. Rather than having a 10/20/10//20 timetable because there's probably doesn't need to be 3 BPH beyond there really. Just opens opportunities turning it somewhere.

(I also had the route originally without the Shields extension, at all, aswell truthfully, but thought that's probably pushing it a bit too much)

(28 Nov 2025, 6:55 pm)Storx wrote That's true, tbh just seemed tidier. Rather than having a 10/20/10//20 timetable because there's probably doesn't need to be 3 BPH beyond there really. Just opens opportunities turning it somewhere.

(I also had the route originally without the Shields extension, at all, aswell truthfully, but thought that's probably pushing it a bit too much)

Unless you do a swapsy
So 307 as now, to Westminster Avenue (and including), then 353 route to Shields
353 as now to Westminster Avenue (and including), then 307 route to Shields, then actually give the 354 a purpose rather being up the 353's backside have the 354 as follows
as now to Westminster Avenue, then Norham Road North, Norham Road South (omits Verne Road), Wallsend Road, then rejoins the 353 at Meadow Well, thats option A for the 353
option B would be as above, then after Central Avenue, does what the old 300/305 (or whatever it was) so Quadrant/Deleval Avenue, Lansdowne Terrace, Hawkeys Lane, Albion Road, Transport Hub

(29 Nov 2025, 2:26 am)V514DFT wrote Unless you do a swapsy
So 307 as now, to Westminster Avenue (and including), then 353 route to Shields
353 as now to Westminster Avenue (and including), then 307 route to Shields, then actually give the 354 a purpose rather being up the 353's backside have the 354 as follows
as now to Westminster Avenue, then Norham Road North, Norham Road South (omits Verne Road), Wallsend Road, then rejoins the 353 at Meadow Well, thats option A for the 353
option B would be as above, then after Central Avenue, does what the old 300/305 (or whatever it was) so Quadrant/Deleval Avenue, Lansdowne Terrace, Hawkeys Lane, Albion Road, Transport Hub

Aye could do, going off topic a bit; if you wanted to go radical I'd say do a North Tyneside loop and cut the 301 short at North Shields so something like:


which is basically just the 301/307/309 merged together as one loop basically, and give or take, the old 315/316 back with some small variants (not serving Monkseaton). 

It means you could potentially up the frequency of the 301, which in parts could do with more buses with the ability to potentially split it into 2 different 30 minute services; ie. could you do one leg doing the 317 route from Howdon to North Shields giving the Royal Quays a direct Newcastle bus? 12 minutes with SNE and 15 minutes with GNE is very close now since SNE are cutting the 22. It's very different to  every 10 minutes vs 20 minutes and try and take some passengers back in the Howdon/Wallsend area maybe?

To shut up the Blyth end, just extend the 356 to Blyth with an extra minibus so you'd save 2 deckers overall.

(29 Nov 2025, 10:39 am)Storx wrote Aye could do, going off topic a bit; if you wanted to go radical I'd say do a North Tyneside loop and cut the 301 short at North Shields so something like:


which is basically just the 301/307/309 merged together as one loop basically, and give or take, the old 315/316 back with some small variants (not serving Monkseaton). 

It means you could potentially up the frequency of the 301, which in parts could do with more buses with the ability to potentially split it into 2 different 30 minute services; ie. could you do one leg doing the 317 route from Howdon to North Shields giving the Royal Quays a direct Newcastle bus? 12 minutes with SNE and 15 minutes with GNE is very close now since SNE are cutting the 22. It's very different to  every 10 minutes vs 20 minutes and try and take some passengers back in the Howdon/Wallsend area maybe?

To shut up the Blyth end, just extend the 356 to Blyth with an extra minibus so you'd save 2 deckers overall.

That could work

Just had a thought here, but if GNE want to **** around pulling out of the Coast Road agreement - how about this from Arriva?

- 306
* Every 15 mins Mon-Sat
* Every 30 mins evenings
* Every 20 mins Sundays

- 308
* Every 15 mins Mon-Sat
* Every 30 mins evenings
* Every 20 mins Sundays

The key being....both the 306 & 308 serve Battle Hill Drive meaning a true core 7-8 minute frequency between Billy Mill and Newcastle. Only other thing I'd say....pull the pointless Marden / Whitley Bay extension of the 306. Send the 57/57A down that way if any local use.

If anything, Battle Hill Drive isn't 'that' much longer than the 308 staying on the Coast Road via St Peters. And as for Holy Cross.....users already have to use the subway coming back from Newcastle. So no real difference there.

If Arriva did that, GNE's Coast Road operation would literally be reduced to the scraps running and running around on StreetLites!

You see, when this Qualifying Agreement came in, it should've been a bit more radical rather than just operators saving PVRs and getting paid to accept each other's tickets...

I would've properly given North Tyneside an overhaul and upgrade in my opinion;

306 Newcastle - Blyth (via North Shields, Tynemouth, Marden & Whitley Bay) [PVR=6.5]
307 Newcastle - Tynemouth (via Battle Hill, Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate & North Shields)  [PVR=6]
308 Newcastle - Whitley Lodge (via N Tyneside Hospital, Marden, Cullercoats & Whitley Bay)  [PVR=6.5]
309 Newcastle - Blyth (via Battle Hill, Cobalt,  N Tyneside Hospital & Whitley Bay)  [PVR=8]

All of the above changes improves the services offered by ;

1. improved links such as North Shields/Tynemouth to Blyth & Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate to surrouding areas.
   
2. 307 is a lot faster by excluding Hadrian Park
   
3. Frequencies and PVRs are the same meaning no further resources needed and improvements can be made by improving the other North Tyneside services frequencies, routes and ticketing see the routes below for some of my suggestions
   

Some of the improvements that could be made are...
301 Gateshead - Whitey Bay (via Newcastle, Byker, Wallsend, Howdon, North Shields, N Tyneside Hospital & Monkseaton)
302 Gateshead - Whitley Bay (via Newacstle, Byker, Wallsend, Holystone, Shiremoor & Whitley Bay)

• Frequency increase to every 15 mins combined, routes go different ways on a 30 mins frequency 
  
• Vehicles saved from eastern end being covered by improved 306/307 meaning route can combine with 350/351 & 317 to give better half hourly services to all and improve connections to Wallsend. 
  

22 Throckley - Howdon/Cobalt & Silverlink (via 22 route but introdce alternate shorts to cover the east end of Howdon to replace 301/317) 

• Reduces Cobalt bit to 20 mins frerquency as every 10 mins is overkill
  
• Gives other parts of Howdon a faster service and more frequent service
  

353 Cramlington - North Shields
354 Newcastle - North Shields (Gosforth, Forest Hall, Killingworth, Shiremoor, Cobalt, & Norham Rd)

• Buses combine North Shields to Shiremoor at every 15 mins and split to go their respective ways at a half hourly frequency
  
• Improve connections to Killingworth & Cobalt. However longer journey to town on the 354 (opposed to the 307) but the metro exists
  
• Higher frequency across whole of the routes but extra bus an hour along Verne Rd
  

Q3 Winlaton - Hadrian Park (via Blaydon, Newcastle Business Pk, Central Station, Quayside, Wallsend & Battle Hill)  [PVR=10]

• Combine routes 12, Q3 & 341 together for better connections to Quayside & Central Station)
  

X7 Newcastle - Blyth (via South Gosforth, Killingworth, Seaton Delaval, & New Hartley) [PVR=no change]

• Change route via Killingworth to create connections  for Seaton Delaval - Blyth and vice-versa
  

9 Cramington - Sunderland (via 19 route to Percy Main then through the tunnel to Jarrow to continue the 9 route)

• Connects South Tyneside & Sunderland to Cobalt and Cramlington Hospital greatly improving links
  
• Half hourly split with 1 going from Backworth non-stop to Killingworth and the other to Cramlington
  

10/11 Wallsend - South Shields (via Holy Cross, Howdon & Tyne Tunnel to Jarrow then commence 10/11 route to/from Shields)

• Increases connectivity for people who live near the tyne but cannot access anything on the other side of it and gives Holycross a service
  
• Route not meant for end to end as it would take far to long and the metro-ferry is much quicker
  
• Bonus of being Stagecoach dominant areas meaning ticketing benefits
  

25/35 North Shields - South Shields (via 319 route to Jarrow then 25/35 route to Boldon where they split and got to their respective destinations such as South Shields & Sunderland)

• Keeps the North Shields to Sunderland direct bus (just a longer journey) and keep it every 30 by interowkring the hourly services that interwork from Jarrow anyways
  

Full map I created...


Some quickfire suggestions (not thought about in too much detail)
- 62 curtailed at Quorum & 63 curtailed at Forest Hall Meadway Est. With 37/38 swapped to do Killingworth to give passengers better connections. And the18 would step in for Cramlington to Killingworth section (timed with the 353) and the Killingworth to Byker

- Reintroduce the 46/46A to do the Jesmond to Great Park to replace the Q3/X46/49 here 

Sorry for the long post, as you can see I got carried away.

There is so much traffic going through the tunnel daily, maybe if there was an express not only would you save over £5 a day plus fuel currently the opnly way is to go to Sunderland or live on the 9, and be on it then change for the cobalt.