(08 Nov 2023, 10:44 pm)MurdnunoC But it's not though is it? And unlikely ever to be so your point is moot.

(08 Nov 2023, 11:08 pm)OrangeArrow49 Where is the line drawn? How much is the Metro worth? Very happy the new tickets offer value for money so it's now irrelevant.

(11 Nov 2023, 12:17 pm)BusEnthusiast.com You know they should increase the 685 timings into every 30 minutes on a Monday-Sunday basis as 1.currently there are no other service serving Corbridge and Beyond except 685 due to GNE strike and an increased service would be better 2.On a Sunday it is quite bad,as if you want to go to Carlisle or Brampton you would have to wait an hour from eldon square then wait at least another half an hour to one hour depending what time the bus comes which I find ridiculous.They should definetly do this and maybe could make Sunday services at least every 45 mins instead of having to wait 1 hour from Monday-Sunday.

(11 Nov 2023, 12:17 pm)BusEnthusiast.com You know they should increase the 685 timings into every 30 minutes on a Monday-Sunday basis as 1.currently there are no other service serving Corbridge and Beyond except 685 due to GNE strike and an increased service would be better 2.On a Sunday it is quite bad,as if you want to go to Carlisle or Brampton you would have to wait an hour from eldon square then wait at least another half an hour to one hour depending what time the bus comes which I find ridiculous.They should definetly do this and maybe could make Sunday services at least every 45 mins instead of having to wait 1 hour from Monday-Sunday.

(11 Nov 2023, 4:48 pm)Storx 287k people from a rural station is quite a lot.

(11 Nov 2023, 4:58 pm)deanmachine Nearly 1000 people per day, probably more than the 685 could handle.

(11 Nov 2023, 5:24 pm)Storx Yeah pretty much, quite impressive really and I can't imagine there's thousands of people travelling towards Hexham either. Believe all the intermediate stations are around 80k aswell and some are only hourly.

One of the few local lines in the North East that isn't completely crap tbh.

(12 Nov 2023, 2:31 pm)BusEnthusiast.com Also they should definitely have and express service connecting Welbeck Road and maybe even connecting as far as Regent Centre via City Centre as during peak time runs buses are very delayed on the 39 and 40 and 9 times out of 10 you will find it full even with deckers so I think there should definitely be an express maybe going like this:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Welbeck+Road+-+Weardale+Avenue/Welbeck+Road-Cowen+Street/Welbeck+Road-St+Anthonys+Road/Bothal+Street/54.9757284,-1.5812323/Newcastle+Manors/Eldon+Square+Bus+Station+(stand+G)/High+Street-West+Avenue/Brandling+Arms/Regent+Centre+(stand+C),+Regent+Centre,+Newcastle+upon+Tyne/@54.9785193,-1.6192317,3254m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m59!4m58!1m5!1m1!1s0x487e7040e469f67f:0x35d84fa46fefb9b1!2m2!1d-1.54117!2d54.97715!1m5!1m1!1s0x487e7042d2a22515:0x2d55c70355f83fd2!2m2!1d-1.551766!2d54.975426!1m5!1m1!1s0x487e705e1724eca5:0xf9b58d729014df73!2m2!1d-1.559983!2d54.974056!1m5!1m1!1s0x487e70f4b8908b43:0xae98f1999677e0a!2m2!1d-1.57067!2d54.974022!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x487e70c7a09ce13d:0x8de6f42669cb14fa!2m2!1d-1.603161!2d54.974274!1m5!1m1!1s0x487e70cbc9080b3d:0xc0126e121a65afc7!2m2!1d-1.614989!2d54.975742!1m5!1m1!1s0x487e712d6a81edbb:0x9f2859efb98463cd!2m2!1d-1.6203606!2d55.0041695!1m5!1m1!1s0x487e7132995e75ed:0x664c0f4f42b276dd!2m2!1d-1.620077!2d55.0059087!1m5!1m1!1s0x487e7134baab344b:0x7d5c6126dd52537a!2m2!1d-1.6215577!2d55.011586!2m1!1b1!3e0?entry=ttu

Ignore the little road on Sandyford road it is an error.It would definetly be better for an every 15 minute service as it would help boost reliability so you dont have to change at City Centre to transfer and get the 30/1/5 and walk nor take the metro plus in the morning and before school periods it would help so doesn't take so long getting other people at lots of different stops. and maybe a 30 minute service on Sundays and should be called the X39 or X40 ,idk which one.And for the other people wondering on the west end ,there should be an every 15 minute one from Welbeck road to Dumpling hall/Chapel House via Stanhope Street,first stop on Stanhope Street,3rd stop on Stanhope Street,5th stop on Stanhope Street,General Hospital,1st stop on the West Road,3rd stop on West Road,Fox and Hounds then runs express to Denton Burn Library and express to Lemingtion Road Ends then Dumpling Hall/Chapel House,Dumpling Hall first then Chapel House so would be every 7.5 minutes combined.

(11 Nov 2023, 4:58 pm)deanmachine Nearly 1000 people per day, probably more than the 685 could handle.

(12 Nov 2023, 2:42 pm)54APhotography I think what is being overlooked here is the 685 is a very different animal to both South Tyne Valley services and the train. 

It serves Blucher, Walbottle, Throckley, Hendon, Corbridge and Dilston.

Can see the bus appealing with Stagecoach day/mega riders, the 685 does offer pretty much Tyneside wide connections where they connect around Eldon Square.

Still not sure even during the strike 30 mins frequency would be worth while. Stagecoach would be better off registering a service from Blackett St via Central, Bensham, MetroCentre, Blaydon, Prudhoe and Stocksfield, run it via Askew and don't bother with the 100 at all.

(12 Nov 2023, 4:07 pm)Storx They're all tiny hamlets though, it's an awkward area to serve because there's not much in the area. The 685 is technically 3 BPH between Throckley and Newcastle, if you count the X82 aswell which does the same route pretty much.

I'm not suggesting that Stagecoach should run it but a good service South of the Tyne would be

Prudhoe -> Crawcrook -> Ryton -> Blaydon -> NON STOP -> Newcastle and give those communities a quicker route skipping out the Metro Centre like the 604 used to do before GNE scrapped it.

(12 Nov 2023, 4:11 pm)54APhotography South Tyne has to be the one. Stagecoach are unusually sitting back and doing nothing. No point waiting on the traffic commissioner. Get some routes banged in now....

(12 Nov 2023, 4:26 pm)Storx See if I was SNE and doing a route, if I can depending on the Cobalt funding situation. I'd be looking at splitting the 22 and sending half the buses along to either Whitley Bay or North Shields, depending how much you want to go into Arriva's 306 territory.

I'd be tempted to extend the 39/40 whichever one it is that goes to Wallsend through to Hadrian Park aswell.

It'll benefit your customers aswell with through links from Byker further East and with connections at North Shields to get through the tunnel, with the 317 aswell. Other than the Coast Road, you've pretty much just bullied GNE out of North Tyneside as there's only the 307/309 left with any purpose.

Can probably guess where I'd be going if I was Arriva and had drivers and buses spare aswell.

The 24 corridor in Sunderland / South Shields would be the other corridor I'd be looking at and dominate the South Shields to Sunderland flow combined with the E's

(12 Nov 2023, 7:29 pm)54APhotography I agree the 24 and 20 along with X1 routes from Wearside/East Durham. North Tyneside to Blyth yes, South Tyne Valley and punt at the 21. It's all there for the taking, Walker doesn't seem to grasp what an opportunity he has, either that or is too frightened to ask for backing from Perth

(12 Nov 2023, 4:07 pm)Storx They're all tiny hamlets though, it's an awkward area to serve because there's not much in the area. The 685 is technically 3 BPH between Throckley and Newcastle, if you count the X82 aswell which does the same route pretty much.

I'm not suggesting that Stagecoach should run it but a good service South of the Tyne would be

Prudhoe -> Crawcrook -> Ryton -> Blaydon -> NON STOP -> Newcastle and give those communities a quicker route skipping out the Metro Centre like the 604 used to do before GNE scrapped it.

Something like - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/54.9704143,-1.6227063/54.9676206,-1.8404383/@54.9626739,-1.7063354,6301m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m44!4m43!1m40!3m4!1m2!1d-1.7553649!2d54.9728157!3s0x487dd86af1aebeb9:0x50c6b7de675bce75!3m4!1m2!1d-1.7901722!2d54.9665915!3s0x487dd9cbc5f19279:0xdf681a52c9cf0d7f!3m4!1m2!1d-1.7895286!2d54.9632262!3s0x487dd9cc3f770aff:0xfe0189a163813e6f!3m4!1m2!1d-1.8334379!2d54.964997!3s0x487dd9f413ca67bd:0x291308cf1829ba95!3m4!1m2!1d-1.8387038!2d54.9611946!3s0x487dd9f62c988901:0xf305ba4d57e6a0df!3m4!1m2!1d-1.8463344!2d54.9565625!3s0x487dda0499fba46f:0x31ca6fd03d18429c!3m4!1m2!1d-1.8504665!2d54.9586543!3s0x487dda1ac80860b7:0xa55a7dc4999dfc1b!3m4!1m2!1d-1.8623984!2d54.964936!3s0x487dda145d5c0551:0xf0e8242ef35cabc8!1m0!3e0?entry=ttu

Then you could potentially scrap the 10B and have the 10 every 30 minutes aka 602 and 10A every 30 minutes, 15 minutes combined.

(12 Nov 2023, 4:26 pm)Storx Other than the Coast Road, you've pretty much just bullied GNE out of North Tyneside as there's only the 307/309 left with any purpose.

Can probably guess where I'd be going if I was Arriva and had drivers and buses spare aswell.