North East Buses

(16 May 2022, 3:02 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]Also, for those praising Arriva and Stagecoach for not cutting routes, wait until BRG runs out in a few months time. Rumour has it, they are also axing services when the time comes. I guess this puts GNE ahead of the curve in this respect.

I think there'll be a more understandable reaction for them - at last on here if not from passengers. They haven't diced up their network a dozen times over the years and have pretty much given up on branding (though likely from a stronger corporate leadership than Go Ahead has)

(16 May 2022, 3:02 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]Also, for those praising Arriva and Stagecoach for not cutting routes, wait until BRG runs out in a few months time. Rumour has it, they are also axing services when the time comes. I guess this puts GNE ahead of the curve in this respect.

Depends what your comparing to though, GNE have already had one round of heavy cuts. How on earth they can tell whether they're the right changes or not is mystery considering during that same period half the buses have been cancelled due to driver shortages.

Stagecoach Newcastle and Arriva Northumbria have already had their BRG cuts so if there's anymore cuts up there, GNE Percy Main will no doubt in the firing line again aswell. There's still way too many buses along the Coast Road which is going to have to change at some point.

Mind I could imagine Stagecoach South Shields, Hartlepool and Sunderland being grim when they come round.

(16 May 2022, 3:39 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]Depends what your comparing to though, GNE have already had one round of heavy cuts. How on earth they can tell whether they're the right changes or not is mystery considering during that same period half the buses have been cancelled due to driver shortages. 

Stagecoach Newcastle and Arriva Northumbria have already had their BRG cuts so if there's anymore cuts up there, GNE Percy Main will no doubt in the firing line again aswell. There's still way too many buses along the Coast Road which is going to have to change at some point.

Mind I could imagine Stagecoach South Shields, Hartlepool and Sunderland being grim when they come round.

Aye, even my crystal ball can't tell me how they've worked that one out!

(16 May 2022, 3:39 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]Depends what your comparing to though, GNE have already had one round of heavy cuts. How on earth they can tell whether they're the right changes or not is mystery considering during that same period half the buses have been cancelled due to driver shortages.

Stagecoach Newcastle and Arriva Northumbria have already had their BRG cuts so if there's anymore cuts up there, GNE Percy Main will no doubt in the firing line again aswell. There's still way too many buses along the Coast Road which is going to have to change at some point.

Mind I could imagine Stagecoach South Shields, Hartlepool and Sunderland being grim when they come round.

I'm not comparing it to anything, nor is what I said a defence of the cuts or changes GNE have made over the years. All that I'm implying is that cuts to services are most likely being considered by Arriva and Stagecoach. Will they be as severe - I don't know, we'll have to wait and see, but things are not looking good.

I hope Tobyn Hughes can find a rainbow where the pot of gold isn't guarded by a ferocious leprechaun  - he's going to need it to fill all the begging bowls coming his way.

Gne facebook page is a canny read. Also does anyone think this will quicken the change to nexus nexus contracting all routes out ?

This is exactly it

The service changes last year which were supposed to make the company ‘fit for the future’ came in about two minutes after he lockdowns ended, so they hadn’t given anything a chance

Now we’ve had months of cancelled journeys and reduced services on Saturdays, plus some people being careful in regards to face masks, not returning to the office etc, and once again they are making big cuts

They should really have given it the rest of this year including the summer, and the start of the next school year before making cuts

Just drove home from an extra shift and 3 21s together foing to gateshead newcastle Newcastle together. Nice way to save cash lol

(16 May 2022, 3:49 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]Gne facebook page is a canny read.  Also does anyone think this will quicken the change to nexus nexus contracting all routes out ?

I see there's someone named Ethan Coulson attempting to do the old Andy Clifford/Ian Hignett gimmick of 'helping' customer services by answering queries.

I hope it doesn't turn into a repeat of the days of the 'characters'...

I've had a few thoughts on this since seeing the list last week. To me some of the changes seem to be common sense:

38 group of services withdrawn yet previous changes saw a 39A introduced and the service routed via Bevan Avenue thus removing the need for the 38. Surely if the 39A also served Tunstall Bank Estate, this would create new links (actually for those that can remember there was a service 127 which served Tunstall Bank to Doxford Park Morrisons) and not forgetting the 2A also does Asda at Leechmere.

As for the 55, it's death was inevitable. Passenger numbers the past few times have been in single figures.

Will the X22 every return? Alot of money (and equally importantly) time wasted painting buses into new liveries (also matching timetables) only to be binned off months later.

Now would be the perfect time for a strong corporate image and begin rebuilding passenger confidence in public transport and actually adapting to the new travel habits rather than blame them and cutting the existing network left right and centre.
Maybe the cuts were bound to happen but the lack of suggestions to overcome them is disappointing to say the least.

I doubt the X22 will ever return. In my experience it was mainly used on Saturdays by teenagers going off to hang out at the MetroCentre. They can easily use the X21/X66 instead

But yes it’s quite ridiculous how it ran with generic buses for years and once it received a branded livery for the first time ever it then was suspended a few months later

(16 May 2022, 3:51 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]Just drove home from an extra shift and 3 21s together foing to gateshead newcastle Newcastle together. Nice way to save cash lol

tbf that's almost a constant issue with the 21 and I don't think they'll ever really solve it. 

On a matchday you'll see one go through full not in service from Birtley to Low Fell in convoy with 3 behind that are empty.

(16 May 2022, 3:52 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]I see there's someone named Ethan Coulson attempting to do the old Andy Clifford/Ian Hignett gimmick of 'helping' customer services by answering queries.

I hope it doesn't turn into a repeat of the days of the 'characters'...

He's gonna be a bus driver for GNE soon.
Apparently anyway. 

As for the repeat of the days of the 'characters'. It would be hilarious to see it descend in to absolute carnage on there!

(16 May 2022, 3:53 pm)morritt89 wrote [ -> ]Maybe the cuts were bound to happen but the lack of suggestions to overcome them is disappointing to say the least.

None of us have access to car traffic flow or public transport passenger loadings data, which right now would be the most helpful in suggesting better routes. All we have to go off is what we see on buses and where the congestion is, which is only a tiny part of a bigger picture.

(16 May 2022, 4:02 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]He's gonna be a bus driver for GNE soon.
Apparently anyway. 

As for the repeat of the days of the 'characters'. It would be hilarious to see it descend in to absolute carnage on there!

It was appalling behaviour by all those involved, whomever they were....

(16 May 2022, 4:09 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]It was appalling behaviour by all those involved, whomever they were....

Yes, quite...

(16 May 2022, 3:50 pm)Wybus wrote [ -> ]This is exactly it

The service changes last year which were supposed to make the company ‘fit for the future’ came in about two minutes after he lockdowns ended, so they hadn’t given anything a chance

Now we’ve had months of cancelled journeys and reduced services on Saturdays, plus some people being careful in regards to face masks, not returning to the office etc, and once again they are making big cuts

They should really have given it the rest of this year including the summer, and the start of the next school year before making cuts

Kind of fitting that they have just launched their new Duo branding, the marketing for which also appears to be centred around sticking two fingers up at their customers!

What about every 30 mins X4 Service, Current X1 Service to Houghton then A690 to Doxford, through Ryhope to Seaham then peterlee

(16 May 2022, 4:11 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]Yes, quite...

I think our very own Daniel was the only one to be identified. 
The others still remain a mystery.

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(16 May 2022, 4:25 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]What about every 30 mins X4 Service, Current X1 Service to Houghton then A690 to Doxford, through Ryhope to Seaham then peterlee

They tried that circa 2006.
Think one attempt went through the Herringtons and down towards Ryhope Green.

Another one came through Fencehouses and continued through Doxford Park towards Ryhope Green.

Not sure either of them continued along the coast.

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(16 May 2022, 4:18 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote [ -> ]Kind of fitting that they have just launched their new Duo branding, the marketing for which also appears to be centred around sticking two fingers up at their customers!

I actually saw one account bring the duo tickets on twitter in response to the consultation.
There must have been some sort of discussion previously going by the nature of the conversation.

As for Duo. ANE have been doing them for a while now. Can't believe GNE are behind them when it comes to innovation. There's no need for an app with ANE either! Barriers being removed instantly.

(16 May 2022, 4:28 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]I think our very own Daniel was the only one to be identified. 
The others still remain a mystery.

Since I'm at a loose end due to the travel restrictions because of the COVID outbreak in North Korea, as Pyongyang's most prevalent roving reporter, I vow to get to the bottom of the story and unmask the people behind the so-called characters of the day.

I was thinking and why doesn't the 55 stay between Sunderland & Doxford but have it go through Farringdon & Thorney.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...w-23974430

Changes the leading story on the Chronicle. A rare attack on gne from Martin Gannon

(16 May 2022, 4:36 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...w-23974430

Changes the leading story on the Chronicle. A rare attack on gne from Martin Gannon

There are some shocking changes if you look at this server I keep going back to this but Malarky made some really good suggestions its just no one listens

(16 May 2022, 4:36 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...w-23974430

Changes the leading story on the Chronicle. A rare attack on gne from Martin Gannon

At least we now know that the £163m pot of funding, when it materialises, won't be used to bail out the cuts to services proposed by GNE.

(16 May 2022, 4:42 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]At least we now know that the £163m pot of funding, when it materialises, won't be used to bail out the cuts to services proposed by GNE.

afaik it can't be used on any existing services

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Is the 47A being cancelled?

(16 May 2022, 4:42 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]At least we now know that the £163m pot of funding, when it materialises, won't be used to bail out the cuts to services proposed by GNE.

There could be gaps left for other operators to exploit though

(16 May 2022, 4:54 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]There could be gaps left for other operators to exploit though

Surely you mean, to plug.

Though there may be scope for a commercial offering if an operator was willing to exploit.

Mod note: In order to try and keep all the July 2022 proposed changes in one thread, I've renamed this thread and (possibly temporarily) closed the generic Go North East : Upcoming Service Changes thread.

In order to keep this one as on topic as possible, can we please avoid turning this into yet another service suggestions thread. If you want to make those kind of posts, you can use one of the following threads:

1. Go North East: Service Suggestions v2
2. Fictional Service Ideas

Thanks for your cooperation.

(16 May 2022, 4:47 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]Is the 47A being cancelled?

Yes. All journeys to run as 47 via East Law, Shotley Bridge, and Bridgehill to replace links provided by the X46 - which will be withdrawn.

The Connection 4 PVR would go down to 9 with 2 branded Spares

X30/X31 - Would be a PVR of 3 

X71/X72 - Would be a PVR of 4. 

however I think they would interwork with the X30/X31 making a PVR of around 8. If I am right (I am not sure) that would leave about 6 spare. 

Where are those 6 gonna go. They can't go on the X21, there isn't enough unless the X71 & X72 could some how work standlone, giving a extra PVR spare. For X21. 

But with the X45 (going every 30 mins bad move imo) that will only be a PVR of 4, maybe 5 with 15 mins layovers at each end. Which means 3 can be spared.

If those 3 can go onto the X1 you could see a potential Seaham extension, you could even put that through Doxford Park from Houghton via A19 to Dalton park to Seaham, or just the normal way with an extension to seaham every 1 hour. 

God knows how they're going to do the 1 PVR increase. It should only be 1 or two. 

20 Changes - They probs would just split the 20 current PVR, but I think the 20 Between Sunderland & Durham should be ever 10 mins. 

35/35A to Town End Farm would probably cut the PVR by 3. But whether the 35A will extend to Heworth on a night, many could argue why on earth there isn't a link between Sunderland & Follingsby. 

X56, could be a good thing, Sunderland - A690 - Doxford - Follingsby - Newcastle using the spare E400 MMC would probs take just over 1 hour, so a PVR of 5-6 would be needed. 

39 would probs just get Spare Pinks, or "Blonde" what a waste of money that was. ( i would be a fan of that to Houghton)

62 & 55 being withdrawn, while 55 was inevitable - many could argue to keep the 62 to every 30 minutes and have to serve tunstall and A690 keeping that link aswell as the links to Sunderland College for Students

Sunderland Bus Station, will need the 2/2a/39/39A to search it in both ways, they might aswell with the 33 seems as though the bus station has been decimated with these changes

Although something I noticed was that most of the services which are highlighted especially on sundays, evenings and mornings were nexus supported I remember someone putting up a list of services which were funded by nexus and if I remember right a lot of the services especially Gateshead ones were financially supported. 

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(16 May 2022, 5:58 pm)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]Yes. All journeys to run as 47 via East Law, Shotley Bridge, and Bridgehill to replace links provided by the X46 - which will be withdrawn.

Thanks! Wait so they're removing the X46 hourly due to low demand to re-route the 47 to go to the same places but it just takes longer, if that isnt persuading people to get into a car I don't know what else GNE Can do.

Some good opportunities for SNE . The 38 group of services for a start.