(27 May 2022, 4:22 pm)Rob44 changes f9or north tyneside and newcastle from 5th June. Looks like the 44 and 45 will only have 1 bus per hour to toon and another bus in that hour if they fancey going to toon via dininngton!

(27 May 2022, 4:42 pm)peter As with Darlington it's a temporary timetable changes due to driver shortages.

The 43 will be reduced to every 20 minutes Newcastle to Cramlington

The 44/45 will be revised to run a combined every 20 minute frequency. One bus an hour will go out to Dinnington as a 44 back to Newcastle as a 45, another will go out to Dinnington as a 45 back to Newcastle as a 44 and the last will go in and out as a 44. So the 44 still has two buses an hour, but now a 40/20 split rather than every 30 minutes, the 45 like you say will have one bus but passengers do have the option of catching the outbound bus that will go back inbound as a 44.

Full details here: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/temporary-changes-to-timetables-in-north-east

(27 May 2022, 4:46 pm)Rob44 So basically a sunday service 7 days a week with a few early buses ( hopefully)

(27 May 2022, 8:21 pm)Shrek I heard a month ago that Go Ahead had been pushing other companies to make cuts that would save Arriva/Stagecoach money that would also help GNE when they made their huge cuts. Basically they're hoping other companies making cuts will save their own bad PR. This was one of the moves they'd been pushing for. Very clever by GNE management. Make other areas suffer so you can maximise profits. I respect and hate your management in equal degree.

(27 May 2022, 8:21 pm)Shrek I heard a month ago that Go Ahead had been pushing other companies to make cuts that would save Arriva/Stagecoach money that would also help GNE when they made their huge cuts. Basically they're hoping other companies making cuts will save their own bad PR. This was one of the moves they'd been pushing for. Very clever by GNE management. Make other areas suffer so you can maximise profits. I respect and hate your management in equal degree.

(27 May 2022, 8:21 pm)Shrek I heard a month ago that Go Ahead had been pushing other companies to make cuts that would save Arriva/Stagecoach money that would also help GNE when they made their huge cuts. Basically they're hoping other companies making cuts will save their own bad PR. This was one of the moves they'd been pushing for. Very clever by GNE management. Make other areas suffer so you can maximise profits. I respect and hate your management in equal degree.

(28 May 2022, 12:17 pm)L469 YVK To give Arriva some credit, the evening timings of the 43/44/45 departures at xx:05, xx:25 and xx:25 are a sensible move with a 20 min core frequency and a 20/40 split with the 43/45 to Wideopen.

I've had my fair share of digs with Arriva but they're starting to get things right in Northumbria especially with the X8/X9 route swap between Blyth & Shankhouse. If they keep their fleet tidy (but not OTT), get rid of the deadwood services with some handy links created (i.e X8 replaced by X7 and a sister service to the 43) and push the post 11pm departures to Blyth & Ashington back more towards 23:20-23:30ish, they'd be on a winner without a great deal of effort or cost.

(28 May 2022, 11:52 pm)omnicity4659 I've driven back from Newcastle during Friday and Saturday nights, the Spine Road is heaving with taxis until around 3am...

Definitely a case for some after midnight departures as that's when those in Newcastle are prepared to leave, not 20 mins after the traditional departure. GNE may have seen this trend on the N21 and 56?

I was thinking of separate night bus routes that merge daytime ones together, so starting from Central Station, pick up at the Gate, and again at Barras Bridge before running X11 route up to Shankhouse, running to Bedlington then doing the X22 through to Ashington then X21 route to the Elephant. Perhaps continue to drop people off until North Seaton roundabout before running dead back to Newcastle to do it again...

I believe the local authorities want the 308 to run all night in the future too.

(28 May 2022, 10:02 pm)Driver9*** Why? So the drinkers get an extra 20 minutes in the pub? They tried an extra X10/11 leaving at 2340 a few years ago and it picked up next to nobody.

(08 Jun 2022, 8:15 pm)Rob44 I used the 44 to get to hazlerigg yesterday. QA the 1820 journey. Used this most of the time including before covid and was never as busy as it was yesterday. In fact the whole haymarket bus station had queues and I dont think there were any incidents. The only thing I notice was the 46 looks like it's been reduced and the number of customer that got off the bus from high street to top of polwarth drive confirmed this. Still a good load on when I got off in hazlerigg though

(23 Jun 2022, 11:58 am)ASX_Terranova According to Bustimes and VOSA, ANE are running a new 193 between Egton and Whitby. Weirdly though bustimes has it operating on the 24th Aug only. Is there a special event on in Whitby that wednesday.

(23 Jun 2022, 11:58 am)ASX_Terranova According to Bustimes and VOSA, ANE are running a new 193 between Egton and Whitby. Weirdly though bustimes has it operating on the 24th Aug only. Is there a special event on in Whitby that wednesday.

(23 Jun 2022, 12:04 pm)peter It's a special service that runs every year for Egton Show (though hasn't since 2019 due to COVID presumably)

(23 Jun 2022, 1:41 pm)ASX_Terranova What type of vehicle would normally be allocated to this.