(31 Aug 2022, 10:50 am)F114TML wrote I thought 6099 or 6100 was the X10 spare, even if not in Xlines livery?

Really they should be sent to Percy Main for Euro6 Spares.

There are currently 8 Non-Euro 6 Services on 1/309/310/311. 

Also you now have the 794 which runs onto 327 which means the 327 also needs upgrading, presumably with E400 from London.

(30 Aug 2022, 9:43 pm)Unber43 wrote X10 needs a dedicated spare, seems every day there is a replacement bus. Really they should've have one from Day one, as the 04:55 service also runs the last X10 20:20 from Newcastle.

A dedicated spare on a route with a PVR of 4? 25% spare capacity for one route...

(31 Aug 2022, 9:31 am)Andreos1 wrote Looking at the time it happened and the time I passed it, it had been there a while.

Comes back to the cost/benefit I queried yesterday in another thread.

A driver and vehicle down. Presumably until an fitter managed to get down with a spare. 
Said fitter would then attempt to fix it and get it back to the depot.
If it isn't fixable/driveable, then they wait for Alpha. 
So Riverside are a fitter down for hours on end.

You'd have the same problem if a bus broke down 5 minutes from a depot though? Someone is going to have to wait with the bus on most occasions, until it's either a) driveable back to the depot, b) Alpha can come and recover it. 

It should only take 50 minutes or so for a fitter to get to Middlesbrough in a van. I'd imagine they'd just take the driver back North, as there's little point running the trip, by the time you get down there with a replacement bus. I doubt the fitter will be down hours on end either, as most should be able to give an initial assessment on whether or not whether it needs a tow... pointless spending hours trying to fix something roadside, when you can tow it back and fix at your leisure.

(31 Aug 2022, 12:39 pm)Adrian wrote A dedicated spare on a route with a PVR of 4? 25% spare capacity for one route...


You'd have the same problem if a bus broke down 5 minutes from a depot though? Someone is going to have to wait with the bus on most occasions, until it's either a) driveable back to the depot, b) Alpha can come and recover it. 

It should only take 50 minutes or so for a fitter to get to Middlesbrough in a van. I'd imagine they'd just take the driver back North, as there's little point running the trip, by the time you get down there with a replacement bus. I doubt the fitter will be down hours on end either, as most should be able to give an initial assessment on whether or not whether it needs a tow... pointless spending hours trying to fix something roadside, when you can tow it back and fix at your leisure.

If an E400 was also in Spare Xlines it could also cover for the X21 as well. 

Also lets say 
Driver spends 10-15 mins trying to fix the fault 
Calls the Depot 5mins
Mechanic 60-90 Mins to come 
Try to fix the fault 10-20 Mins 
Call recovery 45-90 mins 

That adds up.

(31 Aug 2022, 12:52 pm)Unber43 wrote If an E400 was also in Spare Xlines it could also cover for the X21 as well. 

Also lets say 
Driver spends 10-15 mins trying to fix the fault 
Calls the Depot 5mins
Mechanic 60-90 Mins to come 
Try to fix the fault 10-20 Mins 
Call recovery 45-90 mins 

That adds up.

It does, but like I say, you could have the same scenario 5 minutes from the depot, depending on how long it takes recovery to turn up.

Unless GNE had a fleet of tow trucks, strategically placed around the network, then you're never going to be able to control the recovery time. The fitter will still be tied up dealing with the job.

To me, unless it's a simple fix ie. topping up with water, the default option should be recovery back to the depot with a replacement sent out (if it's a low frequency route)

It's not worth the time and effort faffing about at the side of the road trying to fix it unless you can guarantee it'll be fixed and the bus can be on it's way. You might as well just have it recovered back to somewhere you can work on it properly, with all the proper equipment.

While I don't know how much it costs per recovery, I can't imagine it's that much in comparison to having someone extra on staff

(31 Aug 2022, 12:57 pm)Adrian wrote It does, but like I say, you could have the same scenario 5 minutes from the depot, depending on how long it takes recovery to turn up.

Unless GNE had a fleet of tow trucks, strategically placed around the network, then you're never going to be able to control the recovery time. The fitter will still be tied up dealing with the job.

They only really need two maybe 3. 

One at Deptford & Riverside & Consett. 

Deptford could do Washington/Houghton/Seaham/South Shields/Jarrow/Durham
Riverside could do Hexham/Blaydon/Metro/Gateshead/CLS/Team Valley
Consett could do Consett/Devels Lane/Stanley/Durham (with Deptford)/Bishop Auckland & West Auckland/CLS (with Riverside) 

This would probably be the best scenario you're going to get really. And then its really only the X10 route which isn't covered and Tynedale Links, but if one of them breaks down in Alton or Haltwhistle that's when you would possibly get a 3rd Party. 

Does Alpha have more than one "base" or do they all just come from one location, because I am sure a local company wouldn't mind striking a deal with GNE to rescue any buses in the Hexham & Middlesborough area.

---

(31 Aug 2022, 1:09 pm)streetdeckfan wrote To me, unless it's a simple fix ie. topping up with water, the default option should be recovery back to the depot with a replacement sent out (if it's a low frequency route)

It's not worth the time and effort faffing about at the side of the road trying to fix it unless you can guarantee it'll be fixed and the bus can be on it's way. You might as well just have it recovered back to somewhere you can work on it properly, with all the proper equipment.

While I don't know how much it costs per recovery, I can't imagine it's that much in comparison to having someone extra on staff

I found this on another bus recovery website. https://www.eurotaxis.com/services/comme...-recovery/ 

Recovery Rates
All charges are subject to a maximum of 100 miles. Each mile over 100 miles will incur an additional charge of £0.50 per mile.

(31 Aug 2022, 12:39 pm)Adrian wrote A dedicated spare on a route with a PVR of 4? 25% spare capacity for one route...


You'd have the same problem if a bus broke down 5 minutes from a depot though? Someone is going to have to wait with the bus on most occasions, until it's either a) driveable back to the depot, b) Alpha can come and recover it. 

It should only take 50 minutes or so for a fitter to get to Middlesbrough in a van. I'd imagine they'd just take the driver back North, as there's little point running the trip, by the time you get down there with a replacement bus. I doubt the fitter will be down hours on end either, as most should be able to give an initial assessment on whether or not whether it needs a tow... pointless spending hours trying to fix something roadside, when you can tow it back and fix at your leisure.

They wouldn't leave a £250k bus abandoned by the side of the A19 until Alpha came though. Surely? Someone (driver or fitter), will need to stay with the vehicle. In which case, they are a staff member down.

Particularly when they're at the whim of Alpha having a vehicle and driver available themselves.
Knowing what the RAC and AA are like - despite the size of their fleet - I don't think Alpha is going to be able to get to Hartlepool that quickly.

To give you an insight, I broke down on 6302 after my school run and ended up in the lay by opposite Ramside Hall. I phoned in the breakdown at 1530. A fitter came and tried to fix the bus (they arrived 1600). The bus needed towing back to Deptford, it arrived just after 2100. There's a lot of time and cost involved plus the waiting around for a fitter to come out (they are either on other jobs or the vans are already being used).

GNE have recently taken buses to Arriva at Belmont to move them from the roadside and fix them in the depot yard or in one case, a bus was left at Arriva over the weekend.

(31 Aug 2022, 2:33 pm)morritt89 wrote To give you an insight, I broke down on 6302 after my school run and ended up in the lay by opposite Ramside Hall. I phoned in the breakdown at 1530. A fitter came and tried to fix the bus (they arrived 1600). The bus needed towing back to Deptford, it arrived just after 2100. There's a lot of time and cost involved plus the waiting around for a fitter to come out (they are either on other jobs or the vans are already being used). 

GNE have recently taken buses to Arriva at Belmont to move them from the roadside and fix them in the depot yard or in one case, a bus was left at Arriva over the weekend.

On a busy dual-carriageway, but still 6 hours to get it back to the depot.
Bet it wasn't left there by itself either

3943 broke down at Concord quite a while back, it had previously broken down twice on the morning on the X20, while starting on the X20 where it would die coming back into Park Lane coming of the A690 roundabout, as it crawled back and when NIS to Durham then broke down at Sacriston. 

However 3943 was there for 45 mins before a mins before a Deptford Fitter came in a van I don't know what happened to it at Concord however it was there when I passed, however my main question was why didn't washington come for it.

Another example is quite a few times I've seen an X20 tracking at CLS Depot when they had issues with them.

Does the X10 drivers turn off the lights on the A19, they used too last year but I don't know if anything changed as the past few times i've been on when its been dark on the A19 lights have been on

I think something needs to be done with the X10 connections 

Peterlee for the 206 you've got about a 20 minute wait to get to Newcastle or Middlesbrough. 

208 you've got either a 15 min wait or a 55 min wait

239 from Newcastle is pretty well timed.

However especially from Dalton park I was getting the bus from Middlesbrough to Newcastle the other night, and I saw on the departure board that there wasn't a 61 for 25 mins towards Murton, Sunderland around 45 mins and there were no 65's.

Going towards Middlesbrough there is a 65 timed to Seaham around 15 mins after it left, and then you have a 10-20 min wait for a 60 if you want to go to Sunderland/Ryhope or to Seaham/Parkside. 

And the connections is probably why people pick the train. GNE should introduce better timed services for X10. 61 towards Murton & Sunderland, 65 towards Seaham for the X10 from Newcastle & Middlesbrough. They should also bring in fares for X10 service + Seaham & Murton Services, aswell as X10 Peterlee Services with greater connections. E.g 206 should come in 10 mins before the X10 is due to depart for Newcastle, and leave 5 mins after X10 is due to come in for Middlesbrough.

(03 Sep 2022, 12:04 pm)Unber43 wrote I think something needs to be done with the X10 connections 

Peterlee for the 206 you've got about a 20 minute wait to get to Newcastle or Middlesbrough. 

208 you've got either a 15 min wait or a 55 min wait

239 from Newcastle is pretty well timed.

However especially from Dalton park I was getting the bus from Middlesbrough to Newcastle the other night, and I saw on the departure board that there wasn't a 61 for 25 mins towards Murton, Sunderland around 45 mins and there were no 65's.

Going towards Middlesbrough there is a 65 timed to Seaham around 15 mins after it left, and then you have a 10-20 min wait for a 60 if you want to go to Sunderland/Ryhope or to Seaham/Parkside. 

And the connections is probably why people pick the train. GNE should introduce better timed services for X10. 61 towards Murton & Sunderland, 65 towards Seaham for the X10 from Newcastle & Middlesbrough. They should also bring in fares for X10 service + Seaham & Murton Services, aswell as X10 Peterlee Services with greater connections. E.g 206 should come in 10 mins before the X10 is due to depart for Newcastle, and leave 5 mins after X10 is due to come in for Middlesbrough.

There’s nothing wrong with waiting for a bus to turn up, many passengers been doing this for many years and decades and lifetime, it’s part of life . You should work for GNE , I bet Dan would take you under his wing, Dan wouldn’t need customer services complaints as he would get your daily input of what’s happening, anyway how’s the X10 doing, it’s been quite a good loadings during the day when I’ve seen it approaching Peterlee either direction

Don’t forget not every single passenger who gets the Peterlee local services board the X10.

Don’t forget GNE don’t do the timetables and routes for secured services , since practically most of all Peterlee local services are secured, then DCC are responsible for route and timetables.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(03 Sep 2022, 2:35 pm)cbma06 wrote There’s nothing wrong with waiting for a bus to turn up, many passengers been doing this for many years and decades and lifetime, it’s part of life . You should work for GNE , I bet Dan would take you under his wing, Dan wouldn’t need customer services complaints as he would get your daily input of what’s happening, anyway how’s the X10 doing, it’s been quite a good loadings during the day when I’ve seen it approaching Peterlee either direction

Don’t forget not every single passenger who gets the Peterlee local services board the X10.

Don’t forget GNE don’t do the timetables and routes for secured services , since practically most of all Peterlee local services are secured, then DCC are responsible for route and timetables.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Surley GNE & DCC could work together in the interest of passengers? 

From my experience during the day quite well, it was standing from Peterlee around 11am the other day towards Newcastle, same for the 10am & 12pm one. On an evening I saw the X10 departure leaving gateshead at 20:30 yesterday there was only about 10 people on it. Leaving Newcastle its been quite busy aswell and going to Newcastle. Loads get on a Peterlee & Dalton Park into Newcastle. 17:15 one again absolutely rammed

I wonder if many people who use it at Peterlee or Dalton Park actually get the bus home or they use the service as a P&R, as there are pretty large carparks near both. Im not sure if the Farmfoods one at Peterlee has a time limit on or the Morrisons/Dalton Park one does aswell.

Also working for GNE I wouldn't like I would like to work in passenger interests not shareholders!

(03 Sep 2022, 2:43 pm)Unber43 wrote I wonder if many people who use it at Peterlee or Dalton Park actually get the bus home or they use the service as a P&R, as there are pretty large carparks near both. Im not sure if the Farmfoods one at Peterlee has a time limit on or the Morrisons/Dalton Park one does aswell.

It doesn't - but then again, it's not Morrisons' car park.

---

(03 Sep 2022, 2:35 pm)cbma06 wrote There’s nothing wrong with waiting for a bus to turn up, many passengers been doing this for many years and decades and lifetime, it’s part of life .

Good lord. How late is that bus?!

(03 Sep 2022, 2:43 pm)Unber43 wrote Also working for GNE I wouldn't like I would like to work in passenger interests not shareholders!

I’ve got great news for you - Go-Ahead are being bought out next month, so it will operate as a standalone business rather than a plc with shareholders.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(03 Sep 2022, 2:35 pm)cbma06 wrote There’s nothing wrong with waiting for a bus to turn up, many passengers been doing this for many years and decades and lifetime, it’s part of life . You should work for GNE , I bet Dan would take you under his wing, Dan wouldn’t need customer services complaints as he would get your daily input of what’s happening, anyway how’s the X10 doing, it’s been quite a good loadings during the day when I’ve seen it approaching Peterlee either direction

Don’t forget not every single passenger who gets the Peterlee local services board the X10.

Don’t forget GNE don’t do the timetables and routes for secured services , since practically most of all Peterlee local services are secured, then DCC are responsible for route and timetables.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I got the 11:15 X10 from DP a few days ago to Newcastle. It was rammed. There were quite a few standing on the bottom all the way down the A19, tbh its wasn't really that bad but there should be enough capacity so you don't have to stand while a bus is going 50/60 mph down a A road.

(03 Sep 2022, 6:18 pm)nova347 wrote I got the 11:15 X10 from DP a few days ago to Newcastle. It was rammed. There were quite a few standing on the bottom all the way down the A19, tbh its wasn't really that bad but there should be enough capacity so you don't have to stand while a bus is going 50/60 mph down a A road.

Wasn't Thursday morning by any chance was it? As I ended up standing all the way from Peterlee Bus Station to Gateshead Interchange where I alighted.

(05 Sep 2022, 12:22 pm)Jimmi wrote Wasn't Thursday morning by any chance was it? As I ended up standing all the way from Peterlee Bus Station to Gateshead Interchange where I alighted.

Yes, it was actually.

On 6354 I think it had something on the back which covered the windows, I guess covering the back window is fine. 

And it said something like if we spot a quieter road we'll take you that way, but is that actually true. 

I know the X30 + Metro to Newcastle services diverted via Centerlink due to horrendous traffic on the Redheugh bridge which as I saw from twitter & google maps looked worse than match day traffic