(07 Jun 2015, 10:11 pm)aureolin wrote I think it's the website that references frequent. Unfortunately it won't load on my phone, so I can't confirm that.

(07 Jun 2015, 10:17 pm)Jimmi wrote In the FAQs it says the following for "how often do Sapphire bus run?"

One of the key features of Sapphire services is that they run at least every 60 minutes. Many run even more often. Check out the route pages.


Unfortunately I am also on my phone right now.

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(09 Jun 2015, 10:44 am)Tommy_1581 wrote That's changed since I last looked at it...

It's not really a key feature, loads of bus services are hourly.

(09 Jun 2015, 4:39 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote If double decks were to prove popular on the 7, do you think the 7 could go all double deck with a reduced frequency of every 20 minutes?

(09 Jun 2015, 4:39 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote If double decks were to prove popular on the 7, do you think the 7 could go all double deck with a reduced frequency of every 20 minutes?

(09 Jun 2015, 5:52 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote I think the service could justify fully double decker operation at a increased frequency not a reduced one, increase it to every 10 minutes with fully double deck operation.

(09 Jun 2015, 6:42 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Let's look at capacity:

The Pulsar seat 40
The E400 seat 78

So:
10 Pulsars with 40 seats = 400
5 Pulsars with 40 seats + 5 E400s with 78 seats = 590 (200 and 390)
10 E400s with 78 seats = 780

To go to every 10 minutes, you'd need 14 vehicles to cover the 2 hour 30 minutes round trip. I seriously doubt it will require a frequency increase and capacity increase at the same time.

(09 Jun 2015, 6:42 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Let's look at capacity:

The Pulsar seat 40
The E400 seat 78

So:
10 Pulsars with 40 seats = 400
5 Pulsars with 40 seats + 5 E400s with 78 seats = 590 (200 and 390)
10 E400s with 78 seats = 780

To go to every 10 minutes, you'd need 14 vehicles to cover the 2 hour 30 minutes round trip. I seriously doubt it will require a frequency increase and capacity increase at the same time.

(05 Jun 2015, 10:06 pm)Tom wrote The route definitely isn't tendered by Northumberland, the 85/685 is operated on a commercial basis, as is the 185. 

I agree, knowing Arriva they would just stick Streetlites on there. But the service definitely doesn't justify double deckers, it's quite often that the service carries no more than double figures between Newcastle and Hexham, possibly because of competition by GNE on the Tynedalexpress, which seems to be doing extremely well at the minute.

(12 Jun 2015, 7:33 pm)northern156 wrote Going back to this if I may.

I disagree. Once it gets past pensioner pass am, the services between Carlisle and Newcastle as a whole (not a lot of people travelling further than Hexham would be bothered to change buses to GNE there) can get very busy, I've been on 1000-1200 services before which haven't been able to fit any more standees on.
This is also true for some peak-time services I've been on from both Carlisle and Newcastle (the latter mostly being people going to bloody Throckley!)

Streetlites wouldn't last very long, given their unreliability on other routes. An increase of frequency would be needed if this was the case also.

As much as I dislike them, I'd say the Omnicities are good for the single-deck operation of the route (those or my preferred choice, the Pulsars which aren't restricted) with double-deck operation possibly going to VDL SB300/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s or ADL Enviro 400s (I think the former would be more suitable).

The main reason I give for it to be upgraded to MAX/Sapphire is it could run in direct competition with the hourly rail service. Hell, the X85 to Carlisle would take around the same time as the train, given it doesn't have excessive calling points.

Mind you, none of this would properly work if Stagecoach were to run as they do so now - they haven't changed to match Arriva exactly in the past couple of timetable changes (for example keeping the one service per day via Gilsland, the 1754 Carlisle to Hexham) as well as changing the route number to match Arriva's.
If Stagecoach didn't really want to change a lot, the vehicles they currently use (ADL E300s) are absolutely fine; although I've seen them pretty busy at times - E400s could be used here.

(12 Jun 2015, 7:33 pm)northern156 wrote Going back to this if I may.

I disagree. Once it gets past pensioner pass am, the services between Carlisle and Newcastle as a whole (not a lot of people travelling further than Hexham would be bothered to change buses to GNE there) can get very busy, I've been on 1000-1200 services before which haven't been able to fit any more standees on.
This is also true for some peak-time services I've been on from both Carlisle and Newcastle (the latter mostly being people going to bloody Throckley!)

Streetlites wouldn't last very long, given their unreliability on other routes. An increase of frequency would be needed if this was the case also.

As much as I dislike them, I'd say the Omnicities are good for the single-deck operation of the route (those or my preferred choice, the Pulsars which aren't restricted) with double-deck operation possibly going to VDL SB300/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2s or ADL Enviro 400s (I think the former would be more suitable).

The main reason I give for it to be upgraded to MAX/Sapphire is it could run in direct competition with the hourly rail service. Hell, the X85 to Carlisle would take around the same time as the train, given it doesn't have excessive calling points.

Mind you, none of this would properly work if Stagecoach were to run as they do so now - they haven't changed to match Arriva exactly in the past couple of timetable changes (for example keeping the one service per day via Gilsland, the 1754 Carlisle to Hexham) as well as changing the route number to match Arriva's.
If Stagecoach didn't really want to change a lot, the vehicles they currently use (ADL E300s) are absolutely fine; although I've seen them pretty busy at times - E400s could be used here.

(12 Jun 2015, 7:41 pm)citaro5284 wrote I think the problem would be should Stagecoach match Arriva or should Arriva match Stagecoach.....

(12 Jun 2015, 7:47 pm)Dan wrote To stick my two penneth in - I've often been the only person travelling from Hexham to Newcastle on afternoons and evenings, when using the 685. On all other occasions, it hasn't reached double figures.

Can only imagine this is going to get worse in the future, should Go North East increase the level of work in the Hexham area...

The Carlisle end of the route does very well, however. Had the misfortune of needing to stand on a number of occasions for the first 20-30 minutes of the route..! The more regular frequency at this end of the route (provided by Stagecoach) only provides evidence of this...

(12 Jun 2015, 7:50 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote Tottaly agree with you!   Though the double decker couldn't be VDL SB300 Wright Gemini 2s as there totally not suited to this route,
Enviro 400s with uprated engines would be the best choice, Even better if any dealer stock Volvo B9TLs were for up for grabs ( Doubt it though )

Scania omnicites will be fit for another 10 years if Arriva give them a full overhaul from the chassis up, converting them to MAX in the process.

MAX would probably be the most likely

Also get 1415 from Belmont to Jesmond to act as a spare to save the Belmont kerfuffle

and im sure I read somewhere that Arriva are converting it to MAX standard

(12 Jun 2015, 7:47 pm)Dan wrote To stick my two penneth in - I've often been the only person travelling from Hexham to Newcastle on afternoons and evenings, when using the 685. On all other occasions, it hasn't reached double figures.

Can only imagine this is going to get worse in the future, should Go North East increase the level of work in the Hexham area...

The Carlisle end of the route does very well, however. Had the misfortune of needing to stand on a number of occasions for the first 20-30 minutes of the route..! The more regular frequency at this end of the route (provided by Stagecoach) only provides evidence of this...

(12 Jun 2015, 8:11 pm)Jimmi wrote The 85/685 is one of those weird services for passenger numbers, seen it carrying a decent amount of passengers at times then other times it has been carrying less passengers. Based on loadings from Newcastle.

Could the 85 be one of those services like many in Newcastle where you have more passengers heading into Newcastle on a morning and then carry more heading out of Newcastle on an evening.

I've only done the 85/685 once and it had a fair few passengers across the route although the Brampton to Carlisle stretch carried the most passengers when I rode it.

(12 Jun 2015, 8:11 pm)Dan wrote re Arriva X85 -
I haven't seen this service for quite a long time now. Last time I saw it, it was running something daft like 10 minutes after the 685 and 5 minutes after GNE's X85, and always departed Newcastle empty. Think there was service changes which changed how the timings worked though, so they were a bit more...sensible.

(12 Jun 2015, 8:30 pm)northern156 wrote Brampton and Warwick Bridge are, essentially, mostly housing with most people travelling to Carlisle. You only have mugs like myself who commute daily from outside Brampton into Carlisle!

(12 Jun 2015, 8:30 pm)northern156 wrote I do agree, on the same service day-to-day you can see any loadings, I think this has part to do with it being on a touristy bit of country.

Brampton and Warwick Bridge are, essentially, mostly housing with most people travelling to Carlisle. You only have mugs like myself who commute daily from outside Brampton into Carlisle!


Second-to-last time I was on it (late last year), it was operated by a 306-branded Streetlite Micro Hybrid (I think this is a booked working on the 1715(?)) and there weren't many on, however last time (Pulsar operated) it was full of business people and seemed to be mostly weekly passes.

To give them credit though, I think Arriva's fare system is simpler than GNE's zone-based Buzzfare. Having the ticket for 85 called 'Northumberland Zone' makes it a bit easier rather than Orange/Purple/Cherry.

(12 Jun 2015, 8:30 pm)northern156 wrote I do agree, on the same service day-to-day you can see any loadings, I think this has part to do with it being on a touristy bit of country.

Brampton and Warwick Bridge are, essentially, mostly housing with most people travelling to Carlisle. You only have mugs like myself who commute daily from outside Brampton into Carlisle!


Second-to-last time I was on it (late last year), it was operated by a 306-branded Streetlite Micro Hybrid (I think this is a booked working on the 1715(?)) and there weren't many on, however last time (Pulsar operated) it was full of business people and seemed to be mostly weekly passes.

To give them credit though, I think Arriva's fare system is simpler than GNE's zone-based Buzzfare. Having the ticket for 85 called 'Northumberland Zone' makes it a bit easier rather than Orange/Purple/Cherry.

(12 Jun 2015, 8:36 pm)Jimmi wrote Last time I did the 685 some school kids got on in Brampton and they were on the bus for quite a while, think they finally got off in Haltwhistle or somewhere like that.

(12 Jun 2015, 8:38 pm)Tom wrote I thought it was the triple ticket?

Just as confusing as the Buzzfare?

(12 Jun 2015, 8:42 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote I bet that wasn't enjoyable................. A streetlite on the X85!!

(12 Jun 2015, 8:42 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote I bet that wasn't enjoyable................. A streetlite on the X85!!

(13 Jun 2015, 12:07 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote Ha'way man, I bet people didn't like the Volvo B10BLE / Wright Renowns when they were introduced, they infested the country and now almost every enthusiast loves them basically as there isn't long for them left... 

(13 Jun 2015, 12:07 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote Ha'way man, I bet people didn't like the Volvo B10BLE / Wright Renowns when they were introduced, they infested the country and now almost every enthusiast loves them basically as there isn't long for them left... 

(21 Jul 2015, 7:59 am)buss14 wrote hi
i just wanted to suggest a service bu don't know if it would be realistic. the service would start from ashington and head to bothal cottages the  turn right and head to the roundabout near widdrington and actually go through widdrington and ulgham and pegswood the terminates at morpeth. then this means that if some residents from ashington want to go to widdrington they dont have to go to morpeth first or have to wait an hour for the number 1 from blyth.

(25 Jul 2015, 12:38 pm)GX03 SVC wrote Maybe a simple rebrand for the X21/X22 could have the service back on track?

If there are going to be new buses for the X21/X22 next year, why not rename it Sapphire Express? Change the numbers to X41/X42, so the farce of the X21/X22 disappears.

Change the "swirls" to a dashed effect, so more dashed and thinner at the bottom to less dashed and bolder towards the top.

This is a suggestion that keeps the Sapphire name, but modifies it.