North East Buses

ALX400 7474 (I think!) was on Whitley Bay 306s. Passed it coming into Newcastle on a GNE Cobalt at around 13:45ish.

(07 Feb 2015, 4:24 pm)MarcTheA4 Wrote: [ -> ]ALX400 7474 (I think!) was on Whitley Bay 306s. Passed it coming into Newcastle on a GNE Cobalt at around 13:45ish.

It was 7474 I saw it while on 1311 on the 43.

(07 Feb 2015, 9:14 am)Dan Wrote: [ -> ]Spare MAX 7609 is on X10/X11 today - currently at Regent Centre heading to Newcastle.

Begs the question where the "usual" MAX is? Surely it's not "in for a service"?

(07 Feb 2015, 12:16 pm)mb134 Wrote: [ -> ]X18 branded 7530 was on the X15.

Meanwhile, X15 branded 4653 was sat in Ashington on standby!

I can't believe they can't get the bloody allocations right, it begs the question if they even read the list of Max-branded vehicles that I gave them.

(07 Feb 2015, 6:20 pm)Tommy_1581 Wrote: [ -> ]Begs the question where the "usual" MAX is? Surely it's not "in for a service"?  

It was on standby at Blyth to cover any late running buses! The only other bus in the depot appeared to be Commander 1402 - which was replaced by Pulsar 1502 after working service 1. Not sure whether it was just a case of buses not being visible or they did actually only have two buses spare out of their entire fleet...

I just can't understand why Arriva can't allocate the correct vehicles most of the time. Is it because:

- Some routes aren't timed correctly?
- Are suitable vehicles not being purchased for the according routes?
- Are Arriva not investing in replacing worn and torn vehicles (i.e 7501-7513 ex7510) on premium services that are constantly breaking down?
- Or can they simply not be bothered?

(07 Feb 2015, 8:16 pm)DaveyBowyer Wrote: [ -> ]I just can't understand why Arriva can't allocate the correct vehicles most of the time. Is it because:

- Some routes aren't timed correctly?
- Are suitable vehicles not being purchased for the according routes?
- Are Arriva not investing in replacing worn and torn vehicles (i.e 7501-7513 ex7510) on premium services that are constantly breaking down?
- Or can they simply not be bothered?

Think the reason in bold is the main reason for Blyth's allocations going wrong! Even at noon on a Saturday, there seemed to be some dreadful delays to services into and out of Blyth. They only had two spare buses (1402 and a MAX Gemini) and the latter was sat spare and ended up replacing a Volvo Hybrid on the 308 eventually.

I think there was two Pulsars on the Quorum Express alongside 7607 (in corporate livery - but the old Quorum Express branding on the windows was still visible) while Quorum Commander 1402 had been allocated to the 1 and a Quorum Gemini on the 308. There was a Volvo Hybrid and MAX Gemini on the Quorum Express today too.

Great that most services leave Blyth on-time, but that does nothing for the customers in Newcastle who are hit with a delay or those who are travelling into Blyth. Nor does it do anything for those on the X10/X11 who end up without their bus with leather seats and Wi-Fi..!

I think a big part of the reason why the 308 is constantly running late even off peak is beause it's not timed correctly and even more so because it gets too many passengers. It will even still run late Blyth bound from Newcastle Mon to Fri peak on the new timetable because Arriva still aren't taking into account the following factors Newcastle bound during Pm peaks:

- Schools
- Norham Road junction
- Silverlink Junction
- Between Station Road and Newcastle

I know GNE have issues due to the Cobalt causing some 309 / 310 buses from Newcastle to run late (which they'll hopefully solve in March) and that is mainly North Tyneside Council's fault for poor infrastructure planning but apart from normal levels of traffic at peak times, there are no real infrastructure issues affecting the 308. It's merely down to poor planning by Arriva and Arriva don't have two ways fitted either causing problems from the Newcastle end.

(07 Feb 2015, 8:22 pm)Dan Wrote: [ -> ]Think the reason in bold is the main reason for Blyth's allocations going wrong! Even at noon on a Saturday, there seemed to be some dreadful delays to services into and out of Blyth. They only had two spare buses (1402 and a MAX Gemini) and the latter was sat spare and ended up replacing a Volvo Hybrid on the 308 eventually.

I think there was two Pulsars on the Quorum Express alongside 7607 (in corporate livery - but the old Quorum Express branding on the windows was still visible) while Quorum Commander 1402 had been allocated to the 1 and a Quorum Gemini on the 308. There was a Volvo Hybrid and MAX Gemini on the Quorum Express today too.

Great that most services leave Blyth on-time, but that does nothing for the customers in Newcastle who are hit with a delay or those who are travelling into Blyth. Nor does it do anything for those on the X10/X11 who end up without their bus with leather seats and Wi-Fi..!

I say quite a variety of things on the 55 service while in Newcastle. Not sure if this is a Blyth route?

Saw a Solo, a couple of Pulsars and I think there was an ALX400, but it was leaving Haymarket when we were entering. Could have been on the 45, I really don't know.

(07 Feb 2015, 9:03 pm)MarcTheA4 Wrote: [ -> ]I say quite a variety of things on the 55 service while in Newcastle. Not sure if this is a Blyth route?

Saw a Solo, a couple of Pulsars and I think there was an ALX400, but it was leaving Haymarket when we were entering. Could have been on the 45, I really don't know.

Anything goes at Jesmond... Difference is - majority of their buses aren't branded!

(07 Feb 2015, 9:05 pm)Dan Wrote: [ -> ]Anything goes at Jesmond... Difference is - majority of their buses aren't branded!

Ah, so it's run by Jesmond.

I remember going for a meal with my family at some place in Jesmond, and I had a look at the depot while we drove past, saw quite a lot of things were visible. Couldn't see a single branded vehicle and I must have seen about 10+. It was a Sunday meal, so that would explain the number of buses being in the depot and not in service.

Jesmond are a joke.
A ALX400 was on the 54, so you probably would have saw the same one on the 55.
A Solo was on the 44 to Morpeth, a Pulsar was on the 52, and a Streetlite was on the 54.

1310 on Max X66 until it broke down, 2829 was on later in the day too (possibly a replacement for the Dart!)
1519 made it onto the 21, followed closely by Stockton's 1512 on the 21A behind it (replacement for 4658, which later replaced 1901 on the buggy!). I was responsible for 1457 being on the 17A, that was a replacement for 1915 whose suspension refused to level out. 4654 also ended up on the 29 replacing something else.

X14 branded 7517 is my X18 home

(07 Feb 2015, 8:16 pm)DaveyBowyer Wrote: [ -> ]I just can't understand why Arriva can't allocate the correct vehicles most of the time. Is it because:

- Some routes aren't timed correctly?
- Are suitable vehicles not being purchased for the according routes?
- Are Arriva not investing in replacing worn and torn vehicles (i.e 7501-7513 ex7510) on premium services that are constantly breaking down?
- Or can they simply not be bothered?

As I've stated before,

If a (branded) vehicle has been ordered by the depot to stay on a local route, it will be on a route that operates close to the depot, in case the problem re-occurs.

Also, they can't magic a branded bus out of nowhere. I'd like to see you working at Arriva as a supervisor, you would see how hard it is to allocate a certain bus to a certain route. Sometimes, it's simply impossible.

Also, Arriva can't keep investing into routes that have already been invested in, I remember you suggesting that the X10/X11 should be upgraded to Sapphire in 2016. 

Also, to get this off my chest, why do you keep going on about power, engines and all that rubbish. I never seem to see a post from you actually saying something good about buses. Simply, I feel like throwing my iPad out the window, every time I see a post about bloody power. 


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X15 branded 7513 also on the X18

(08 Feb 2015, 4:53 pm)Tommy_1581 Wrote: [ -> ]As I've stated before,

If a (branded) vehicle has been ordered by the depot to stay on a local route, it will be on a route that operates close to the depot, in case the problem re-occurs.

Also, they can't magic a branded bus out of nowhere. I'd like to see you working at Arriva as a supervisor, you would see how hard it is to allocate a certain bus to a certain route. Sometimes, it's simply impossible.

Also, Arriva can't keep investing into routes that have already been invested in, I remember you suggesting that the X10/X11 should be upgraded to Sapphire in 2016. 

Also, to get this off my chest, why do you keep going on about power, engines and all that rubbish. I never seem to see a post from you actually saying something good about buses. Simply, I feel like throwing my iPad out the window, every time I see a post about bloody power. 


(Mod: you may delete or edit this post)

 

I'm only being frankly honest Tommy though about the latter part though, that's the difference. That is the whole point of an opinion, it's your own and nobody elses. I listen to other peoples opinions and I weigh everything up in conclusion.

(08 Feb 2015, 4:53 pm)Tommy_1581 Wrote: [ -> ]As I've stated before,

If a (branded) vehicle has been ordered by the depot to stay on a local route, it will be on a route that operates close to the depot, in case the problem re-occurs.

Also, they can't magic a branded bus out of nowhere. I'd like to see you working at Arriva as a supervisor, you would see how hard it is to allocate a certain bus to a certain route. Sometimes, it's simply impossible.

Also, Arriva can't keep investing into routes that have already been invested in, I remember you suggesting that the X10/X11 should be upgraded to Sapphire in 2016. 

Also, to get this off my chest, why do you keep going on about power, engines and all that rubbish. I never seem to see a post from you actually saying something good about buses. Simply, I feel like throwing my iPad out the window, every time I see a post about bloody power. 


(Mod: you may delete or edit this post)

 

I feel like smashing up my computer every time I see a ''anti-GNE'' post from you!!

Laaaadies....

Let's conclude that no bus operator is perfect, and there are advantages and disadvantages of heavyweight and lightweight buses.

(08 Feb 2015, 9:03 pm)Tom Wrote: [ -> ]I feel like smashing up my computer every time I see a ''anti-GNE'' post from you!!

I'm not "anti-GNE"...

If I was, I would burn all of their buses. 

At the moment I feel like burning buses with hard leather seats and chavvy passengers.