North East Buses

30 to 45 minute waits for the Angel being announced at Eldon Sq


Sheer incompetence

(21 Jul 2022, 4:35 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]30 to 45 minute waits for the Angel being announced at Eldon Sq


Sheer incompetence

So I guess close to 1/5 or 1/6 of the cancellation for the 21 were actually listed.

Park Lane hoping I get to work.

Like a bus depot. About time GNE prioritised early morning, commuter and evening services.

Last 55 parked up with Peterlee on display. Not on list. The driver who was getting off was extremely rude to a lady enquiring about the service .

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Finally on a bus. X20. Luckily the bus driver accepted my single ticket. Driver said he should but wasn't hopeful.

55 still sitting there.

24th July would have been an opportunity to implement an emergency timetable across all services affected by the driver and engineer shortages. But obviously a huge, but half-finished list of cancellations is enough for GNE!

(21 Jul 2022, 6:24 pm)omnicity4659 wrote [ -> ]24th July would have been an opportunity to implement an emergency timetable across all services affected by the driver and engineer shortages. But obviously a huge, but half-finished list of cancellations is enough for GNE!

I don't think we will see any cancellations on the 24th/25th.

However I think 5th Sept, GNE picked up 61 contracts, that will show whether GNE does have the staff

Tomorrow on the 61, the 16:56, 17:16, 18:16, 18:56, 19:16, 19:36 are all cancelled.
Two in a row are cancelled, then two-run, another one is cancelled then one more run than the next 3 are cancelled.

(21 Jul 2022, 6:33 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]I don't think we will see any cancellations on the 24th/25th.

However I think 5th Sept, GNE picked up 61 contracts, that will show whether GNE does have the staff

Well apparently the changes will mean they have more drivers than they know what to do with. I'll believe it when I see it tbh.

(21 Jul 2022, 6:45 pm)nova347 wrote [ -> ]Tomorrow on the 61, the  16:56, 17:16, 18:16, 18:56, 19:16, 19:36 are all cancelled.
Two in a row are cancelled, then two-run, another one is cancelled then one more run than the next 3 are cancelled.

If that happens next week you can just get the 62...oh wait

(21 Jul 2022, 6:54 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]If that happens next week you can just get the 62...oh wait

Just get the X6 and walk up the Church Bank.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:04 pm)F114TML wrote [ -> ]Just get the X6 and walk up the Church Bank.

What about if u live in the end part of Murton, thats a long walk

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 19:50, 20:50, 21:50, 22:50. Every single 12A is cancelled tomorrow after 7pm, from Newcastle. 

3 26's in a row cancelled 

Presumably about 20 21's cancelled which aren't listed

34 is basically every hour

Several 39's are cancelled in a row.

Dual Cancellations on the 56, twice.

Dual & Triple Cancellations on the 60

(21 Jul 2022, 7:06 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]What about if u live in the end part of Murton, thats a long walk

It is, and I'm one of those that lives at that end of Murton. It's not fun. Suppose there's the 65 which I literally forgot about.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:13 pm)F114TML wrote [ -> ]It is, and I'm one of those that lives at that end of Murton. It's not fun. Suppose there's the 65 which I literally forgot about.

tbf, will the average person think, oh ill get the X6/60 to seaham, where I might have an hour wait for the 65 to get to Murton, but I can get the 62, oh wait thats cancelled Ill just sit here for 1 hour, and book driving lessons as I am sick of waiting 1 hour for a every 20, well now 30 mins bus.

#betterthanever

(21 Jul 2022, 7:17 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]tbf, will the average person think, oh ill get the X6/60 to seaham, where I might have an hour wait for the 65 to get to Murton, but I can get the 62, oh wait thats cancelled Ill just sit here for 1 hour, and book driving lessons as I am sick of waiting 1 hour for a every 20, well now 30 mins bus.

#betterthanever

Yeah.

Tbh there have been a couple of times where I've had to quickly work out if I can get the 60 and change to the 65 at Westlea if I've just missed a 61.

(21 Jul 2022, 6:24 pm)omnicity4659 wrote [ -> ]24th July would have been an opportunity to implement an emergency timetable across all services affected by the driver and engineer shortages. But obviously a huge, but half-finished list of cancellations is enough for GNE!

Why would they? Go North East will be over-staffed from 24 July.

The only site that won't be is Washington, and drivers from other depots will be loaned to assist to minimise lost mileage here.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:13 pm)F114TML wrote [ -> ]It is, and I'm one of those that lives at that end of Murton. It's not fun. Suppose there's the 65 which I literally forgot about.

Can imagine that where cancelled GNE services share routing with the 30/31/82/82A/725/etc... that people will be complaining about ticket validity.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:29 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Why would they? Go North East will be over-staffed from 24 July.

The only site that won't be is Washington, and drivers from other depots will be loaned to assist to minimise lost mileage here.

That is honestly great news. If washington is understaffed, why did the 71 etc get moved there. 


But it will be interesting from Sunday/Monday for routes which are not just from CLS where they have been moved too.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:29 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Why would they? Go North East will be over-staffed from 24 July.

The only site that won't be is Washington, and drivers from other depots will be loaned to assist to minimise lost mileage here.

On paper, but it'll be interesting to see how it translates into the real world.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:31 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]That is honestly great news. If washington is understaffed, why did the 71 etc get moved there. 


But it will be interesting from Sunday/Monday for routes which are not just from CLS where they have been moved too.

Because more than half of Chester-le-Street's drivers have indicated they want to move to Washington, and indeed they will start to move from 24 July.

So I take it CLS won't fully close on the 24th of July, I wonder when they'll all be out.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:34 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]So I take it CLS won't fully close on the 24th of July, I wonder when they'll all be out.

CLS will close from September 3rd.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:34 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]So I take it CLS won't fully close on the 24th of July, I wonder when they'll all be out.

No.

The 8, 25, 28 and 71 transfer to Washington from 24 July.
The 21/X21 and 34 and minibus routes (excluding the 71) remain at Chester-le-Street until 4 September.

National Express moves to Riverside from 1 August at the request of the driving team on National Express, who'd like to move out of Chester-le-Street sooner.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:38 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]No.

The 8, 25, 28 and 71 transfer to Washington from 24 July.
The 21/X21 and 34 and minibus routes (excluding the 71) remain at Chester-le-Street until 4 September.

National Express moves to Riverside from 1 August at the request of the driving team on National Express, who'd like to move out of Chester-le-Street sooner.

With these closures are there any routes from other depots changing/moving around?

(21 Jul 2022, 7:17 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]tbf, will the average person think, oh ill get the X6/60 to seaham, where I might have an hour wait for the 65 to get to Murton, but I can get the 62, oh wait thats cancelled Ill just sit here for 1 hour, and book driving lessons as I am sick of waiting 1 hour for a every 20, well now 30 mins bus.

#betterthanever

You say that in jest, but as I was standing in a packed Eldon Square yesterday afternoon waiting for a non-existent X21 (I don't check the website out of principal because I like to get pissed off when I find out it's not running), I was genuinely trying to book driving lessons, but you just can't.

They're all fully booked (at least in my area).

Now, is that because of the backlog from the rona, or is it because everyone else has the same idea, who knows? But I'm choosing to think it's the latter.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:29 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Why would they? Go North East will be over-staffed from 24 July.

The only site that won't be is Washington, and drivers from other depots will be loaned to assist to minimise lost mileage here.

I look forward to this being quoted in future….Andreos is no doubt sharpening his quote marks as we speak.

The novelty of running a full service…admittedly after half the travelling public have given up on the shit show but still…

(21 Jul 2022, 7:38 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]No.

The 8, 25, 28 and 71 transfer to Washington from 24 July.
The 21/X21 and 34 and minibus routes (excluding the 71) remain at Chester-le-Street until 4 September.

National Express moves to Riverside from 1 August at the request of the driving team on National Express, who'd like to move out of Chester-le-Street sooner.

Curious are these the permanent allocations to Washington or are they just a medium term temporary move. Seems an odd depot for some of them or whether they've just been moved out asap to avoid penalty when it's pretty much likely that the remainder of CLS is going on strike.

The 25/28/29 in particular seem an odd move when on paper the 34 and the remainder of the minibuses would be better since they're miles away from Riverside or Consett.

I'm guessing it's a similar reason why the same reason the NEX team want out (avoid strikes).

(21 Jul 2022, 10:40 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]Curious are these the permanent allocations to Washington or are they just a medium term temporary move. Seems an odd depot for some of them or whether they've just been moved out asap to avoid penalty when it's pretty much likely that the remainder of CLS is going on strike.

The 25/28/29 in particular seem an odd move when on paper the 34 and the remainder of the minibuses would be better since they're miles away from Riverside or Consett.

I'm guessing it's a similar reason why the same reason the NEX team want out (avoid strikes).

As Dan has mentioned, quite a large number of drivers have indicated that they want to move to Washington, so I would expect these to be long term.

(22 Jul 2022, 4:58 am)citaro5284 wrote [ -> ]As Dan has mentioned, quite a large number of drivers have indicated that they want to move to Washington, so I would expect these to be long term.

Yeah that's fair enough, he's confirmed it in the other thread. 

Surprised at those thought other routes might have stayed down ie. the X21 instead tbh.

(21 Jul 2022, 8:33 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]I look forward to this being quoted in future….Andreos is no doubt sharpening his quote marks as we speak.

The novelty of running a full service…admittedly after half the travelling public have given up on the shit show but still…

I mean, I wasn't going to. But I'm sure there's many people who could ensure those comments about spare drivers are used going forward.
Daniel hasn't been shy in using them! 

Tell you what, just for you. If we do see more issues beyond Sunday, I'll quote him.
I appreciate things change and some of those issues might be down to wingmirror issues or other factors other than a shortage of drivers, but I will see what I can get away with.

(21 Jul 2022, 7:29 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Why would they? Go North East will be over-staffed from 24 July.

The only site that won't be is Washington, and drivers from other depots will be loaned to assist to minimise lost mileage here.

[citation needed]

The bus services in Chester-le-Street have been abysmal today. At this rate it's probably gonna end up becoming the North Eastern counterpart of Wilmslow.

(21 Jul 2022, 8:33 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]I look forward to this being quoted in future….Andreos is no doubt sharpening his quote marks as we speak.

The novelty of running a full service…admittedly after half the travelling public have given up on the shit show but still…

I didn't say that a full service would be operated - but cancellations should be far less in number given the company will be over-staffed overall.

Drivers' holidays are likely to have been deferred from pre-24 July to post-24 July to enable fewer cancellations currently, sickness I'm sure will still be incredibly high post-24 July, and drivers will still be coming off duty to undertake route learning.

But yes, I'm sure these posts will be quoted on Sunday evening when Monday's journey cancellations go online, stating how much of a shitshow it is, ya'da, ya'da.

In other news, I believe Arriva North East are going onto emergency timetables shortly due to their staffing situation getting increasingly worse, which will include services 22/23/24 all running hourly.