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Go North East service levels during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

Go North East service levels during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 7:59 pm)6049 wrote Yep! Very close. I've not studied the timetables in detail, but the times of Washington's minibuses look broadly the same as Sunday service barring the 23 and earlier journeys so the PVRs listed are based on that. So I stand to be corrected Smile

Do you know what the total PVR is for a normal service?
Ooo Friend, Bus Friend.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 8:21 pm)Michael wrote Do you know what the total PVR is for a normal service?
I could probably work Washington's out but I'd be clueless about any other depot tbh
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
See this on twitter:


Jeff Hodgson

Day 10 at work since this awful Covid -19 took hold today was a hard 1 shutting my Depot Temporarily and transferring all drivers and buses to Deptford my team have been excellent 2 weeks work done in 24 hrs I think I deserve this thank you team Washington
https://t.co/W3eB3tBi6M

Looks like Washington's work has moved over to Deptford for the time-being.
Ooo Friend, Bus Friend.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 8:58 pm)Michael wrote See this on twitter:


Jeff Hodgson

Day 10 at work since this awful Covid -19 took hold today was a hard 1 shutting my Depot Temporarily and transferring all drivers and buses to Deptford my team have been excellent 2 weeks work done in 24 hrs I think I deserve this thank you team Washington
https://t.co/W3eB3tBi6M

Looks like Washington's work has moved over to Deptford for the time-being.

MG said during one of his Facebook Lives that they were going to be running from Deptford, Consett and Riverside with the rest being temporarily closed.
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Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 9:23 pm)streetdeckfan wrote MG said during one of his Facebook Lives that they were going to be running from Deptford, Consett and Riverside with the rest being temporarily closed.



The outstations at Hexham and Peterlee are also remaining open, so just Chester-le-Street, Percy Main and Washington being closed for the time being.


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RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 9:43 pm)Dan wrote The outstations at Hexham and Peterlee are also remaining open, so just Chester-le-Street, Percy Main and Washington being closed for the time being.


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Which Washington buses have moved to Deptford?
Ooo Friend, Bus Friend.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 10:32 pm)Michael wrote Which Washington buses have moved to Deptford?
MG said that the Red Arrows were already over, however the app shows 6050 and 6006 remaining as the last two standing on this evenings X1s. I'd imagine, they'll be transferred across by the spare drivers who are operating from Washington tomorrow. 5364 is still out on the 4 and will probably get the same treatment along with the majority of Solo's which are allocated to all remaining routes from the depot atm - unless Deptford has sufficient Solos to operate our routes with.


There looked to be a significant number of Mercs sitting in the depot tonight and only one was a Connections 4 - which was moving so may well have been getting transferred.
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Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 10:59 pm)6049 wrote MG said that the Red Arrows were already over, however the app shows 6050 and 6006 remaining as the last two standing on this evenings X1s. I'd imagine, they'll be transferred across by the spare drivers who are operating from Washington tomorrow. 5364 is still out on the 4 and will probably get the same treatment along with the majority of Solo's which are allocated to all remaining routes from the depot atm - unless Deptford has sufficient Solos to operate our routes with.


There looked to be a significant number of Mercs sitting in the depot tonight and only one was a Connections 4 - which was moving so may well have been getting transferred.



4/X20 to be operated by Prince Bishops Streetlite, no Citaro or OmniCity to be used across GNE.


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RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
You beat me to it. My Mrs got bus from Newcastle. Was only one on at 5pm. Got talking to driver as he pulled in to wrong stand at Gateshead. He said....

Chester is shutting and drivers going to either Sunderland or riverside

100 plus drivers off on 12 week thing

From April 29 to be taken off perminatkey leaving kibblesworth with only 28a/28b

1 to not continue to wreckenton. 25 to drop down to Harlow green to cover some of route before return to old Durham road at qe hospital

Drivers used to do 7/7,5 hours shifts now doing 12 hours

And finally. Go north east are weeks away from going under.

Not saying this is gospel but it's just what she told me
6358
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 11:14 pm)Rob44 wrote You beat me to it. My Mrs got bus from Newcastle. Was only one on at 5pm. Got talking to driver as he pulled in to wrong stand at Gateshead. He said....

Chester is shutting and drivers going to either Sunderland or riverside

100 plus drivers off on 12 week thing

From April 29 to be taken off perminatkey leaving kibblesworth with only 28a/28b

1 to not continue to wreckenton. 25 to drop down to Harlow green to cover some of route before return to old Durham road at qe  hospital

Drivers used to do 7/7,5 hours shifts now doing 12 hours

And finally. Go north east are weeks away from going under.

Not saying this is gospel but it's just what she told me
Changes were planned for middle of May, Shifts vary from 6 hours to 10 ( and a bit) hours. Lazy reporting by the chronicle, headlines sell papers!!!
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 11:14 pm)Rob44 wrote You beat me to it. My Mrs got bus from Newcastle. Was only one on at 5pm. Got talking to driver as he pulled in to wrong stand at Gateshead. He said....

Chester is shutting and drivers going to either Sunderland or riverside

100 plus drivers off on 12 week thing

From April 29 to be taken off perminatkey leaving kibblesworth with only 28a/28b

1 to not continue to wreckenton. 25 to drop down to Harlow green to cover some of route before return to old Durham road at qe  hospital

Drivers used to do 7/7,5 hours shifts now doing 12 hours

And finally. Go north east are weeks away from going under.

Not saying this is gospel but it's just what she told me

If GNE are weeks away from going under, then Arriva are already long gone!
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 11:25 pm)streetdeckfan wrote If GNE are weeks away from going under, then Arriva are already long gone!
Although I'm not Arriva's biggest fan, I certainly wouldn't want them to go under. Ok, maybe a new investor or buyer and hopefully turn the business around for the better but certainly wouldn't want them to go under. Would hope that at least Nexus & NECA would step in and the same goes for any operator.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 11:39 pm)L469 YVK wrote Although I'm not Arriva's biggest fan, I certainly wouldn't want them to go under. Ok, maybe a new investor or buyer and hopefully turn the business around for the better but certainly wouldn't want them to go under. Would hope that at least Nexus & NECA would step in and the same goes for any operator.

I was saying it more to make the point of how unlikely it is for GNE to go under. Arriva is arguably in a worse financial situation, so if GNE are having issues, then Arriva have no hope!
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 11:44 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I was saying it more to make the point of how unlikely it is for GNE to go under. Arriva is arguably in a worse financial situation, so if GNE are having issues, then Arriva have no hope!
Yeah, of course I know where you were coming from Smile . But obviously just as a general point, I certainly wouldn't want any NE operator to go under.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 11:44 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I was saying it more to make the point of how unlikely it is for GNE to go under. Arriva is arguably in a worse financial situation, so if GNE are having issues, then Arriva have no hope!

Not sure how you've come to the conclusion that ANE are in a worse financial position mind. Quick check of Companies House tells you that the profit after tax of ADC is higher than that of GNE for their respective last accounts - despite GNE revenues being higher than that of ADC and AN combined. 

In these times running a service on a shoestring is a necessity - for better or worse that's something Arriva are quite good at.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 11:02 pm)Dan wrote 4/X20 to be operated by Prince Bishops Streetlite, no Citaro or OmniCity to be used across GNE.


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Some famil no doubt required at Deptford this morning. Especially with those temperamental StreetLites
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
WHOOOa I'm just telling you as it was told to my Mrs from the driver!!! She hasn't got the slightest interest in buses and aint got the ability to make things up. Now if the driver was having a bad day and decided to make up that GNE were skint well, that seems a strange thing to come out with TBH

also arriva is owned by the germans, yes? I know they havent be investing rfecently compared to other companies in the region but I hardly think the paret company would let them go to the wall??
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
Rob 44

also arriva is owned by the germans, yes?


Yes,  Arriva, although HQ is based in Sunderland (formerly T. Cowie), is a Subsidiary, 100% owned by Deutsche Bahn (German National Railways) which in turn is wholly owned 100% by The Federal Republic of Germany.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 11:02 pm)Dan wrote 4/X20 to be operated by Prince Bishops Streetlite, no Citaro or OmniCity to be used across GNE.


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If that's the case, why are Citaro's been used on the X84/X85 (according to the app) :p
Ooo Friend, Bus Friend.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(28 Mar 2020, 12:05 pm)Michael wrote If that's the case, why are Citaro's been used on the X84/X85 (according to the app) :p
They seem to be in the process of being swapped over for Deptford's X-lines Solos if bustimes.org is to be believed.
Same source suggests Riverside is using a fair number of Citaros, may just be temporary whilst other buses are prepared.
It's a massive undertaking moving buses around etc and it may be a few days before we get the full picture.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
Why is there certain people on here who bring everything negative back to Arriva it's getting beyond boring now. Arriva is owned by the German Government so if anything they're in the strongest place out of them all and also are an international business with trains and buses running across all of Europe.

GoAhead's share price is currently £7.50 per share so no-where near trouble with the traders.
Stagecoach is 75p which is a much much worse position that GoAhead so as it stands if anyone is going to get into trouble it's Stagecoach but it's still no-where near trouble yet either which is shame as Souter is an #### anyway so wouldn't be arsed if they went under deep down. (The routes and drivers etc will be safe up here anyway).

Arriva NE, Stagecoach NE and GNE are irrelevant as no way will their parent groups force them into administration as they're nowhere near their worst divisions.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(28 Mar 2020, 12:08 pm)missedbus wrote They seem to be in the process of being swapped over for Deptford's X-lines Solos if bustimes.org is to be believed.
Same source suggests Riverside is using a fair number of Citaros, may just be temporary whilst other buses are prepared.
It's a massive undertaking moving buses around etc and it may be a few days before we get the full picture.

Ah right! thanks, i used the GNE app, forgot to check bustimes.org Tongue
Ooo Friend, Bus Friend.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(27 Mar 2020, 11:02 pm)Dan wrote 4/X20 to be operated by Prince Bishops Streetlite, no Citaro or OmniCity to be used across GNE.


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Is this (and rightly so during these times) a fuel saving measure?
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RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(28 Mar 2020, 12:22 pm)L469 YVK wrote Is this (and rightly so during these times) a fuel saving measure?

Buses which are the most fuel-efficient, most reliable and cost the least to maintain are the buses which have been selected.
Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(28 Mar 2020, 12:15 pm)Storx wrote Why is there certain people on here who bring everything negative back to Arriva it's getting beyond boring now. Arriva is owned by the German Government so if anything they're in the strongest place out of them all and also are an international business with trains and buses running across all of Europe.

GoAhead's share price is currently £7.50 per share so no-where near trouble with the traders.
Stagecoach is 75p which is a much much worse position that GoAhead so as it stands if anyone is going to get into trouble it's Stagecoach but it's still no-where near trouble yet either which is shame as Souter is an #### anyway so wouldn't be arsed if they went under deep down. (The routes and drivers etc will be safe up here anyway).

Arriva NE, Stagecoach NE and GNE are irrelevant as no way will their parent groups force them into administration as they're nowhere near their worst divisions.


Since DB bought Arriva, why don’t there invest there money into the bus division, it’s because there only invest from uk paying customers into there own transport system into there own country and then asking for handouts from the uk government to improve buses and infrastructure in the uk, don’t forget originally there were only interested in the train side of Arriva and not the bus services, and now there can’t even give the bus side division away, stagecoach and Go Ahead have improved over the years rather than Arriva.

I prefer it when it was just United, even though there standards weren’t high but at least the standards were a lot better than it is today in the form of Arriva.


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RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(28 Mar 2020, 12:15 pm)Michael wrote Ah right! thanks, i used the GNE app, forgot to check bustimes.org Tongue
It isn't foolproof, but it's proving useful today! 5299 has just been taken off at Hexham, 676 replacing it. All of Hexham's Citaros are now off and replaced by the X-lines Solos from Deptford.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
Dan has kindly shared this on Twitter:

Dan Graham
@Dan3942
422 buses are in the process of being parked up, delicensed and put into temporary 'hibernation' - only the most fuel-efficient and reliable buses have been selected to run the reduced #COVID19 schedules. Huge logistical exercise:  colleagues are undertaking final movements today
.png fleet.png
Ooo Friend, Bus Friend.
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(28 Mar 2020, 12:24 pm)Dan wrote Buses which are the most fuel-efficient, most reliable and cost the least to maintain are the buses which have been selected.

I'm surprised the X9/X10 B5s and the older StreetDecks fit in to that!
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RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(28 Mar 2020, 1:05 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I'm surprised the X9/X10 B5s and the older StreetDecks fit in to that!

The X9/X10 Volvo B5s will be used on service 10/10A. Far less demanding than the X9/X10.

The older StreetDecks will be used primarily on schools and the 25 (6301-03).
RE: Go North East: Latest News & Discussion - March 2020
(28 Mar 2020, 12:41 pm)cbma06 wrote Since DB bought Arriva, why don’t there invest there money into the bus division, it’s because there only invest from uk paying customers into there own transport system into there own country and then asking for handouts from the uk government to improve buses and infrastructure in the uk, don’t forget originally there were only interested in the train side of Arriva and not the bus services, and now there can’t even give the bus side division away, stagecoach and Go Ahead have improved over the years rather than Arriva.

I prefer it when it was just United, even though there standards weren’t high but at least the standards were a lot better than it is today in the form of Arriva.


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I was talking more about from a perspective of a finanical point of view.

I do understand what your saying there but the pre-DB Arriva was a hell of a lot worse than the Arriva we have now, this is just a small number of things:
  • East Lancs Citizens on Blyth Expresses which you couldn't sit in certain seats as they used to be wet from windows leaking.
  • Ikarus' on the Blyth Expresses which used to have tape on the windows to force them to shut or it was freezing.
  • Varios (even known they did have character).
  • Metroriders, which often ended up on flagship routes which we're battered.
  • P reg Olympians running Ashington Expresses.
  • M reg Olympians running Berwick Expresses.
  • N reg Prismas often running to Whitby / Scarborough.
  • The ever so reliable Prestige fleet.
  • Buses which still had interiors pre dating Arriva (1999) - some on flagship routes.
From Northumbria's point of view I don't really the issues that people say, okay the darts and solos maybe need replacing but anything else would be just a waste of money as there's nothing wrong with them.

Arguably around here Stagecoach has the oldest fleet and are by far are the least innovate especially considering the routes they have in comparison to half of Arriva and GNE's routes which compete against the Metro or are rural routes.