North East Buses

Does anyone know if GNE will be operating any of Arriva's services on Boxing Day this year?

I think the bigger question is whether they'll be operating their own!

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I wonder if we will see more of an enhanced timetable this year rather than the 8-6pm timetable normally

(20 Nov 2022, 1:11 am)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]I wonder if we will see more of an enhanced timetable this year rather than the 8-6pm timetable normally

what makes you say that?  Of arriva cant rung the 3pm service to Dinnington on a Wednesday in November and GNE cant run a 27 to shields on a Friday morning what make you think either will be able to run a " larger" bus service on boxing day?  ( i assume we are talking about the Monday here as my diary from work says boxing day is the Tuesday and xmas is the Monday ?

(20 Nov 2022, 8:14 am)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]what makes you say that?  Of arriva cant rung the 3pm service to Dinnington on a Wednesday in November and GNE cant run a 27 to shields on a Friday morning what make you think either will be able to run a " larger" bus service on boxing day?  ( i assume we are talking about the Monday here as my diary from work says boxing day is the Tuesday and xmas is the Monday ?

Are you looking at a 2022 diary, Rob?!

Christmas Day is a Sunday this year and Boxing Day a Monday.


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(20 Nov 2022, 8:19 am)Dan wrote [ -> ]Are you looking at a 2022 diary, Rob?!

Christmas Day is a Sunday this year and Boxing Day a Monday.


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Yes i know that.  I think its due to xmas being the Sunday - bank holiday is the Monday and boxing day being the Monday but moved to the Tuesday.  They are supplied by work mind so probably cheap faulty ones they got a deal on for a bulk buy!

Apparently Tuesday is a substitute bank holiday to make up for Christmas day being on a Sunday.

https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays

(20 Nov 2022, 9:59 am)durhambusman wrote [ -> ]Apparently Tuesday is a substitute bank holiday to make up for Christmas day being on a Sunday.

https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays

Cus thats logic 

(20 Nov 2022, 5:49 pm)V514DFT wrote [ -> ]Cus thats logic 

The alternative is that you don't get a substitute Bank Holiday, and miss out on a free day off.  This is the case in some countries in mainland Europe .....

It's exactly the same as last year - Monday and Tuesday were substitute bank holidays for Christmas falling on a weekend.

It's to the delight of millions of office workers who only need to use 3 days to get 6 days off work - Break up 23rd and return 3rd January (or the 4th for our friends across the border!)

Metro as ever is running its weekday service and in terms of local major events - Sunderland host Blackburn at 12.30pm (live on Sky) and Middlesbrough host Wigan further down South

Anyone know what the buses will be like on Christmas Eve? What time do they stop running? I just need to know so I know whether I can get home from work

(21 Nov 2022, 4:51 pm)itsadam wrote [ -> ]Anyone know what the buses will be like on Christmas Eve? What time do they stop running? I just need to know so I know whether I can get home from work

Its normally last departures around 6pm

(21 Nov 2022, 5:02 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]Its normally last departures around 6pm

I hope new years eve buses run a bit later as toon play Leeds new years eve and I wont get out of match till well after 5

(21 Nov 2022, 6:35 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]I hope new years eve buses run a bit later as toon play Leeds new years eve and I wont get out of match till well after 5

I can only imagine the queues especially if the 21/X1 etc is every 30 mins and everyone being crammed onto 6pm bus

(21 Nov 2022, 6:35 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]I hope new years eve buses run a bit later as toon play Leeds new years eve and I wont get out of match till well after 5

I'm sure all operators will have a strong and robust plan to get supporters to and from the match, whilst overcoming any of the inevitable traffic issues that are thrown their way.

It would be commercial and reputational suicide if they don't.

(21 Nov 2022, 7:25 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]I'm sure all operators will have a strong and robust plan to get supporters to and from the match, whilst overcoming any of the inevitable traffic issues that are thrown their way.

It would be commercial and reputational suicide if they don't.

Northern Echo will have a story ready!

I’m sure the last buses on the Angel last year was around 7pm

I don’t think it’s public transport operators responsibility to get folk home, aside the commercial opportunity.. Newcastle have played on NYD when there’s no service. It’s really up to the safety advisory groups and police to ensure there’s transport home

A skeleton service on key routes after 7pm until 10-10.30pm would be sensible on New Years Eve

GNE:
- 21 - 30 mins to CLS / hourly to Durham
- 47 - 2 hourly and to Consett
- 6 - 2 hourly
- 58 - every 45 mins
- 56 - every 60-75 mins
- 10B - hourly
- Q3 - every 45 mins
- X1 - hourly
- 97 - every 45 mins

ANE:
- 308 - every 60-75 mins and via Battle Hill & Hadrian Park
- X21 - hourly to Ashington
- X10 - every 60-75 mins, all stops via Wide Open, Seaton Burn and Dudley
- X18 - every 60-75 mins to Morpeth

The buses will end at 6pm/7pm on New Years Eve like they do every year, a football match won't change that.

Not sure where the driver's are coming from to run all these buses as I know I wouldn't be driving buses on New Year's Eve and/or Christmas Eve late at night.

Ah yes it's always ran like that, not for the passengers benefit.

(21 Nov 2022, 8:38 pm)L469 YVK wrote [ -> ]A skeleton service on key routes after 7pm until 10-10.30pm would be sensible on New Years Eve

GNE:
- 21 - 30 mins to CLS / hourly to Durham
- 47 - 2 hourly and to Consett
- 6 - 2 hourly
- 58 - every 45 mins
- 56 - every 60-75 mins
- 10B - hourly
- Q3 - every 45 mins
- X1 - hourly
- 97 - every 45 mins

ANE:
- 308 - every 60-75 mins and via Battle Hill & Hadrian Park
- X21 - hourly to Ashington
- X10 - every 60-75 mins, all stops via Wide Open, Seaton Burn and Dudley
- X18 - every 60-75 mins to Morpeth

If the logic is the football match I don't see why it's necessary. 

The match is over before 5pm so, assuming last buses are around 7pm as usual, that allows match goers 2 hours to get a bus home. People are still in a better position than they'd be after a midweek evening game where they only get an hour and a half at best, with services also running their evening frequencies.

(22 Nov 2022, 7:02 am)idiot wrote [ -> ]Ah yes it's always ran like that, not for the passengers benefit.

What customers though, everything shuts at 5pm on both days so there's no-one travelling. A lot of people stay local on NYE or travel to friends houses first where the buses most likely don't go since 75% of buses head towards Newcastle and very very few people go anywhere on Christmas Eve. Heading out of Newcastle there will be no-one as if you're there at 7/8/9pm you're there for the New Year celebrations.

As someone said after, everyone at the football match will be long gone unless they're not planning to go home.

(22 Nov 2022, 9:03 am)Storx wrote [ -> ]What customers though, everything shuts at 5pm on both days so there's no-one travelling. A lot of people stay local on NYE or travel to friends houses first where the buses most likely don't go since 75% of buses head towards Newcastle and very very few people go anywhere on Christmas Eve.

Really NYE buses would only work if you had buses running till 2am.

(21 Nov 2022, 8:31 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]I’m sure the last buses on the Angel last year was around 7pm

I don’t think it’s public transport operators responsibility to get folk home, aside the commercial opportunity.. Newcastle have played on NYD when there’s no service. It’s really up to the safety advisory groups and police to ensure there’s transport home

I think that's why operators are struggling to be honest and why they're on that apparent downward spiral.

As you mention, there's the commercial opportunity. That goes without saying. 
However, theres 52,000 who will need shifting to/from the match and a vast proportion won't be on the Metro network. 
They're either going to drive in or they're going to bus it in.

If it's the former, then the regular punters will be inconvenienced due to the inevitable bedlam on the roads, cancelled services and so on. 
If it's the latter, than it goes without saying, that a proportion of them will be wanting to return home.

I agree that there's a duty of care needed from the club, but the operators have a duty of care towards their passengers.
It's the only way those passengers are going to keep using the service.

If they have a bad experience this time, there's the chance they won't risk that next time and will make the modal switch.
Adding to the traffic, making the inevitable delays worse and assisting with that downward spiral operators are on.

(22 Nov 2022, 9:28 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]I think that's why operators are struggling to be honest and why they're on that apparent downward spiral.

As you mention, there's the commercial opportunity. That goes without saying. 
However, theres 52,000 who will need shifting to/from the match and a vast proportion won't be on the Metro network. 
They're either going to drive in or they're going to bus it in.

If it's the former, then the regular punters will be inconvenienced due to the inevitable bedlam on the roads, cancelled services and so on. 
If it's the latter, than it goes without saying, that a proportion of them will be wanting to return home.

I agree that there's a duty of care needed from the club, but the operators have a duty of care towards their passengers.
It's the only way those passengers are going to keep using the service.

If they have a bad experience this time, there's the chance they won't risk that next time and will make the modal switch.
Adding to the traffic, making the inevitable delays worse and assisting with that downward spiral operators are on.

Why would they have a bad experience this time?

The match will likely finish around 16:50. Last buses from Newcastle NYE 2021 (at least for Arriva) seemed to be between 1830-1900. That gives folks an hour and a half of daytime frequency buses to get home - for example it would be around 6 X10/11s based on their half hourly frequency. 

Compare that to an evening midweek game, which tends to finish around 21:40. They've got a smaller amount of time until the last bus and frequencies are already reduced - around 3 X10/11s in that amount of time. Midweek service levels back from Newcastle are always fine, everyone gets home, so why would this be any different?

(22 Nov 2022, 10:59 am)mb134 wrote [ -> ] Why would they have a bad experience this time? 

The match will likely finish around 16:50. Last buses from Newcastle NYE 2021 (at least for Arriva) seemed to be between 1830-1900. That gives folks an hour and a half of daytime frequency buses to get home - for example it would be around 6 X10/11s based on their half hourly frequency. 

Compare that to an evening midweek game, which tends to finish around 21:40. They've got a smaller amount of time until the last bus and frequencies are already reduced - around 3 X10/11s in that amount of time. Midweek service levels back from Newcastle are always fine, everyone gets home, so why would this be any different?

Traffic. Cancellations due to the traffic. Delays due to the traffic. Drivers running over (or running close) their limits due to the traffic.

Buses struggle on a Saturday and there's an impact during the week when there's an evening kick-off.
People can and will use public transport on those occasions.
If there's none (or it is limited or runs off early), then the traffic is going to be worse. Delays etc will naturally be worse too. 
It's a natural and inevitable consequence.

Won't that lead to bad experiences and negative perceptions with the various types of passengers travelling that day? Or is it just me?

Just for getting pictures/videos mainly, but also possibly using the services, I wondered if GNE were operating any of Arriva's services this year, as they have in previous years but I don't believe they do every year?

Stagecoach operate their own Boxing Day services I believe, whereas others are contracted/tendered services?

Having seen the briefing for what services are running, Theres a few surprises in there.

Not as much as what normally runs this year.

(23 Nov 2022, 8:55 am)NL62WVW wrote [ -> ]Having seen the briefing for what services are running, Theres a few surprises in there.

Not as much as what normally runs this year.

I've just seen the briefing at Deptford and there's not very much at all. Only 2 depots open as well. There's only an X10 which is another operators service from what I saw.

They've updated their timetables for Xmas day. Just change the date to Xmas day when you go to view a timetable