(04 Sep 2012, 5:26 pm)Brandon wrote [ -> ]Coinciding with the extension of Monday to Saturday daytime service 4 buses from Downhill to Town End Farm, Stagecoach are launching a "North Estates Dayrider" for £3 from Monday until the end of October, instead of the usual Dayrider price of £3.70 for the whole of Tyne and Wear. I assume this will be for a trial period to see how it goes. The new management at Stagecoach North East are clearly being more proactive in their defence against Go North East's service 36. I'll personally be sticking with the 36 because their weekly ticket still works out cheaper than Stagecoach's Megarider, and I use it for the 99 to Hylton Castle too.
http://www.stagecoachbus.com/Northestatesdayrider.aspx
I think the extension to the 4 will have some impact on the 36. I tend to us ethe 36 with my wife who has a key card but if we just go to the town and back we use Stagecoach. Where both the 36 and the 4 fall down and if Stagecoach wanted the upper hand in Town End Farm that badly, all service 4 journeys would go to Town End not just Monday to Saturday day times.
Personally I have not much hope for the 36 now. Reliabilty has decreased (although once the Wheatsheaf is sorted it should hopefull improve) and the buses seem to rattle (they have not aged well). Also the 36 has the fare gaurantee thingy - so far I am still waiting on money refunds....
As for the North Estates Ticket, I assume that is very similar to the Sunderland Day ticket offered by GNE just for the North of Sunderland only though?
(05 Sep 2012, 6:00 pm)Brandon wrote [ -> ]Some trips on the 36 do run empty or near empty, but quite a lot get fairly busy. A bus passed me today leaving Southwick towards the estates with standing room only.
Stagecoach will be cheaper from Town End Farm to Sunderland from next Monday, with their Dayrider at £3 as against Go North East's £3.30. The Stagecoach Megarider at £11.70 is more expensive than Go North East's Sunderland Weekly Ticket (£11) & the SimpliCity Saver (£7.80), but the 36 doesn't run on Sundays. The Sunderland Weekly Ticket is valid on the 135/136, but the SimpliCity Saver isn't.
Worst thing Go North East could do now is back-down; it would send the message to any other operator - "run buses on our routes with cheaper fares and we'll back right off". I had hoped a Sunday service would be introduced on the 36, just half hourly on the same pattern as the evening service, which would provide a complete alternative to Stagecoach if people wanted it. Interestingly, it seems that Go North East are initiating their own set of 10 minute services, most recently with the proposed 39, a model proven to be a success by Stagecoach.
I think Go North East made the mistake by withdrawing the 10 minute 33 to Silksworth after the Stagecoach 12 was introduced. Because now it's been proposed to replace the 10 minute 35 with a 20 minute 33 instead.
I don't want to wander off thread too much, but I had wondered if people's travelling needs would be better met if the 26 and 36 were absorbed into 56, perhaps every 20 minutes on 36 route, and every 20 minutes on 26 route through Castletown. The 99 could then be revised to run hourly to Seaburn, and hourly to Boldon ASDA and Heworth. I can't really see the 26 and 99 keep running half hourly to Boldon ASDA and Seaburn Morrisons respectively when the new Tesco opens at Wheatsheaf next year.
Hmm its a good idea but it already takes ages to get to newcastle on the 56.
(05 Sep 2012, 6:10 pm)Michael wrote [ -> ][quote='Brandon' pid='240' dateline='1346868029']
Worst thing Go North East could do now is back-down; it would send the message to any other operator - "run buses on our routes with cheaper fares and we'll back right off". I had hoped a Sunday service would be introduced on the 36, just half hourly on the same pattern as the evening service, which would provide a complete alternative to Stagecoach if people wanted it. Interestingly, it seems that Go North East are initiating their own set of 10 minute services, most recently with the proposed 39, a model proven to be a success by Stagecoach.
The whole 33/12 was what I was just going to mention. I remember when the 133 existed and I used to live in Silksworth when I was younger and only remember GNE/Wear buses in that area (141/142/X90/132 they were some others I think).
10 minute routes are a great idea and Stagecoach improved its key Sunday routes to a 20 minute frequency during the day - much needed but through Southwick, one bus comes then the next 5 mins later - it could have been better spread out but I suppose that would mean a whole new timetable for the buses based on when they start/leave from their terminus.
Where Stagecoach don't have they edge is the majority of the buses used in Sunderland are the Man 18.220 which are not DDA compliant but I guess these will be replaced in due course (or updated).
(08 Sep 2012, 4:58 pm)Brandon wrote [ -> ]The 16 badly needed the increase in Sunday daytime frequency.
Stagecoach substantially simplified their network in May 2005. Prior to this, the existing service 3 was split into a 20 minute service 2 and 20 minute service 3. Both routes operated as now from Hylton Castle to Sunderland; then service 3 operated via Thornholme Road and Plains Farm to terminate at Gilley Law, and service 2 operated direct via Durham Road to terminate at Farringdon Antwerp Road. Service 2 did not operate evenings/Sundays, but service 3 would extend from Gilley Law to Farringdon during these times. Prior to bus services running across Sunderland City Centre (coinciding with the closure of Central Bus Station?) the Hylton Castle-Sunderland section was numbered service 27.
I believe service 6 used to run from Witherwack to Southwick, across the Queen Alex, right round to Grangetown, then Hendon to Sunderland City Centre. When the Queen Alex closed for refurbishment, service 6 buses were revised to run a much shorter route from Witherwack to Southwick and Sunderland on an almost identical route to the existing 16. Service 6 never returned to its original route when the Queen Alex bridge re-opened. Due to continued levels of low-usage, service 6 was withdrawn in December 2006. I assume service 6 was facing stiff competition from Go North East's new Black Cats 26/36 from July 2006, and later on in 2006 when the Doxford Clipper 29/39 was extended to North Sunderland. Service 7 continued to operate every 30 minutes -
Immediately following the withdrawal of service 6, Stagecoach launched a new service 12 on 4 December 2006 - - seemingly in competition with Go North East's newly introduced Magic Roundabout 33 from July 2006.
Service 13 used to split into a 20 minute service 12 and a 20 minute service 13. In Town End Farm, service 12 operated a clockwise loop and via Blackwood Road (South) while service 13 operated an anti-clockwise loop and via Brunswick Road (as now). The service between Town End Farm-Sunderland used to be numbered 28/29 prior to the extension of 12/13 across Sunderland City Centre. Service 12/13 both operated to Doxford Park but I can't remember the exact routes each service took. However, I do know that service 13 used to by-pass Gilley Law.
Services 15/16 used to run every 20 minutes each (10 minute combined) from Red House to Southwick, City Centre, Chester Road, and Hastings Hill. Service 15 served Grindon Lane (north), while service 16 served Somerset Road (as now).
Prior to service changes in November 2008 which resulted in a 10 minute service 23, this service used to be a 20 minute service 23 and a 20 minute service 24. Service 23 terminated at Dene Estate as now, while service 24 terminated at Seaburn Camp. Evening/Sunday service 22 used to serve both Dene Estate and Seaburn Camp.
Old Stagecoach bus timetables are extremely hard to come by. The wayback machine - http://wayback.archive.org/ - doesn't hold much info.
I did manage to pull this down though - - I never knew the 5 used to run to Boldon ASDA!
This is great do you have any old stuff about stagecoach around Newcastle or not ????
(08 Sep 2012, 6:30 pm)Brandon wrote [ -> ]Yes I do! I have now found working PDF's for every bus service in Tyne and Wear that ran in 2004. Interestingly, there is a N11 Newcastle Night Bus by Stagecoach! For some reason when I'm copying the weblink into a new tab, it won't work, so I'll try and upload the PDF's direct to this forum. I'll be watching x factor later on so will carry on after that, and maybe into tomorrow. I think it'll be a great resource for the forum if I can do it.
For those interested in the current and past Stagecoach North East fleet, this website is an excellent resource - http://stagecoach.mybesthost.com/MANTTND.shtml
Cheeeeeers this is great fantastic stuff