(03 Jan 2013, 8:47 pm)Adam So with the 11 now becoming the 10B, am I right in saying that that would release some of the Toon Link branded buses? If so, does anyone have any idea what route they'll be placed on?
(03 Jan 2013, 8:47 pm)Adam So with the 11 now becoming the 10B, am I right in saying that that would release some of the Toon Link branded buses? If so, does anyone have any idea what route they'll be placed on?
(03 Jan 2013, 8:57 pm)W179SCU(03 Jan 2013, 8:47 pm)Adam So with the 11 now becoming the 10B, am I right in saying that that would release some of the Toon Link branded buses? If so, does anyone have any idea what route they'll be placed on?
Doubt it - You really think they will put deckers on a low passenger number service like that? - There is never more than 10 people on the service when I see it! The other day, I saw it leave with only one person, having a deckers would be a waste of fuel, and quite franky pointless...
(03 Jan 2013, 8:57 pm)W179SCU(03 Jan 2013, 8:47 pm)Adam So with the 11 now becoming the 10B, am I right in saying that that would release some of the Toon Link branded buses? If so, does anyone have any idea what route they'll be placed on?
Doubt it - You really think they will put deckers on a low passenger number service like that? - There is never more than 10 people on the service when I see it! The other day, I saw it leave with only one person, having a deckers would be a waste of fuel, and quite franky pointless...
(03 Jan 2013, 9:13 pm)LiamTrough the day it aunt though!(03 Jan 2013, 8:57 pm)W179SCU(03 Jan 2013, 8:47 pm)Adam So with the 11 now becoming the 10B, am I right in saying that that would release some of the Toon Link branded buses? If so, does anyone have any idea what route they'll be placed on?
Doubt it - You really think they will put deckers on a low passenger number service like that? - There is never more than 10 people on the service when I see it! The other day, I saw it leave with only one person, having a deckers would be a waste of fuel, and quite franky pointless...
At peak times the 11 is really busy, very few seats left by the time you get to Blaydon on mornings. And leaving Newcastle at peak times it is full. Even on a morning when one of the X66 Mercs is used it is still well filled. Never been on at non-peak times though so can't really tell you what its like then.
(03 Jan 2013, 9:13 pm)LiamTrough the day it aunt though!(03 Jan 2013, 8:57 pm)W179SCU(03 Jan 2013, 8:47 pm)Adam So with the 11 now becoming the 10B, am I right in saying that that would release some of the Toon Link branded buses? If so, does anyone have any idea what route they'll be placed on?
Doubt it - You really think they will put deckers on a low passenger number service like that? - There is never more than 10 people on the service when I see it! The other day, I saw it leave with only one person, having a deckers would be a waste of fuel, and quite franky pointless...
At peak times the 11 is really busy, very few seats left by the time you get to Blaydon on mornings. And leaving Newcastle at peak times it is full. Even on a morning when one of the X66 Mercs is used it is still well filled. Never been on at non-peak times though so can't really tell you what its like then.
GNE appear to have focussed the customer consultation by distributing leaflets in the areas directly affected.
My understanding is that the 10/10A/10B will continue together to provide a bus every ten minutes on the Crawcrook - Ryton - Blaydon - Metrocentre - Newcastle route. At the 'outer' ends, each operates every 30 minutes. Together, during the daytime, the 10/10B provide a bus every fifteen minutes from Prudhoe to Newcastle (10B replacing 11 at Prudhoe Interchange and running via the existing 11 route into Crawcrook). During the Monday to Friday peaks, a new 11A runs via the existing 11 route to Newcastle - two journeys in each direction.
Elsewhere, a 'new' service 11 runs Newcastle - Business Park - Blaydon - Ryton - Crawcrook - Woodside - Folly - Greenside - High Spen - Chopwell - Blackhall Mill, Monday to Saturday daytimes, every 30 minutes, with extras in the weekday peaks. Together with the existing 32, this maintains a bus every fifteen minutes between Blaydon and Newcastle via the Business Park and Newcastle College (every 10 minutes weekday peaks). This service would replace the existing 69A, which would be withdrawn, but on the upside, together with existing service 47, Blackhall Mill, Chopwell and High Spen get a bus every fifteen minutes towards Newcastle via two different routes; High Spen gets a daytime bus through the northern end of the village every 30 minutes to Newcastle, something it hasn't had for years; Woodside gets a doubling of its bus service.
Evening and Sunday services would remain largely unchanged.
It looks to me as if there'll be more winners than losers with these proposed changes. The 10 has never really justified Peter Huntley's gamble on increasing the former 602 service, but at least the company gave it a decent shot. Prudhoe sees an increase in buses to Metrocentre, and Greenside, Folly and Woodside get more and better connections. Chopwell does really well out of this!
(04 Jan 2013, 10:37 am)eezypeazy This service would replace the existing 69A, which would be withdrawn, but on the upside, together with existing service 47, Blackhall Mill, Chopwell and High Spen get a bus every fifteen minutes towards Newcastle via two different routes
(04 Jan 2013, 10:37 am)eezypeazy This service would replace the existing 69A, which would be withdrawn, but on the upside, together with existing service 47, Blackhall Mill, Chopwell and High Spen get a bus every fifteen minutes towards Newcastle via two different routes
(04 Jan 2013, 11:18 am)eezypeazy My understanding is it's just the Metrocentre - Blackhall Mill section.
(04 Jan 2013, 11:18 am)eezypeazy My understanding is it's just the Metrocentre - Blackhall Mill section.
I had been considering making a trip over to Prudhoe to pick one up! The quality is great for me, thanks for uploading! I had been considering making a trip over to Prudhoe to pick one up!
I'd been trying to figure out how 10/10B could run every 15 minutes from Prudhoe to Newcastle as well as fit in with the 10A to provide an evenly timed 10 minute frequency between Crawcrook and Newcastle. But I completely forgot that the existing 11 route is slightly shorter than the 10; the 11 runs direct via Hexham Road instead of down Greenside Road. So that would allow the 10B to "sneak ahead" by five minutes in order to get the 10 minute frequency with 10/10A from Crawcrook onwards. Coming back from Newcastle to Prudhoe the 10/10B will alternate every 10 or 20 minutes something along the lines of 00/10/30/40 kind of pattern, while the 10A operates the two journeys in between.
Great set of changes proposed here. There's been many calls on the GNE Facebook page asking for an increase in the frequency of buses to Blackhall Mill. By having an additional half hourly service, this takes a huge strain off the 47 and avoids the MetroCentre which some people may prefer; it can get pretty hectic there at times for traffic.
Chopwell really does benefit from these changes. I really can't see Nexus ever funding a 15 minute service to Newcastle from here if they take over our routes. That could be a part of the idea - Go North East innovating and investing in the network to make it the best it possibly can in order to stave off a QCS.
(04 Jan 2013, 6:56 pm)gtomlinson Not sure how true this is but a driver mentioned that the 24 was to get branding at some point, possibly as part of the Orbit family.
It's not Angel anymore but I can see why they'd brand it, fairly regular and right through your money maker Durham Rd corridor.
(04 Jan 2013, 6:56 pm)gtomlinson Not sure how true this is but a driver mentioned that the 24 was to get branding at some point, possibly as part of the Orbit family.
It's not Angel anymore but I can see why they'd brand it, fairly regular and right through your money maker Durham Rd corridor.
It could mean anything about the 24 possibly becoming branded to be fair. When Openline first started a good few years ago, I suggested the idea of branding the 160 as Metrolink M4, back when each Metrolink service M1/M2/M3 had their own vinyls on the corporate liveried Scania L94's and MPD's. I was told that there were plans in place for the 160 route to join the Black Cats brand. From this, I assumed that the 160 would become a Black Cats branded service alongside the 26/36; so it took me by surprise when the Black Cats 26 was re-routed to Heworth instead, replacing the 160.
I'm sure something like this wouldn't happen with the 24 though - like half of the 51's/52's via 24 route between Wrekenton and Gateshead and half via existing route along Dryden Road. That would be too much of a reduction in frequency for many passengers in the area. I hope the 24 number is retained whatever may happen; I like it and it seems like a canny service.
(05 Jan 2013, 12:59 am)Wellsey18 Has anyone been on the 17 recently because when i saw 5166 go past me today it looked as if it had new branding vinyls on the inside because they were no longer the fab fifty seven, so was wondering if anyone knew if it was the vinyls for the new branding??
(05 Jan 2013, 12:59 am)Wellsey18 Has anyone been on the 17 recently because when i saw 5166 go past me today it looked as if it had new branding vinyls on the inside because they were no longer the fab fifty seven, so was wondering if anyone knew if it was the vinyls for the new branding??
(05 Jan 2013, 4:10 pm)busmanT I'm told the 17 will be getting a brand name in the next few weeks
(05 Jan 2013, 4:10 pm)busmanT I'm told the 17 will be getting a brand name in the next few weeks
(05 Jan 2013, 9:29 pm)busmanT Must be getting a lot of new vehicles this year, as there are a lot of SPD and DAF SB220 rumoured to be be withdrawn before the Volvo B10BLE.
(05 Jan 2013, 9:29 pm)busmanT Must be getting a lot of new vehicles this year, as there are a lot of SPD and DAF SB220 rumoured to be be withdrawn before the Volvo B10BLE.
