Arriva North East: Service Suggestions

[tcts24]

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Would a Bishop Auckland or Spennymoor to Teesside (Hartlepool, Billingham, Stockton or Middlesbrough) express-ish service see any passenger usage. 

If it was from Spennymoor it could serve any combination of Coxhoe, Kelloe, Trimdon, Deaf Hill, etc...

If it was from Bishop it could serve any combination of Coundon, Chilton, Ferryhill, Sedgefield, Fishburn, Wynyard, etc...

Bit like these or mabe the 69?

[Countydurhambuses]

Would a Bishop Auckland or Spennymoor to Teesside (Hartlepool, Billingham, Stockton or Middlesbrough) express-ish service see any passenger usage. 

If it was from Spennymoor it could serve any combination of Coxhoe, Kelloe, Trimdon, Deaf Hill, etc...

If it was from Bishop it could serve any combination of Coundon, Chilton, Ferryhill, Sedgefield, Fishburn, Wynyard, etc...

The best chance would probably be like the old x14 or a new service from bishop to Middlesbrough via coundon, chilton, Sedgefield, perhaps wynard or wolviston, billingham and then going down the a19 and a66 fo Middlesbrough bus station

[Jimmi]

Would a Bishop Auckland or Spennymoor to Teesside (Hartlepool, Billingham, Stockton or Middlesbrough) express-ish service see any passenger usage. 

If it was from Spennymoor it could serve any combination of Coxhoe, Kelloe, Trimdon, Deaf Hill, etc...

If it was from Bishop it could serve any combination of Coundon, Chilton, Ferryhill, Sedgefield, Fishburn, Wynyard, etc...

Can't see it, the X14 from Bishop Auckland is long gone with the OK1 also falling foul (although the Middlesbrough extension didn't last long). Given that Arriva is cutting much of the services that covered those links over the years, it's kinda telling of numbers although saying that, many of the links have been severed over the years making even just getting to some of the nearest towns/villages more hassle than its worth to even attempt.

[ASX_Terranova]

Can't see it, the X14 from Bishop Auckland is long gone with the OK1 also falling foul (although the Middlesbrough extension didn't last long). Given that Arriva is cutting much of the services that covered those links over the years, it's kinda telling of numbers although saying that, many of the links have been severed over the years making even just getting to some of the nearest towns/villages more hassle than its worth to even attempt.

Firstly which route did the X14 take, i've never heard of it. 
Secondly, if an independent decided to run their own commerical services would anyone use them.

[tcts24]

Firstly which route did the X14 take, i've never heard of it. 
Secondly, if an independent decided to run their own commerical services would anyone use them.

This timetable could be a little more descriptive than the one I posted yesterday

[cbma06]

I remembered in the 90’s that the X14 got extended from Middlesbrough to Sunderland, I remembered seeing the coach at Park Lane bus station , can’t remember though if it replaced the 214 at the time as the extension was short lived before been cancelled and the 214 came back, others might know what year the x14 extension to Sunderland started


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[tcts24]

I remembered in the 90’s that the X14 got extended from Middlesbrough to Sunderland, I remembered seeing the coach at Park Lane bus station , can’t remember though if it replaced the 214 at the time as the extension was short lived before been cancelled and the 214 came back, others might know what year the x14 extension to Sunderland started


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Maybe a different X14? The X14 we've been on about was from Bishop Auckland to Saltburn. Then for whatever reason they changed it to run X14 Bishop Auckland to Middlesbrough then the Middlesbrough to Saltburn section as X4. Same coach, same driver, throughfares etc.

Was it not the 217 that ran Bishop Auckland to Sunderland?

[stagecoachfan]

Maybe a different X14? The X14 we've been on about was from Bishop Auckland to Saltburn. Then for whatever reason they changed it to run X14 Bishop Auckland to Middlesbrough then the Middlesbrough to Saltburn section as X4. Same coach, same driver, throughfares etc.

Was it not the 217 that ran Bishop Auckland to Sunderland?

Used the DAF/Plaxton Prima coaches, dual-branded for both the X4 & X14

As on https://www.flickr.com/photos/45726467@N02/11268277654/

[cbma06]

Maybe a different X14? The X14 we've been on about was from Bishop Auckland to Saltburn. Then for whatever reason they changed it to run X14 Bishop Auckland to Middlesbrough then the Middlesbrough to Saltburn section as X4. Same coach, same driver, throughfares etc.

Was it not the 217 that ran Bishop Auckland to Sunderland?

Nah wasn’t the 217, I remember getting the United lynx’s on the 217, this X14 was in the days of United , well before Arriva days


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[ASX_Terranova]

Nah wasn’t the 217, I remember getting the United lynx’s on the 217, this X14 was in the days of United , well before Arriva days


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Is this the same 217 than ran from Sunderland to Ferryhill via Houghton operated by scarlet band at one point?

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This timetable could be a little more descriptive than the one I posted yesterday

Would that be faster than sending a bus alongside the A689 and A19.

[tcts24]

Nah wasn’t the 217, I remember getting the United lynx’s on the 217, this X14 was in the days of United , well before Arriva days


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Turns out it was both the 215 and 217

[tcts24]

Is this the same 217 than ran from Sunderland to Ferryhill via Houghton operated by scarlet band at one point?

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Would that be faster than sending a bus alongside the A689 and A19.

Doing that your kind of looking at end point to end point customers... who will use the train which will inevitably be quicker reagardless of how express the express bus is. It would need to go round at least some of the houses to stand any chance. Maybe through Shildon, Newton Aycliffe and Sedgefield.

[ross13]

Nah wasn’t the 217, I remember getting the United lynx’s on the 217, this X14 was in the days of United , well before Arriva days


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The X 14 did get extended to Sunderland from Middlesbrough but it was only short lived

[ASX_Terranova]

Doing that your kind of looking at end point to end point customers... who will use the train which will inevitably be quicker reagardless of how express the express bus is. It would need to go round at least some of the houses to stand any chance. Maybe through Shildon, Newton Aycliffe and Sedgefield.

My plan would have been Bishop, South Church, Coundon, Chilton, Sedgefield, Wynyard, Wolviston, The Fens, Seaton Carew and then Hartlepool with a sister service potentally serving Spennymoor, Thinford, Coxhoe, Trimdon, Trimdon Station, Deaf Hill & Sheraton. If going to Middlesborough maybe go though Billingham and Portrack Lane.

[Countydurhambuses]

Firstly which route did the X14 take, i've never heard of it. 
Secondly, if an independent decided to run their own commerical services would anyone use them.

It would probably be hard to do as northern only charges £10.90 for bishop to saltburn, knowing fares on other arriva routes it'd end up being £8-9 maybe more for the longer bus, and it's not like a service like that will run more than every hour so it'd be hard to compete

[streetdeckfan]

It would probably be hard to do as northern only charges £10.90 for bishop to saltburn, knowing fares on other arriva routes it'd end up being £8-9 maybe more for the longer bus, and it's not like a service like that will run more than every hour so it'd be hard to compete

As usual that assumes you live within walking distance of Bishop station, and want to go somewhere within walking distance of another station on the line. Since I don't fancy a half an our walk to the trains station, that adds another £2.50-£3 on to the price of the train ticket.

[stagecoachfan]

It would probably be hard to do as northern only charges £10.90 for bishop to saltburn, knowing fares on other arriva routes it'd end up being £8-9 maybe more for the longer bus, and it's not like a service like that will run more than every hour so it'd be hard to compete

It only costs £9 for an Arriva North East regionwide day ticket so highly unlikely to cost more than £9 for a single trip

[mb134]

I think it could be wise to reintroduce the X16, or at least look to retime the current Morpeth express services.

The X18 tended to be very busy anyway, but as it stands currently there is a 30 minute gap before it. So while the X14/15 have another service taking the pressure off it to Morpeth/Newcastle 15 minutes beforehand, the popular X18 has nothing to take any pressure off it and so gets consistently slammed.

Given the 2 now serves Kirkhill again, it would be possible to extend the X16 to either Stobhill or up to Lancaster Park and the new housing developments around Northgate in the spare 20 mins or so between trips. Given the £2/£2.50 singles are in place for a while yet, it seems like an ideal time to test the waters and grow the market - especially considering passenger numbers on the 3 remaining services seem as strong as/stronger than they were pre-Covid (particularly the X14!).

[EastCoastMXZ1751]

I think it could be wise to reintroduce the X16, or at least look to retime the current Morpeth express services.

The X18 tended to be very busy anyway, but as it stands currently there is a 30 minute gap before it. So while the X14/15 have another service taking the pressure off it to Morpeth/Newcastle 15 minutes beforehand, the popular X18 has nothing to take any pressure off it and so gets consistently slammed.

Given the 2 now serves Kirkhill again, it would be possible to extend the X16 to either Stobhill or up to Lancaster Park and the new housing developments around Northgate in the spare 20 mins or so between trips. Given the £2/£2.50 singles are in place for a while yet, it seems like an ideal time to test the waters and grow the market - especially considering passenger numbers on the 3 remaining services seem as strong as/stronger than they were pre-Covid (particularly the X14!).

Or what they could do in Morpeth is:

X16 returns as its original route from Newcastle-Kirkhill

2 withdrawn via Kirkhill and retimed to operate every 20 minutes Between Morpeth & Blyth and could also have it interworking with the 35

Could also put the 1 every 20 minutes on the blyth-wansbeck hospital section too (obviously with the 1 trip an hour to Widdrington) so that the 1/2 are on their pre covid timetable

[mb134]

Or what they could do in Morpeth is:

X16 returns as its original route from Newcastle-Kirkhill

2 withdrawn via Kirkhill and retimed to operate every 20 minutes Between Morpeth & Blyth and could also have it interworking with the 35

Could also put the 1 every 20 minutes on the blyth-wansbeck hospital section too (obviously with the 1 trip an hour to Widdrington) so that the 1/2 are on their pre covid timetable

It's a 90 minute round trip from Blyth to Morpeth excluding any layover, so you'd need to add another bus into the 2 timetable to have it back to every 20 minutes between Blyth and Morpeth.

The 1/2 were increased in capacity (now full conventional) versus pre-Covid, which balances the frequency reduction. I believe the PVR was 10 on the old 20 minute frequency on both routes, it's now 8. Both routes are very strong in terms of passenger numbers, but I'd see the resolution to that being some boards being decker operated rather than putting more buses into the PVR.