So , a good stable link established with SNE working it, will be shattered with the cowboys of GNE.

Agree 100%, i'll miss the 10/11,good route coverage, to be swapped, for the 9 (that was shite before so it'll be shite again), i'd be more supportive if it was the 5 instead or not swapped at all

If true Nexus are seriously remiss, they already know the 317 is a disaster..

It is true. Haven't you learnt by now that Nexus give the contract to the cheapest bidder?

It is true. Haven't you learnt by now that Nexus give the contract to the cheapest bidder?

Lowest bidder = Shite service. NEXUS are fielding scores of complaints about the 317, that's from their own PR team. Unfortunately they are typical of any modern company, one arm doesn't know what the other is doing.

Lowest bidder = Shite service. NEXUS are fielding scores of complaints about the 317, that's from their own PR team. Unfortunately they are typical of any modern company, one arm doesn't know what the other is doing.

Ironically 317, 9, 67/69 all GNE services in the past that have been ran into a state of decline through constant and unnecessary changing to the point the only commercially viable way to allow them to continue is for NEXUS to step in.

Lowest bidder = Shite service. NEXUS are fielding scores of complaints about the 317, that's from their own PR team. Unfortunately they are typical of any modern company, one arm doesn't know what the other is doing.

There's a legal obligation to accept the lowest bid, they can't just pick and choose, it's how tendering works. Right or wrong.

If I was Stagecoach I'd be binning it too, it's not worth the hassle for Saturdays and Sundays for the next 8 months or whatever it is. Be interesting to know if they bid - at all. Looking at tracking today it appears they've outright refused to run anything through the tunnel at all, for most the day.

There's a legal obligation to accept the lowest bid, they can't just pick and choose, it's how tendering works. Right or wrong.

If I was Stagecoach I'd be binning it too, it's not worth the hassle for Saturdays and Sundays for the next 8 months or whatever it is. Be interesting to know if they bid - at all. Looking at tracking today it appears they've outright refused to run anything through the tunnel at all, for most the day.

I’m inclined to suggest they likely did bid, but at a price which reflected the utter travesty that the Tyne Tunnel has become on weekends, and the increased man management associated with the contract.

I think we will find Nexus have preempted problems on weekends and the timetable will reflect that, but I do still worry about potential reliability issues on the 9 (as it wasn’t great last time it ran to North Shields!)


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I’m inclined to suggest they likely did bid, but at a price which reflected the utter travesty that the Tyne Tunnel has become on weekends, and the increased man management associated with the contract.

I think we will find Nexus have preempted problems on weekends and the timetable will reflect that, but I do still worry about potential reliability issues on the 9 (as it wasn’t great last time it ran to North Shields!)


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I don't blame them, if I had to be honest. I'd do the same, the extra money wouldn't be worth it to damage the rest of the route. Can't see people in Whiteleas etc coming out and being accepting that it's the reason their bus is 20 minutes late.

Mind, on paper, the 9 is the best route to go through there imo. It might aswell run Jarrow to North Shields over the 10/11 extension because it runs on a complete dog leg, anyone sane would use the ferry instead and there's nothing inbetween that you can really argue that someone would actually want to go to/from North Shields for as there's nothing else at the North side of the water. Even people in North Shields don't want to go to North Shields.

I don't blame them, if I had to be honest. I'd do the same, the extra money wouldn't be worth it to damage the rest of the route. Can't see people in Whiteleas etc coming out and being accepting that it's the reason their bus is 20 minutes late.

Mind, on paper, the 9 is the best route to go through there imo. It might aswell run Jarrow to North Shields over the 10/11 extension because it runs on a complete dog leg, anyone sane would use the ferry instead and there's nothing inbetween that you can really argue that someone would actually want to go to/from North Shields for as there's nothing else at the North side of the water. Even people in North Shields don't want to go to North Shields.

Agree there like, when im asked where i live i like saying Chirton instead of North Shields

If true Nexus are seriously remiss, they already know the 317 is a disaster..

The 317 timetable, designed and specified by Nexus, must be one of the few in an urban area in the whole of the country that has the same running time Mon-Fri peak and interpeak, and the same layover time peak and interpeak, with no allowance for increased traffic levels at peak times.
And with minimal recovery time at Whitley Bay (which includes having to go round the block).

There's a legal obligation to accept the lowest bid, they can't just pick and choose, it's how tendering works. Right or wrong.

If I was Stagecoach I'd be binning it too, it's not worth the hassle for Saturdays and Sundays for the next 8 months or whatever it is. Be interesting to know if they bid - at all. Looking at tracking today it appears they've outright refused to run anything through the tunnel at all, for most the day.

Looked like they are running a separate service between Jarrow and North Shields split from the Jarrow to South Shields section.

The 317 timetable, designed and specified by Nexus, must be one of the few in an urban area in the whole of the country that has the same running time Mon-Fri peak and interpeak, and the same layover time peak and interpeak, with no allowance for increased traffic levels at peak times.
And with minimal recovery time at Whitley Bay (which includes having to go round the block).

Did they change the timetable when GNE won the tender, seemed people were happy enough with it prioer to the change of hands?

The 317 timetable was actually drafted by Stagecoach, as when they had the 317, the section between Royal Quay's and George Stephenson Way was operated commercially, which is why they swapped around with the 19's when it first was introduced. Which is probably why Go North East can't run is properly, as Stagecoach has a thing for tight timetables. According to drivers, the guy who does timetables at Stagecoach doesn't even have a bus licence, and has only been driving a car for just over a year.

The 317 timetable was actually drafted by Stagecoach, as when they had the 317, the section between Royal Quay's and George Stephenson Way was operated commercially, which is why they swapped around with the 19's when it first was introduced. Which is probably why Go North East can't run is properly, as Stagecoach has a thing for tight timetables. According to drivers, the guy who does timetables at Stagecoach doesn't even have a bus licence, and has only been driving a car for just over a year.

Yet they seemingly managed to run an efficient service (or at least more efficient than the current operator), on the same timetable.

The 317 timetable was actually drafted by Stagecoach, as when they had the 317, the section between Royal Quay's and George Stephenson Way was operated commercially, which is why they swapped around with the 19's when it first was introduced. Which is probably why Go North East can't run is properly, as Stagecoach has a thing for tight timetables. According to drivers, the guy who does timetables at Stagecoach doesn't even have a bus licence, and has only been driving a car for just over a year.

Where do you get your information from, as most of it is absolutely rubbish.

Nexus set the timetable, it has nothing to do with Stagecoach. The timetable was drafted before they even won the tender. And also, why on earth would the section between Royal Quays and George Stephenson way be commercial?

Stagecoach had a few teething issues at the start, for like a week (if that), but for 2 years they ran it perfectly fine, they used to struggle for about an hour a day, but that was cus of heaving traffic, thats not the fault of the drivers, so how are GNE running it so terribly, if thats whats happened to the 317 which stays in North Tyneside, then i dread to think whats gonna happen with the 9 when that starts coming through the tunnel again, personally (and this is just my opinion) but when the 317 was brought in to replace the 11/41/41A(40) which also replaced the 17/17A due not being profitable then they shouldnt have been allowed to bid on it, call me what you like, but thats my opinion

Looked like they are running a separate service between Jarrow and North Shields split from the Jarrow to South Shields section.

Would make sense to be honest and I don't blame them, can't be wrecking the rest of the timetable for it and it's pretty much dead whenever I see it anyway tbh.

The 317 timetable was actually drafted by Stagecoach, as when they had the 317, the section between Royal Quay's and George Stephenson Way was operated commercially, which is why they swapped around with the 19's when it first was introduced. Which is probably why Go North East can't run is properly, as Stagecoach has a thing for tight timetables. According to drivers, the guy who does timetables at Stagecoach doesn't even have a bus licence, and has only been driving a car for just over a year.

That's 100% not true since the timetable was part of the tender. I had a quick look at them through work as I use the 19 sometimes.

The 19 change was so they could do the fish quay loop as part of it and scrap the 333 in the process, saving a bus.

And from experience using Stagecoach services, drivers aren't scared to go foot to the floor! Went on the 100 a few times as a kid and could always feel it on the Redheugh Bridge / Askew Road flyover!

And they ran a decent Boxing Day service on the 308 too even with the match on, compared to the usual DB300 turning up late in limp mode.

Stagecoach have won the 99:

PB0002404/422
New BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 99 Grangetown ASDA Hylton Castle

Stagecoach have won the 99:

PB0002404/422
New BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 99 Grangetown ASDA Hylton Castle

Must say I'm very surprised that still exists since the 599 pretty much does most of it.

It's dead whenever I've seen it as it is anyway, sure the funds could've been spent better as there's no underserved important links on the route imo and if they want to keep it then ASDA should be paying for it (the only unique thing)

According to drivers, the guy who does timetables at Stagecoach doesn't even have a bus licence, and has only been driving a car for just over a year.

The guy used to be a driver at Walkergate. He's had his car licence for nearly 15 years.

Nexus created the timetables, they're tight between Wallsend and North Shields Ferry because they need to pick up and drop off ferry passengers in both directions. Tight but doable - I drove it for a year before joining the incumbent operator.

Must say I'm very surprised that still exists since the 599 pretty much does most of it.

It's dead whenever I've seen it as it is anyway, sure the funds could've been spent better as there's no underserved important links on the route imo and if they want to keep it then ASDA should be paying for it (the only unique thing)

I don't get why its still running either, unless the "locals" are moaning - you know the ones who want to keep it but don't actually use it.