(19 Nov 2015, 11:45 pm)BusLoverMum wrote [ -> ]Someone needs to get a photo of a bus with "Pant Water Trough" as its destination 
It will probably just say Acomb (possibly with 'Pant Water Trough via....)
A reminder!
Prince Bishops 20, 20A and X20 will additionally serve Denmark Centre in South Shields from today!
(22 Nov 2015, 9:10 am)Michael wrote [ -> ]A reminder!
Prince Bishops 20, 20A and X20 will additionally serve Denmark Centre in South Shields from today!
There are also works on the A690, that will affect the 20's between The Raintons.
Posters on buses, but nowt on the website.
(22 Nov 2015, 9:24 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Just looked and couldn't see it at all!
#earlystart
#hashtagsonNEB
Reet at the top of the diversion news...
#ganbacktobed
#hashtagsonNEB
Aye, felt like a dick many of times sticking my hand out at the Denmark Centre for a 20 without it stopping. Guess that I am too used to the Stagecoach services that stop there haha.
It has been a while since the Stanley/Sunniside changes and all I seem to read on the fb page is complaints about these services.
Can anyone confirm if revisions and amendments are in the pipeline or are these complaints/comments falling on deaf ears?
Unless his mail is being filtered, it looks like a lot of complaints will be lying on Kevin Carr's desk!
I only had a quick flick through the consultation, so can't comment on the wording used within it and to be honest, can't remember if the proposals met the actual outcome. But I am starting to wonder if it was one of the consultations that had a low response (like we have seen previously) or if the wording was done in a way that could be misleading (like we have seen previously).
I get why a model is proposed - it has to suit and meet operational requirements, tick boxes on affordability, resources and profitability.
What I don't get, is how a service can tick all of those boxes, yet not hit the demands of the paying public, who only want a bus to turn up on time and take them to wherever that may be.
Apart from the petitions and such, a distant friend had posted on Facebook, that she'd lost 5 hours a week of work. She can no longer get her kids to school, and get into work for her start time. The employer has no requirement for work an hour later on an evening, so it's ended up in a loss of income. That was the 98/98A changes I think.
The Stanley and Gateshead network changes which have just recently come into force are probably the most radical set of changes to take place in the region since Arriva's Northumberland and North Tyneside Changes back in 2012.
Although GNE might seem like they're cutting loads of services, they will eventually (fingers crossed) rebuild the services back up to a reliable and sustainable standard.
Although the old services were great, they endured many reliability issues and wouldn't have been sustainable via many aspects in the long term including dead mileage and higher PVR's, runnign costs, fuel bills and of course, drivers wages. Not saying these new services are perfect but, GNE needed to rebuild the Stanley network. The same passengers who are complaining about the 6 would still complain if the 43/44/44A were to be reintroduced.
Arriva had big financial problems back in 2012 due to the likes of the old 56 (356) service which was failing and an X22 service which was barely breaking even. To overcome them problems, Arriva scaled and combined the services right down much to the annoyance of many passengers. They then looked at the strengths of their new network against the old network resulting in a compromise a year later (51, 52 and 54 introduced) and although their current network isn't perfect, it serves the neeeds of passengers but satisfies Arriva's operational requirements both in terms of profitability and arguably reliability (well sometimes hehe).
GNE will hopefully listen to the feedback and make further changes based on the stregths of this network and the strengths of the old network to create a more sustainable and reliable bus service hopefully, with any teething issues ironed out. The old services were certainly making money but they were unreliable.
(14 Nov 2015, 5:35 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ]Nexus have got the timetables on their site for the extra journeys on the 20 and 39, this is towards Doxford park heading up to Christmas:
20 - http://www.nexus.org.uk/sites/default/fi...251115.pdf
39- http://www.nexus.org.uk/sites/default/fi...251115.pdf
Thought the extra journeys are remembered to RM1 and RM2 in previous years
(16 Nov 2015, 11:20 am)Michael wrote [ -> ]Go North East
4 mins ·
From Sunday 22 November, Prince Bishops 20, 20A and X20 will additionally serve Denmark Centre in South Shields.
Thought them services all serve them all the South Shields locals
(22 Nov 2015, 9:10 am)Michael wrote [ -> ]A reminder!
Prince Bishops 20, 20A and X20 will additionally serve Denmark Centre in South Shields from today!
Thought all services including 20s serve there
(22 Nov 2015, 2:59 pm)Diamond One wrote [ -> ]Thought the extra journeys are remembered to RM1 and RM2 in previous years
Thought them services all serve them all the South Shields locals
The RM1 and RM2 services were withdrawn in 2013 in favour of extra journeys on service 20 (old RM1) and 39 (old RM2).
![[Image: 11494037483_85cf1097f5.jpg]](https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/11494037483_85cf1097f5.jpg)
Go North East: 8269 / NK54NKW by
Daniel Graham, on Flickr
My best friend lives in Whickham. She has had nothing but problems since the changes. Buses not showing up or running ridiculously late. She's sent GNE a fortnight's worth of complaints. I always felt they were changes for change's sake.
(22 Nov 2015, 3:01 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]The RM1 and RM2 services were withdrawn in 2013 in favour of extra journeys on service 20 (old RM1) and 39 (old RM2).
Go North East: 8269 / NK54NKW by Daniel Graham, on Flickr
Just been reading the comments on the photo. Asking what stagecoach or arriva would use if they had the contract.
II can confirm that Royal Mail do pay for these seasonal services. Stagecoach used to have the contract but I think it was 2007 when I moved the contract to Go North East.
Stagecoach used any double deckers at the time and was classed as additional X1 journeys.
If you have read this post clearly. You will see that I quoted " I moved the contract"
At the time I was the manager responsible for this Christmas working and GNE offered me a substantial lower price for the service as opposed to previous with Stagecoach. Was a no brainer to move to GNE.
Not sure what they pay now. I left the company in 2009 but it won't be that much different
(22 Nov 2015, 11:25 pm)ifm001 wrote [ -> ]Just been reading the comments on the photo. Asking what stagecoach or arriva would use if they had the contract.
II can confirm that Royal Mail do pay for these seasonal services. Stagecoach used to have the contract but I think it was 2007 when I moved the contract to Go North East.
Stagecoach used any double deckers at the time and was classed as additional X1 journeys.
If you have read this post clearly. You will see that I quoted " I moved the contract"
At the time I was the manager responsible for this Christmas working and GNE offered me a substantial lower price for the service as opposed to previous with Stagecoach. Was a no brainer to move to GNE.
Not sure what they pay now. I left the company in 2009 but it won't be that much different
Quite concerning to see them bid for a contract and then (according to the comments on the Flickr link), run it in a fashion that would suggest it wasn't much of a priority.
(23 Nov 2015, 9:15 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Quite concerning to see them bid for a contract and then (according to the comments on the Flickr link), run it in a fashion that would suggest it wasn't much of a priority.
To be honest it will all depend on the numbers of the temporary staff taken on board at this time of year. When I managed the contract, we had 600 temporary staff that the services were for, which is why we stipulated double deck operation. I would imagine like all companies, that number may have possibly reduced now, and as more and more people are car drivers, it may have been either single or double deck. With regards to the non use of Park Lane, perhaps that may be an error by GNE
Was thinking. On evenings and Sundays, could GNE renumber the X10 to X11 and
split the service in Peterlee? Would allow 6043-6048 to get maintained and be more available meaning that other B9s from the TEN and Red Kite could be used instead.
NOTE FOR MODS= SORRY, WRONG THREAD, HAPPY FOR THIS TO BE REDIRECTED TO SERVICE SUGGESTIONS!
(23 Nov 2015, 1:14 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote [ -> ]Was thinking. On evenings and Sundays, could GNE renumber the X10 to X11 and
split the service in Peterlee? Would allow 6043-6048 to get maintained and be more available meaning that other B9s from the TEN and Red Kite could be used instead.
But that would just make a complete mockery of route branding, what would the TEN and 47 use in place of the branded B9's. The evening and Sunday X10 route isn't really much different to the daytime route except it runs via Peterlee and Billingham in place of the X9, think it serves all the same stops that the daytime X10 route except the Northbound A19 slip road stop.
(23 Nov 2015, 1:21 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]But that would just make a complete mockery of route branding, what would the TEN and 47 use in place of the branded B9's. The evening and Sunday X10 route isn't really much different to the daytime route except it runs via Peterlee and Billingham in place of the X9, think it serves all the same stops that the daytime X10 route except the Northbound A19 slip road stop.
The 10a/10b and 47 have a combined total PVR of 8 (I think) during Sunday daytimes and I think that the PVR from Riverside during the evenings is roughly 6ish.
(23 Nov 2015, 1:24 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote [ -> ]The 10a/10b and 47 have a combined total PVR of 8 (I think) during Sunday daytimes and I think that the PVR from Riverside during the evenings is roughly 6ish.
I spoke with a TEN driver yesterday.
He started his duty at Hexham and said that he would do a couple of 10A/10B runs before returning to Hexham.