(06 Apr 2024, 8:24 am)MetrolineGA1511 wrote There is a change coming to the Mayoralty in the North East.

The post of North of Tyne Mayor, currently held by Jamie Driscoll, is being abolished.

In its place is a new vacancy for Mayor for the North East.  The area covered will basically be Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and County Durham, excluding Darlington which comes under the remit of the Tees Valley Mayor.

Jamie has not been selected as the Labour candidate and will stand as an independent.  The Labour candidate will be Kim McGuinness.

(10 Apr 2024, 8:34 pm)busmanT wrote  Both Jamie and Kim will, if they win, introduce bus franchising.
Kim has already announced that if she wins the franchised bus network will be called the “Angel Network”.
Buses will be in the same livery as Metro trains ie mostly yellow.

(11 Apr 2024, 2:18 am)deanmachine wrote Like I said on a different thread previously, I really hope the entire network is looked at properly, not just buses but a proper integration of Rail, Metro and Bus. More importantly, I hope it isn't just Nexus given the keys to the lot for them to do what they've done to the Metro, there needs to be more reforming then just painting the buses yellow again.

(10 Apr 2024, 8:34 pm)busmanT wrote  Both Jamie and Kim will, if they win, introduce bus franchising.
Kim has already announced that if she wins the franchised bus network will be called the “Angel Network”.
Buses will be in the same livery as Metro trains ie mostly yellow.

(11 Apr 2024, 2:18 am)deanmachine wrote Like I said on a different thread previously, I really hope the entire network is looked at properly, not just buses but a proper integration of Rail, Metro and Bus. More importantly, I hope it isn't just Nexus given the keys to the lot for them to do what they've done to the Metro, there needs to be more reforming then just painting the buses yellow again.

(11 Apr 2024, 12:49 pm)Storx wrote I hope they scrap the ridiculous 'Angel'. It doesn't represent the North East, at all, and would just show Tyneside bias like pretty much anything like this.

You don't go to Paris and get the Eiffel Bus. It's just not needed at all and pointless. The Bee Network in Manchester is bad enough.

I'd assume it would be the 'expertise' at Transport North East who would take the reins rather than Nexus though.

(11 Apr 2024, 2:11 pm)Adrian wrote I make no secret about being a big supporter of Jamie Driscoll, but I hope whoever gets in, the first thing they realise is that this never-ending pointless branding just doesn't work. It doesn't need to be branded anything other than 'Transport North East' or whatever the trading name is.

As for colour scheme, then yes, I'd say it makes sense to paint them similar to the Metro, but it's really the least of our worries with the current network.

(11 Apr 2024, 12:49 pm)Storx wrote I hope they scrap the ridiculous 'Angel'. It doesn't represent the North East, at all, and would just show Tyneside bias like pretty much anything like this.

You don't go to Paris and get the Eiffel Bus. It's just not needed at all and pointless. The Bee Network in Manchester is bad enough.

I'd assume it would be the 'expertise' at Transport North East who would take the reins rather than Nexus though.

(11 Apr 2024, 6:47 pm)busmanT wrote Transport North East is not directly involved in bus network planning - that’s the responsibility of Nexus, Durham and Northumberland County Councils and there is no indication that this will change.

(11 Apr 2024, 2:11 pm)Adrian wrote From the transport hustings I attended in Newcastle, the Lib Dem and Green candidate also supported the idea of a franchised bus network.

The Tory, perhaps as expected, spoke a lot about caution about punishing motorists (which I think is the national narrative?) and the Reform candidate didn't really for or against the model, but towed some of the same line as the Tory about motorists.


It needs to be, but I think realistically it'll be taken over largely as is, then gradual reforms and changes made.

There'll be a lot for everyone to learn, if we're to move forward with this model, and I think one of the biggest decisions will be ensuring we've got the right management in place. As things stand, I'm not convinced we do have. We've a Joint Transport Committee that make the decisions, without a single public transport user amongst them. I think Gannon and Hughes only see a bus when they're stood between it and a camera.


I make no secret about being a big supporter of Jamie Driscoll, but I hope whoever gets in, the first thing they realise is that this never-ending pointless branding just doesn't work. It doesn't need to be branded anything other than 'Transport North East' or whatever the trading name is.

As for colour scheme, then yes, I'd say it makes sense to paint them similar to the Metro, but it's really the least of our worries with the current network. 

(10 Apr 2024, 8:34 pm)busmanT wrote  Both Jamie and Kim will, if they win, introduce bus franchising.
Kim has already announced that if she wins the franchised bus network will be called the “Angel Network”.
Buses will be in the same livery as Metro trains ie mostly yellow.

(20 Apr 2024, 8:42 am)MetrolineGA1511 wrote This means that 3 franchised networks - Manchester, Merseyside, North East - will have yellow buses.

Admittedly these to some extent match the colours of Metrolink, MerseyRail and Metro respectively.  So this will provide the appearance of integrated transport in the area.

(03 May 2024, 1:50 pm)deanmachine wrote And McGuinness has won in the North East. Angel Bus Network here we come. 

Disappointing personally. I'm not sure it'll be too integrated like what Driscoll was promising.

(03 May 2024, 3:48 pm)Shrek wrote Personally I think people needed to stop believing Driscoll was going to deliver anything. I looked really hard into a lot of his claims, and all I found was a lot of fudged statistics. 

Whether McGuinness will be any better, who knows. But I'm happy to give her a shot. She can't be any worse than Driscoll and at least is more visible than he is.

(03 May 2024, 3:48 pm)Shrek wrote Personally I think people needed to stop believing Driscoll was going to deliver anything. I looked really hard into a lot of his claims, and all I found was a lot of fudged statistics. 

Whether McGuinness will be any better, who knows. But I'm happy to give her a shot. She can't be any worse than Driscoll and at least is more visible than he is.

(04 May 2024, 1:48 am)deanmachine wrote Disagree she can't be any worse. People keep saying that Labour won't give us any money if we don't vote for her, when the deal was already done and the cash already available. I do hope it brings us better public transport at the least, but I'm not sure it's better than the alternative we could have had.

(04 May 2024, 6:18 am)Storx wrote I have very low expectations personally. It's obviously the likes of Gammon will be in charge now and Nexus which is fully operated by Labour councils is such a fantastic operation aswell.

Like Turkeys voting for Christmas in transport terms.

The fact one of her manifestos was to do an app just sums it up, there's been nothing stopping them doing it anyway. Other areas have managed to do it, it's literally the point of the stuff like the BSIP which we've chose to waste of pointless bus stations and bus routes to Mars.

(04 May 2024, 9:18 am)MetrolineGA1511 wrote Given that Kim plans to franchise buses over the whole of her area, I wonder whether Nexus will continue to exist as such.  We can still have a local management for Metro and some local tickets/fares for days restricted to Tyne & Wear.

There are rumours that even in Newcastle Kim got more votes than Jamie.  So, has the job of North of Tyne Mayor continued and they both gone head to head, Kim might even have been voted in by the electorate in this more restricted area.

(04 May 2024, 9:18 am)MetrolineGA1511 wrote Given that Kim plans to franchise buses over the whole of her area, I wonder whether Nexus will continue to exist as such.  We can still have a local management for Metro and some local tickets/fares for days restricted to Tyne & Wear.

There are rumours that even in Newcastle Kim got more votes than Jamie.  So, has the job of North of Tyne Mayor continued and they both gone head to head, Kim might even have been voted in by the electorate in this more restricted area.

(06 May 2024, 11:59 am)markydh wrote Newcastle
McGuiness - 26,429
Driscoll - 25,018

North Tyneside
McGuiness - 24,858
Driscoll - 18,325

Northumberland
McGuinness - 27,992
Driscoll - 22,716

McGuinness would therefore have beaten Driscoll in the smaller North of Tyne area.

(04 May 2024, 9:18 am)MetrolineGA1511 wrote Given that Kim plans to franchise buses over the whole of her area, I wonder whether Nexus will continue to exist as such.  We can still have a local management for Metro and some local tickets/fares for days restricted to Tyne & Wear.

There are rumours that even in Newcastle Kim got more votes than Jamie.  So, has the job of North of Tyne Mayor continued and they both gone head to head, Kim might even have been voted in by the electorate in this more restricted area.

(26 May 2024, 3:34 pm)F114TML wrote What would that mean for services that cross into T&W if Durham and Northumbria say no.

(26 May 2024, 8:16 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Are the 34s contracted? Or are they also Consett, now?