(12 Apr 2022, 10:29 am)Storx wrote There won't be any new buses coming to GNE anytime soon, bus companies aren't making money the last thing they will be doing is buying things when they don't need them.

In the terms of the cuts no doubt the likes of 5, 6, 9, 26, 28/28A, 33, 38, 39/39A, 55, 67, 69, Peterlee Locals, Washington Locals, Consett Locals are the types of services which are at risk when the Covid money dries up. They're the type of services which have already been cut in North Tyneside and most are already subsidised at some point. That's speculation though.

(12 Apr 2022, 10:46 am)Jack Gill wrote I wouldn't say the 6 is at risk, but I'm no expert on these things.

(12 Apr 2022, 10:29 am)Storx wrote There won't be any new buses coming to GNE anytime soon, bus companies aren't making money the last thing they will be doing is buying things when they don't need them.

In the terms of the cuts no doubt the likes of 5, 6, 9, 26, 28/28A, 33, 38, 39/39A, 55, 67, 69, Peterlee Locals, Washington Locals, Consett Locals are the types of services which are at risk when the Covid money dries up. They're the type of services which have already been cut in North Tyneside and most are already subsidised at some point. That's speculation though.

(12 Apr 2022, 10:29 am)Storx wrote There won't be any new buses coming to GNE anytime soon, bus companies aren't making money the last thing they will be doing is buying things when they don't need them.

In the terms of the cuts no doubt the likes of 5, 6, 9, 26, 28/28A, 33, 38, 39/39A, 55, 67, 69, Peterlee Locals, Washington Locals, Consett Locals are the types of services which are at risk when the Covid money dries up. They're the type of services which have already been cut in North Tyneside and most are already subsidised at some point. That's speculation though.

(12 Apr 2022, 11:25 am)Unber43 wrote i wouldn't say the 6,9,26,33,38,39/39A are at risk. 38 & 39/39A are being subsided already on a evening and have done for many years. Same with Peterlee and Washington. 33 Carriers a lot of people, contrary to many peoples belief here, so does the 38.

Also there must be some myth with the 55 that it carries no body, on sundays there are quite a few people who use it, same during the week many a time I have seen it more busier than the X20 & 20.

(12 Apr 2022, 11:51 am)Rob44 wrote i was the only person on the 28a on the way to the match on Friday 1215 from perkinsville until it reach salt well park. When i was talking to the drive he said most of the 28's as like that through the day and its only at peaks times when make money

(12 Apr 2022, 12:19 pm)Storx wrote The thing is the subsidy in the evening is a big alarm bell for a route as it means it's marginal already. If it wasn't then the night services wouldn't be subsidised at all as the profit in the day could carry the evening services over, no company would happily let GCT run their routes. Minibuses carrying 7 or so passengers a journey aren't going to be making money. It's no different to the 11 and 42 in North Tyneside which have just gone. All the mod cons and that but looking at bus times but the 3 buses on the unique section of the 39/39A atm are carrying 3 passengers between them. The 2/2A does the rest of the route. For Washington it's an average of 4 passengers per bus and it's been lifted by the 1 bus with 15 PAX on atm. They're all at massive risk if cuts are coming. Same as Stagecoach 8 and 18 for some balance in Sunderland.

For the 33 there's questions why it needs to exist at all it duplicates the Stagecoach service 13. Similar with the 38 which duplicates the Stagecoach 12 and GNE 2A and the 55 with the 20/X1/62.

(12 Apr 2022, 1:49 pm)Unber43 wrote For 33 it may be a duplicate but when Im in Sunderland it is regularly busy, 38 picks up people.

There is no denying the 39/39A are quite low used during the day, but they seem to make enough money to make a profit, no matter how much it is still a profit.

(12 Apr 2022, 10:46 am)Jack Gill wrote I wouldn't say the 6 is at risk, but I'm no expert on these things.

(12 Apr 2022, 11:51 am)Rob44 wrote i was the only person on the 28a on the way to the match on Friday 1215 from perkinsville until it reach salt well park. When i was talking to the drive he said most of the 28's as like that through the day and its only at peaks times when make money

(12 Apr 2022, 3:52 pm)L469 YVK wrote 6 and X72 could in theory be changed into the following of they wanted to cut further

6 - as now but hourly and doing the 'old' 6A variation from Burnopfield to Stanley during the evening & on Sundays

6A - X72 route from Stanley to Sunniside then 6 route to Newcastle

X70 - reverted to again serve Tantobie

X71 - revised to serve Lobley Hill to replace X72 (or another service could do that??) 

X30/X31 - Reduced to half hourly (1x every hour each)

PVR reduction depending on timings would be 3x consisting of E400MMC. Technically, that would then make 6x E400MMC available. Presumably, could be used on 47/47A perhaps if something could free up 6336/37 at Riverside?

(12 Apr 2022, 3:52 pm)L469 YVK wrote 6 and X72 could in theory be changed into the following of they wanted to cut further

6 - as now but hourly and doing the 'old' 6A variation from Burnopfield to Stanley during the evening & on Sundays

6A - X72 route from Stanley to Sunniside then 6 route to Newcastle

X70 - reverted to again serve Tantobie

X71 - revised to serve Lobley Hill to replace X72 (or another service could do that??) 

X30/X31 - Reduced to half hourly (1x every hour each)

PVR reduction depending on timings would be 3x consisting of E400MMC. Technically, that would then make 6x E400MMC available. Presumably, could be used on 47/47A perhaps if something could free up 6336/37 at Riverside?

(12 Apr 2022, 4:32 pm)Jack Gill wrote I'm shocked the X30/1 aren't already half hourly, from what I've seen they rarely get busy. I don't think they really need decker's, however they are nice for the journey.
As for the 6/6A thing I'm surprised that didn't happen either. The X72 doesn't seem the "express" type, and follows the 6 for a bit (I think?)
It probably wouldn't happen, but if it did then they could make it so the 6 was every 20 minutes instead of half hourly, so 2x 6 and 1x 6A per hour.

(12 Apr 2022, 4:19 pm)Unber43 wrote Maybe if there was a decrease in E400 PVR, they could put the X10 upto every 30 mins or maybe a new express route between Newcastle and Sunderland X56 possibly.

(12 Apr 2022, 4:38 pm)L469 YVK wrote

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X56 I doubt (unless some sort of link with Follingsby). X10 would need to be at bursting point to either consider re-increasing frequency in part or full, or re-introducing the X9.

47/47A would be the most likely candidates to displace older B9TLs.

(12 Apr 2022, 4:56 pm)Unber43 wrote Something to compete with X24 aswell, Start  Bus Station - A690 (non-stop from Farrington) - Follingsby - Heworth - Gateshead - Eldon Square. 

47/47A Wouldn't the 16' Streetdecks suffice, but that would probs stop the 50 & 26 interworking, with the amount of deckers on that route, especially on a evening when there is one or two people on. 


You could have the 26 & 5 & 20 all sort of interwork with drivers changing over at South Sheilds to do one, then a leg back on the 20.

(12 Apr 2022, 4:38 pm)L469 YVK wrote Why would they increase the 6 (with a 6A) to everu 20 minutes when the whole point would be to reduce services?

The existing 6 would be cut to hourly with the 6A running hourly to replace parts of the X72, allowing the X70/X71 to run every 30 minutes rather than 20/40 as now. In turn, that would then allow then to coordinate every 15 minutes at Sunniside with a reduced X30/X31 running every 30 minutes.

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X56 I doubt (unless some sort of link with Follingsby). X10 would need to be at bursting point to either consider re-increasing frequency in part or full, or re-introducing the X9.

47/47A would be the most likely candidates to displace older B9TLs.

(12 Apr 2022, 8:11 am)Storx wrote Are the Mercs even that bad? Ignoring all the usual caveats of Bustimes the Versa's seem much worse. Percy Main is really struggling as 4 of the Q3's are off the road. There also appears to be 4/10 VOR at Deptford aswell. There's 6/26 VOR for the Merc's in comparison which given their age isn't that bad. There's always a lot of buses off the road at for one reason or another.

(12 Apr 2022, 9:04 am)busmanT wrote Or perhaps buses re-allocated from further service cuts?

(12 Apr 2022, 5:27 pm)54APhotography wrote Spares must be a problem, anything from abroad seems delayed and mixed up in the customs fiasco we have. The Versa are temperamental, and I must admit, I've passed several sat stranded on 2s at various spots.

The Deptford Mercs based on withdrawal patterns have what 2 or 3 years left?

Not up to speed on Versa engines, whether they have been replaced or not.

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Certainly cuts are another inevitability. The future is a very uncertain one..