(27 Aug 2017, 1:59 pm)Ambassador What will work the Rail Replacment? I think I'd prefer the 90min Tyne Valley line diversion as opposed to the prospect of Newcastle to Edinburgh on anything aside the Nat Express coaches in the GNE fleet

(27 Aug 2017, 2:00 pm)Jamie M What "buses" carry out the replacement work?

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(27 Aug 2017, 1:29 pm)Dan There is still a high vehicle requirement next month, so it is unlikely that any buses (6043 - 6048 or any other double deckers in the fleet for that matter) will be withdrawn straight away.

As usual; Go North East has been awarded the contract to operate Baggage Buses for the Great North Run on 9th September, and they will run their own commercial services on top of this.

Go North East will also be supporting the Masters Golf event, operating another Metro Replacement bus service next weekend (after the main blockade finishes), with the possibility of being awarded a further Metro Replacement contract in a few weeks time on the same weekend as Go North East will operate Rail Replacement services between Newcastle, Alnmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh. There are also Kynren events on most, if not all, of these weekends, which Go North East operates Park & Ride services for...

So lots going on, in other words... 

(27 Aug 2017, 1:46 pm)Dan Newcastle - I think someone copied the VOSA registration on the upcoming changes thread, a few weeks ago.


16/17th September - same weekend as last year (which scuppers anyone from the North East wanting to go to the Lothian Open Day event) - trains divert via the Tyne Valley Line (Carlisle), with rail replacement services also operating.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx?TravelDate=17%2F09%2F2017&TOC=gr
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/static/documents/maps/Newcastle%20Edinburgh%2016%2017%20September.pdf

(27 Aug 2017, 2:45 pm)Cobalt271 I thought this years open day was the 23rd September?

(27 Aug 2017, 2:28 pm)peter Out of interest, how many vehicles are expected to be withdrawn following the completion of all these contracts? Speaking of which, how many buses will be released due to the loss of school contracts and workers services?

(27 Aug 2017, 2:45 pm)Cobalt271 I thought this years open day was the 23rd September?

(27 Aug 2017, 1:16 pm)Dan One should be branded up and used for Next Stop Announcement testing.

(27 Aug 2017, 2:49 pm)Dan I think the simple answer is "lots".

There's quite a few buses kicking around in the fleet which should have long since been withdrawn (having been replaced by other cascaded buses earlier in the year), but were retained over the summer for these contracts, and that's before you take into consideration any buses being withdrawn after the loss of Miscellaneous Works contracts.

(27 Aug 2017, 2:51 pm)G-CPTN It would be nice to have NSAs on the TEN . . . 

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(27 Aug 2017, 1:16 pm)Dan One should be branded up and used for Next Stop Announcement testing on 1st September, and another (may be unbranded) used on the same date for driver familiarisation. As they are registered as '67' plates, they cannot leave Saltmeadows Road until 1st September.

(27 Aug 2017, 4:39 pm)S813 FVK When the NSAs are being tested, is each route done in both directions or is one direction viewed as enough with the view that if one direction works, the other direction will too?

(27 Aug 2017, 2:53 pm)Michael Hopefully all of the ex London B7 Presidents will be withdrawn when all of the contracts end. (Like Metro etc)

(27 Aug 2017, 2:49 pm)Dan I think the simple answer is "lots".

There's quite a few buses kicking around in the fleet which should have long since been withdrawn (having been replaced by other cascaded buses earlier in the year), but were retained over the summer for these contracts, and that's before you take into consideration any buses being withdrawn after the loss of Miscellaneous Works contracts.

(27 Aug 2017, 2:54 pm)Dan It would indeed, you're right. I'm sure it's in Go North East's best interests to have the announcements working on the Tyne Valley Ten services as soon as possible, and they wouldn't purposely disable them with no intention of re-enabling them.

The new programme, complete in the new "Tyne Valley Ten" colourscheme, was loaded to one of the first Volvo B9TLs which went in for repaint.

Unfortunately there was an error in the programme which meant that it would not load as it should do, which is why no further examples have been loaded since (until the error can be found and fixed, anyway!) Aside from that, the system errors (meaning that the screens have been stuck on Windows XP boot-up screen) have been getting repaired as and when the buses have gone in for repaint, to ensure that when the media is ready, with no faults, all buses work. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel...

(27 Aug 2017, 7:30 pm)ne14ne1 Has there been any progress with the Citylink58 and Quaylink's NSAs?  (Not sure as I haven't been on either for a while).

(27 Aug 2017, 7:30 pm)ne14ne1 Has there been any progress with the Citylink58 and Quaylink's NSAs?  (Not sure as I haven't been on either for a while).

(27 Aug 2017, 7:35 pm)Ds1197 Some of Q3 have them now

(27 Aug 2017, 7:35 pm)L469 YVK When the Cobalt Clipper NSAs get re-done, will Emma only need to re-record the High Farm section of the 310 as well as between Middle Engine Lane and North Shields / Blyth due to some commonality with the 57 (minuts St Mary's / Haymarket?

(27 Aug 2017, 7:36 pm)Dan Yes.

The computer sitting behind the scenes on the Quaylink buses is planned to be replaced in the coming weeks (to the same system as on newer buses with internal LED displays, but using the existing TFT monitors already fitted). When the new 'computer' system is fitted, the media will be pre-loaded for the appropriate routes, and it will work. Or it should.

The new system has the capabilities of showing video, too, like the Sunderland Connect Hybrids, although this feature won't be used from Day 1.



The buses which currently have announcements on the Q3 should have been disabled again, when service changes earlier this year saw the Q3 revised to serve Eldon Square instead of Haymarket.



Yes, that's right.

Cobalt Clipper remains bottom of the pile, however. It has announcements which, though wrong in places, are functioning and work. Our friends in Corbridge wouldn't be happy if Cobalt Clipper was re-done before the Tyne Valley Ten! 

(27 Aug 2017, 4:46 pm)Dan Both ways, so X9 round trip followed by X10 round trip.