So as discussed in the thread regarding fleet allocation changes to the X9/X10, it looks like 6352-55 are going to be allocated on the X9/X10. Furthermore, it's still unknown whether or not the frequency will change meaning that the X9 gets dropped and only the X10 runs covering both routes. If the latter does happen, a suggested re-shuffle (although requiring repaints) would no doubt bring some stability to the network and actually deliver reliability improvements as well as still providing spares too for Euro 6. The suggestion would depend whether or not the Consett Evening & Sunday interworking patterns could be altered and by the looks of it unless I've missed anything out, it appears they could.

Evening X45/47 - not including earlier X46 and 47A journeys
Newcastle (X45): 00:35
Consett (X45): 01:30
Consett (47): 01:45
Newcastle (47): 02:55
Newcastle (47): 03:05
Consett (47): 04:17
Consett (X45): 04:32
Newcastle (X45): 05:25

Evening & Sunday X30/X72 (Diagram 1) - Similar to the old 6/X30 evening interworking pattern
Newcastle (X30): 00:25
Stanley (X30): 01:01 (Sunday 01:02)
Stanley (X72): 01:15 (Sunday 01:12)
Newcastle (X72): 02:08

Evening & Sunday X30/X72 (Diagram 2) - Similar to the old 6/X30 evening interworking pattern
Newcastle (X72): 00:55
Stanley (X72): 01:48
Stanley (X30): 02:02 (Sunday 02:00)
Newcastle (X30): 02:38

Sunday X45/X46/47/47A (Diagram 1)
Newcastle (47): 00:15
Consett (47): 01:28
Consett (X46): 01:35
Newcastle (X46): 02:36
Newcastle (47A): 02:45
Consett (47A) 03:59
Consett (X45): 04:05
Newcastle (X45): 05:06

Sunday X45/X46/47/47A (Diagram 2)
Newcastle (X45): 00:00
Consett (X45): 00:57
Consett (47): 01:09
Newcastle (47): 02:21
Newcastle (X46): 02:30
Consett (X46): 03:28
Consett (47A): 03:37
Newcastle (47A): 04:51

---

Service changes
X30/X31 (PVR 5)- Revised to operate standalone from X70/X71/X72 during at least Monday to Saturday daytimes. Revised timetable with more recovery and layover time at both ends of the route.

X70/X71/X72 (PVR 7)- Revised to operate standalone from X30/X31 during at least Monday to Saturday daytimes. Revised timetable with more recovery and layover time.

ADL E400MMC
6336-37 - Consett - Spare
6338-42 - Consett - X30/X31
6343-51 - Chester Le Street - X21
6352-55 - Riverside - X10 (X9 is dropped and PVR reduces to 4x)

Volvo B5TL
6308-14 - Consett - X70/X71/X72
6334-35 - Consett - Spare

Wright StreetDeck
6331 - Consett - X45/X46 (stays at Consett)
6332 - Consett - Spare (stays at Consett)
6333 - Chester Le Street - Spare
6377 - Riverside - Spare

But if the X30/X31 were ever to be made standalone from the X70/X71/X72 and the X21 was allocated E400MMCs, would it not make sense to run the X30/X31 out of Chester Le Street Depot given the driver changeover needed at Stanley as well as keeping the bulk of E400MMCs together for flexibility? Stanley to CLS is less dead mileage in the pool van compared from Stanley to Hownsgill. The only slightly increased dead mileage would be any evening / Sunday X72 journeys which start and finish at Crookgate.

(21 Dec 2021, 12:18 am)L469 YVK wrote So as discussed in the thread regarding fleet allocation changes to the X9/X10, it looks like 6352-55 are going to be allocated on the X9/X10. Furthermore, it's still unknown whether or not the frequency will change meaning that the X9 gets dropped and only the X10 runs covering both routes. If the latter does happen, a suggested re-shuffle (although requiring repaints) would no doubt bring some stability to the network and actually deliver reliability improvements as well as still providing spares too for Euro 6. The suggestion would depend whether or not the Consett Evening & Sunday interworking patterns could be altered and by the looks of it unless I've missed anything out, it appears they could.

Evening X45/47 - not including earlier X46 and 47A journeys
Newcastle (X45): 00:35
Consett (X45): 01:30
Consett (47): 01:45
Newcastle (47): 02:55
Newcastle (47): 03:05
Consett (47): 04:17
Consett (X45): 04:32
Newcastle (X45): 05:25

Evening & Sunday X30/X72 (Diagram 1) - Similar to the old 6/X30 evening interworking pattern
Newcastle (X30): 00:25
Stanley (X30): 01:01 (Sunday 01:02)
Stanley (X72): 01:15 (Sunday 01:12)
Newcastle (X72): 02:08

Evening & Sunday X30/X72 (Diagram 2) - Similar to the old 6/X30 evening interworking pattern
Newcastle (X72): 00:55
Stanley (X72): 01:48
Stanley (X30): 02:02 (Sunday 02:00)
Newcastle (X30): 02:38

Sunday X45/X46/47/47A (Diagram 1)
Newcastle (47): 00:15
Consett (47): 01:28
Consett (X46): 01:35
Newcastle (X46): 02:36
Newcastle (47A): 02:45
Consett (47A) 03:59
Consett (X45): 04:05
Newcastle (X45): 05:06

Sunday X45/X46/47/47A (Diagram 2)
Newcastle (X45): 00:00
Consett (X45): 00:57
Consett (47): 01:09
Newcastle (47): 02:21
Newcastle (X46): 02:30
Consett (X46): 03:28
Consett (47A): 03:37
Newcastle (47A): 04:51

---

Service changes
X30/X31 (PVR 5)- Revised to operate standalone from X70/X71/X72 during at least Monday to Saturday daytimes. Revised timetable with more recovery and layover time at both ends of the route.

X70/X71/X72 (PVR 7)- Revised to operate standalone from X30/X31 during at least Monday to Saturday daytimes. Revised timetable with more recovery and layover time.

ADL E400MMC
6336-37 - Consett - Spare
6338-42 - Consett - X30/X31
6343-51 - Chester Le Street - X21
6352-55 - Riverside - X10 (X9 is dropped and PVR reduces to 4x)

Volvo B5TL
6308-14 - Consett - X70/X71/X72
6334-35 - Consett - Spare

Wright StreetDeck
6331 - Consett - X45/X46 (stays at Consett)
6332 - Consett - Spare (stays at Consett)
6333 - Chester Le Street - Spare
6377 - Riverside - Spare

Its all good writing plans, however X46/46/47/47A are always late.

(22 Dec 2021, 7:54 am)Keeiajs wrote Its all good writing plans, however X46/46/47/47A are always late.

X45/X46 only need another bus thrown in the PVR with increased recovery time. It is however tricky as that would tip the driving hours to 5 hours as the X45/X46 don't have another service they can interwork with. 

Furrhermore, anytime spent in the pool van / float vehicle to and from Consett Bus Station to Hownsgill would need accounted for unless a shuttle operates?

(22 Dec 2021, 10:57 am)L469 YVK wrote X45/X46 only need another bus thrown in the PVR with increased recovery time. It is however tricky as that would tip the driving hours to 5 hours as the X45/X46 don't have another service they can interwork with. 

Furrhermore, anytime spent in the pool van / float vehicle to and from Consett Bus Station to Hownsgill would need accounted for unless a shuttle operates?

Changes in January to X45 & X46 also to 47/47a to improve reliability. Personally cant see additional resources being added or any work being shifted out to CLS, they are suffering driver issues as well as Consett.

(22 Dec 2021, 3:10 pm)Stanleyone wrote Changes in January to X45 & X46 also to 47/47a to improve reliability. Personally cant see additional resources being added or any work being shifted out to CLS, they are suffering driver issues as well as Consett.

As in this January?

(22 Dec 2021, 3:10 pm)Stanleyone wrote Changes in January to X45 & X46 also to 47/47a to improve reliability. Personally cant see additional resources being added or any work being shifted out to CLS, they are suffering driver issues as well as Consett.

Quick fix.
Except it still won't get people out of their cars. It's not enough.

(22 Dec 2021, 3:10 pm)Stanleyone wrote Changes in January to X45 & X46 also to 47/47a to improve reliability. Personally cant see additional resources being added or any work being shifted out to CLS, they are suffering driver issues as well as Consett.

But how will reliability improve without additional resources (i.e PVR increase)?

(22 Dec 2021, 6:20 pm)L469 YVK wrote But how will reliability improve without additional resources (i.e PVR increase)?

Who said they'd add buses? That's not what GNE have done recently, they've done the opposite.

(22 Dec 2021, 6:26 pm)deanmachine wrote Who said they'd add buses? That's not what GNE have done recently, they've done the opposite.

Any examples? (No offence just can't think of any)

(22 Dec 2021, 7:01 pm)Keeiajs wrote Any examples? (No offence just can't think of any)

 
20, 56, 60 were all dropped from every 10 minutes to every 12 to improve reliability.

(22 Dec 2021, 7:11 pm)deanmachine wrote  
20, 56, 60 were all dropped from every 10 minutes to every 12 to improve reliability.

In all fairness, the 20/60/56 can all manage to be put back to every 10 mins, and 56 to every 12 considering 60 has atleast 5 mins layover at Sunderland, 56 has like a 15, and 20 going to South Sheilds/DUrham from Sunderland atleast have 5 mins.

(22 Dec 2021, 6:26 pm)deanmachine wrote Who said they'd add buses? That's not what GNE have done recently, they've done the opposite.

Only thing they could do I suppose to help keep driving cycles within legal limits unless they shortened the round trips would be to make the X45 every 20/40 minutes and the X46 every 60 minutes (similar to the X30/X31). That would then increase the round trip time from 2hr15m to 2hr20m and that would keep drivers under 5hr30m legal limit with 50 mins leeway based on a driver doing 2x round trips.

(22 Dec 2021, 8:57 pm)L469 YVK wrote Only thing they could do I suppose to help keep driving cycles within legal limits unless they shortened the round trips would be to make the X45 every 20/40 minutes and the X46 every 60 minutes (similar to the X30/X31). That would then increase the round trip time from 2hr15m to 2hr20m and that would keep drivers under 5hr30m legal limit with 50 mins leeway based on a driver doing 2x round trips.

After 5 hours 30 mins, what length of break are you required ?

(22 Dec 2021, 9:12 pm)Keeiajs wrote After 5 hours 30 mins, what length of break are you required ?

I don't know the domestic rules fully but that's one of them and it includes any time spent driving an ancillary vehicle too.

(22 Dec 2021, 9:12 pm)Keeiajs wrote After 5 hours 30 mins, what length of break are you required ?

30 minutes.


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I have noticed recently on Quack 77 website  that several buses from Go south coast and Go london were shown as withdrawn then re allocated to Go north east then withdrawn again and  back to their respective depots all on the same day, the week before it was a Metrobus streetlight. Does anyone know the reason behind this as it is obvious the vehicles never left their original companies. I thought it my be Go North East looking for suitable used vehicles within the company to replace the oldest vehicles in the North East. I know also that Quack 77 is not the most accurate website but it has happened a couple of times now so there has to be some reason for it.

(29 Dec 2021, 11:51 am)ian foster wrote I have noticed recently on Quack 77 website  that several buses from Go south coast and Go london were shown as withdrawn then re allocated to Go north east then withdrawn again and  back to their respective depots all on the same day, the week before it was a Metrobus streetlight. Does anyone know the reason behind this as it is obvious the vehicles never left their original companies. I thought it my be Go North East looking for suitable used vehicles within the company to replace the oldest vehicles in the North East. I know also that Quack 77 is not the most accurate website but it has happened a couple of times now so there has to be some reason for it.

There is no intention to take any buses from other parts of Go-Ahead at the moment, so just Quack77 being its usual unreliable self!


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The issue with Quack77 is that anyone can edit the information to display what they want it to display. Unfortunatley this leads to either people trolling the veg or people playing fantasy bus companies.

(29 Dec 2021, 11:51 am)ian foster wrote I have noticed recently on Quack 77 website  that several buses from Go south coast and Go london were shown as withdrawn then re allocated to Go north east then withdrawn again and  back to their respective depots all on the same day, the week before it was a Metrobus streetlight. Does anyone know the reason behind this as it is obvious the vehicles never left their original companies. I thought it my be Go North East looking for suitable used vehicles within the company to replace the oldest vehicles in the North East. I know also that Quack 77 is not the most accurate website but it has happened a couple of times now so there has to be some reason for it.

Don't listen to them, they have got more things wrong than right..