(03 Jan 2014, 9:37 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote [ -> ]Id also struggle to see how any extension of the 23 would be any quicker than the current Service 1 either.
Express from Hartlepool Centre, take 30 minutes at most compared to the 1's 45 minutes.
(03 Jan 2014, 9:42 pm)Kuyoyo wrote [ -> ]Express from Hartlepool Centre, take 30 minutes at most compared to the 1's 45 minutes.
30 minutes non-stop maybe, but do you think that enough people will use a direct non-stop bus between Hartlepool Centre and Middlesbrough to additional vehicles required to operate it (inclusive of relief in Middlesbrough) my maths make it at least 2 buses more?
I very much doubt it would. The service would need to observe more local south Hartlepool stops, plus either Billingham or Norton, then Stockton and Middlesbrough to be viable I think.
You would also need to extend both 23 each hour to make the cycle work, otherwise drivers would be away from Middlesbrough for around 6 hours by doing MB > SU > HP > SU > MB.
Suppose so but they could organise the buggy car like at Sunderland for the 23/24's although its a pain as the car only goes up there at certain times so drivers sometimes have to wait like an hour before the bus arrives.
X3 - Darlington - Newton Aycliffe - Ferryhill - Durham - Chester le Street - Gateshead - Newcastle - Every 30 Minutes - Limited Stopping Service - Providing a Service from Durham to Newcastle Every 15 Minutes with Service X2 - Interworking with Service X66 Between Middlesbrough and Darlington
(11 Jan 2014, 4:17 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote [ -> ]X3 - Darlington - Newton Aycliffe - Ferryhill - Durham - Chester le Street - Gateshead - Newcastle - Every 30 Minutes - Limited Stopping Service - Providing a Service from Durham to Newcastle Every 15 Minutes with Service X2 - Interworking with Service X66 Between Middlesbrough and Darlington
The X2 isnt heavily used as it is. Doubling the Durham to Newcastle frequency would be a waste in my eyes, and the money would be better spent introducing a double frequency on the X1 portion of the route.
The rest of that route for your X3 is covered by the 7, which already has 4 buses an hour. I assume ANE would have ordered deckers for the 7 if they felt there was more demand.
(11 Jan 2014, 4:17 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote [ -> ]X3 - Darlington - Newton Aycliffe - Ferryhill - Durham - Chester le Street - Gateshead - Newcastle - Every 30 Minutes - Limited Stopping Service - Providing a Service from Durham to Newcastle Every 15 Minutes with Service X2 - Interworking with Service X66 Between Middlesbrough and Darlington
Wouldn't that make the X3 come under EU regulations? Plus, there would be no attraction whatsoever interworking it with the X66.
(11 Jan 2014, 5:25 pm)aureolin wrote [ -> ]The X2 isnt heavily used as it is. Doubling the Durham to Newcastle frequency would be a waste in my eyes, and the money would be better spent introducing a double frequency on the X1 portion of the route.
The rest of that route for your X3 is covered by the 7, which already has 4 buses an hour. I assume ANE would have ordered deckers for the 7 if they felt there was more demand.
At many times the 7 does need double deckers, but they went for the Pulsar option as the depot manager at Darlington will not allow double deckers into his depot, so there were two options:
1. Go for a split operation with pulsars or
2. Go for a double deck operation and give all 11 buses to Durham
I don't think Darlington would have been prepared to do the second option at all since the 7 earns a lot of revenue.
(12 Jan 2014, 12:26 pm)palatine3833 wrote [ -> ]At many times the 7 does need double deckers, but they went for the Pulsar option as the depot manager at Darlington will not allow double deckers into his depot, so there were two options:
But surely it is up to the Senior Management of Arriva to tell him the service needs double deckers, so you will be getting them?
(12 Jan 2014, 12:26 pm)palatine3833 wrote [ -> ]At many times the 7 does need double deckers, but they went for the Pulsar option as the depot manager at Darlington will not allow double deckers into his depot, so there were two options:
1. Go for a split operation with pulsars or
2. Go for a double deck operation and give all 11 buses to Durham
I don't think Darlington would have been prepared to do the second option at all since the 7 earns a lot of revenue.
Weren't there deckers on it in the not too distant past?
(12 Jan 2014, 12:46 pm)andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Weren't there deckers on it in the not too distant past?
After a quick search, 2011 is the
most recent photo I can find of a decker on the 7. Before then I imagine it was pretty common though.
(12 Jan 2014, 12:51 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]After a quick search, 2011 is the most recent photo I can find of a decker on the 7. Before then I imagine it was pretty common though.
Thought so.
It seemed to be a mixed bag at the time of deckers and single deckers. Never noticed any consistency.
Service 7 was created when Arriva revised many South Durham and Darlington services in July 2008. It's never had a regular decker allocation, just a rag tag mix of Prestiges,, Darts and Ikarus DB220's. Mores stable fare was introduced with the X-GGO Darts a couple of years back.
Prior to the 7, it was the 713/723 between Darlington and Durham. These themselves were a truncation of the former 722/723 half hourly joint service with Northern/GNE between Darlington and Newcastle. Not since those days has this service attracted decker operation
My X3 Idea wouldn't have use Deckers, Remember the X1/X2 use a Mixture of Tridents/Geminis and Pulsars, and the X66 seems to use a Mixture also OF mainly Omnicities and Darts, Perhaps if it was to use Pulsars, if there is any spare then that would be a better option, as I did propose my X3 idea Interworks with the X66 maybe if it was an Hourly Express rather than Half Hourly alongside the X2, Would that be more Justifiable.
(12 Jan 2014, 12:54 pm)andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Thought so.
It seemed to be a mixed bag at the time of deckers and single deckers. Never noticed any consistency.
The last decker I caught on the 7 was
7365 (R625MNU) in May 2011, a comment left on the photo explains that deckers would cease appearing on the route after it was extended to Brasside.
Chris
Yes, the 7 went to Brasside and theres a low bridge. Although lets not forget when the Lowlanders arrived which for the 723. As for the X1/X2, I think since Deckers have been introduced from Durham the X1 has started to finally get more reliable and at times Pulsars can be a bit of a squeeze. Arriva should just scrap the X2 as now it serves no advantage and increase the X1 to every 20 minutes. Sometimes Gemini's leave Durham with standing room only downstairs!
No.6 A captains tail,daytime service every 12 mins.West auckland,bishop,spenny,croxdale,elvet,durham.
Re route some buses as 6A into durham city via croxdale,meadowfield,langley moor,nevilles cross,durham.Morning and early evening services could be convenient for workers!
Would wait till the roundabout at the honest lawyer is built as that junction could delay the service travelling out of durham...
Newton News readers suggestions to change Service 7 route through Newton Aycliffe, which mainly seem to centre around Woodham wanting a service to Tesco.
Suggestion 1.
Re-route two journeys an hour via Burn Lane and Central Avenue (rather than Burnhill Way and Stephenson Way)
Suggestion 2.
Head towards Tesco from St. Calare's Church, then U turn at St. Mary's Church Roundabout (which is just after Tesco) then head back to St. Calare's Church to rejoin the current route.
Can't say I agree with Suggestion 1 as the passenger numbers are quite good down Burnhill Way and Stephenson Way and I think it would be a mistake to drop that section down to every 30 minutes.
Don't mind suggestion 2 too much, but there's not really any time to do this without adding an extra bus to the PVR.
Not to mention they like simplicity with Sapphire. The 5/5A being done this year is about the most complex route in the brand I think? All of the others are one simple run.
(12 Jan 2014, 5:29 pm)Chris White wrote [ -> ]The last decker I caught on the 7 was 7365 (R625MNU) in May 2011, a comment left on the photo explains that deckers would cease appearing on the route after it was extended to Brasside.
Chris
The most recent one I saw was July last year -
7477 was the bus in question
I wish arriva would operate in Sunderland and open up some new routes for people now that would be interesting. Arriva is a Sunderland company after all