North East Buses

Not a bus incident but GNE along with the rest of the group been hit by a cyber attack?

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...o-24939779

(06 Sep 2022, 10:52 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]Not a bus incident but GNE along with the rest of the group been hit by a cyber attack?

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...o-24939779

I think it's been mentioned in the disruptions thread.

(06 Sep 2022, 11:21 am)BusLoverMum wrote [ -> ]I think it's been mentioned in the disruptions thread.

yes i knew i'd seen it somewhere ... must have done a man look!

Fun police got the first bus of the day to toon today. You g lad was running for the bus along saltwell road ( accordingbto her he used to get on at the stop before but this no longer has a service) stuck his hand out about ten metres from stop and driver drove on.... no wonder people are going back to there cars

(06 Sep 2022, 9:29 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]Fun police got the first bus of the day to toon today. You g lad was running for the bus along saltwell road ( accordingbto her he used to get on at the stop before but this no longer has a service) stuck his hand out about ten metres from stop and driver drove on.... no wonder people are going back to there cars

I would never run for the bus, it's not worth the embarrassment of missing it. I'd rather be late with dignity

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(06 Sep 2022, 10:40 pm)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]I would never run for the bus, it's not worth the embarrassment of missing it. I'd rather be late with dignity

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me too although i tend to waddle and if I did catch it it would take me 10 minutes to catch my breath...... but there is only one an hour so he would be screwed to get to collage or wherever.

I'm no IT expert, but surely if they can update the website to say they can't update it, then they can update it with the cancellations...

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(07 Sep 2022, 9:15 am)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]I'm no IT expert, but surely if they can update the website to say they can't update it, then they can update it with the cancellations...

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Cancellations are taking from the system at the depot which allocates all the work to the drivers - which is currently unavailable and trying to allocate drivers via pen and paper is not an easy task and very time consuming.

I've been speaking to a few ex-GNE drivers and held back on posting in here but what one of them said today has never made me feel so happy in a single choice. Basically what they're saying is that the money doesn't really matter - they're leaving because of constant abuse (a driver in Sunderland apparently was nearly assaulted yesterday over the cancellations - won't be long until one actually is), the constant service changes, and the vehicles themselves.

What I'm saying is GNE are in a death spiral and the question is - how do they get out of it? I won't be surprised if they just sell off a depot with a bunch of routes, staff and vehicles.

(08 Sep 2022, 3:11 pm)F114TML wrote [ -> ]I've been speaking to a few ex-GNE drivers and held back on posting in here but what one of them said today has never made me feel so happy in a single choice. Basically what they're saying is that the money doesn't really matter - they're leaving because of constant abuse (a driver in Sunderland apparently was nearly assaulted yesterday over the cancellations - won't be long until  one actually is), the constant service changes, and the vehicles themselves.

What I'm saying is GNE are in a death spiral and the question is - how do they get out of it? I won't be surprised if they just sell off a depot with a bunch of routes, staff and vehicles.

Don't worry. The next lot of service changes will sort it (they have been saying this since September last year)

(08 Sep 2022, 3:11 pm)F114TML wrote [ -> ]I've been speaking to a few ex-GNE drivers and held back on posting in here but what one of them said today has never made me feel so happy in a single choice. Basically what they're saying is that the money doesn't really matter - they're leaving because of constant abuse (a driver in Sunderland apparently was nearly assaulted yesterday over the cancellations - won't be long until  one actually is), the constant service changes, and the vehicles themselves.

What I'm saying is GNE are in a death spiral and the question is - how do they get out of it? I won't be surprised if they just sell off a depot with a bunch of routes, staff and vehicles.

Tbf, since Sept Changes Deptford have had barely any parked buses (which aren't due to go on school routes) I think i've seen a Single Prince Bishops, 2 berries, however every 20/20A I've seen have been rammed. 

Gateshead have had a few more parked up.

(08 Sep 2022, 6:18 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]Tbf, since Sept Changes Deptford have had barely any parked buses (which aren't due to go on school routes) I think i've seen a Single Prince Bishops, 2 berries, however every 20/20A I've seen have been rammed. 

Gateshead have had a few more parked up.

With Deptford , since sept changes it would probably due to the fact buses have transferred to Chester depot for storage and buses transferred to Tyneside and also Hexham and other locations.


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(08 Sep 2022, 8:01 pm)cbma06 wrote [ -> ]With Deptford , since sept changes it would probably due to the fact buses have transferred to Chester depot for storage and buses transferred to Tyneside and also Hexham and other locations.


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If the shifts (or part of shifts) were uncovered, would the buses still not be parked up at Park Lane?

(08 Sep 2022, 8:04 pm)citaro5284 wrote [ -> ]If the shifts (or part of shifts) were uncovered, would the buses still not be parked up at Park Lane?

They're only parked up at Park Lane if they've got another driver which is meant to go on them after the missed services. If there are no drivers planned to go onto them for the rest of the day they normally return to the depot, if buses don't have a driver in the morning when the driver signs on he'll collect the bus or a mechanics will drop it off. I assume.

So I work in a risk and controls heavy environment and as much as I don’t wish to criticise (wellll) the lack of back up or getting things back online is…poor.

Although I doubt the go ahead group or at least it’s regional subsidiaries pay/attract anything but lower market rate level employees in most roles, it’s concerning there is no back up in place to support Customers or indeed a confirmation that customer data definitively wasn’t involved in the attack.

Turn up and hope…..

(08 Sep 2022, 9:51 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]So I work in a risk and controls heavy environment and as much as I don’t wish to criticise (wellll) the lack of back up or getting things back online is…poor.

Although I doubt the go ahead group or at least it’s regional subsidiaries pay/attract anything but lower market rate level employees in most roles, it’s concerning there is no back up in place to support Customers or indeed a confirmation that customer data definitively wasn’t involved in the attack.

Turn up and hope…..

It's never that easy, regardless of whether there's a robust business continuity and disaster recovery plan in place.

From business continuity, its largely been successful, as the customers haven't noticed anything different (other than the website not being updated). Buses still running, fares still being taken, mobile app and website both up.

Disaster recovery is another matter, and no company would ever share the progress of this. But it doesn't matter how many DR simulations you run, its different from the real thing. You don't have any clues in terms of entrypoint, what has been targeted and the extent of damage. Until that is worked out, its pointless starting wholesale service recovery. Even at that, you cannot predict how recovery operations are going to perform in the IT world. As much as everyone outside the IT dept think you can.


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Have GNE stopped updating their Short Notice Journey Cancellations as they've managed to update it for a press release to honour our late Queen?

(09 Sep 2022, 5:12 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]Have GNE stopped updating their Short Notice Journey Cancellations as they've managed to update it for a press release to honour our late Queen?

They can update the website but they don't have the list for cancelled services since they have limited access to the systems that have been affected by the cyber attack (this is what support told me)

(09 Sep 2022, 7:55 pm)lxbical wrote [ -> ]They can update the website but they don't have the list for cancelled services since they have limited access to the systems that have been affected by the cyber attack (this is what support told me)

And I’m sure I recall someone telling Umber43 this on the forum earlier this week too…


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(09 Sep 2022, 7:55 pm)lxbical wrote [ -> ]They can update the website but they don't have the list for cancelled services since they have limited access to the systems that have been affected by the cyber attack (this is what support told me)

Thanks.

(09 Sep 2022, 8:01 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]And I’m sure I recall someone telling Umber43 this on the forum earlier this week too…


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I believe it was me that asked it, unless they did as well

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I’ve experienced considerably less disruption this week…aside riverside drivers not having a clue about most stop names on the 21…

Power to the pen and paper rota!

(09 Sep 2022, 10:45 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]I’ve experienced considerably less disruption this week…aside riverside drivers not having a clue about most stop names on the 21…

Power to the pen and paper rota!

Ops teams getting on top of their sickness levels with a new Incoming MD? Pay deal gone through so morale improved and more willingness to work overtime? Increased number of school buses means there are more spare drivers during the day to assist?

Hopefully, all combined, means that some of the temporary changes can revert to normal from the end of October! If the feeling on the ground is that there has been an improvement in service delivery, there must be a marked improvement.


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(09 Sep 2022, 10:45 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]I’ve experienced considerably less disruption this week…aside riverside drivers not having a clue about most stop names on the 21…

Power to the pen and paper rota!

I agree, using the X21/X1/X10/20 I've experienced no waits over the expected time however I must have been quite lucky and when I've been at Gateshead and ParkLane theres been 2-4 buses parked up, a lot of them are waiting to come back into service as the X21/21 due to delays on the inbound service. 

However I have noticed the 20 is getting full basically all the time.

Reliability on the X21 is probably going to be a nightmare for the next month or so with the temporary 4 way lighting at Cabin Gate, I believe it's supposed to be there until the end of October

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(10 Sep 2022, 3:53 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]Ops teams getting on top of their sickness levels with a new Incoming MD? Pay deal gone through so morale improved and more willingness to work overtime? Increased number of school buses means there are more spare drivers during the day to assist?

Hopefully, all combined, means that some of the temporary changes can revert to normal from the end of October! If the feeling on the ground is that there has been an improvement in service delivery, there must be a marked improvement.


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Definitely did not get the feeling trying to get home from the galleries on Wednesday afternoon.

https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1...4vyLOIC58Q&s=19

Not only are passengers getting the blame.
But we've got traffic delays in Stanley! Who knew? I thought they only happened in the mind of a long gone, meerkat.

https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1...SPKh_3av6A&s=19

Blaming trees now. Awful....

(14 Sep 2022, 12:56 pm)DeltaMan wrote [ -> ]https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1...SPKh_3av6A&s=19

Blaming trees now. Awful....

How is it awful? A double deck vehicle hitting a low hanging branch can easily smash an upper front windscreen.  Do you expect the vehicles to keep on hitting it and a possibility of someone sitting upstairs getting showered with glass?

(14 Sep 2022, 12:56 pm)DeltaMan wrote [ -> ]https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1...SPKh_3av6A&s=19

Blaming trees now. Awful....

Yeah. Awful and absolutely ridiculous the amount of times transport companies have no better excuse.