North East Buses

Just driven down Ryhope Green past the stop which had the red square and white lettering denoting the 60 and 61 services being classed as Superoute. Does anyone know what happened with this initiative? I remember the GNE busses wearing a sticker above the door denoting a Superoute service...

(25 Aug 2013, 5:25 pm)8222 wrote [ -> ]Just driven down Ryhope Green past the stop which had the red square and white lettering denoting the 60 and 61 services being classed as Superoute. Does anyone know what happened with this initiative? I remember the GNE busses wearing a sticker above the door denoting a Superoute service...

It seemed to just quietly disapear, after lots of promotion.

Speaking of old stops, (passed it just yesterday so it reminded me) there is still a Go-Ahead Northern stop attached to the shelter on Seaton Lane, just west of the pub.
You can just make it out underneath the ivy.

(25 Aug 2013, 5:25 pm)8222 wrote [ -> ]Just driven down Ryhope Green past the stop which had the red square and white lettering denoting the 60 and 61 services being classed as Superoute. Does anyone know what happened with this initiative? I remember the GNE busses wearing a sticker above the door denoting a Superoute service...

l remember when the old 150 now 60 was classed as superoute same as old 152/153 now 61 the same.

I remember it being really pushed at the same time as the simply turn up and go branding was being pushed. Is it wrong that I preferred that campaign?!

The impact of the Superoute has been studied at an academic level by Hensher, Mulley & Yahta in a 2010 paper called 'Passenger Experience with Quality-enhanced Bus Service: The Tyne and Wear ‘Superoute’ Services', which appears in the journal Transportation: Planning, Policy, Research, Practice.

I have a copy if anyone wants to read it.

Here's the abstract:

Abstract This paper investigates the role that enhanced service quality introduced into a deregulated market has in improving the experience of bus travel by a sample of passengers in the Tyne and Wear area of England. A generalised ordered choice (GOC) model that accounts for preference heterogeneity through random parameters, as well as heter-oscedasticity in unobserved variance, and random parameterisation of thresholds, is implemented to identify sources of influence on the overall experience of bus travel in the presence and absence of the quality-enhanced treatment of service. The GOC model is contrasted with a standard ordered logit model, and the marginal effects associated with the preferred GOC model are derived for each influencing attribute, taking into account the various ways in which each influence contributes to the utility associated with each level of bus experience. The paper supports a view that the introduction of quality improvements, via a Quality Bus Partnership, does contribute non-marginally to an increase in a positive bus experience, and signals a way forward through cooperative intervention, to grow patronage. Knowing which attributes successfully deliver a more positive experience (and those that do not) means that resources are effectively targeted at the aspect of service provision which will increase patronage and therefore revenues, satisfying the objectives of both the bus operator and the local authority partner.

The Project Orpheus "Options for Corridors Considered Unsuitable as Metro Extensions During Phase 1A of Project Orpheus" documentation from May 2003 touched heavily upon Super Route. It went as far as saying that the network was currently being implemented, which it displayed in the form of a network map. (They've even included Fencehouses for Andreos1's benefit ).

2. NOTES ON THE 13 CORRIDORS REJECTED AT THE END OF THE
PHASE 1A CORRIDOR SELECTION PROCESS
2.1 These recommendations take into account the Superoute (Phase One) network which
is currently being implemented (see Figure 2.1). Superoutes aim to deliver frequent,
high quality services along key routes offering:
• frequent services – 7am until midnight 7 days a week (9am Saturdays, 9.30am
Sundays);
• quicker journeys – bus priority measures are being implemented along routes;
• quality vehicles – low floor, ‘Easy Access’ vehicles which are simple for people
with wheelchairs and buggies to use. Superoute buses are all under 7 years old
and will be compliant with Euro II emissions standards by 2004;
• high quality infrastructure – aim to repair bus stops and shelters within 5 days and
have modern shelters at 90% of stops by 2006;
• good information – bus timetables will not change more than once a year and up
to date timetables will be displayed at every bus stop.
2.2 Over the past few years, NEXUS have been developing the concept of Metro
Complimentary Routes on some key public transport corridors. These studies have
been included in the consideration of suitable route improvements. They are seen as a
clearly defined upgrade to existing services with a more significant infrastructure cost
to enable a higher degree of segregation and interchange to:
• Provide fast limited stop branded services with quality interchange and halt
facilities linking key centres;
• State of the art accessible vehicles;
• Dedicated routes with a high degree of segregation, priority over other traffic and
the perceived permanence of railway systems;
• Fully disability friendly;
• Halts and interchanges which a re safe and secure, have real time passenger
information systems and ticketing systems comparable with Metro;
• Focused park and ride connections.

Full documentation attached if anyone fancies a bit light reading!

(25 Aug 2013, 6:10 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]It seemed to just quietly disapear, after lots of promotion.

Speaking of old stops, (passed it just yesterday so it reminded me) there is still a Go-Ahead Northern stop attached to the shelter on Seaton Lane, just west of the pub.
You can just make it out underneath the ivy.

There is also an ancient Northern Bus Stop in Murton, just off Wellfield Road, it hasn't been used for years, although it was used for a few hours about 5 years ago when the 61 was diverted after the police cordoned off the top half of Barnes Road while investigating a murder

(26 Aug 2013, 10:01 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]The Project Orpheus "Options for Corridors Considered Unsuitable as Metro Extensions During Phase 1A of Project Orpheus" documentation from May 2003 touched heavily upon Super Route. It went as far as saying that the network was currently being implemented, which it displayed in the form of a network map. (They've even included Fencehouses for Andreos1's benefit ).




Full documentation attached if anyone fancies a bit light reading!

21 years ago how the super route lives on with Euro 2 buses

(02 May 2024, 2:17 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote [ -> ]21 years ago how the super route lives on with Euro 2 buses

I always find it so amusing stuff like that the 'core' routes then are now completely unsustainable or pretty much on their death bed.

I don't for one second don't believe there's not demand for the likes of the 325/326, 21A, 35, and 97/98 if they were actually run well with adaptions and integration with the Metro or other buses. They're all just a basketcase give or take now or don't exist at all.