(03 Aug 2015, 8:22 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Are you on about the 'Tyneside Toughened' glass?

If so, it is used in vehicles all over the world - buses included.

http://www.tynesidesafetyglass.com/industries/transport.html

(03 Aug 2015, 8:22 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Are you on about the 'Tyneside Toughened' glass?

If so, it is used in vehicles all over the world - buses included.

http://www.tynesidesafetyglass.com/industries/transport.html

(03 Aug 2015, 8:22 pm)Dan wrote I think it's funny how the glass for the windows goes to Ballymena from Gateshead, and then a month or two later, the completed bus is then delivered to Gateshead.

(03 Aug 2015, 8:17 pm)Dan wrote The new Streetlites delivered this year and the new Solos for Peterlee have the blue LED lighting (under the seats on the former, and on the edge of the seat leg on the latter). All with e-leather seats - so half way there..!

The luxurious Lazerini seating isn't used, admittedly. Perhaps Go North East could look into adding tables on commuter routes such as the Tyne Tees Xpress, when new vehicles are ordered for these routes. I guess it would be a case of toying up whether it would be worth losing the seats for?

(03 Aug 2015, 4:40 pm)G-CPTN wrote The Tynedale changes aren't pleasing everybody.

(03 Aug 2015, 4:45 pm)Dan wrote Suppose those who aren't pleased by the changes don't actually realise that the bus they've got now is better than no bus at all..?

(03 Aug 2015, 4:47 pm)Tom wrote Only the frequency has changed on the 687 really. The 680 was always every 2 hours or so, an in fact I'd say Acomb has an improved service.

(03 Aug 2015, 9:03 pm)thetravelman wrote I see from the photo on here, that the new Tynedale Links service 680 was operated by a corporate liveried Scania L95UB Wright Solar - 5229, is this to be the usual allocation or is an actual Tynedale Links liveried bus to be used?

Also noticed that existing Tynedale Links service 688 was also operated by a corporate liveried Scania L94UB Wright Solar - 4966.

Are Hexham short of Tynedale Links liveried vehicles for these services or are these to be re-painted? I just thought on the day of a launch of a new service that GNE would have a correct liveried vehicle for the service.

(03 Aug 2015, 8:36 pm)thetravelman wrote Why aren't the changes pleasing everyone, I personally think it seems quite good and I think it would be good to see further improvement in the Tyne Valley areas.

What are people not happy about?

However, the 882 Hexham to Colwell service, which currently operates six days a week, has been “thinned out” because it exceeds an acceptable level of subsidy.
Travel manager Kirsten Francis said to bring the service within the allowed funding levels, the small numbers of users would have to be diverted on to fewer buses.
The five journeys per day serving Barrasford, Gunnerton and Colwell would be reduce to two inward journeys to Hexham and two return journeys, allowing a three hour stay in Hexham.
This contract would be piloted by Go North East as service 682 until October 10, to enable officers to assess whether it offered good value for money, or whether it should be scrapped.

(03 Aug 2015, 9:14 pm)G-CPTN wrote I travelled on the 12:10 682 to Colwell via Barrasford.
The sole passenger that joined at Barrasford remarked that they had lost the '10 o'clock' bus to Hexham (09:44 arriving 10:09), which had been very popular, returning after a couple of hours in Hexham (12:25), whereas now the bus arrived in Hexham @ 1 o'clock (13:09) then left after just an hour (14:10) leaving insufficient time for shopping. The alternative was leaving Hexham @ 16:49 or an early morning (07:40 - 08:15) leaving Hexham @ 12:10.

The Snaith service fitted in with leaving and collecting children at school, whereas she now had only one hour in Hexham (less allowance for getting from and to the bus station - soon to be further away from the shops).
I understand that the GNE 882 is only on a trial for a month - with those timings it seems certain to fail to attract sufficient pax.

Snaith 882

GNE revised Tynedale services

(03 Aug 2015, 9:18 pm)BusLoverMum wrote I can do Durham in half an hour (though sometimes risk breaking part of me on the cobbles), so would have no problem getting Hexham over and done with in an hour!

I agree that sounds pretty crap if you do need to hang around and gossip longer, mind.

(03 Aug 2015, 9:31 pm)G-CPTN wrote Hexham has Tesco (and ALDI) down near the railway station, with a ten minute walk up a steep hill to the town centre shops.

I have been regularly doing ALDI from the railway station and back in half an hour, but cannot include town centre shops without taking more time (or not doing ALDI/Tesco).

The passenger that I spoke to has a toddler as well as two in school - dragging a toddler around Hexham takes longer, even with a pushchair.

(03 Aug 2015, 9:03 pm)thetravelman wrote I see from the photo on here, that the new Tynedale Links service 680 was operated by a corporate liveried Scania L95UB Wright Solar - 5229, is this to be the usual allocation or is an actual Tynedale Links liveried bus to be used?

Also noticed that existing Tynedale Links service 688 was also operated by a corporate liveried Scania L94UB Wright Solar - 4966.

Are Hexham short of Tynedale Links liveried vehicles for these services or are these to be re-painted? I just thought on the day of a launch of a new service that GNE would have a correct liveried vehicle for the service.

(03 Aug 2015, 9:07 pm)Tom wrote I think 5210 should have been allocated, but that was on the X84/X85, 5231 replaced a late running 8273 on the 74/687, and as you said 4966 was on the 688.

All over at Hexham today from a depot who is normally pretty good with allocations.

(03 Aug 2015, 8:36 pm)thetravelman wrote Why aren't the changes pleasing everyone, I personally think it seems quite good and I think it would be good to see further improvement in the Tyne Valley areas.

What are people not happy about?

As Tom has mentioned the 687 frequency has been reduced which may cause concern, baring this in mind will the 687 last much longer before GNE cease the service or combine it with another.

Does anyone know the reason why Tyne Valley Coaches, dropped their service runs? obviously it is to GNE favour !

(03 Aug 2015, 9:14 pm)G-CPTN wrote I travelled on the 12:10 682 to Colwell via Barrasford.
The sole passenger that joined at Barrasford remarked that they had lost the '10 o'clock' bus to Hexham (09:44 arriving 10:09), which had been very popular, returning after a couple of hours in Hexham (12:25), whereas now the bus arrived in Hexham @ 1 o'clock (13:09) then left after just an hour (14:10) leaving insufficient time for shopping. The alternative was leaving Hexham @ 16:49 or an early morning (07:40 - 08:15) leaving Hexham @ 12:10.

The Snaith service fitted in with leaving and collecting children at school, whereas she now had only one hour in Hexham (less allowance for getting from and to the bus station - soon to be further away from the shops).
I understand that the GNE 882 is only on a trial for a month - with those timings it seems certain to fail to attract sufficient pax.

Snaith 882

GNE revised Tynedale services

GNE-8247.JPG (Size 607.9 KB | Downloads 57)

(03 Aug 2015, 9:51 pm)thetravelman wrote Ah right, that does seem to be a bit strange and I can understand peoples concerns with the new timetable.

I wonder if GNE will be able to revise this, if the previous service worked well for the locals.

It would be a shame if GNE ceased this service due to low passenger numbers after a short time, if tweaking the timetable would sort the issue.

(03 Aug 2015, 9:52 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Another Cadet in the training school appears to be 8247.

(03 Aug 2015, 10:34 pm)R852 PRG wrote It has been since mid-July: https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/127739730@N02/18991401614/ (although there are no Driver Training stickers like the other examples, the modified seats can be seen and the bus was parked amongst other training vehicles at the time).

(03 Aug 2015, 9:58 pm)tyresmoke wrote Trouble is I guess trying to fit everyone's requirements around the limited resources available. Not everyone can have a bus into town at 10 and back at 12 when you're using 3 or 4 buses to cover 6 or 7 routes.

(03 Aug 2015, 8:22 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Are you on about the 'Tyneside Toughened' glass?

If so, it is used in vehicles all over the world - buses included.

http://www.tynesidesafetyglass.com/industries/transport.html

(03 Aug 2015, 11:18 pm)ne1eng wrote Re: NEXT STOP ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Used a couple of Quaylinks today. I'm all for NSAs but the Q3 I was on had slightly too loud NSAs and as previously mentioned each stop name is read out twice.
On the Q2 I was on it would say for example "Next stop, Gateshead Interchange", then on approach/arrival it would simply say "Gateshead Interchange". Seemed ok I guess but the Q3 I was on didn't say "Next stop". So it felt very repetitive, e.g "Regent Centre", them 1 minute later: "Regent Centre". I actually noticed 2 other passengers rolling their eyes at this.

Have to say I personally prefer the more professional Arriva Saphire NSAs, compared to GNE's overly local/yocal ones. (I like the Cobalt Clipper ones though). Wasn't impressed with Alan Robson's Quaylink NSAs despite not minding him on Night Owls.

Also when on a Citylink58 I couldn't tell what had changed with their NSAs? Anyone know?

Volunteering with Guide Dogs a little when not at work, I've learnt that hearing the destination of the bus is also important, as well as the approaching stop name. I can't see a London iBus style approach being popular here where they read the route number and destination EVERY time the doors close after a stop, but maybe after every 3rd stop it'd be okay? E.g, "58 to Hadrian Park. Next stop Civic Centre/University of Northumbria".
Thoughts, GNE officials?

(04 Aug 2015, 7:43 am)LeeCalder wrote On the subject of the Next Stop Announcements, If you type in "Go North East" on Twitter, the amount of people complaining about them is crazy! Especially the QuayLink ones. I know a lot of drivers that hate them as well.

I'm not so bothered about the Next Stop's on the Red Arrows, Cobalt Clipper, Angel, Fab56. However, the Lime, Red Kite and QuayLink I am not a fan of at all.

(04 Aug 2015, 7:50 am)aureolin wrote I take it none of those people complaining have disabilities, such as partial sight, though?

It's all about making the buses more accessible, and that's a great thing in my opinion

(04 Aug 2015, 7:50 am)aureolin wrote I take it none of those people complaining have disabilities, such as partial sight, though?

It's all about making the buses more accessible, and that's a great thing in my opinion

(04 Aug 2015, 7:50 am)aureolin wrote I take it none of those people complaining have disabilities, such as partial sight, though?

It's all about making the buses more accessible, and that's a great thing in my opinion