(28 Jan 2020, 11:30 pm)BusLoverMum Then be full to bursting by the time it reaches Chester. Not enough capacity.

(28 Jan 2020, 11:32 pm)Jimmi Likely be too long to fit on the stands the X21 uses, stand A is the only one big enough to really facilitate coaches.

(28 Jan 2020, 11:35 pm)Malarkey X66 I reckon would be a good shout although would struggle around Metrocentre Car Park/Ikea, would probably have to bring back the S1.

(28 Jan 2020, 11:31 pm)Malarkey How long is 9069 back for?

(29 Jan 2020, 10:45 am)TEN 6083 3 weeks this time


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(28 Jan 2020, 10:49 pm)Dan There’s no other commercial route that GNE would ever surely want to buy that type of vehicle for, so makes sense to go on the X9/10 again.

There isn’t much else it’s suitable for, either.


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(28 Jan 2020, 4:55 pm)Dan Least I'm not in the firing line for abuse, like the folk who have commissioned the timetables have been!

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(29 Jan 2020, 1:50 pm)streetdeckfan Yeah, I was going to let you off, but I don't think I was harsh enough on you before! Also, I feel like I haven't been complaining enough recently, and I know you love it when I do  

As we all know, I'm a fan of consistency. Something which I believe the X21 is still lacking.

Lets say, I wanted to travel from Newgate Street to Bishop Auckland as someone who knows absolutely nothing about the Bishop Auckland area
If you look at the app, they all terminate at Durham. Very confusing for anyone wanting to travel further. Even I had no idea which one went to Bishop Auckland!
So you think to yourself, I'll just look at timetable at the stop. Oh, would you look at that, no mention of Bishop Auckland at all! Would anyone from Newcastle really know where West Auckland is? (And I know this is a Nexus issue not GNE, but the average person won't know the difference)
Oh, I'll just look at the front of the bus then. It says Durham in big writing, so I'll have to wait until it gets a bit closer to see if it goes to Bishop. By the time it's gone through all the destinations before Bishop Auckland, it's basically at the stop giving little time for it to stop. (I also know they have to display Durham as the main destination as it's a split service, but it's very confusing for passengers, especially when all go to Durham, but not all continue onwards, once again, the average person won't know, or care)


Now, imagine I wanted to go to West Auckland from Newcastle.
Once again, the app only says Durham. Useless
The timetable is very helpful, even saying exactly which stop it terminates at in West Auckland.
Same issue with the destination display
But when you get on board "This is the X-Lines X21 service to Bishop Auckland" you hear, "I thought this went to West Auckland!" you cry! No mention of West Auckland at all, not even when it goes through the list of stops along the way.
That's alright though, because at at Chester-le-Street it changes to "This is the X-lines X21 service to West Auckland". Although, I don't think that would have happened without a driver change as it said the Bishop Auckland version first.

Also, I noticed that they've re-recorded the "Thank you for travelling with Go North East" bit rather than just cut off the "This bus will terminate at the next stop". She says it slightly differently.
And is it a tight loop of the River Wear, or a coil of the River Wear?

*based on a true story, although I may have dramatised it a smidge!

(29 Jan 2020, 2:58 pm)Ds1197 I know West Auckland is, that's probably because i used to work around County Durham

(29 Jan 2020, 3:20 pm)streetdeckfan My mother has lived in Crook for the past 7 years and only recently found out West Auckland is a place!

All I'm saying is that there are three different destinations for the same bus depending where you look, if you look at the app it's Durham, if you look at the timetable it's West Auckland, and if you look at the NSA display it's Bishop Auckland.
No wonder passengers are getting confused at Durham!

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(29 Jan 2020, 4:03 pm)Ds1197 And nexus make the timetables that's not dans or Go North East's fault

(29 Jan 2020, 4:09 pm)streetdeckfan I did say I knew the timetables were Nexus' fault and that they have no choice but to put Durham as the main destination as it technically is with it being a split route.

The app is their fault (I'm sure they can figure out a way to have the Bishop Auckland and Durham services separate on the app, even if they have to change the destination on one of them Ticketer to Durham_1) to separate them

I don't necessarily blame them for putting Bishop Auckland as the destination on the NSA as it's a well known place, but at least announce that it'll continue on to West Auckland!

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(29 Jan 2020, 1:50 pm)streetdeckfan Yeah, I was going to let you off, but I don't think I was harsh enough on you before! Also, I feel like I haven't been complaining enough recently, and I know you love it when I do  

As we all know, I'm a fan of consistency. Something which I believe the X21 is still lacking.

Lets say, I wanted to travel from Newgate Street to Bishop Auckland as someone who knows absolutely nothing about the Bishop Auckland area
If you look at the app, they all terminate at Durham. Very confusing for anyone wanting to travel further. Even I had no idea which one went to Bishop Auckland!
So you think to yourself, I'll just look at timetable at the stop. Oh, would you look at that, no mention of Bishop Auckland at all! Would anyone from Newcastle really know where West Auckland is? (And I know this is a Nexus issue not GNE, but the average person won't know the difference)
Oh, I'll just look at the front of the bus then. It says Durham in big writing, so I'll have to wait until it gets a bit closer to see if it goes to Bishop. By the time it's gone through all the destinations before Bishop Auckland, it's basically at the stop giving little time for it to stop. (I also know they have to display Durham as the main destination as it's a split service, but it's very confusing for passengers, especially when all go to Durham, but not all continue onwards, once again, the average person won't know, or care)


Now, imagine I wanted to go to West Auckland from Newcastle.
Once again, the app only says Durham. Useless
The timetable is very helpful, even saying exactly which stop it terminates at in West Auckland.
Same issue with the destination display
But when you get on board "This is the X-Lines X21 service to Bishop Auckland" you hear, "I thought this went to West Auckland!" you cry! No mention of West Auckland at all, not even when it goes through the list of stops along the way.
That's alright though, because at at Chester-le-Street it changes to "This is the X-lines X21 service to West Auckland". Although, I don't think that would have happened without a driver change as it said the Bishop Auckland version first.

Also, I noticed that they've re-recorded the "Thank you for travelling with Go North East" bit rather than just cut off the "This bus will terminate at the next stop". She says it slightly differently.
And is it a tight loop of the River Wear, or a coil of the River Wear?

*based on a true story, although I may have dramatised it a smidge!

(29 Jan 2020, 6:16 pm)TEN 6083 Go North East 643 / NL63 XZP by kieron mathews, on Flickr

not sure if its been posted here but 643 is on loan to Deptford from Hownsgill

(29 Jan 2020, 6:19 pm)Adrian This is all becoming very tedious... 
Does any of this actually impact you, or are you simply looking for more and more faults to pick out?

The X-Lines or the X21 may not be perfect, but its certainly come a long way since being introduced as Pronto with ex-London deckers. GNE have constantly looked to improve the offering of bus travel, whereas others tend to have stood still.

If you've got a valid complaint, then make it to the company. They'll improve services based on valid complaints.[/color]

(29 Jan 2020, 6:57 pm)Ds1197 Great little live stream from Dan and Martijn Gibert

(29 Jan 2020, 7:34 pm)S813 FVK Quite a bit of understandable repetition from those who couldn't watch from the start but still a very watchable session and glad to see that it appears to have been a success.

I didn't participate this time but I wouldn't say no to doing so in future instalments.

(29 Jan 2020, 6:55 pm)streetdeckfan My comments are more in jest than anything, although some of those do actually impact me! And I did point out that I dramatised it slightly!

The app in particular, I use the X21 daily and not knowing which one runs direct to Bishop is very frustrating. Also, the fact that it's impossible to track the southbound X21s past Durham because a 'technical error has occurred'

I have made the complaints to the company, at least the ones that are possible to fix, like the app.

I'm well aware that the X21 has come a long way, but that doesn't mean I should stop pointing out the things I don't like.

And to answer your question, yes I am looking for more faults to pick out, because if you ignore all the little faults, they soon add up and you end up like Arriva!

Also, it nice to hear that Dan is also a StreetDeck Fan!

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I don't know the area at all so not making any comments or judgement. But in the back of my mind in the Go Ahead Gateshead days wasn't there a service 124 that went from Newcastle to West Auckland, operated by the old Winlaton depot using the Optares 4775-4787 vehicles. So this is not the first time GNE has ventured into West Auckland is it not? 

(29 Jan 2020, 10:56 am)Stuartphin1639 It should be on the 12:00 and 15:30 from Newcastle today, currently heading to Newcastle from Middlesbrough at 10:15