Cuts to more than 30 bus routes in Newcastle and North Tyneside are coming into force this weekend.
The huge list of service cancellations, timetable changes, and route diversions was revealed last month, as public transport services across the nation faced up to a funding crisis with ridership numbers still well below pre-Covid rates. While the Government has since announced some new funding to help cover bus companies’ losses for another six months and the North East’s main operators have paused expected cuts in the rest of the region, that relief came too late to reverse the major changes that will hit Newcastle and North Tyneside passengers from Sunday, March 27.
The upheaval, which also affects some routes that run into south east Northumberland, has been described as the biggest shift to local bus services in more than three decades. Included among the plans is the removal of Walker and Wallsend from the route of the popular Q3 Quaylink bus, which prompted more than 1,000 people to sign a petition calling for it to be saved.
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It has been feared that Arriva, Go North East, and Stagecoach could slash their mileage across the North East by 17% this year – with repeated warnings over recent months of reduced access into town or city centres and some outlying areas being cut off entirely. Coun Carl Johnson, the deputy mayor of North Tyneside, said that “people may have to walk further to find a bus, there will be less direct links to city centres and key employment sites and less frequent services across many routes”.
Tyne and Wear Metro operator Nexus has sought to mitigate the impact of the cuts with a £4.5m rescue package, though that is far from enough to protect every route. Huw Lewis, customer services director for Nexus, added: “This Sunday marks the biggest single change to local bus services in 35 in years, due to cuts to route and services by bus companies who have seen their covid funding come to an end.
“Our £4.5m rescue package will ensure that as many people as possible still have a local bus they can catch to get to shops, the GP surgery and other essential services. We have linked the new publicly-funded services we are creating and taken on with the high-frequency bus routes commercial companies continue to operate. We have worked in partnership with the bus companies who have also revised their changes in places to better maintain local connections.
“The scale of the cuts means we are not able to provide a like-for-like replacement to every bus route that is being cut, but we can seek to keep local people connected. We are working with communities across Newcastle and North Tyneside to ensure that people know what is changing and what bus services are best for them.”
Full details of all the timetable changes as of this Sunday are available at this link. Here is a summary of every route affected:
Service 1 (Go North East) between Whitley Bay, Newcastle and Gateshead
Go North East is introducing a new Monday to Saturday daytime timetable operating every 20 minutes and Sunday daytime every 30 minutes, but has withdrawn evening services on this route. Nexus currently funds half-hourly daily evening trips on service 1 between Whitley Bay and North Shields, but this will be reduced to an hourly evening service between Whitley Bay town centre and Newcastle.
Service 1 (Stagecoach) between Slatyford and Coach Lane/Cobalt via Newcastle City Centre
Stagecoach will cut one part of the service, between Coach Lane university campus and Cobalt.
Service 6 (Nexus) between Jesmond Vale, Shieldfield and Newcastle
This route, funded by Nexus, will continue to exist with a new number, M6, and different stops in Newcastle city centre. Frequency as now (every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday interpeak) but with slightly later last trip from city centre.
Services 6, 7 and 8 (Stagecoach) in Newcastle
Stagecoach will withdraw two parts of these services, between Four Lane Ends and Freeman Hospital (services 6, 7 and 8) and between Lemington and Central Station (service 8). Nexus plans to fund additional evening services on Arriva route 52 between Four Lane Ends and Freeman Hospital. Connections between Lemington and Central Station are possible on other routes, but direct peak links to Newcastle Business Park will be lost.
Services 6 and 7 will also follow new routes in the Lemington area, service 6 via West Denton Park (Valley View/Combe Drive) and service 7 via Dumpling Hall (Kirkstone Avenue/Neptune Road).
Service 11 between Whitley Bay, North Tyneside Hospital, Howdon and Wallsend (also affects routes 41 and 41A)
Go North East will withdraw this route, which is also currently operated in the evening by Central Taxis under contract to Nexus. Nexus will fund a new service, 317, every 30 minutes day and evening to replace the 11 on the same route between Whitley Bay and Howdon, but also serving North Shields Ferry landing. The 317 will also serve parts of Howdon and Holy Cross where Go North East is expected to withdraw routes 41 and 41A.
Service 13 in outer west Newcastle
Nexus plans to withdraw this service, which currently provides local links in outer west Newcastle and to the West Denton shops, but says that changes to Stagecoach services 6, 7 and 62 will give passengers “the same or improved links”.
Service 18 from Walker and Byker to the Freeman Hospital, Longbenton, Four Lane Ends and Quorum
Stagecoach will withdraw this route during the daytime, while a contract Nexus funds for evening services expires at the same time. Nexus will fund the continuation of the whole route, daytime and evening. The 18 will operate every 30 minutes during the daytime, with a reduced hourly evening service.
Service 19 between North Shields, Percy Main, Silverlink, Cobalt, Northumberland Park, Cramlington and Ashington (also affects routes 333 and 359)
Go North East is withdrawing this route, but Nexus will fund a replacement service jointly with Northumberland County Council and Cobalt Business Park. This would operate hourly from Cramlington via a new route through High Pit, Seaton Delaval, Seghill and Backworth Heritage Green (replacing the 359 in this area) and then by the existing 19 route every 30 minutes from Northumberland Park to Percy Main and then direct to North Shields, also covering a loop of North Shields Fish Quay and the Ferry Landing (replacing the 333). The service between Cramlington and Ashington would be reduced to one peak time service in each direction.
Service 32/32A between Walker, Byker, Jesmond Vale, RVI, Spital Tongues, Benwell, Cowgate and Kenton
Stagecoach will cancel this route, which Nexus also provides an evening equivalent to between Newcastle City Centre and Kenton. Nexus plans to replace the Monday to Saturday daytime 32/32a, but the daily evening trips would be cancelled. Sunday daytime trips would operate hourly between Kenton and Walker.
Service 33/33A between Fawdon, Hollywood Avenue, Regent Centre, Gosforth, Jesmond and Newcastle City Centre
Nexus plans to withdraw these services, as Go North East is expected to reroute its QuayCity services to Osborne Road in Jesmond instead of Great North Road. The 33/33A also provides the only buses on Hollywood Avenue, Gosforth, which Nexus will replace by paying Arriva to provide an hourly 46A bus during the day, Monday to Saturday. Evening and Sunday services on Hollywood Avenue will be withdrawn.
Service 35 between Newcastle, Coxlodge, Fawdon and Red House Farm
Stagecoach will withdraw this service, but Nexus will fund a continuation of the whole route during the daytime.
Service 41 and 41A between Wallsend, Hadrian Lodge, High Farm, Battle Hill and Hadrian Park
Go North East will withdraw this service through Howdon and Holy Cross. Nexus plans to step in to fund a new service, 317, every 30 minutes to maintain links from these areas.
Go North East will re-route alternate 41 and 41A trips between Wallsend and Hadrian Park to also serve Hadrian Lodge.
Service 42 and 42A between Wallsend, Forest Hall, Killingworth, Dudley, Seaton Burn, Hazlerigg, Airport and Kingston Park (also affects M71 in Newcastle)
Go North East will withdraw these services and Nexus funding for some trips on them will end at the same time. Nexus plans to replace these with a new service, 342, which would operate hourly between Wallsend, Kingston Park and Westerhope.
Journeys on the 42 between Killingworth and Cramlington, and on the 42A between Bank Foot and Dinnington via the Airport, would be lost.
Service 46 between Great Park (Featherstone Grove), Regent Centre and Newcastle
Arriva is expected to withdraw evening and Sunday services, plus one early morning journey. Nexus will replace the early morning service by extending the existing 552.
Service 51 and 51A between Newcastle, Holystone and Whitley Bay
Nexus will fund an extension of the 51 to/from Whitley Bay Metro and a diversion of the 51A to additionally serve Hadrian Lodge.
Service 52 between Newcastle, Freeman Hospital, Quorum Park, Killingworth, Dudley, Cramlington
With Go North East withdrawing the 42/42A daytime service and in order for Nexus to maintain connections currently funded on the 42/42A on an evening and Sunday, it is proposed that the funding will be used to deliver new daily evening trips on service 52 between Newcastle and Cramlington.
Service 53 between North Shields, Killingworth and Cramlington
Arriva and Nexus plan to divert the 53 between New York and Shiremoor to additionally serve Cobalt Business Park.
Service 55 between Forest Hall, Four Lane Ends and Newcastle
Arriva is expected to reduce the evening frequency to hourly, with no services on a Sunday evening.
Service 62 between Killingworth and outer west Newcastle
Stagecoach will be paid by Nexus to extend this route from Walbottle to Newburn and Throckley, replacing links lost by the planned withdrawal of the Stagecoach 71.
Service 333 between North Shields Ferry Landing, Fish Quay, North Shields and Tynemouth Broadway
Nexus plans to withdraw this service, with the changed 19 and new 317 services providing links between the Ferry Landing, Fish Quay and North Shields town centre. But this does mean that Tynemouth Broadway, between Beach Road and Manor Road, will no longer have a bus service.
Service 335 in North Tyneside (also affects 359, K1, and K2)
Nexus currently provides this service and plans to change it to an hourly daytime service, but with a revised route which adds Murton Village, Silverlink and Quorum Park to Killingworth.
Service 359 between Backworth Heritage Green, Northumberland Park, West Allotment, Murton, North Tyneside Hospital and the Marden Estate
Nexus currently provides this service and plans to withdraw it, in order to redirect funding to more popular routes that are under threat.
Service K1 and K2 in Killingworth
Nexus funds these services and plans to withdraw them, but passengers will be able to use the new 335 and 342.
Service M71 between Westerhope, Newbiggin Hall Estate and Kingston Park Tesco
Nexus plans to replace this half-hourly service with a new hourly 342 bus.
Service Q3 between Wallsen, Walker, St Peter’s Basin, City Centre, Regent Centre, Great Park
Go North East plan to withdraw the Q3 between St Peter’s Basin and Wallsend and operate the service via Osborne Road.
W group of local services in the Whitley Bay area
Nexus plans to merge services W1 and W1A into a single hourly service and withdraw the W3.
