Tyne & Wear bus route numbers

[pm2304877]

This is an enquiry into bus route numbers used in Newcastle-upon-Tyne mainly the X prefix numbers. There are many such routes but I am not convinced that they are all express routes. The Nexus timetables of the Stagecoach services X34, X47, X63, X77,:X78,X79,:X82, X87 and X88 are not helpful indicating whether they are express/limited stop so why the X prefix? I have no connection to the city so forgive my ignorance!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

This is an enquiry into bus route numbers used in Newcastle-upon-Tyne mainly the X prefix numbers. There are many such routes but I am not convinced that they are all express routes. The Nexus timetables of the Stagecoach services X34, X47, X63, X77,:X78,X79,:X82, X87 and X88 are not helpful indicating whether they are express/limited stop so why the X prefix? I have no connection to the city so forgive my ignorance!

The X prefix doesn’t necessarily have to mean Express or Limited Stop but a faster version of another service, as in the 63 and X63.

A number of the services that you refer to DID have slower versions so there USED to be a 47, 76/77/78/79, 87/88 - these all had faster versions that had the X prefix but not necessarily limited stop.

X34 is a limited stop service.

 

[pm2304877]

Thanks TGW I have a bit of a fetish about bus route and fleet numbers (get a life the world cries!).
I think the Stagecoach X stopping services should be given an L prefix. Thus 62/63/X63 should be given lower numbers as 62/63 are high freq routes and should become 2/3/L3. Then. L7/8/9 would be allocated to X77/78/79, L6 allocated to X82, L4/5 allocated to X87/88 and L10 to X47.

Sunderland X1 should become L1 and South Shields X20 should become L20.
X24 and X34 unchanged

There has been a bit of duplication between operators in Newcastle but forthcoming changes will end this to some extent .

However there are two each of X10s, X21s and X30s originating in Newcastle. GNE X10 and X21 should become X3 and X2, and Arriva X30 should be X5. This would end most duplication in the city and county.

Don't forget in London they are introducing the Superloop scheme with routes in an SL1-10 series so if you think my scheme is confusing!

 

[Flying Snail]

TfL organise the London bus network and are able to impose a numbering scheme as they wish.

In the rest of the country the deregulated operators are free to use whatever number/letter/name they please for any service they run. There is no body to enforce any uniform numbering scheme or standards for what an X route is.

 

[rg177]

The X34 is non-stop between Gateshead and Boldon.

The X47 is non-stop between Barras Bridge and Cowgate, as are the X77/X78/X79/X87/X88.

The X63 is non-stop between the City Centre and South Gosforth Roundabout.

The X82 is limited stop between Eldon Square and Denton Burn - it only stops a few times down West Road.

Essentially - most are express out of Newcastle then pick up at most stops later on.

As for duplication - the express routes serve different bus stations in Newcastle, and there is rarely any confusion between them. The X10 from Newcastle to Middlesbrough has also been the X10 for as long as I can remember, whereas its Arriva that have chopped and changed numbers over the years.

The X2 and X3 used to be Sunderland corridor routes back in the day.

One thing that's stuck around historically is services in North Tyneside having a 3xx for the most part. Upcoming changes to various routes (and them changing hands to Go North East) will see a lot of this restored.

My local routes to Newcastle when I was little were the 300/305, which became a 305/315/316, then a 58/75/76, before undergoing various changes and merges that we've ended up with a 307 and 309.

 

[robertclark125]

Back in the day go ahead northern ran some peak hour express services x16 and x38, and a few 3xx routes were limited stop in Newcastle.

 

[pm2304877]

TfL organise the London bus network and are able to impose a numbering scheme as they wish.

In the rest of the country the deregulated operators are free to use whatever number/letter/name they please for any service they run. There is no body to enforce any uniform numbering scheme or standards for what an X route is.

TfL organise the London bus network and are able to impose a numbering scheme as they wish.

In the rest of the country the deregulated operators are free to use whatever number/letter/name they please for any service they run. There is no body to enforce any uniform numbering scheme or standards for what an X route is.

Which is one of the issues I have against deregulation and why this 1985 Transport Act should be repealed.
Route numbers should be allocated by a local or transport authority, in a similar way to house numbers . If I owned a house I can't change the door number to 77 Sunset Strip for example.
I forgot to mention the two route 1s in Newcastle. GNEs route 1 should become Go1 (think Mrs Doyle from Father Ted!)..:

Chester (almost Wales) have three route 1s which is stupid. Liverpool 1 should be C1 (with X1) and the Wrexham 1 shouldbe 1W to Wrexham and 1 to Chester as now. Slightly off topic but only to show an example.