(29 Sep 2015, 7:33 pm)47406 wrote I cannot quote for some reason on here, but I normally do cut and paste full details, not just links.

That will teach me

Perhaps waiting until 1st October for announcement.

(30 Sep 2015, 2:36 pm)Michael wrote Probables will be now, still think they should of announced them earlier due to the big changes to the network.

(30 Sep 2015, 2:36 pm)Michael wrote Wonder how the customers are going to re-act when they see them.

(30 Sep 2015, 2:59 pm)S813 FVK wrote Should they have been posted earlier though? I think you're too eager to see what is happening   

In all seriousness, I think 25 days is more than enough time for customers to read the changes.

(30 Sep 2015, 3:04 pm)Michael wrote Honestly, its not for some though, we know what people are like for not reading them!  

(30 Sep 2015, 3:21 pm)S813 FVK wrote Then that's their problem...?

We all know that the internet is becoming an essential part to our lives and this is shown by the fact that free WiFi is now becoming standard for cafes and buses etc. I therefore don't see how anybody won't have time to read a page of service changes in 25 days? Also, after the company have posted the changes on their website, they continuously post reminders on their social media pages informing customers along with a link to the website page with the changes on. If people don't read the changes anyway, I fail to see how posting them a few days earlier will help?

(30 Sep 2015, 3:29 pm)Michael wrote Not everyone has access to the internet though, sometimes when displayed on the buses, people find them hard to read or simply don't get the time - when getting on and off the bus or even if the bus is packed.... i think GNE should put a few notices on the buses about changes and not just at the front.

Social media, they they put the links up every few days or so for changes but people can still miss them.

(30 Sep 2015, 3:32 pm)S813 FVK wrote So what difference is putting the changes up a few days earlier going to do? Won't make them have access to the internet.

(30 Sep 2015, 3:37 pm)Michael wrote Well it was because of the size of the changes... i mean more than half of the Stanley services are changing... thought they would of put them on a little earlier because of that...people have work etc.... means they might have to get an earlier bus etc... which can effect other things such as childcare etc.... 


Changes like this i think should be announced a tad earlier, smaller changes should be announced closer but that's my opinion on it. =)

(30 Sep 2015, 3:49 pm)S813 FVK wrote It won't take that much longer to read compared to a normal set of changes? Apologies for not being able to see what you mean but i still have the opinion that most people (taking into account of those who don't have internet access) will have time in 25 days to sit down and read the changes, however big they are.

(30 Sep 2015, 3:37 pm)Michael wrote Well it was because of the size of the changes... i mean more than half of the Stanley services are changing... thought they would of put them on a little earlier because of that...people have work etc.... means they might have to get an earlier bus etc... which can effect other things such as childcare etc.... 


Changes like this i think should be announced a tad earlier, smaller changes should be announced closer but that's my opinion on it. =)

(30 Sep 2015, 3:56 pm)Dan wrote The flip side to the coin is that it can cause confusion if changes are announced too early.

A year or two ago, I remember having a conversation with an elderly passenger who had heard that a service had been withdrawn, when in reality it was only having its route changed in a few weeks' time. She was shocked when I told her that the current service wasn't due to be changed for a few weeks, and that she could continue to her destination as she usually would until x date.

With regards to putting more posters up on buses - you're quite limited to what you can do with printed material on buses, especially with changes as significant as these. The posters on buses often refer passengers to the website anyway, so those without Internet access are often made to find some way to read the changes online. This applies to other companies, too, not just Go North East.

(01 Oct 2015, 9:03 am)Dan wrote Changes to your Stanley network from 25 October 2015
http://www.simplygo.com/news/changes-to-your-stanley-network-from-25-october-2015

Note that services X30/X31/X32 will be morphed into the "Toonlink" brand, and the new brand name for services 6 and X70/X71 is "Northern".

(01 Oct 2015, 9:37 am)47406 wrote Stand F - 30 towards Lancheste

(01 Oct 2015, 12:41 pm)markydh wrote Surely Northern just means plain red corporate livery? That's what they've meant when they've used that phrase in the past. Which surprises me for such a major route. Unless it is earmarked for new vehicles at some stage in this financial year. Could they be using Scania deckers for now?

(01 Oct 2015, 1:04 pm)Andreos1 wrote There doesn't appear to be any mention of the via Ouston and Kibby express service, that had been discussed previously.

(01 Oct 2015, 1:04 pm)Andreos1 wrote There doesn't appear to be any mention of the via Ouston and Kibby express service, that had been discussed previously.

(01 Oct 2015, 3:01 pm)S813 FVK wrote Could the fact that services X30/X31/X32 being branded Toon Link man that the 11/12/12A will lose this brand?

(01 Oct 2015, 3:12 pm)thetravelman wrote I was wondering what vehicle type they will use, and since the frequency is going to every 15 minutes is it likely to get single deckers.

Will it get ToonLink branded buses or will it just come under the ToonLink heading, or as S813 FVK has just suggested - are the New 11/12/12a about to get a new brand??

(01 Oct 2015, 3:14 pm)S813 FVK wrote There are also 5293-5297 to think about too. Could they get repainted black for the X30/X31/X32? I think we will need to see the Gateshead changes posted first before we can extract a concrete theory about what might happen.