North East Buses

All the tweets are very much a fill in the gaps job but this one is definitely "sod it, it's Friday, the roads are awful, everything is getting held up, OK."

I was on a X1 from Peterlee, when I got on it said it was going to Newcastle as I expected as it wasn't on the Short-Term Cancellation list online. Leaving Houghton, the next stop announcement. "This is the X1 to Washington Galleries".

(07 Oct 2022, 8:41 pm)nova347 wrote [ -> ]I was on a X1 from Peterlee, when I got on it said it was going to Newcastle as I expected as it wasn't on the Short-Term Cancellation list online. Leaving Houghton, the next stop announcement. "This is the X1 to Washington Galleries".

Saw one today. Standing room only from Shiney Row.
The one behind was busy and was able to pick up the slack.

I assume the first one was 15mins late, rather than the second being 15mins early.

Newcastle for GNE what a joke, I know it was the traffic but two 47's not running a now, a X45, 3 21's, 2 X1's all NIS a 10A leaving 20 mins late, an X10 leaving 10 mins late

In the space of about 30 mins. Only three buses (heading through Gateshead/Metro) actually ran in that 30 mins.

Not to mention around 4pm the queue for the X21/21 was up to Stand C and the X1 queue at Stand B with 3 coming in together.

5pm X10 was absolutely rammed full of people who would be getting the train and footballs fans. Glad I got out of Eldon Square when it did.

Another Saturday another disgraceful performance from GNE.

(08 Oct 2022, 6:18 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]Newcastle for GNE what a joke, I know it was the traffic but two 47's not running a now, a X45, 3 21's, 2 X1's all NIS a 10A leaving 20 mins late, an X10 leaving 10 mins late

In the space of about 30 mins. Only three buses (heading through Gateshead/Metro) actually ran in that 30 mins.

Not to mention around 4pm the queue for the X21/21 was up to Stand C and the X1 queue at Stand B with 3 coming in together.

5pm X10 was absolutely rammed full of people who would be getting the train and footballs fans. Glad I got out of Eldon Square when it did.

Another Saturday another disgraceful performance from GNE.

Think all operators were affected.  All Morpeth express services in and out of Newcastle this afternoon were running with excessive delays.  The X18 I was on, was nearly 30L (due at 1245 and left around 1313) when I boarded at Morpeth and the X15 before that was also bordering on 30L too.

Also, seen a couple of NIS vehicles moving around Ashington, so guessing the X21/X22 were getting delayed too.  

Junior Great North Run, Newcastle at home and a rail strike will all have compounded issues today.

You seem to paint the idea that it is only GNE that are piss poor, but when in reality its not.

The 21 is woeful, can we go back to the 90s when GNE didn’t run it?

Leaving early from Eldon square, no drivers for changeovers at gateshead, yet again nothing for over an hour in low fell thanks to full angels

I honestly think gateshead central couldn’t do any worse than pure incompetence from GNE

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Can we add 30 minute unannounced gaps to the service. Bring on franchising,

Clear out the deadwood at Bensham

The first 21 in 40 minutes arrives at Eldon square…..goes out of service and drives off. Better than ever

(08 Oct 2022, 6:18 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]Newcastle for GNE what a joke, I know it was the traffic but two 47's not running a now, a X45, 3 21's, 2 X1's all NIS a 10A leaving 20 mins late, an X10 leaving 10 mins late

In the space of about 30 mins. Only three buses (heading through Gateshead/Metro) actually ran in that 30 mins.

Not to mention around 4pm the queue for the X21/21 was up to Stand C and the X1 queue at Stand B with 3 coming in together.

5pm X10 was absolutely rammed full of people who would be getting the train and footballs fans. Glad I got out of Eldon Square when it did.

Another Saturday another disgraceful performance from GNE.

What do you expect? Buses can’t fly over traffic. 

there’s a rail strike and match day traffic, can’t expect buses to run on time in all honesty.

(08 Oct 2022, 7:01 pm)Thomas12 wrote [ -> ]What do you expect? Buses can’t fly over traffic. 

there’s a rail strike and match day traffic, can’t expect buses to run on time in all honesty.

Sorry but it’s planning, you know there’s a rail strike. 

adjust accordingly and adapt, GNE management is simply willfully incompetent

(08 Oct 2022, 6:18 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]Newcastle for GNE what a joke, I know it was the traffic but two 47's not running a now, a X45, 3 21's, 2 X1's all NIS a 10A leaving 20 mins late, an X10 leaving 10 mins late

In the space of about 30 mins. Only three buses (heading through Gateshead/Metro) actually ran in that 30 mins.

Not to mention around 4pm the queue for the X21/21 was up to Stand C and the X1 queue at Stand B with 3 coming in together.

5pm X10 was absolutely rammed full of people who would be getting the train and footballs fans. Glad I got out of Eldon Square when it did.

Another Saturday another disgraceful performance from GNE.

Don't come to Sunderland when Stagecoach have let a couple of new drivers loose on the 3...

(08 Oct 2022, 7:01 pm)Thomas12 wrote [ -> ]What do you expect? Buses can’t fly over traffic. 

there’s a rail strike and match day traffic, can’t expect buses to run on time in all honesty.

It's pointless people like just moaning for the sake of it lately about disruptions, it was the same last week. They'd winge if they cancelled half the services to have a more stable timetable aswell which is the alternative since they can't use robots to drive buses.

Ironic as they're probably the people who get on buses, abuse the driver, when they can't do anything, and they quit leading to more delays.

This should be aimed at the government if anyone as it's massively their fault.

Well I managed to get the 28b at 620 tonight but the q for the x21..... well let's say I doubt they all hot on. Then there were a couple of dozen waiting at gateshead too.

Better than last night though when the 730pm 28b didnt show... went for a pint of too and came back 5 minutes before it was due to see it fly past. Took me 3 hours to get yem

(08 Oct 2022, 7:04 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]Sorry but it’s planning, you know there’s a rail strike. 

adjust accordingly and adapt, GNE management is simply willfully incompetent

It was a case of buses being 20/30 mins late. The Reliability of the X1 is always woeful and thats before its left Washington, most of the time two/three follow each other into newcastle same with the 21 two/three at a time following each other, its like that most of the time during the day.

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(08 Oct 2022, 7:24 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]It's pointless people like just moaning for the sake of it lately about disruptions, it was the same last week. They'd winge if they cancelled half the services to have a more stable timetable aswell which is the alternative since they can't use robots to drive buses.

Ironic as they're probably the people who get on buses, abuse the driver, when they can't do anything, and they quit leading to more delays.

This should be aimed at the government if anyone as it's massively their fault.

Well when you waited 30 mins for a bus to the metrocentre from Eldon Square when they're advertised to be every 5 mins, which I don't even think is the case when/if the 10 goes back to the old timetable. 

Same with the 21 advertised to be every 10 mins, you're waiting 30 mins and thats not even with any cancelled bus, X21 an hour. 

And also I don't know if it was aimed at me but I would never take any anger out at the driver its not their fault or GNE CS team too. However they can say sorry and I know they mean it however its the same thing for months and sometimes sorry just isn't good enough we've been through 2 timetable changes since July and this has been an issue since before. 

They have just cut the timetables making everything even worse.

I really struggle to see how anyone could expect buses to be running anything like to time with the absolute mess of traffic chaos seemingly everywhere today. Seems the combination of a Newcastle home match, Junior GNR, Network Rail Strike and the usual misery of endless roadworks all being allowed to happen at the same time buggered the roads up a bit. All the planning in the world at Bensham, the Wheatsheaf or wherever can't do much about horrific traffic queues and stupidly timed traffic signals. One of the many queues I was stuck in today was on CME/Tyne Bridge and saw 3 X1s heading into Toon within 5 mins of each other. I did wonder why one or more hadn't been regulated at Gateshead, but then of course people would only moan that the queue at Eldon Square was too long for the one that turned up. Sometimes they just cannot win.

(08 Oct 2022, 10:50 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote [ -> ]I really struggle to see how anyone could expect buses to be running anything like to time with the absolute mess of traffic chaos seemingly everywhere today.  Seems the combination of a Newcastle home match, Junior GNR, Network Rail Strike and the usual misery of endless roadworks all being allowed to happen at the same time buggered the roads up a bit.  All the planning in the world at Bensham, the Wheatsheaf or wherever can't do much about horrific traffic queues and stupidly timed traffic signals.  One of the many queues I was stuck in today was on CME/Tyne Bridge and saw 3 X1s heading into Toon within 5 mins of each other.  I did wonder why one or more hadn't been regulated at Gateshead, but then of course people would only moan that the queue at Eldon Square was too long for the one that turned up.  Sometimes they just cannot win.

I think, from my end, we’d see sympathy if this was an issue limited to this Saturday and all the issues it brings. Even pre covid on some routes, there was zero common sense. I’d Love if this was a one off…

However…it’s not, it’s every Saturday, in most cases it’s every weekday. It’s a lack of communication which is a huge issue. The inbound standing fully 21 I was on sat for ten minutes at Gateshead as there was no driver…absolutely no communication from the 10 gne drivers around stand N (not necc their role but from a  leisure customer point of view…) I’m all but a leisure traveller these days and I’m fortunate that I can afford an Uber home, as I did tonight as the service is intolerably late and unreliable.

(08 Oct 2022, 10:50 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote [ -> ]I really struggle to see how anyone could expect buses to be running anything like to time with the absolute mess of traffic chaos seemingly everywhere today.  Seems the combination of a Newcastle home match, Junior GNR, Network Rail Strike and the usual misery of endless roadworks all being allowed to happen at the same time buggered the roads up a bit.  All the planning in the world at Bensham, the Wheatsheaf or wherever can't do much about horrific traffic queues and stupidly timed traffic signals.  One of the many queues I was stuck in today was on CME/Tyne Bridge and saw 3 X1s heading into Toon within 5 mins of each other.  I did wonder why one or more hadn't been regulated at Gateshead, but then of course people would only moan that the queue at Eldon Square was too long for the one that turned up.  Sometimes they just cannot win.

Yeah, I would get it if its a one off, but its not its every day for the X1's, it everyday for a lot of services without the Rail Strikes and Football Matches

Same with the X45/X30/X31 its daily that journeys are cancelled cos of delays, same with the 21. 

And turning buses at Gateshead is absolutely useless when there are people queing from X1 Stand to Stand A. and people queing from Stand B to the Door and the buses turning at Metro and just leaving NIS.

Buses leaving NIS is great to try and get them back on time however they just end up being late again. 

And GNE CS can say Sorry, however now Sorry isn't good enough. Its a failing timetable, its not a one off its been like this for months.

(08 Oct 2022, 11:13 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ] I think, from my end, we’d see sympathy if this was an issue limited to this Saturday and all the issues it brings. Even pre covid on some routes, there was zero common sense. I’d Love if this was a one off…

However…it’s not, it’s every Saturday, in most cases it’s every weekday. It’s a lack of communication which is a huge issue. The inbound standing fully 21 I was on sat for ten minutes at Gateshead as there was no driver…absolutely no communication from the 10 gne drivers around stand N (not necc their role but from a  leisure customer point of view…) I’m all but a leisure traveller these days and I’m fortunate that I can afford an Uber home, as I did tonight as the service is intolerably late and unreliable.

Eldest Constantopolous has abandoned the bus completely when heading to the match. 

He'd not do that if the delays and issues were a one-off.

After two nightmare Saturdays months apart, Ma and Pa Constantopolous have vowed never to go near a bus on a Saturday. Despite them having free travel.

(09 Oct 2022, 9:07 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Eldest Constantopolous has abandoned the bus completely when heading to the match. 

He'd not do that if the delays and issues were a one-off.

After two nightmare Saturdays months apart, Ma and Pa Constantopolous have vowed never to go near a bus on a Saturday. Despite them having free travel.

Better Than Ever

(09 Oct 2022, 9:18 am)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]Better Than Ever

Imaginative as ever.


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(09 Oct 2022, 10:12 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]Imaginative as ever.


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Inspirational comment.

According to Bus Times 

There was only an X30/X31

12:16 Newcastle (arrived 1 hour late)
12:44 Newcastle (arrived 40 mins late)
15:15 Newcastle (left 35 mins late, arrived 40 mins late)
16:44 Newcastle
17:16 Newcastle

(08 Oct 2022, 7:01 pm)Thomas12 wrote [ -> ]What do you expect? Buses can’t fly over traffic. 

there’s a rail strike and match day traffic, can’t expect buses to run on time in all honesty.

No, but they can timetable an achievable service that meets demand around it.

Rail strike is just another lazy excuse for a poor service. We'll be back here next week and looking for something else to blame. Maybe they'll suggest less people need to use buses to stop them being full?

(10 Oct 2022, 11:43 am)Adrian wrote [ -> ]No, but they can timetable an achievable service that meets demand around it.

Rail strike is just another lazy excuse for a poor service. We'll be back here next week and looking for something else to blame. Maybe they'll suggest less people need to use buses to stop them being full?

An achievable service in this case requires a lot of extra resource. I’d assume it’s difficult to plan for what level of additional layover and/or running time is required to offset additional demand, as it’s slightly unknown (although these rail strikes are becoming more common).

All this at a time when operators are struggling for staff. So the achievable timetable may actually mean the service becomes even less achievable to cover. Is that better or worse for the customer?

If commercial teams were able to plan a new set of schedules for rail strike days, and there wasn’t any staffing issues, I wonder how well it would go down with staff that their rota has to change to accommodate a timetable change for one day? I suspect if you asked most bus drivers, the thing that they would find most challenging about the job at the moment is the pace of change and inability to plan their life outside of work. Imagine this would therefore go down like a lead balloon with driving staff and could potentially result in even more drivers leaving the business.

Firm believer in doing what’s right by the customer - but there’s more at play than lazy commercial teams not getting their fingers out. You can repeat all of the above for match days, Fridays, short-term roadworks, etc.


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It appears a month after its closure - High Street West has finally reopened to traffic.

You'd have thought the anti-car bus lane loving bunch of meglomaniacs at Gateshead would have been out there with the pruners straight away

(10 Oct 2022, 11:56 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]An achievable service in this case requires a lot of extra resource. I’d assume it’s difficult to plan for what level of additional layover and/or running time is required to offset additional demand, as it’s slightly unknown (although these rail strikes are becoming more common).

All this at a time when operators are struggling for staff. So the achievable timetable may actually mean the service becomes even less achievable to cover. Is that better or worse for the customer?

If commercial teams were able to plan a new set of schedules for rail strike days, and there wasn’t any staffing issues, I wonder how well it would go down with staff that their rota has to change to accommodate a timetable change for one day? I suspect if you asked most bus drivers, the thing that they would find most challenging about the job at the moment is the pace of change and inability to plan their life outside of work. Imagine this would therefore go down like a lead balloon with driving staff and could potentially result in even more drivers leaving the business.

Firm believer in doing what’s right by the customer - but there’s more at play than lazy commercial teams not getting their fingers out. You can repeat all of the above for match days, Fridays, short-term roadworks, etc.


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My comment on achievable service was around traffic levels, not 'force majeure' events (such as rail strikes), as the legal boffins like to call them. As I say, in my opinion it's a lazy excuse, similar to last week's "traffic congestion/protest march/football traffic at All areas" tweet.

Although I take your point on staffing issues, at this stage, I'm not entirely sure what the difference to customers is of a less-frequent timetable that doesn't deliver vs a more-frequent timetable that doesn't deliver? The results seem to be the same, i.e. customers are stood around for ages, waiting for a bus that is unlikely to turn up or sails past full. Of course, less buses on the road and less drivers required is also a cost saving to an operator.

Not suggesting there'd be new schedules for rail strike days, but let's look at football specifically. We know Saturdays are busy and we know when there's matches on by the fixtures list published in July/August. Yet there's nothing put in place to deal with the bottlenecking on busy corridors on a normal Saturday with Football. It was always extremely busy with Saturday football, even 20 years ago, where we had a lot more options in terms of buses. We've got just as many people with a lot less options now, so when an X1 or couple of 21s inevitably go missing, it creates a problem for the rest of the day.

I'd be surprised if anyone doesn't want to do right by the customer, and I disagree with the comment on here that often suggest otherwise, but at some point we need to stop trying to force square pegs into round holes. There's events throughout the calendar year, football being a prime example, where we need a better solution.

(10 Oct 2022, 2:18 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]It appears a month after its closure - High Street West has finally reopened to traffic.

You'd have thought the anti-car bus lane loving bunch of meglomaniacs at Gateshead would have been out there with the pruners straight away

A month is pretty much the average journey time to get from the Civic Centre to B&Q to buy the pruners because of all these bus lanes.

(10 Oct 2022, 2:35 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]Not suggesting there'd be new schedules for rail strike days, but let's look at football specifically. We know Saturdays are busy and we know when there's matches on by the fixtures list published in July/August. Yet there's nothing put in place to deal with the bottlenecking on busy corridors on a normal Saturday with Football. It was always extremely busy with Saturday football, even 20 years ago, where we had a lot more options in terms of buses. We've got just as many people with a lot less options now, so when an X1 or couple of 21s inevitably go missing, it creates a problem for the rest of the day.

I'd be surprised if anyone doesn't want to do right by the customer, and I disagree with the comment on here that often suggest otherwise, but at some point we need to stop trying to force square pegs into round holes. There's events throughout the calendar year, football being a prime example, where we need a better solution.

When 21's go missing or X1 and 3 pull out Not In Service, there is just one/two around the corner most the time, 3 X1's pulled into Eldon Square they left 30 late/15 late /On time. 

Its when services interwork, same when Sunderland are playing, 24/9 get late it affects the 5 & 26. Really the 9&5 should interwork and 24 & 26, even worse when they're playing on a sunday as 35A/61A/60/9/24/26/5/5A all interwork with each other. Prime Example X30/X31 were absolutely hammered on Saturday there wasn't one for 3 hours or something ridiculous like that, and when they did run they entered Newcastle 40 mins late, causing the coming X45 not run. 

GNE are in a tough position however they need to people to get the bus advertise a connection with the X50 on services, as the traffic into Newcastle is atrocious and the CAZ thing isn't going to do anything as you can be in any car and not being charged meanwhile bus companies are spending thousands upgrading their vehicles. There should be a football timetable however the issue with this is that drivers are limited to 5 hours so if you were going to have e.g X45, it took it 2 hours to get into Newcastle, it should be in Sunniside on the return, so do you plan for a 40-60 mins break in Stanley. You can't be having breaks in Newcastle they just don't have the facilities however looking at the X45 you can't have a massive break in COnsett as it extends to Hownsgill. Similar to the X1, it can't have a massive break at Washington, neither can the 21 at Chester-Le-Street or Brandon.

The worst example is probably the 56 which gets hammered when Sunderland & Newcastle are at home and trains /metro are cancelled however that can have 40 mins. But they don't have the PVR of vehicles to offer this E400 pretty sure there are just 2 or 3 spares out of 14, we've seen Country Rangers etc. If you look at the 56 its hard to offer always a full single decker as we saw 2 X20's and a Graphite on it today.

(10 Oct 2022, 2:52 pm)omnicity4659 wrote [ -> ]A month is pretty much the average journey time to get from the Civic Centre to B&Q to buy the pruners because of all these bus lanes.

That's only because the bus to get there was cancelled and they needed to make a change at some obscure part of Dunston.

They gave up on the way back and walked back to the Civic.

(10 Oct 2022, 2:35 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]My comment on achievable service was around traffic levels, not 'force majeure' events (such as rail strikes), as the legal boffins like to call them. As I say, in my opinion it's a lazy excuse, similar to last week's "traffic congestion/protest march/football traffic at All areas" tweet.

Although I take your point on staffing issues, at this stage, I'm not entirely sure what the difference to customers is of a less-frequent timetable that doesn't deliver vs a more-frequent timetable that doesn't deliver? The results seem to be the same, i.e. customers are stood around for ages, waiting for a bus that is unlikely to turn up or sails past full. Of course, less buses on the road and less drivers required is also a cost saving to an operator.

Not suggesting there'd be new schedules for rail strike days, but let's look at football specifically. We know Saturdays are busy and we know when there's matches on by the fixtures list published in July/August. Yet there's nothing put in place to deal with the bottlenecking on busy corridors on a normal Saturday with Football. It was always extremely busy with Saturday football, even 20 years ago, where we had a lot more options in terms of buses. We've got just as many people with a lot less options now, so when an X1 or couple of 21s inevitably go missing, it creates a problem for the rest of the day.

I'd be surprised if anyone doesn't want to do right by the customer, and I disagree with the comment on here that often suggest otherwise, but at some point we need to stop trying to force square pegs into round holes. There's events throughout the calendar year, football being a prime example, where we need a better solution.

Wait till Christmas sneaks up on them!

(10 Oct 2022, 2:18 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]It appears a month after its closure - High Street West has finally reopened to traffic.

You'd have thought the anti-car bus lane loving bunch of meglomaniacs at Gateshead would have been out there with the pruners straight away

Tbf it's one of the biggest bushes I've every seen