North East Buses

Have we got an estimated date when this usually happens. The result for the Q3/35 one still haven't been posted yet

Got on the GCT 342 today showed my TNE Day Saver (shocking denied it) but he did mention something to me. He said u can use then next month on our service and I said on what route for his response to be the 351. Seems GCT have the 351 in March according to this driver

(08 Feb 2024, 10:15 pm)Aaron21 wrote [ -> ]Got on the GCT 342 today showed my TNE Day Saver (shocking denied it) but he did mention something to me. He said u can use then next month on our service and I said on what route for his response to be the 351. Seems GCT have the 351 in March according to this driver

Why are they not accepting TNE day savers? They should be accepted, so should report this to the company/Nexus.

Assuming nothing has changed with the timetables, in that case they'll also have the 335/359.

(08 Feb 2024, 10:40 pm)Thomas12 wrote [ -> ]Why are they not accepting TNE day savers? They should be accepted, so should report this to the company/Nexus.

Assuming nothing has changed with the timetables, in that case they'll also have the 335/359.

The amount of times complaining to nexus about them in the past not accepted the tickets is annoying

According to the TNE website GCT should accept them. Their logo is on there under operators who accept them.

I wonder what has been complained about more on here, GCT's general existence, or GNE spaffing money on repaints.
Must be close

(09 Feb 2024, 9:14 am)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]I wonder what has been complained about more on here, GCT's general existence, or GNE spaffing money on repaints.
Must be close

Gne probs in the lead with GCT not far behind 

Could probs make a meme of the double Spiderman with one being GCT & one being GNE with the caption saying "having the most complaints on the fourm"

(08 Feb 2024, 10:40 pm)Thomas12 wrote [ -> ]Why are they not accepting TNE day savers? They should be accepted, so should report this to the company/Nexus.

Assuming nothing has changed with the timetables, in that case they'll also have the 335/359.

When I’ve had any issues with them- early running, non operation I find it easier to call them directly. They are very accommodating. I find most of the drivers extremely decent and compared to GNE & SNE the regular drivers on the 342 are great.

(09 Feb 2024, 9:14 am)streetdeckfan wrote [ -> ]I wonder what has been complained about more on here, GCT's general existence, or GNE spaffing money on repaints.
Must be close

Arriva - For whatever problem it is with GNE, it's the usual deflection tactic by some.

The NSA's were broken, well Arriva have none.
Too many repaints, well Arriva don't do any.
Some route has problems, well the X93 is worse.
GNE are cancelling buses, so are Arriva so it's fine.
etc.

Mind it's much less, since GNE went on strike, and people realised they're actually worse. That said GCT are also the same, as a usual deflection tactic.

i used to defend GCT from the grief they got on here but when i had to use them during the GNE strike i've seen another side to them. Bus not running - ring the bus section - oh its got a puncher so its not running and phone put down! And you'd think the drivers with them been nexus service would be happy that punters were getting on there buses but it seems from the response you get that your a chore!

(12 Feb 2024, 9:35 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]oh its got a puncher

Let's hope there are no horses around.

GCT have the youngest fleet in the North East, so they do have that going for them.

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They also have the most noticeable skid marks in the wheelchair bay ironically made by one passenger

With regards to GCT? If they won the contract to run Durham P&R why do they operate blank canvas white buses and not branded buses surely it was part of the contract ?

(12 Feb 2024, 11:40 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote [ -> ]They also have the most noticeable skid marks in the wheelchair bay ironically made by one passenger

With regards to GCT? If they won the contract to run Durham P&R why do they operate blank canvas white buses and not branded buses surely it was part of the contract ?

The E200MMCs now carry branding for the P&R services in a slightly revised version carried under Scarlet Band operation.

Those Iveco things now carry a VERY minimisatic vinyls for Durham Castle & Cathedral plus National Trust: Crook Hall Gardens.

Chances are DCC were slow to come up with anything, Scarlet Band had a lengthy period of anonymous white buses on the P&R before something was put in place (a competition between two designs from some college students), was the same story when GNE had the 40's before, supposedly GNE got bored of waiting on DCC to come up with anything so just came up with the route branding themselves.

(05 Feb 2024, 11:16 am)Aaron21 wrote [ -> ]Have we got an estimated date when this usually happens. The result for the Q3/35 one still haven't been posted yet

I'm assuming that the changes proposed to the 35 and Q3 won't be happening as no variations have been registered to either services.

(13 Feb 2024, 11:29 am)Thomas12 wrote [ -> ]I'm assuming that the changes proposed to the 35 and Q3 won't be happening as no variations have been registered to either services.

Then again we are still in the early registration. Might come out next week or the week after. Nexus haven't even updated the consultation page so much be waiting to fully confirm it

(12 Feb 2024, 11:40 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote [ -> ]They also have the most noticeable skid marks in the wheelchair bay ironically made by one passenger

With regards to GCT? If they won the contract to run Durham P&R why do they operate blank canvas white buses and not branded buses surely it was part of the contract ?

Surely a blank canvas bus will make it easier to spot skidmatks.

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New service 653 to start running in March between Wallsend & Freeman Hospital.

https://www.nexus.org.uk/news/item/nexus...-newcastle

(15 Feb 2024, 4:04 pm)Aaron21 wrote [ -> ]New service 653 to start running in March between Wallsend & Freeman Hospital.

https://www.nexus.org.uk/news/item/nexus...-newcastle

Wonder why they didn't just extend the 18 back to Wallsend like it used to be rather than a separate service

(15 Feb 2024, 5:47 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote [ -> ]Wonder why they didn't just extend the 18 back to Wallsend like it used to be rather than a separate service

Different areas, quite a lot of the 553 route is unserved by anything else currently.

https://bustimes.org/services/553-wallse...spital#map - That's the route, guessing extended to Battle Hill again, if it's serving Prospect Avenue, unsure on that but.

(15 Feb 2024, 6:12 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]Different areas, quite a lot of the 553 route is unserved by anything else currently.

https://bustimes.org/services/553-wallse...spital#map - That's the route, guessing extended to Battle Hill again, if it's serving Prospect Avenue, unsure on that but.

Didnt realise it was replacing 553, reads in the press release like a new service

(15 Feb 2024, 6:40 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote [ -> ]Didnt realise it was replacing 553, reads in the press release like a new service

Believe it's just getting formally split now, there's only a few boards in the morning / evening for the Freeman to Wallsend side of it. It's a bit confusing with 3 operators currently running it and 2 different routes aswell, the Wallsend to Freeman side will become the 653 to fix that though.

If I'm right Arriva, GNE and Stagecoach currently all run bits of it.

(15 Feb 2024, 7:07 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]Believe it's just getting formally split now, there's only a few boards in the morning / evening for the Freeman to Wallsend side of it. It's a bit confusing with 3 operators currently running it and 2 different routes aswell, the Wallsend to Freeman side will become the 653 to fix that though.

If I'm right Arriva, GNE and Stagecoach currently all run bits of it.

Any idea who is probably going to be operating the new 653?

(15 Feb 2024, 7:12 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote [ -> ]Any idea who is probably going to be operating the new 653?

At a guess, I bet its Gateshead Central Taxi's.

(15 Feb 2024, 7:12 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote [ -> ]Any idea who is probably going to be operating the new 653?

Not a clue tbh.

(15 Feb 2024, 7:14 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ]At a guess, I bet its Gateshead Central Taxi's.

Can't see them running it. If it's ture with the 351/359/335 alongside the 19/342 as well as the 653. It'll be tough for them to run all that plus everything in Gateshead/Durham

I was thinking about the 335/342/359 group of services and how they could be improved.

From my experience, the 335 is a relatively pointless services which has been pointed out on this forum before. On the other hand, the 342 has decent loadings.

Instead of having the 335 operating, I wonder if it would be worth extending the 359 to Wallsend. This could be renumbered a '343' service, which mostly follows the 342 route bus instead operates via Quorum and Four Lane Ends.

So you'd have the 342 operating as is, then a 343 service from Whitley Bay to Wallsend via the current 359 route to Killingworth, then via Quorum, FLE and Benton ASDA.

The 335 generally just duplicates other services, whereas that could offer beneficial new links.

(19 Jul 2024, 10:55 am)Thomas12 wrote [ -> ]I was thinking about the 335/342/359 group of services and how they could be improved.

From my experience, the 335 is a relatively pointless services which has been pointed out on this forum before. On the other hand, the 342 has decent loadings.

Instead of having the 335 operating, I wonder if it would be worth extending the 359 to Wallsend. This could be renumbered a '343' service, which mostly follows the 342 route bus instead operates via Quorum and Four Lane Ends.

So you'd have the 342 operating as is, then a 343 service from Whitley Bay to Wallsend via the current 359 route to Killingworth, then via Quorum, FLE and Benton ASDA.

The 335 generally just duplicates other services, whereas that could offer beneficial new links.

Some interesting ideas but I'm not sure. This is assuming franchising now which is pretty much due anyway I'd say:

19/19A: Cramlington - Cramlington Hospital - Seaton Delaval - Seghill - New Housing (19) - Backworth (19A) - Northumberland Park - Cobalt - North Shields
335: Withdrawn
342: Cramlington - Killingworth - Forest Hall - Wallsend (Every Hour)
343: Cramlington - Killingworth - Four Lane Ends - Wallsend (Every Hour)
352: Withdrawn
353: Killingworth - Cobalt (Peaks Only) - North Shields  (Every 30 Minutes)
354: Killingworth to Newcastle only doing 335 route from Four Lane Ends to Killingworth (Every Hour)
359: Westerhope - Kingston Park - Dudley - Killingworth - Backworth - Shiremoor - Cobalt - Murton - Whitley Bay (Every Hour)

Means you'd end up with the core links mostly every 30 minutes as:
19/19A: Cramlington to Cobalt and North Shields
342/343: Cramlington to Killingworth and Wallsend
57/57A: Cramlington to Whitley Bay
353: Killingworth and North Shields
359: Killingworth and Whitley Bay (only hourly)
353/359: Killingworth to Cobalt

The 352 and 354 are pretty much basket case routes aswell really. The 353 being peak only is to get it under 45 minutes to save a bus.

New consultation from Nexus on planned changes to the 35 in Newcastle from March 2025
https://www.nexus.org.uk/consultation/it...-newcastle

(16 Sep 2024, 5:32 pm)Bob wrote [ -> ]New consultation from Nexus on planned changes to the 35 in Newcastle from March 2025
https://www.nexus.org.uk/consultation/it...-newcastle

Why is the point anymore. What does this benefit. Nexus paid for the 35 to go via Osborne Road to remove the Q3 as the Q3 passenger wanted a quick link to Newcastle. It didn't happen in March yet Go North East mentioned they would take the Q3 out of Osborne Road but kept it in and look what happened in September. They lost the great park contract for the people who wanted a quick link to Newcastle. Now nexus pay for the Q3 on some journeys so just think fu&k it and send the 35 back it's normal way. Pull it out of Central and change it to like these changes never happened. This is the most stupid thing ever. Gne should have pulled the Q3 out of Osborne Road and maybe they kept the Great Park.