(26 Apr 2015, 6:06 pm)Jimmi wrote I doubt Go North East will lose passengers to Arriva as the X12 is often late

Between Bishop and Durham

(26 Apr 2015, 6:08 pm)pdiddy wrote Between Bishop and Durham

No doubt something will be in the planning, with the 6 going sapphire or max ( dont know the difference tbh ), gne will surely be looking at providing free wifi at least. Otherwise crook might aswell close and the X21 operate between durham and newcastle only!!

(26 Apr 2015, 6:08 pm)pdiddy wrote Between Bishop and Durham

Service x21 uses Angel hybrid buses on sundays/evenings

(26 Apr 2015, 6:36 pm)nk55 wrote No doubt something will be in the planning, with the 6 going sapphire or max ( dont know the difference tbh ), gne will surely be looking at providing free wifi at least. Otherwise crook might aswell close and the X21 operate between durham and newcastle only!!

Sapphire/Max are pretty much the same, with the former having power sockets and NSAs, in addition to the free Wifi. ANE offer some competitive deals, incl. the Durham District ticket which will cover to Bishop on the 6, and Newcastle on the X12. I think you will get customers moving over for the luxury element, but I'd be more surprised if GNE didn't react to it, as it'd be out of character for a start!

Looking at Durham-Newcastle, I think the X12 is being rebranded to 'CRAB' instead of 'MAX' (Couldn't Run A Bath) - GNE really have nothing to worry about there, unless their customers' watches are 10 minutes slow.

(26 Apr 2015, 6:40 pm)Davie wrote Service x21 uses Angel hybrid buses on sundays/evenings

And the rest of the week? The B7s which are the main problem with reliability.

(26 Apr 2015, 6:44 pm)Robert wrote And the rest of the week? The B7s which are the main problem with reliability.

It depends because they usually see if Chester Le Street have any spare deckers e.g Lolynes 

(26 Apr 2015, 6:44 pm)Robert wrote And the rest of the week? The B7s which are the main problem with reliability.

Reliability can at times be a problem on evenings & sundays too. Getting out of newcastle can be problematic at times and the current diversion around chester is also causing delays, however the front street is due to reopen on thursday coming.

Looking at it from a general part, GNE havent had a good reliability on the Durham to Bishop Auckland corridor over the past few years. First th Vykings and now these...ridiculous how they keep putting ex-london stock on long distance routes.

(26 Apr 2015, 6:51 pm)nk55 wrote Reliability can at times be a problem on evenings & sundays too. Getting out of newcastle can be problematic at times and the current diversion around chester is also causing delays, however the front street is due to reopen on thursday coming.

I was referring to the reliability of the vehicles used rather than diversions etc. Something needs doing.

(26 Apr 2015, 5:15 pm)aureolin wrote Omnidekkas may not be the answer for the X21, but something needs to be done imo. I appreciate that parts of the A1 are limited to 30mph, but the Presidents are really struggling with it these days. The stretch between the Picktree Junction and where it branches off for the A194/A1 (just past Washington Services), most of them barely exceed 30mph. Despite it being an ideal opportunity to make up or bank time prior to reaching Gateshead.

I can deffo see Washington getting new deckers soon for many reasons:

- X1 lacks power sockets and NSA's are outdated. Could do with brand refresh and the B9s would almost pay for themselves.

- Crook needs newer deckers for the X21 and despite the Omnidekkas filling in short term if they do, they won't be feasible in the long run. Also, GNE are facing some competiton from Arriva with their MAX X12 service.

- CLS is 2 short for the Angel PVR of modern Gemini 2's. 2 could be fitted with Flybrids and sent there.

- Deptford might need the vehicles to allow the 56 to be re-instated to every 10 minutes.

- TEN is still short of 1 vehicle due to 6084 being needed on the TTX regularly. Will still need another 2 on top as well (1 at Hexham) to allow the B7s to move onto other roles.

- Cobalt Clipper will probably need another PVR increase due to the mayhem at Cobalt some nights.

(26 Apr 2015, 6:52 pm)Robert wrote Looking at it from a general part, GNE havent had a good reliability on the Durham to Bishop Auckland corridor over the past few years. First th Vykings and now these...ridiculous how they keep putting ex-london stock on long distance routes.

I think p diddy may agree, with the exception of 6024 in the early days, the B7s were coping well, but doing 3 round trips on the X21 6 days a week when these vehicles had spent years plodding around the streets of london doing no more than 20-30mph, these weren't going to last a huge amount of time. Gne management will be well aware of the constant use of Non branded vehicles ( re X7 ) and no Doubt they'll have a plan in place.

(26 Apr 2015, 6:44 pm)Robert wrote And the rest of the week? The B7s which are the main problem with reliability.

To be honest I had zero issues with 6040/41 on Monday between Bishop and Durham, personally thought 6040 was excellent, seemed to have quite a bit of power when heading up to Bishop, 6041 struggled with the Hill coming out of Bishop but was otherwise alright.

(26 Apr 2015, 6:58 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote I can deffo see Washington getting new deckers soon for many reasons:

- X1 lacks power sockets and NSA's are outdated. Could do with brand refresh and the B9s would almost pay for themselves.

- Crook needs newer deckers for the X21 and despite the Omnidekkas filling in short term if they do, they won't be feasible in the long run. Also, GNE are facing some competiton from Arriva with their MAX X12 service.

- CLS is 2 short for the Angel PVR of modern Gemini 2's. 2 could be fitted with Flybrids and sent there.

- Deptford might need the vehicles to allow the 56 to be re-instated to every 10 minutes.

- TEN is still short of 1 vehicle due to 6084 being needed on the TTX regularly. Will still need another 2 on top as well (1 at Hexham) to allow the B7s to move onto other roles.

- Cobalt Clipper will probably need another PVR increase due to the mayhem at Cobalt some nights.

Davey, whilst I really admire your enthusiasm, this must be suggestion #7,298 to rid Washington of it's B9s?  

I wholeheartedly agree that Crook need newer deckers for the X21, but I'd suggest that the TTX getting investment would be the ideal progression for newer deckers to be moved to Pronto? We're all pretty certain that B9s can't remain on that route forever, or their life will be drastically reduced.

Chester may be two short, but they do have the two original Geminis as branded spares to make up the PVR. I'd expect a mid life refurb to be on the cards soon enough, which should improve passenger experience a bit?

Deptford won't need the vehicles. Why would they put the 56 back to every 10 minutes, when it was reduced to every 12 minutes after all other attempts to sort reliability out, failed? Makes no sense.

Considering you keep trying to give away Percy Main's spare B9s in your other suggestions, I don't know why you would want to give them Washington's Red Arrows branded B9s??

(26 Apr 2015, 6:58 pm)nk55 wrote I think p diddy may agree, with the exception of 6024 in the early days, the B7s were coping well, but doing 3 round trips on the X21 6 days a week when these vehicles had spent years plodding around the streets of london doing no more than 20-30mph, these weren't going to last a huge amount of time. Gne management will be well aware of the constant use of Non branded vehicles ( re X7 ) and no Doubt they'll have a plan in place.

6024 is one if the better ones now....

6041 is very sluggish and on inclines and is about the worst... but tbh they are all having problems at the moment. Even 571 and 572 are catching on, 572 still VOR at chester.

Let's just hope the management do have a plan with replacements or changes to the service (and prove people wrong)

(26 Apr 2015, 6:58 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote I can deffo see Washington getting new deckers soon for many reasons:

- X1 lacks power sockets and NSA's are outdated. Could do with brand refresh and the B9s would almost pay for themselves.

- Crook needs newer deckers for the X21 and despite the Omnidekkas filling in short term if they do, they won't be feasible in the long run. Also, GNE are facing some competiton from Arriva with their MAX X12 service.

- CLS is 2 short for the Angel PVR of modern Gemini 2's. 2 could be fitted with Flybrids and sent there.

- Deptford might need the vehicles to allow the 56 to be re-instated to every 10 minutes.

- TEN is still short of 1 vehicle due to 6084 being needed on the TTX regularly. Will still need another 2 on top as well (1 at Hexham) to allow the B7s to move onto other roles.

- Cobalt Clipper will probably need another PVR increase due to the mayhem at Cobalt some nights.

Would something like the image below do you for the X1 Davey? Cocked and Loaded with Free Wifi, Power Sockets, Updated NSAs, E-Leather Seating and Wood Affect Flooring, and to top it all off it would be fitted with a 9 Litre Euro 6 Fuel Guzzling Scania Engine.

(26 Apr 2015, 7:14 pm)Malarkey wrote Would something like the image below do you for the X1 Davey? Cocked and Loaded with Free Wifi, Power Sockets, Updated NSAs, E-Leather Seating and Wood Affect Flooring, and to top it all off it would be fitted with a 9 Litre Euro 6 Fuel Guzzling Scania Engine.

No - we can't have that! If you're going to do a job, do it properly... White destinations, please!

(26 Apr 2015, 7:15 pm)Dan wrote No - we can't have that! If you're going to do a job, do it properly... White destinations, please!

As one asked so nicely.

(26 Apr 2015, 7:25 pm)Malarkey wrote As one asked so nicely.

You've missed the nearside and rear white LED destinations.  

(26 Apr 2015, 7:25 pm)Malarkey wrote As one asked so nicely.

Bravo!

(26 Apr 2015, 7:26 pm)aureolin wrote You've missed the nearside and rear white LED destinations.  

Since when do any passengers even look at the Side and Rear LED Destinations anyway.

(26 Apr 2015, 7:32 pm)Malarkey wrote Since when do any passengers even look at the Side and Rear LED Destinations anyway.

Hope they do - when Go North East goes to the extra cost of ordering full size rear screens with white LEDs!

(26 Apr 2015, 6:58 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote I can deffo see Washington getting new deckers soon for many reasons:

- X1 lacks power sockets and NSA's are outdated. Could do with brand refresh and the B9s would almost pay for themselves.

- Crook needs newer deckers for the X21 and despite the Omnidekkas filling in short term if they do, they won't be feasible in the long run. Also, GNE are facing some competiton from Arriva with their MAX X12 service.

- CLS is 2 short for the Angel PVR of modern Gemini 2's. 2 could be fitted with Flybrids and sent there.

- Deptford might need the vehicles to allow the 56 to be re-instated to every 10 minutes.

- TEN is still short of 1 vehicle due to 6084 being needed on the TTX regularly. Will still need another 2 on top as well (1 at Hexham) to allow the B7s to move onto other roles.

- Cobalt Clipper will probably need another PVR increase due to the mayhem at Cobalt some nights.

This refers me back to my previous post. Why are you ASSUMING the omnidekkers are replacing existing deckers. Have you been informed of this for certain. You could be barking up the wrong tree. I still think they are coming to replace some single deckers also. Start looking at other routes not just existing decker routes

(26 Apr 2015, 7:32 pm)Malarkey wrote Since when do any passengers even look at the Side and Rear LED Destinations anyway.

It annoys me that the B9TLs on the TEN do not show the destination on the rear display - meaning that I am uncertain whether the bus that has just passed me (but is still at the stop that I can see ahead of me) is the one that I want or the one that runs in the other direction.

TENs run through the one-way street system in Corbridge a matter of two minutes apart.

Inevitably, there are times when the 'second one' arrives before the 'first one'.

I can see that it is a TEN - I don't need to know that - I would prefer to know where it is heading.

(26 Apr 2015, 7:34 pm)Dan wrote Hope they do - when Go North East goes to the extra cost of ordering full size rear screens with white LEDs!

Suggest you take a long Stand at Washington Galleries Bus Station then Dan, You will be amazed at the amount of people who do not even notice they are there, and Instead either look at the Front of the Vehicle, ask the Driver or the Person in front of them in the queue what Service the Bus is, furthermore the amount of people who ignore the LED Boards above each Individual Stand and look at the Timetable or do the above is also a sight to see.

(26 Apr 2015, 7:32 pm)Malarkey wrote Since when do any passengers even look at the Side and Rear LED Destinations anyway.

Not the old guy in Darlington yesterday!

Picture the scene - a Pulsar working the 5B to Bishop on Tubwell Row with various other buses in front at stands, the 7 right behind due for departure in 1 minute which hasn't boarded yet. 5B driver shuts his doors and puts his indicator on when an old git waddles to the front of the bus (kind of in its way to pull out), looks up at the desty (walking past the perfectly fine side one) then knocks on the door to board, then can't find his pass! 7 departed 3 late because of him.

(26 Apr 2015, 9:39 pm)northern156 wrote then can't find his pass! 7 departed 3 late because of him.

A considerate driver could have waved the pensioner aboard (having acknowledged his age qualification) and suggested that said passenger could return as soon as he had found the pass.

Jobsworth?

(The above is tongue in cheek - please don't flame me for my suggestion).

(26 Apr 2015, 9:45 pm)G-CPTN wrote A considerate driver could have waved the pensioner aboard (having acknowledged his age qualification) and suggested that said passenger could return as soon as he had found the pass.

Jobsworth?

(The above is tongue in cheek - please don't flame me for my suggestion).

Said pensioner would still need a ticket for his journey so it may have created more hassle later in the journey.
Not sure an inspector would be too happy if he boarded 2 minutes later!

Omnicity 5234 has broke down in Eldon Square bus station

Due to the burst water main on Askew Road in Gateshead, all services between Gateshead and Newcastle are terminating in Gateshead.

Former Go North East Volvo Olympian Palatine 2 3833 (S833 OFT) will be attending the MetroCentre Bus Rally on the 4th May in its acquired state.
Information from - http://www.nebpt.co.uk/index.asp?pg=3&event=524