Quaylink Q3 Extended to Wallsend from 31st July 2016
Almost a year ago, Go North East took over the commercial daytime operation of the Quaylink services which provide vital links to Gateshead and Newcastle Quayside from the local areas. At the time of the announcement that the services would be operated commercially, councillors in the East End of Newcastle asked if we would ever consider extending the service to give Walker Road a direct service to Newcastle. At the time, our response was that we would continually review the performance of the service and this would be considered if the Q3 grew as we hoped for. The Q3 has been a great success and passenger numbers have grown steadily in the past year with many customers taking advantages of the new links across Newcastle City Centre from the Quayside to Gosforth, Regent Centre and Newcastle Great Park.
The growth has given us the confidence to look again at the suggestion from councillors to extend the service along Walker Road and from 31st July 2016, we’ll be doing just that. The Q3 will extend from St Peters Basin to Wallsend with buses running via Walker Road, Titan Road, Westbourne Avenue and Fossway. Within Wallsend, buses towards Newcastle will run via The Avenue and Eastfield Avenue to restore bus services to this area, with buses terminating at Wallsend Metro Interchange.
The revised Q3 service will run from around 6.30am until around 7pm between Newcastle Great Park and Wallsend Metro, six days per week with a 15 minute frequency throughout most of the day. On evenings and Sundays, buses will run every 30 minutes between Newcastle Great Park and St Peter’s Basin.
The Q3 will provide improved connections in Wallsend with other Go North East bus services and that will make journeys to the likes of North Tyneside College, Cobalt Business Park, North Shields, North Tyneside Hospital and Whitley Bay easier from the Walker area. In addition to the extension of the Q3, a series of improvements to bus services in Wallsend will be introduced from Sunday 24th July.
The route will also change slightly in East Newcastle with buses running via City Road/Walker Road rather than via Cut Bank, Byker Bank and Ford Street to improve reliability due to delays caused on Ford Street. The alternative stops on City Road and Walker Road are within a short distance (both are 160 metres) away from the current stops.
A summary of all the changes are as follows, starting with the changes from the 24th July :-
Coaster 1/1A – Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, North Shields, Howdon, Wallsend to Newcastle, Gateshead, Wrekenton (1)/Kibblesworth (1A)
· The route will be unchanged and a revised timetable will be introduced to improve coordination with services 11, 40/41 & 42 through Wallsend and to improve reliability.
New Service 11/11X – Whitley Bay, North Shields, Wallsend, Byker to Newcastle, Gateshead, Metrocentre
· A new service which replaces the current 17 route between Whitley Bay and Wallsend, then operating to Newcastle, creating new faster links to Newcastle and a direct service to Metrocentre.
· The route will start in Whitley Bay Town Centre and run via the current 17 route to Howdon and will then run via Rosehill Bank to Wallsend. Buses will then run via the A193 giving a faster service to Newcastle, and new links from Walkergate to Shields Road and Newcastle. From Newcastle, buses will run via the current 96 route to Dunston and Metrocentre.
· This service offers fantastic new direct connections from areas such as Percy Main Village, East Howdon and Willington Quay to Newcastle, Gateshead and Metrocentre, as well as making it easier for people in Gateshead and Newcastle to access attractions in North Tyneside, such as Royal Quays.
· Some morning peak journeys will run as Service 11X and run limited stop between Newcastle and Cobalt Business Park.
Service 17 – Whitley Bay, North Tyneside Hospital, North Shields, Willington Quay, Howdon, Wallsend, Benton Asda, Forest Hall, Killingworth, Dudley to Cramlington
· This route will be split and replaced with two new services that will provide improved connections for customers.
· The section of route from Wallsend & Benton Asda to Cramlington will be replaced by new service 42.
· Holy Cross will be served by the revised Indigo 40/41 routes.
· The section of route between Whitley Bay, North Shields and Wallsend (omitting Holy Cross) is replaced by the new 11 route.
Indigo 40/41 – Wallsend, Battle Hill, Hadrian Park, Howdon, Rosehill to Wallsend
· Buses will now additionally serve Holy Cross to replace the 17 on this section of the route.
· Buses terminating in Wallsend from Howdon and Holy Cross will start from or terminate at Wallsend Forum instead of Wallsend Metro on Monday-Saturday daytimes, to improve access to local shops and facilities.
· Buses from Wallsend to/from Battle Hill Drive and Hadrian Park will still serve Wallsend Metro and the Wallsend Forum stops on Station Road.
NEW Indigo 42 – North Shields, Billy Mill, North Tyneside Hospital, New York, Cobalt Business Park, Howdon, Wallsend, Benton Asda, Forest Hall, Killingworth, Dudley to Cramlington
· A new route which will replace the Indigo 80 route between North Shields and Wallsend and the 17 route between Wallsend and Cramlington.
· Buses will still run half hourly on Monday to Saturday daytimes between North Shields and Benton Asda, with an hourly service to Cramlington. During the evenings and on Sundays buses will continue to run between Wallsend and Benton Asda half hourly, with an hourly service to Cramlington.
Quaylink Q3 (from 31st July) – Newcastle Great Park, Regent Centre, Gosforth, Newcastle City Centre, Quayside, St Peter’s Basin, Walker Road to Wallsend
· The route will be extended on Monday to Saturday daytimes from St Peter’s Basin to Wallsend via Walker Road, Titan Road, Westbourne Avenue & Fossway with buses to Wallsend running via Stotts Road and buses from Wallsend via The Avenue & Eastfield Avenue.
· Newcastle bound buses from St Peter’s Basin will run via Walker Road & Horatio Street to Quayside with alternative stops being available for customers who currently board at Hoults Yard or the Cycle Hub.
· A revised timetable will be introduced to improve reliability.
We will be delivering a communication plan so that our customers are aware of the changes to our services ahead of the changes on Sunday’s 24th & 31st July 2016 and we’d be happy to work with any of our stakeholders to supply more localised briefing documents/wording specifically for your area.
If you have any questions or need any further information, please contact :-
Mark Ellis
Development Manager
Go North East
117 Queen Street
Gateshead
NE8 2UA
0191 4229248
07854 659129