QuayCity Q3
Bus service in Tyne and Wear, England
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Yutong E12 (2022–)
- Optare Versa (2015–2022)
QuayCity is a bus service in Tyne and Wear, England, which connects the suburbs of Gosforth, Jesmond, Walker and Wallsend with the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, Quayside and Ouseburn.
History
The service was introduced on 26 July 2015, following the merger of existing routes Q2 and X40. It operated under the QuayLink name, with diesel single-deck Optare Versa vehicles branded in a two-tone yellow and green livery.[1] Initially operating between Great Park and St Peter's Basin, the service was extended to serve Walker and Wallsend on 31 July 2016.[2]
From 21 June 2017, contactless payments were introduced, as part of a trial.[3] It was later rolled out across the network.
On 14 December 2020, the QuayLink branding was dropped and the route was rebranded QuayCity. A new two-tone yellow and black livery was introduced.[4][5]
On 27 March 2022, the route was curtailed beyond St Peter's Basin, with services running between Great Park and St Peter's Basin only. On the same date, the route was also amended to run via Jesmond.[6][7]
On 24 July 2022, the service was renumbered QA & QB, reflecting the direction travelled around Great Park. Changes also saw the link between St Peter's Basin and Wallsend via Walker restored.[8] By September 2022, the service reverted to its previous number, Q3.
On 1 September 2024, the service was further amended, with the section between Brunton Park and Great Park withdrawn. The route in Brunton Park was also amended, with buses now operating via Warkworth Woods and Polwarth Drive.[9] The direct link between Newcastle and Great Park was replaced by services operated by Stagecoach North East. An hourly service running via Gosforth (49) was introduced, with the existing service (X47) via Kingston Park extended up to every 15 minutes.[10]
Route
Go North East Q3 & Q3X |
|---|
|
Brunton Park – City Centre – Wallsend via Gosforth, Quayside & St Peter's Basin |
Between City Centre & Gosforth, Q3X runs fast via Great North Road. |
As of September 2024, service Q3 operates up to every 20 minutes between Brunton Park and Wallsend during the day on weekdays and Saturday, with a half-hourly service between Brunton Park and St Peter’s Basin on Sunday. During peak times, service Q3X additionally operates, running fast via Great North Road.
Fleet and operations
The service is currently operated by a fleet of battery electric Yutong E12 single-deck vehicles, branded in a mustard and black variant of the silver-based Voltra livery and carrying over features such as free WiFi, audio-visual next stop announcements and USB charging points specified on previous Voltra buses.[11][12] These replaced a fleet of diesel Optare Versa single-deck vehicles, which were refurbished in December 2020 to Euro VI emissions standard in advance of the launch of Newcastle's Clean Air Zone.[5]
References
- ^ "Changes to services from 26 July 2015". Go North East. 11 July 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Service changes in North Tyneside from 24 & 31 July". Go North East. 28 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ "Contactless payments now available on QuayLink Q3". Go North East. 21 June 2017. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Better buses introduced to help play an important part in the economic and environmental recovery of Newcastle's city and Quayside". Go North East. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ a b "Newcastle Quaylink Q3 service relaunched to meet CAZ standards". Routeone. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ Holland, Daniel (18 February 2022). "Severe North East bus changes will 'cut off' communities". Evening Chronicle. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ Holland, Daniel (25 February 2022). "Anger as Walker and Wallsend axed from Q3 bus route". Evening Chronicle. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ "Cuts to Q3 Walker and Wallsend bus service to be reversed". BBC News. 18 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Service changes from 1 September 2024". Go North East. 29 July 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "Great Park Bus Services". Stagecoach North East. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "Further Yutong battery-electrics join Go North East". routeone. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
- ^ Goodwin, Nicole (1 September 2022). "Go North East Q3 bus gets modern update with new fully electric fleet". Chronicle Live. Newcastle upon Tyne. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
External links
Media related to QuayCity Q3 at Wikimedia Commons- Timetable and route map
