North East Buses
Disruptions and driver shortages - Printable Version

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RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Drifter60 - 07 Jul 2022

This is a forum, where people can discuss what they feel within the realms of taste and decency. If someone is posting tedious observations, they die away pretty quickly as no one discusses them. If on the other hand people it leads to a discussion then fair game. That’s how these things work.

What gets me is that this list of cancelled services is inaccurate. The 71 caught me eye apparently the “19:28 & 20:58” from Seaham are cancelled, however there is no Seaham departures that late, the last one is 17:59. I’m guessing it’s meant to be the 19:28 from Houghton but as for the 20:58 there’s not departure from Houghton at that time either, so I’m guessing they mean 20:28. Although there is a CLS departure at that time, but that’s already listed as cancelled underneath.


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Adrian - 07 Jul 2022

The 21.20 X21 being axed from Durham to Chester-le-Street last night forced me to fork out £4.70 on the train, otherwise I'd miss the 50 or the 8 into Washington.

It's not great pre-paying for a month worth of travel, then having to fork out more because of unreliability. I wasn't going to chance an hour wait for the last 50, as I'd have been left up the creek without a paddle, if it was one of the reported cancellations that don't appear on the list.


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Rob44 - 07 Jul 2022

(07 Jul 2022, 1:17 pm)Adrian The 21.20 X21 being axed from Durham to Chester-le-Street last night forced me to fork out £4.70 on the train, otherwise I'd miss the 50 or the 8 into Washington.

It's not great pre-paying for a month worth of travel, then having to fork out more because of unreliability. I wasn't going to chance an hour wait for the last 50, as I'd have been left up the creek without a paddle, if it was one of the reported cancellations that don't appear on the list.

Is there no way you can claim that back from GNE?


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - F114TML - 08 Jul 2022

Something that caught my eye tomorrow - between 1400 and 1800, only one 28 (at 1459) and one 28A (at 1722) will run. Same story from Chester; one 28 (at 1614) and one 28A (at 1408) are set to run, so that 2-hour void will be fun for those that use it.


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - BusLoverMum - 08 Jul 2022

The x21 is looking dire. If my fingers are doing the sums correctly, there are all of 2 X21's running between Durham and Newcastle between 9am and 1pm, tomorrow.

Now some people might want to sweep that under the carpet as not at all interesting but a 25% hit rate on a supposedly premium service is shockingly poor.

Unsurprisingly, I've never seen the X12 as busy as it has been, recently, on the Durham to Newcastle stretch. A few months ago I wouldn't have been surprised if Arriva had abandoned it for mostly carrying fresh air but that is no longer the case.


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Andreos1 - 08 Jul 2022

(08 Jul 2022, 9:41 pm)BusLoverMum The x21 is looking dire. If my fingers are doing the sums correctly, there are all of 2 X21's running between Durham and Newcastle between 9am and 1pm, tomorrow.

Now some people might want to sweep that under the carpet as not at all interesting but a 25% hit rate on a supposedly premium service is shockingly poor.

Unsurprisingly, I've never seen the X12 as busy as it has been, recently, on the Durham to Newcastle stretch. A few months ago I wouldn't have been surprised if Arriva had abandoned it for mostly carrying fresh air but that is no longer the case.
Tomorrow ain't a day they want to be abandoning Durham services if they're wanting to make money!

Said it elsewhere, but ANE would be crazy not to push the X12 bearing in mind the huge gaps left over on Teesside and the cancellations in to and out of Durham.


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Jimmi - 08 Jul 2022

(08 Jul 2022, 9:41 pm)BusLoverMum The x21 is looking dire. If my fingers are doing the sums correctly, there are all of 2 X21's running between Durham and Newcastle between 9am and 1pm, tomorrow.

Now some people might want to sweep that under the carpet as not at all interesting but a 25% hit rate on a supposedly premium service is shockingly poor.

Unsurprisingly, I've never seen the X12 as busy as it has been, recently, on the Durham to Newcastle stretch. A few months ago I wouldn't have been surprised if Arriva had abandoned it for mostly carrying fresh air but that is no longer the case.
I went to Newcastle last Saturday and used the X12 both ways from Durham and the X12 had to pick up the slack for the 21 on the way to Newcastle and both the 21 & X21 back to Durham in the evening, honestly some times lately I'd have had to get a train to Durham or Darlington to get home for a reasonable hour.


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Unber43 - 08 Jul 2022

There is 1 25 for 5 hours from Newcastle
a 26 for 2 hours (3 cancelled)
2 either 2 or 2a's,
28A, has two cancelltions in a row 10:08/11:08, followed by 15:08, 16:08, 17:08, 19:08
Several dual cancellations for the 39
2 Dual 61 Cancellations
X1 is just a Sh*t show


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - BusLoverMum - 09 Jul 2022

(08 Jul 2022, 9:48 pm)Andreos1 Tomorrow ain't a day they want to be abandoning Durham services if they're wanting to make money!

Said it elsewhere, but ANE would be crazy not to push the X12 bearing in mind the huge gaps left over on Teesside and the cancellations in to and out of Durham.
The 6 will be raking it in, this morning.


Disruptions and driver shortages - Dan - 09 Jul 2022

(08 Jul 2022, 9:48 pm)Andreos1 Tomorrow ain't a day they want to be abandoning Durham services if they're wanting to make money!

Said it elsewhere, but ANE would be crazy not to push the X12 bearing in mind the huge gaps left over on Teesside and the cancellations in to and out of Durham.


I suspect Arriva don’t have the resource to do it themselves, given their own cancellations.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Jack Gill - 09 Jul 2022

Not related to drive shortages, but at least GNE are doing something good by having a supervisor assist customers in Durham because of the diversions. https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-updates


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - BusLoverMum - 09 Jul 2022

(09 Jul 2022, 8:06 am)Jack Gill Not related to drive shortages, but at least GNE are doing something good by having a supervisor assist customers in Durham because of the diversions. https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-updates
"a supervisor" is hardly going to cut it over such a vast area.


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Aaron21 - 09 Jul 2022

Why do GNE even put a list out anymore. Honestly Park Lane today was terrible. 3 61 were cancelled in a row. A 55 was not cancelled yet left Sunderland anyway not even pulling into the stands. Honestly I can understand why gne are losing passengers. Cause the bus never turns up. Honestly today gne cancelled services has been terrible. Even the 1/309/310 had a cancelled services on it


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Jack Gill - 09 Jul 2022

And of course another day of disruption for the 21, yet they don't mention anything about it to do with driver shortages, so what is the problem?


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Unber43 - 09 Jul 2022

Massive gap of 4 hours from Bishop Auckland on the X21 tomorrow between 18:00-20:00, meaning the bus earlier is 5pm, and one after is 9pm, 4 hour gap.

There are THREE 25 running between newcastle & Langley Park between the hours of 12:06 - 23:04 (17:05/19:05/21:05)

2 28's cancelled 

2 & 3 93's in a row cancelled 

2 47/47A cancelled in a row

2 39's in 3 hours. 

I want to know how many 21's are cancelled it must be a massive figures its every day "oh operational issues" every single day, just tell us the cancellations!!!

(09 Jul 2022, 5:20 pm)Jack Gill And of course another day of disruption for the 21, yet they don't mention anything about it to do with driver shortages, so what is the problem?
operational issues of course


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - BusLoverMum - 09 Jul 2022

We wanted to avoid Durham City centre, today, which meany heading North, for us, and we decided on the metrocentre. With X21's being as good as non-existent for us, on a Saturday, ffs, and the aforementioned issues with the 21, we ended up heading out to Consett and taking the very scenic route.

Needed to visit Newcastle before we came home, though, and we actually caught a rare X21 but, thanks to the previous one stopping short (and the aforementioned lottery with the 21s) it was packed and got even more packed at Chester, where the load usually lightens a bit.

Nobody who only catches the bus only occasionally is going to have got off that bus thinking "I should really leave the car at home more often".


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Andreos1 - 09 Jul 2022

(09 Jul 2022, 6:29 pm)BusLoverMum We wanted to avoid Durham City centre, today, which meany heading North, for us, and we decided on the metrocentre. With X21's being as good as non-existent for us, on a Saturday, ffs, and the aforementioned issues with the 21, we ended up heading out to Consett and taking the very scenic route.

Needed to visit Newcastle before we came home, though, and we actually caught a rare X21 but, thanks to the previous one stopping short (and the aforementioned lottery with the 21s) it  was packed and got even more packed at Chester, where the load usually lightens a bit.

Nobody who only catches the bus only occasionally is going to have got off that bus thinking "I should really leave the car at home more often".
I think you need to dust off the 'bus trip reviews thread' and share your adventures and tribulations in there.
It might be cathartic and help you get over the trauma.


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - BusLoverMum - 09 Jul 2022

Nah, I'm good now, thanks, Andreos, but being on a bus that full, in this weather, isn't great for us ladies of a certain age Wink (less jokingly, nor was having to lug bags down the stairs with creaky knees)


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Storx - 09 Jul 2022

(09 Jul 2022, 5:20 pm)Jack Gill And of course another day of disruption for the 21, yet they don't mention anything about it to do with driver shortages, so what is the problem?

It's not just driver shortages, there's an unofficial overtime ban, it's been mentioned by Dan before, at CLS over the depot closure. Weekends are always hit hard when they do that since bus and rail companies pretty much rely on overtime now (right or wrong that's another debate).

They probably don't want to shout about that for obvious reasons though.


RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - wibblejunior - 09 Jul 2022

Nobody who only catches the bus only occasionally is going to have got off that bus thinking "I should really leave the car at home more often".

They'd more likely to think "I should take the car out more often". Even a 20 year old Ford Fiesta or something would probably be more desirable than a packed bus that is one of only, like, three buses that manages to actually run.