(23 Feb 2017, 7:16 pm)EL1TE Went around today..

10:09 57 Fewster Square to Gateshead Interchange (GNE 5321)

I was originally planning to get the 58, but got this as it came before the 58. It was a nice ride, seemed a bit more quicker than some of the other citylink citaros.

11:00 X24 Gateshead High Street to Sunderland Fawcett Street (SNE 24001)

Decided to give this service a go and I must say that the journey was fast and great. At the time I boarded with my friend, there was only about 4 other passengers on. The seats were comfortable and the legroom at the emergency exit was great! Must use this service again in the future and hope to see an increase in passenger numbers.

12:47 21 Newcastle Eldon Square to Durham Bus Station (GNE 6058)

Was going to get the X21 to have another ride on a StreetDeck, but 6135 turned up so I just went to get the 21 instead. I quite liked this one and hope to see myself using these hybrids more in the future.

15:35 21 Durham Bus Staion to Gateshead Interchange (GNE 6061)

Yet again I wanted to get the X21 but I didn't realise that the driver actually done a loop around the station so annoyingly I ended up boarding this thinking that the X21 left the station. This one seemed pretty sluggish up hills but was an ok ride.

16:37 57 Gateshead Interchange to Fewster Square (GNE 5296)

Took this one home after a tiring day in the rain. Had a comfortable ride back home on this and looking forward to seeing what these look like after refurbishment.

I quite enjoyed my day out and took a few photos with my phone... Should hopefully be getting a camera for my birthday tomorrow...

Thanks for reading.

(23 Feb 2017, 8:02 pm)Jimmi There's great legroom on the backseat of a OmniDekka... If you sit sideways with your feet on the seats.

I got into the backseat of 6142 the other day and did manage to fit, albeit not very comfortably!

(23 Feb 2017, 9:51 pm)BusLoverMum More crossed paths - we got the 15:37 22 from Durham, having Just come in from Newcastle on the X21 - which was a streetdeck, if only you'd waited 20 minutes at Eldon Square!

Happy birthday for the morrow!

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(23 Feb 2017, 9:29 pm)South Tyne Lad The worst has to be Arriva's Low Height B5LH Hybrids, Both at the back downstairs and upstairs, I just about have to bend my back to get out of the back downstairs in them!

Legroom wise, You've never experienced anything like it until you get on PCL Travel's LDV Van, Its hard to find a space to fit your legs through on them and your face is just about touching the one infront!

(23 Feb 2017, 11:18 pm)Jimmi Haha, was on that LDV last Thursday, thankfully it was only me and one other person getting on in Rothbury and I got on first, so it was backseat where the aisle is, plenty of legroom there!

Saw that the legroom was terrible straight away, the other passenger didn't look particularly comfortable it has to be said.

(23 Feb 2017, 11:40 pm)South Tyne Lad I had the same seat from Alnwick to Rothbury, But I jumped off to get a drink quickly and someone had taken it by the time I got back!

First thing that came to my mind was missing the comfort of Steve Hurst's E200, Running on time every time, And not 30 mins early as this LDV was running.

(24 Feb 2017, 12:10 am)Jimmi Surprised you had time to get a drink and I dread to think how it ended up running half an hour early, when I did the 16 loop in its first week it left Rothbury 5 minutes early.

It's certainly a big difference in the standard of quality of service provided and its such a shame.

Didn't you have a Ford Transit on the M1 after that?

(23 Feb 2017, 11:40 pm)South Tyne Lad I had the same seat from Alnwick to Rothbury, But I jumped off to get a drink quickly and someone had taken it by the time I got back!

First thing that came to my mind was missing the comfort of Steve Hurst's E200, Running on time every time, And not 30 mins early as this LDV was running.

(24 Feb 2017, 12:10 am)Jimmi Surprised you had time to get a drink and I dread to think how it ended up running half an hour early, when I did the 16 loop in its first week it left Rothbury 5 minutes early.

It's certainly a big difference in the standard of quality of service provided and its such a shame.

Didn't you have a Ford Transit on the M1 after that?

(24 Feb 2017, 12:10 am)Jimmi Surprised you had time to get a drink and I dread to think how it ended up running half an hour early, when I did the 16 loop in its first week it left Rothbury 5 minutes early.

It's certainly a big difference in the standard of quality of service provided and its such a shame.

Didn't you have a Ford Transit on the M1 after that?

(24 Feb 2017, 12:34 am)Tom I would send an email to Northumberland council about them as that is shocking running 30 minutes early, I'm guessing it missed out Sainsbury's too? - and the LDV van won't meet the contract spec easier I wouldn't have thought. I can't see them keeping the 15/16 contract for much longer if that's the way they are operating it.

And it was probably the same Transit Van I seen on the S1 a while back still partly with another operators livery. PCL seem to be getting worse not better - even those Rural Links darts (have they been sold or something?) were better than a LDV van and that horrible ex Hunters MPD which is in a state.

(24 Feb 2017, 12:34 am)Tom I would send an email to Northumberland council about them as that is shocking running 30 minutes early, I'm guessing it missed out Sainsbury's too? - and the LDV van won't meet the contract spec easier I wouldn't have thought. I can't see them keeping the 15/16 contract for much longer if that's the way they are operating it.

And it was probably the same Transit Van I seen on the S1 a while back still partly with another operators livery. PCL seem to be getting worse not better - even those Rural Links darts (have they been sold or something?) were better than a LDV van and that horrible ex Hunters MPD which is in a state.

(24 Feb 2017, 12:39 am)South Tyne Lad Aye, Its a real shame.

What's even worse was that I asked for a Day ticket on PCL Service's so I could use the M1, And was met with a blank face before a few seconds thinking time and all of a sudden came that I had to pay £2, With no ticket issued either....
So I had to pay again on the M1, Which indeed was ran with a Transit   , Absoutley no way to tell this was a bus route, Service number was crumpled on the dashboard and ran with a 8/12 Seater Transit with a manual sliding door....

If I ever do it again ( Not likely ) ill be doing the Saturday run as there's a X14 from Thropton which connects with the 16 on a Saturday, Running 1 min behind the M1.

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I might do tomorrow, But I honestly cant see them bothering to do anything.

It served the Sainsbury's, But didn't pick anyone up.

They probably have more than 1 Transit, As going by the condition of the one I had on the M1, They could buy 2 of them for £400.

(24 Feb 2017, 12:50 am)Jimmi LG02FFR which is the one with S1 branding was actually on the S1 on Saturday.

South Tyne Lad's outing was on Tuesday where they would have had the 613 and 885 to run to Hexham in addition to the 15/16, M1/T1 and S1.

Not quite sure what has gone wrong with allocations, it seems like everything is being ran as cheaply as possible. Not certain what the contract specs are but I would have thought that it would require a low floor accessible bus which the LDV which is step entrance is most certainly not, yes technically it's a coach but should still be a low floor bus.

That MPD looks ridiculous, Hunter Bros web address and phone number have been removed but still has www. Plus Tel. Still down the side: https://flic.kr/p/SbSaNc

(24 Feb 2017, 10:12 am)Tom I don't know mind, they should do something because they are paying PCL to run the service so you would expect it to be half decent! Such a shame someone like Travelsure aren't operating it, to be fair it wouldn't even be bad PCL running it if they did it properley. 


That's a surprise! Never seen LG02FFR on there for ages! And yeah they usually have the Transit van on the 613, and I'm guessing the T1 was operated by the Transit van on the same day?

Pretty sure the MPD isn't DDA compliant either with the blinds not in operation.

(24 Feb 2017, 12:34 am)Tom I would send an email to Northumberland council about them as that is shocking running 30 minutes early, I'm guessing it missed out Sainsbury's too? - and the LDV van won't meet the contract spec easier I wouldn't have thought. I can't see them keeping the 15/16 contract for much longer if that's the way they are operating it.

And it was probably the same Transit Van I seen on the S1 a while back still partly with another operators livery. PCL seem to be getting worse not better - even those Rural Links darts (have they been sold or something?) were better than a LDV van and that horrible ex Hunters MPD which is in a state.

(24 Feb 2017, 5:51 pm)TEN 6083 Looks like they still have the Darts as I saw one of them at Metrocentre Asda bus stop earlier today, looked like it was doing Asda shuttle runs from Prudhoe, though had an 808 route number printed on paper stuck on the window next to the front doors


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• Berwick & Scottish Borders 
  
• Scarborough & Whitby, Alternatively I was thinking I might try and do Whitby, Scarborough, York & Leeds in a day, obviously timings etc would need to be worked out.
  
• AD122 Hadrian's Wall Country Bus
  
• Carlisle & The Lake District, again timings etc would need working out
  
• Dalesbus
  
• Further afield I was looking at Brighton, Oxford, Reading & Derby
  

(19 Mar 2017, 2:30 pm)Malarkey So having kick started 2017 with a trip down to London at the end of January, with photos from the trip being viewed on the following link - https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarkey/albums/72157679617864356 - other photos which have yet to be uploaded will be uploaded at a later date. my next trip away will be to Edinburgh on Saturday 29th April followed by Manchester on Saturday 27th May having took advantage of the Virgin Trains 20th Birthday seat sale earlier this week.

Other trips I have in mind include:  

• Berwick & Scottish Borders 
  
• Scarborough & Whitby, Alternatively I was thinking I might try and do Whitby, Scarborough, York & Leeds in a day, obviously timings etc would need to be worked out.
  
• AD122 Hadrian's Wall Country Bus
  
• Carlisle & The Lake District, again timings etc would need working out
  
• Dalesbus
  
• Further afield I was looking at Brighton, Oxford, Reading & Derby
  

Does any further recommendations which I could add to the above list?

(19 Mar 2017, 2:37 pm)citaro5284 I got Glasgow to London Euston for £35 first class