(11 Aug 2020, 12:21 pm)Youngymmv wrote [ -> ]I don’t think it’s much of a difference having the E’s run from Sunderland. I still think the X34 being ran from there was strange given the dead mileage from the depot to route start/end. Would have been better based at Newcastle or South Shields bit that just my opinion.
Kind regards
I thought similar at the time but there is actually only 3 miles difference between South Shields and Sunderland depots to/from Harton Nook where all of the runs start and end
(11 Aug 2020, 12:21 pm)Youngymmv wrote [ -> ]I don’t think it’s much of a difference having the E’s run from Sunderland. I still think the X34 being ran from there was strange given the dead mileage from the depot to route start/end. Would have been better based at Newcastle or South Shields bit that just my opinion.
Kind regards
Newcastle would be worse as the buses are at the wrong side. In the mornings, people generally travel from Marden to Newcastle whereas the evenings is the other way round. So you'd have dead milage from Newcastle to Marden (even if the bus services are running for passengers as they'd be dead).
The Killingworth services are quite bad for it, you quite often see buses running empty from Killingworth along Sandy Lane and the A1 even known the routes pass the depot but what's the point running them if no-one gets on.
(11 Aug 2020, 7:37 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]Newcastle would be worse as the buses are at the wrong side. In the mornings, people generally travel from Marden to Newcastle whereas the evenings is the other way round. So you'd have dead milage from Newcastle to Marden (even if the bus services are running for passengers as they'd be dead).
The Killingworth services are quite bad for it, you quite often see buses running empty from Killingworth along Sandy Lane and the A1 even known the routes pass the depot but what's the point running them if no-one gets on.
Dead mileage at the start and end of the day isn't the huge problem it's made out to be to be honest. Yes it's not ideal but equally running drivers out from depot to somewhere 5-10 miles away to change over all costs money too. At Arriva Stockton we had several 45 min dead runs to Easington, or for example 30 mins up the road to Brotton, Peterlee, etc. It's honestly not a huge problem.
(12 Aug 2020, 9:17 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Dead mileage at the start and end of the day isn't the huge problem it's made out to be to be honest. Yes it's not ideal but equally running drivers out from depot to somewhere 5-10 miles away to change over all costs money too. At Arriva Stockton we had several 45 min dead runs to Easington, or for example 30 mins up the road to Brotton, Peterlee, etc. It's honestly not a huge problem.
That's why I'm surprised that they haven't interworked the X34 and X24, so they could change over in Sunderland, rather than on King George Road in Shields, seems like a waste of resources.
(13 Aug 2020, 8:20 am)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]That's why I'm surprised that they haven't interworked the X34 and X24, so they could change over in Sunderland, rather than on King George Road in Shields, seems like a waste of resources.
I imagine it's probably in the long term plan but Covid has taken up all the resources from planning over the last few months with constant timetable changes, rewriting duties etc. Now things are starting to settle down we may see some more long term changes coming in.
(13 Aug 2020, 8:20 am)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]That's why I'm surprised that they haven't interworked the X34 and X24, so they could change over in Sunderland, rather than on King George Road in Shields, seems like a waste of resources.
I’m surprised there haven’t extended the x34 so it starts at Whitburn for potential customers to Gateshead and Newcastle from that area
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Shields may as well close all services thanks to Sunderland depot intrupting!
(13 Aug 2020, 8:54 am)cbma06 wrote [ -> ]I’m surprised there haven’t extended the x34 so it starts at Whitburn for potential customers to Gateshead and Newcastle from that area
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hard to turn around in Whitburn, don't think it would be worth it either for the extra bus needed.
(13 Aug 2020, 9:23 am)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]Hard to turn around in Whitburn, don't think it would be worth it either for the extra bus needed.
The x34 could use North Guards and Front Street to do a circular in Whitburn, there’s plenty of room for a double decker as the E6 used to ran by Double Deckers on these 2 roads.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(13 Aug 2020, 9:23 am)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]Hard to turn around in Whitburn, don't think it would be worth it either for the extra bus needed.
To interwork the X24/X34 in Newcastle, you'd need to increase the PVR anyway as both routes have the same running time - which is the most likely reason why it hasn't been done.
(13 Aug 2020, 8:58 am)Robin58 wrote [ -> ]Shields may as well close all services thanks to Sunderland depot intrupting!
I’m surprised Shields depot is still running, I wonder how much it costs for the up-keeping and maintenance of the depot, and probably any asbestos issues.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
(13 Aug 2020, 9:50 am)cbma06 wrote [ -> ]The x34 could use North Guards and Front Street to do a circular in Whitburn, there’s plenty of room for a double decker as the E6 used to ran by Double Deckers on these 2 roads.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you extend the X34 to Whitburn the problem you will have is that would have to be a terminal point and either way you would lose a Marsden to Nook section, (probably the Prince Edward Road section) otherwise if you incorporate into the existing route as a diversion your going to add 15 mins to the route and passengers already on from Horsley Hill etc won't be happy at being no further forward 15 mins later and being back at Marsden Inn.
(13 Aug 2020, 9:56 am)Kuyoyo wrote [ -> ]To interwork the X24/X34 in Newcastle, you'd need to increase the PVR anyway as both routes have the same running time - which is the most likely reason why it hasn't been done.
You would need a PVR of 7 Sunderland currently has 6 E400s
(12 Aug 2020, 9:17 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Dead mileage at the start and end of the day isn't the huge problem it's made out to be to be honest. Yes it's not ideal but equally running drivers out from depot to somewhere 5-10 miles away to change over all costs money too. At Arriva Stockton we had several 45 min dead runs to Easington, or for example 30 mins up the road to Brotton, Peterlee, etc. It's honestly not a huge problem.
Never thought about driver changeovers for the X34 to be fair but isn't Walkergate or Slatyford just as far from Newcastle on much busier roads anyway?
Surprised on the costs though thought having extra drivers working for extra 2 hours a day not taking fares would mount up quite a lot for the company especially for routes which aren't so profitable could be an issue. But then again an extra depot would cost money aswell as I'm guessing these are the ex Loftus routes and the 5? I don't know that area too much.
(13 Aug 2020, 11:12 am)Ds1197 wrote [ -> ]You would need a PVR of 7 Sunderland currently has 6 E400s
I might be missing something obvious here but why would the PVR need to go upto 7. Surely you could just do X24 (45 Mins) -> X34 (45 Mins) -> X34 (45 Mins) -> X24 (45 Mins) with a PVR of 6?
I might be missing something obvious here but why would the PVR need to go upto 7. Surely you could just do X24 (45 Mins) -> X34 (45 Mins) -> X34 (45 Mins) -> X24 (45 Mins) with a PVR of 6?
A PVR of 7 would allow for waiting time and might help with any delays on route
What else could they use to keep the services running in south Tyneside think of it!
(13 Aug 2020, 11:45 am)Ds1197 wrote [ -> ]I might be missing something obvious here but why would the PVR need to go upto 7. Surely you could just do X24 (45 Mins) -> X34 (45 Mins) -> X34 (45 Mins) -> X24 (45 Mins) with a PVR of 6?
A PVR of 7 would allow for waiting time and might help with any delays on route
Yeah that's fair enough then.
(13 Aug 2020, 1:03 pm)Robin58 wrote [ -> ]What else could they use to keep the services running in south Tyneside think of it!
Go North East gradually closed both of their South Tyne depots Robin. Jarrow and South Shields. They have managed to continue serving the area from depots elsewhere.
(13 Aug 2020, 11:31 am)Storx wrote [ -> ]Never thought about driver changeovers for the X34 to be fair but isn't Walkergate or Slatyford just as far from Newcastle on much busier roads anyway?
Surprised on the costs though thought having extra drivers working for extra 2 hours a day not taking fares would mount up quite a lot for the company especially for routes which aren't so profitable could be an issue. But then again an extra depot would cost money aswell as I'm guessing these are the ex Loftus routes and the 5? I don't know that area too much.
I might be missing something obvious here but why would the PVR need to go upto 7. Surely you could just do X24 (45 Mins) -> X34 (45 Mins) -> X34 (45 Mins) -> X24 (45 Mins) with a PVR of 6?
I guess if you had the times so they met in Newcastle then you could get away with 6 with 3 on each as now, interworked doing one of each. I guess it wouldn't be very efficient though with only being able to do 3 hour pieces, except some of the start and finish duties maybe.
Yes you'd have the same remote relief issues for Walkergate / Slatyford running them, they use a number of cars to change drivers already on some services of course.
Yes the 1h30 travelling time every day to/from Easington on the 5 (a former Loftus route, effectively) is dead time but the real cost (£50/day?) has to be weighed up against the cost of the extra depot with all of the overheads of running an extra base.
(13 Aug 2020, 9:57 am)cbma06 wrote [ -> ]I’m surprised Shields depot is still running, I wonder how much it costs for the up-keeping and maintenance of the depot, and probably any asbestos issues.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That land will have some value for housing. It’s one way for Stagecoach Busways to create some revenue, too.