Seen this on facebook:

Fare increase + children under 11 go free during the 6 weeks holidays.

(09 Jul 2024, 6:29 pm)Michael wrote Seen this on facebook:

Fare increase + children under 11 go free during the 6 weeks holidays.

Guessing the Coast Road partnership is abandoned already then as I don't see how they can have fares undercutting the Arriva services again. It's surely against the partnership.

Interesting to note the equivilant Arriva tickets, also don't mention the 307/309 either.

The quicker we can get rid of these two, the better, as they really don't offer anything positive lately. Just strikes, poor fleets, price increases and generally crap service across the board.

(09 Jul 2024, 7:13 pm)Storx wrote Guessing the Coast Road partnership is abandoned already then as I don't see how they can have fares undercutting the Arriva services again. It's surely against the partnership.

Interesting to note the equivilant Arriva tickets, also don't mention the 307/309 either.

The quicker we can get rid of these two, the better, as they really don't offer anything positive lately. Just strikes, poor fleets, price increases and generally crap service across the board.

But with the newer NECA day tickets and £2 single fares, does individual pricing really matter?

I do see your point nevertheless!

---

Also, very interesting that GNE mention the Cobalt & Coast ticket also being valid on the 41/41A.

Could this be a sign that GNE are going to withdraw the 307 from Hadrian Park in the future either for quicker journey times, or to ramp up Cobalt to Newcastle with a 10 minute service and the 307 going via Norham Road North & Cobalt instead?

Would be a very stupid mistake if they did as no doubt Stagecoach would capitalise on the Hadrian Park > Wallsend > Newcastle corridor, effectively killing off the 41/41A as a commercial service during the day.

(09 Jul 2024, 7:13 pm)Storx wrote Guessing the Coast Road partnership is abandoned already then as I don't see how they can have fares undercutting the Arriva services again. It's surely against the partnership.

Interesting to note the equivilant Arriva tickets, also don't mention the 307/309 either.

The quicker we can get rid of these two, the better, as they really don't offer anything positive lately. Just strikes, poor fleets, price increases and generally crap service across the board.

The North Tyneside fares are going up by 40p so surely they’re undercutting them already if the fares are remaining the same.

If the Cobalt ticket is valid on the X39 it could tempt people back onto the 22X (well that and using better stock)

(09 Jul 2024, 7:36 pm)L469 YVK wrote But with the newer NECA day tickets and £2 single fares, does individual pricing really matter?

I do see your point nevertheless!

---

Also, very interesting that GNE mention the Cobalt & Coast ticket also being valid on the 41/41A.

Could this be a sign that GNE are going to withdraw the 307 from Hadrian Park in the future either for quicker journey times, or to ramp up Cobalt to Newcastle with a 10 minute service and the 307 going via Norham Road North & Cobalt instead?

Would be a very stupid mistake if they did as no doubt Stagecoach would capitalise on the Hadrian Park > Wallsend > Newcastle corridor, effectively killing off the 41/41A as a commercial service during the day.

Oh don't start with this. A ticket price means the 307 is going out of Hadrian Park guys. We need this information down. Also guys I've seen there is less than a few Cobalt. Measn the 22 is going into Hadrian Park 

Stop mentioning it fgs it's getting annoying.

(09 Jul 2024, 8:13 pm)Aaron21 wrote Oh don't start with this. A ticket price means the 307 is going out of Hadrian Park guys. We need this information down. Also guys I've seen there is less than a few Cobalt. Measn the 22 is going into Hadrian Park 

Stop mentioning it fgs it's getting annoying.

Calm down, not saying that any route changes are planned! Could just be GNE looking to offer better value including the 41/41A given that they follow the same route as the 307 Hadrian Park to High Farm.

But going by GNE's previous attitudes towards the hub & spoke model and forcing passengers to change buses.........it's only fair to question GNE's motives behind this. Could they make the ticket available and then do a sting in the tail down the line? 1x less fuel hungry B9TL on the road and all that!

(09 Jul 2024, 7:55 pm)Thomas12 wrote The North Tyneside fares are going up by 40p so surely they’re undercutting them already if the fares are remaining the same.

Yeah that's true but I always though that any exclusive tickets have to be valid on the opposite services so this ticket has to include the 306/308 and the Arriva opposite has to include the 307/309. Obviously the North Tyne tickets do that anyway.

Route savers shouldn't exist for the 307/309 or 306/308 only, it literally defeats the point of the partnership.

Whether the Arriva one includes the 307/309, who knows, as it still mentions the X6 which got scrapped nearly 5 year ago now.

(09 Jul 2024, 7:36 pm)L469 YVK wrote But with the newer NECA day tickets and £2 single fares, does individual pricing really matter?

I do see your point nevertheless!

---

Also, very interesting that GNE mention the Cobalt & Coast ticket also being valid on the 41/41A.

Could this be a sign that GNE are going to withdraw the 307 from Hadrian Park in the future either for quicker journey times, or to ramp up Cobalt to Newcastle with a 10 minute service and the 307 going via Norham Road North & Cobalt instead?

Would be a very stupid mistake if they did as no doubt Stagecoach would capitalise on the Hadrian Park > Wallsend > Newcastle corridor, effectively killing off the 41/41A as a commercial service during the day.

Not too sure to be honest, but the 41/41A is an interesting one, guessing they're trying to boost the numbers on both maybe since it's pretty much the only other service in the area.

(09 Jul 2024, 9:19 pm)Storx wrote Not too sure to be honest, but the 41/41A is an interesting one, guessing they're trying to boost the numbers on both maybe since it's pretty much the only other service in the area.

Maybe, but also quite an interesting one given GNE's approaches to hub & spoke in other areas. If GNE omitted Hadrian Park and coordinated the 41/41A with the 307 & 309 in Battle Hill, that would be wages and fuel saved.

I don't think GNE would touch the 307 given that they effectively had the 57/58 carrying fresh air on the Newcastle - Hadrian Park stretch for the best part of 10 years. That would've been a more substantial saving to trigger a hub & spoke approach.

(09 Jul 2024, 9:27 pm)L469 YVK wrote Maybe, but also quite an interesting one given GNE's approaches to hub & spoke in other areas. If GNE omitted Hadrian Park and coordinated the 41/41A with the 307 & 309 in Battle Hill, that would be wages and fuel saved.

I don't think GNE would touch the 307 given that they effectively had the 57/58 carrying fresh air on the Newcastle - Hadrian Park stretch for the best part of 10 years. That would've been a more substantial saving to trigger a hub & spoke approach.

I know it's not the right place but they'd be better creating a loop with the 41A and working with Nexus to speed the 317 back up.


That loop service could easily be every 20 minutes, and bin off the 41's, it'd probably only be 1 extra bus aswell which the way things are going on the 317 it'll need one before long anyway. Integrate the route with the Metro and you've just created proper integration in Rose Hill etc.

I don't think they'll pull the 307 out of Hadrian Park though tbh.

(09 Jul 2024, 7:13 pm)Storx wrote Guessing the Coast Road partnership is abandoned already then as I don't see how they can have fares undercutting the Arriva services again. It's surely against the partnership.

Interesting to note the equivilant Arriva tickets, also don't mention the 307/309 either.

The quicker we can get rid of these two, the better, as they really don't offer anything positive lately. Just strikes, poor fleets, price increases and generally crap service across the board.

We are also introducing new Cobalt & Coast 1-day and 7-day tickets which will be valid for travel on the Cobalt & Coast 307, 309 and X39, and between High Farm and Hadrian Park on services 41 and 41a. These tickets will also be able to be used on Arriva’s services 306 and 308.


GNE have uploaded the fare changes:

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/fares-changes-21-july

(11 Jul 2024, 9:38 am)Michael wrote We are also introducing new Cobalt & Coast 1-day and 7-day tickets which will be valid for travel on the Cobalt & Coast 307, 309 and X39, and between High Farm and Hadrian Park on services 41 and 41a. These tickets will also be able to be used on Arriva’s services 306 and 308.


GNE have uploaded the fare changes:

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/fares-changes-21-july

Makes sense then, must admit I really don't get why these tickets exist.

Surely it would be much easier to have a ticket for the 306/307/308/309/X39 which both operators sell. It's just causing confusion having tickets branded Cobalt and Coast but you can use the other buses anyway and that applies to the Arriva Coastliner ticket aswell.

(11 Jul 2024, 9:38 am)Michael wrote GNE have uploaded the fare changes:

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/fares-changes-21-july

I notice that they're spinning it by bringing the £2 single fare (Govt set/funded) and the TNE (NECA set/funded) tickets into it, saying there's no change to them. 

Whilst that may be true, it's not within their remit to change them anyway.

I can see the free kids travel thing causing us Stagecoach drivers a headache given we generally don't include singles in the offer. Bad enough when people think it's a flat £2 because GNE charge a flat £2.

I've just received an email about the price increases. It contains a link to a GNE article https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/fares-changes-21-july

(11 Jul 2024, 11:28 am)F114TML wrote I can see the free kids travel thing causing us Stagecoach drivers a headache given we generally don't include singles in the offer. Bad enough when people think it's a flat £2 because GNE charge a flat £2.

Do stagecoach not charge £2 max fare?

(Yesterday, 5:08 pm)Retro Nero wrote Do stagecoach not charge £2 max fare?

We do, but we also charge £1.60 or £1.80 for shorter journeys (for example, we charge £1.60 City Centre to the University or £1.80 to The Chesters; both journeys I believe GNE charge £2 for), which leads to conflict with people who think it's a flat £2 when you're near the terminus (it's amazing watching people get radgy when you offer a cheaper fare but this is Sunderland we're on about). I'm not sure if this is a miscommunication somewhere in publicity or if it is because of the two operators' differing fare structures.

Just looking at the GNE website, my initial thought is there’s far too many tickets. It’s incredibly inefficient and costly to the, and not helpful at all for passengers. I doubt they employ a UX team to review this stuff

There’ll be a manpower cost to setting up and maintaining the multitude of tickets (and the constant price changes) and who’s paying £5.50 to mooch around Gateshead for a day when they can have Tyne and Wear for 50p more?

The website is woeful with the same ticket options appearing multiple times.

There are airlines and train operators with less fare buckets than a failing provincial bus company in the north east of England…

(10 hours ago)Ambassador wrote Just looking at the GNE website,  my initial thought is there’s far too many tickets. It’s incredibly inefficient and costly to the, and not helpful at all for passengers. I doubt they employ a UX team to review this stuff

There’ll be a manpower cost to setting up and maintaining the multitude of tickets (and the constant price changes)  and who’s paying £5.50 to mooch around Gateshead for a day when they can have Tyne and Wear for 50p more?

The website is woeful with the same ticket options appearing multiple times.

There are airlines and train operators with less fare buckets than a failing provincial bus company in the north east of England…

 The amount of people who think they are saving money and purchase a Gateshead Day ticket  for £5.20 but overide into Newcastle then try to get back into the Gateshead area and get charged £2 . So end up paying £7.20 , instead of £6 at the beginning of the day.