Disruptions and driver shortages
Disruptions and driver shortages
According to the GNE website, it seems it’s just Riverside with planned cancellations tomorrow, which has been the case for a while now, in the main. It make you wonder why the 58 was moved back to Riverside when they’re struggling to cover lots of the services they already had, another - dare I say it - short sighted decision?
(20 Mar 2023, 2:17 am)Drifter60 According to the GNE website, it seems it’s just Riverside with planned cancellations tomorrow, which has been the case for a while now, in the main. It make you wonder why the 58 was moved back to Riverside when they’re struggling to cover lots of the services they already had, another - dare I say it - short sighted decision?
(20 Mar 2023, 2:17 am)Drifter60 According to the GNE website, it seems it’s just Riverside with planned cancellations tomorrow, which has been the case for a while now, in the main. It make you wonder why the 58 was moved back to Riverside when they’re struggling to cover lots of the services they already had, another - dare I say it - short sighted decision?
(20 Mar 2023, 4:30 am)Dan Every other depot is now fully (even over-)staffed. All willing volunteers to temporarily transfer to Riverside have been used up, which is why GNE is now running extra work such as Metro Replacement again, but not from Riverside.
Riverside is expected to be fully staffed by the end of this month.
Moving the 58 back to Riverside was the right decision - I have previously explained the cost savings associated with this (so crucial for a loss-making company), as well as the fact lost mileage at Riverside can be spread across a wide number of services rather than concentrated on a very small number (customer impact is far greater when there is lost mileage at Washington).
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(20 Mar 2023, 4:30 am)Dan Every other depot is now fully (even over-)staffed. All willing volunteers to temporarily transfer to Riverside have been used up, which is why GNE is now running extra work such as Metro Replacement again, but not from Riverside.
Riverside is expected to be fully staffed by the end of this month.
Moving the 58 back to Riverside was the right decision - I have previously explained the cost savings associated with this (so crucial for a loss-making company), as well as the fact lost mileage at Riverside can be spread across a wide number of services rather than concentrated on a very small number (customer impact is far greater when there is lost mileage at Washington).
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(20 Mar 2023, 11:20 am)Drifter60 I know you have, I have seen the post where you mentioned that, but if that’s the argument it begs the question why it was ever considered in the first place. Surely it made financial sense - on balance - at one stage, otherwise the 58 wouldn’t have ended up at Washington in the first place. I appreciate the remote changeovers were an additional cost that didn’t need to be there but the fact that Gateshead still have loads of cancellations today I’d still suggest that maybe the albeit temporary arrangements could have lasted a little longer yet, especially if as you say, Gateshead depot will have more staff available quite soon.
(20 Mar 2023, 11:20 am)Drifter60 I know you have, I have seen the post where you mentioned that, but if that’s the argument it begs the question why it was ever considered in the first place. Surely it made financial sense - on balance - at one stage, otherwise the 58 wouldn’t have ended up at Washington in the first place. I appreciate the remote changeovers were an additional cost that didn’t need to be there but the fact that Gateshead still have loads of cancellations today I’d still suggest that maybe the albeit temporary arrangements could have lasted a little longer yet, especially if as you say, Gateshead depot will have more staff available quite soon.
How less / more viable has it been running the 6 out of Consett?
Could GNE not keep the 6 at Consett and move the X30/X31 to Riverside? Driver changes for X30/X31 done at Dunston or Eldon Square (latter with drivers shuttled via Metrocentre > NCL services calling on Handy Drive)
Service changes:
- 6 to Stanley only
- X31 extended to Lanchester
- X30/X31 standalone
- X45/X71/X72 interwork
Fleet movements:
- 6356-63 + 6376 & 6377 to Consett for 47 & X45/X71/X72
- 6308-13 to Consett for 47 & X45/X71/X72
- 6314, 6334, 6335 spare at Consett covering Euro 6 decker PVR of 16x
- All E400MMC to Riverside for X10, X21 and X30/X31. Total PVR of 16x with 6336, 6337, 6338 and 6339 spare
- 6043-48 freed up to spare, misc or secondary route roles
From an engineering POV, would make more sense Riverside having a 'selection' of E400s to choose from getting a hammering up and down the A19 rather than the usual same 4 out on the road. I believe that bar the legacy Sapphire branding on 7541-52, Arriva Ashington are doing the same for all their 'X' routes with some having days on the X14/X15/X18/X20 then other days on the X21/X22.
The 6 should be incorporated into the 30
1ph to Quaking Houses
1ph to Lanchester via Quaking Houses.
Also while a lot of the chargers on the E400MMC Dont work, why switch them for an X21 where the chargers don't charge your phone at all (unless at plug socket)
X21 to Bishop came into Gateshead the wrong way with 'on diversion' on the display.
Looking on Bus Times it got to the castle and had to turn around and do a lap around Newcastle to go across the Tyne Bridge instead.
Lets say, go back to Pre-July 2022 changes, right, lets say non of the services were cut or had frequency reductions, i would hate to see how many cancellations there would be now, not even just at Riverside but Consett and Washington. Even Deptford who held out strong for most of the time before July 2022 fell off near the end.
Thank god there are no cancellations of the 27 tomorrow morning, and no 900 till 9 am due to schools probably. The 27 even being every 15mins and deckers don't have the capacity to replace the metro. For Anyone getting the 27 tomorrow morning, may you find peace in your suffering.
Severe Delays on 56/27, they should turn at Gateshead, allow people to use any service from Gateshead to newcastle, and 1/58/57 from Newcastle to Gateshead
Or have 2 vehicles at Gateshead for 27, and 2 at Sunderland for active vehicle replacement therefore you've got a 30 min layover for each bus to stop delayed operations
(31 Mar 2023, 1:34 pm)Unber43 Severe Delays on 56/27, they should turn at Gateshead, allow people to use any service from Gateshead to newcastle, and 1/58/57 from Newcastle to Gateshead
Or have 2 vehicles at Gateshead for 27, and 2 at Sunderland for active vehicle replacement therefore you've got a 30 min layover for each bus to stop delayed operations
(31 Mar 2023, 1:34 pm)Unber43 Severe Delays on 56/27, they should turn at Gateshead, allow people to use any service from Gateshead to newcastle, and 1/58/57 from Newcastle to Gateshead
Or have 2 vehicles at Gateshead for 27, and 2 at Sunderland for active vehicle replacement therefore you've got a 30 min layover for each bus to stop delayed operations
(31 Mar 2023, 1:59 pm)Unber43 Not plus two drivers, every 56 changes so it will literally cause no difference, just two buses will just park up. And the driver will just take 1 which is there and drive it into the stand for their duty.
(31 Mar 2023, 1:59 pm)Unber43 Not plus two drivers, every 56 changes so it will literally cause no difference, just two buses will just park up. And the driver will just take 1 which is there and drive it into the stand for their duty.
(31 Mar 2023, 1:59 pm)Unber43 Not plus two drivers, every 56 changes so it will literally cause no difference, just two buses will just park up. And the driver will just take 1 which is there and drive it into the stand for their duty.
(31 Mar 2023, 1:59 pm)Unber43 Not plus two drivers, every 56 changes so it will literally cause no difference, just two buses will just park up. And the driver will just take 1 which is there and drive it into the stand for their duty.
(31 Mar 2023, 8:45 pm)mb134 But you're still needing to add 2 deckers to the fleet allocation of the depot to ensure 2 are always sat spare?Just when the Metro is off, but i dont think it would be a bad idea to add a PVR 1 to have a longer layover as they do struggle throughout the day aswell
(31 Mar 2023, 8:51 pm)Unber43 Just when the Metro is off, but i dont think it would be a bad idea to add a PVR 1 to have a longer layover as they do struggle throughout the day aswell
(31 Mar 2023, 8:51 pm)Unber43 Just when the Metro is off, but i dont think it would be a bad idea to add a PVR 1 to have a longer layover as they do struggle throughout the day aswell
(31 Mar 2023, 8:53 pm)mb134 You'd need to allow for that in fleet planning though, and you're not going to tax/maintain/fuel 2 extra buses just on the off chance the Metro happens to be off for a day.There should always be 2-3 spare deckers at Deptford, more on weekends
