(10 Apr 2015, 6:57 pm)Malarkey wrote A Question which could lead to a Suggestion.

Does anyone think that the Biddick/Glebe and Fatfield Areas of Washington are over Bussed?

(10 Apr 2015, 7:02 pm)MrFozz wrote Does Fatfield and Glebe have the 2/2A(every 10 mins combined) and the 4(every 10 mins) in theory giving an average of a bus every 5 minutes?...

What are loadings like in that area? Does it justify such a frequency and what could be done to change it???

(10 Apr 2015, 7:52 pm)Malarkey wrote Yeah it does.

The 2 goes along Fatfield Riverside after coming over Fatfield Bridge and goes via Harraton and Lambton to Washington Galleries Every 20 Minutes, The 2A goes around Fallowfield Way and via Biddick to Washington Galleries Every 20 Minutes, The 4 goes the same route as the 2A but instead of going through Biddick, it goes through Glebe to Washington Galleries Every 10 Minutes.

Then you have the 8 which comes through Harraton and goes via Washington Arts Centre which is at the top of Fallowfield Way, then from there follows the Route of the 4 to Washington Galleries Every 30 Minutes.

So therefore from the Arts Centre you have 11 Buses Per Hour to Washington Galleries, Once you get to Biddick you have the 82/82A Every 15 Minutes and the 85 Every 30 Minutes, Adding a Further 6 Buses Per Hour, then coming through Glebe alongside the 4 and the 8 you have the 86 which Operates Every 30 Minutes Adding another 2 Buses Per Hour.

So to summarise.

11 Buses Per Hour from Washington Arts Centre(Fatfield Fallowfield Way) to Washington Galleries
9 Buses Per Hour from Biddick Village Centre to Washington Galleries
10 Buses Per Hour from Glebe Village Centre to Washington Galleries

(11 Apr 2015, 5:02 am)Andreos1 wrote And the 37 too.

(11 Apr 2015, 1:53 pm)Malarkey wrote I forgot about that.

Also if look at the 4 Stops nearest to Biddick Comp, which are situated on Fatfield Road/Parkway, You have within a Couple of Hundred Yards the 2A/4/8/37/82/82A and 85 all serving those Stops, which is a total of 17 Buses Per Hour during the Day, 9 of those Buses serve all 4 of those Stops, and if you were to add in the peak X1As then you have a total of 19 Buses going through that Area.

So in terms of Frequency you have a Bus Every 3 Minutes to Washington Galleries from Biddick Comp.

(11 Apr 2015, 3:27 pm)Andreos1 wrote How many through Albany, Oxclose and Lambton?
Even though I do agree with you and think there is overkill, I think it boils down to the location of those villages and their proximity to the town centre.

If you look at the likes of Bensham and Deckham, they have a very regular frequency of buses into Gateshead. The vast majority don't pick up/drop off too many in those areas - just like the ones through Biddick etc.

(11 Apr 2015, 3:54 pm)Malarkey wrote A full list of Vehicles Per Hour through the Housing Estates in Washington, Biddick/Glebe/Fatfield are in the Previous Post.

Lambton is 9 Per Hour - 2 (Every 20 Minutes) - 82/82A (Every 15 Minutes) - 50(Every 30 Minutes)
Ayton is 4 Per Hour - 82/82A (Every 15 Minutes)
Harraton is 7 Per Hour - 2 (Every 20 Minutes) - 82 (Every 30 Minutes) - 8 (Every 30 Minutes)
Rickleton is 4 Per Hour - 8 (Every 30 Minutes) - 82 (Every 30 Minutes)
Oxclose/Blackfell is 4 Per Hour - 85/86 (Every 15 Minutes)
Barmston is 4 Per Hour - 82/82A (Every 15 Minutes)
Brady Square/Barmston Court is 2 Per Hour - 85/86 (Every 30 Minutes)
Sulgrave is 9 Per Hour - 56 (Every 12 Minutes) - 50 (Every 30 Minutes) - 37 (Hourly)
Albany is 8 Per Hour (9 on a Saturday) - 4 (Every 10 Minutes) - 50 (Every 30 Minutes - X88 (Hourly)

(11 Apr 2015, 4:12 pm)Andreos1 wrote Sorry Malarkey, forgot about you doing some of them already.

If you look at those closest to the Galleries and Concord, the frequency increases, compared to the outlying villages - in the majority of cases.

(11 Apr 2015, 4:21 pm)Malarkey wrote Lambton, Albany and Sulgrave being the obvious ones on the list I have done, it is quite odd how the frequency drops dramatically in the outlying villages, are there any other Areas in the North East Bus Network where there is similar occurrences of what we have found in the Washington Area.

(11 Apr 2015, 4:30 pm)Andreos1 wrote What about round Chester?
Pelton/South Pelaw vs Garden Farm, Pelton Fell and Riverside?

Gateshead town centre is well served from all directions.

Sunderland and Newcastle?
Obviously each operator has it's own patch.

Durham.
GNE have the north, north west and east covered well, less so from the south west and nowt from the south, or west.

(11 Apr 2015, 4:38 pm)Dan wrote From Stagecoach in Sunderland's Wheatsheaf Depot into the City Centre, there are 61 buses per hour.

Stagecoach:
3 (6)
4 (6)
13 (6)
16 (6)
18 (2)
23 (6)
E1 (3)
E2 (3)
E6 (3)
Total (39)

Go North East:
9 (4)
20/20A (6)
35 (2)
36 (2)
56 (6) "Someone is forgetting the 56 now operates Every 12 Minutes  "
X36 (2)
Total (22)

If you wish to include the 700 from the Stadium of Light, add another 4. Throw the Metro in, and you've got another 5 trains per hour to get you into the City Centre.


There is no way customer demand would justify a bus every minute, but we have such a high level of traffic flowing through as crossing the Wearmouth Bridge is the main corridor into the City Centre. The same applies to the villages such as Lambton, and as you've said, it's due to their close proximity to the main 'hub' (Washington Galleries).

(18 Apr 2015, 9:51 pm)Malarkey wrote Been bored for most of the evening, so I decided to dig out the "Paper Timetables" as my Computer doesnt seem to like opening them via Simplygo,com at the moment, but never mind here is what I have come up with.

34 - Durham - Framwellgate Moor - Findon Hill - Langley Park - Witton Gilbert - Sacriston - Edmondsley - Waldridge Park - Chester le Street - South Pelaw - Pelton - Perkinsville - Ouston - Urpeth Grange

34A - Durham - Framwellgate Moor - Arnison Centre - Nettlesworth - Chester Moor - Waldridge Park - Chester le Street - South Pelaw - Pelton - Perkinsville - Ouston - Urpeth Grange

X21 - Newcastle - Gateshead - Q.E. Hospital - Wrekenton - Portobello - Barley Mow - Chester le Street - Framwellgate Moor - Durham - Croxdale - Spennymoor - Bishop Auckland

Services 13/14 and X25 Merge with Services 34/34A operating from Durham to Urpeth Grange Every 15 Minutes, Service X25 will also merge into the Revised X21 Service Operating Every 15 Minutes.

X8 - Consett - Leadgate - Annfield Plain - Stanley - A693(Non-Stop) - Beamish - A693(Non-Stop) - Chester le Street - Great Lumley - Fence Houses - Houghton le Spring - Doxford International - Barnes Park - Sunderland 
Operating Hourly Monday to Saturday

47 - Consett - Number One - Shotley Bridge - Ebchester - Hamerstley - Blackhall Mill - Chopwell - High Spen - Highfield - Rowlands Gill - MetroCentre - Teams - Newcastle
Operating Every 30 Minutes, Extending from Blackhall Mill to Consett replacing Service V9 as previously discussed in other Threads.

130 - Lanchester - Burnhope - Quaking Houses - South Moor - South Stanley - Stanley - Acton Dene - Stanley Hall Estate
Merged with Services  131/704, operating from South Moor via Charles Street and Avon Road to/from Stanley then on wards to Stanley Hall Estate via Acton Dene, Operating Every 30 Minutes.

(19 Apr 2015, 7:55 am)Robert wrote The 34 will be doubling back on itself. If it follows the current 14 route to Langley Park it would need to do this: Sacriston - Witton Gilbert - Langley Park - Witton Gilbert - Sacriston and carry on with proposed route.

(19 Apr 2015, 7:55 am)Robert wrote The 34 will be doubling back on itself. If it follows the current 14 route to Langley Park it would need to do this: Sacriston - Witton Gilbert - Langley Park - Witton Gilbert - Sacriston and carry on with proposed route.

(19 Apr 2015, 3:19 pm)Malarkey wrote Thanks for pointing this out, I am guessing that the X25/13&14 Interworkings would be like the above then before heading towards either Newcastle or Durham.

Revised Idea for the 34/34A
34 - Durham - Bearpark - Urshaw College - Hill Top - Langley Park - Witton Gilbert - Sacriston - Edmondsley - Waldridge Park - Chester le Street - South Pelaw - Pelton - Perkinsville - Ouston - Urpeth Grange

Durham to Langley Park = 14 Minutes
Langley Park to Waldridge = 14 Minutes
Waldridge to Chester le Street = 9 Minutes
Chester le Street to Urpeth Grange = 17 Minutes
Total Journey Time = 54 Minutes

(20 Apr 2015, 7:13 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote I'd like to see Go North East expand the operations at the outstation at Crook, and maybe venture in Durham a bit to provide some competition with Arriva (who, I gather, neglect some of their local services in that part of the region). Obviously, I don't know if any of these would be worthwhile, as I'm only an occasional visitor to Bishop Auckland, Darlington, etc. but here goes (not all suggestions are services, but hey ho!);

- An express service between Darlington and Newcastle, calling at Durham, Chester-le-Street and Gateshead. Possibly could be brought under the ''Pronto'' brand, with the number X23. Would try and use the fastest possible way of connecting Darlington and Durham, then basically the X21 route from Durham all the way to Newcastle, running hourly. If the ''Pronto'' service was to receive investment in coming time, I would like to see a service like this come through and expand the brand somehow. 

- The current ''Pronto'' brand to be renamed ''OK'', as it would tie in with the ''OK Way'' 18 service in Bishop Auckland, and so bring the whole depot's operations under one significant and (in local areas anyway!) famous brand name. The X21 and X23 services would all fall under this ''OK'' name. 

- Add onto this a service on a local level, possibly hourly, between Bishop Auckland and Durham (possibly shortening the X21's journey time between the two), serving locations such as Ferryhill, etc, and Crook have quite a bit of scope. 

Just a few ideas, not really one to make a serious presence in this thread, so let me know what you think.

(18 Apr 2015, 9:51 pm)Malarkey wrote X8 - Consett - Leadgate - Annfield Plain - Stanley - A693(Non-Stop) - Beamish - A693(Non-Stop) - Chester le Street - Great Lumley - Fence Houses - Houghton le Spring - Doxford International - Barnes Park - Sunderland 
Operating Hourly Monday to Saturday.

(06 May 2015, 5:07 pm)MrFozz wrote Working on some suggestions...

Based around Phase 2 of Dalton Park...

I think I may self diagnose myself with Double M Disorder* for one suggestion

*Double M Disorder=Malarkey Marathon Disorder

All will be revealed in due course when I figure things out