If Percy Main is operating the Arriva services on Boxing Day, will these be the driver changeover points?

306/308 - Formica
X10 - Cramlington Dudley Lane
43 (Q3, X18) - Cramlington Dudley Lane
X21 - Bedlington Red Lion

(23 Dec 2021, 11:31 am)L469 YVK wrote If Percy Main is operating the Arriva services on Boxing Day, will these be the driver changeover points?

306/308 - Formica
X10 - Cramlington Dudley Lane
43 (Q3, X18) - Cramlington Dudley Lane
X21 - Bedlington Red Lion

Doesn't the Q3 interwork with the 311

(22 Dec 2021, 1:10 pm)6049 wrote Washington and Consett both operate on Boxing Day

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They never use to. Most of the time (well atleast in the past) its been deptford, Chester-Le-Street & Riverside.

(23 Dec 2021, 11:31 am)L469 YVK wrote If Percy Main is operating the Arriva services on Boxing Day, will these be the driver changeover points?

306/308 - Formica
X10 - Cramlington Dudley Lane
43 (Q3, X18) - Cramlington Dudley Lane
X21 - Bedlington Red Lion

Regent Centre

(23 Dec 2021, 4:40 pm)citaro5284 wrote Regent Centre

I suppose Regent Centre for the other routes is sensible. But will the 306 & 308 be Coast Road / Norham Road?

Today at around 19:10 (Latest bus I can find).

Will be the first time in months (Since June/July) where there hasn't been a GNE service running.

(24 Dec 2021, 2:48 pm)Keeiajs wrote Today at around 19:10 (Latest bus I can find).

Will be the first time in months (Since June/July) where there hasn't been a GNE service running.

That's always what happens Christmas eve. Buses finish early...

(24 Dec 2021, 3:03 pm)JP6004 wrote That's always what happens Christmas eve. Buses finish early...

Oh I know, I was just saying that fact. 

+ the fact that the night buses have been running for around 6 months.

(24 Dec 2021, 2:48 pm)Keeiajs wrote Today at around 19:10 (Latest bus I can find).

Will be the first time in months (Since June/July) where there hasn't been a GNE service running.

Correct. It's like the 19th century. I face an expensive taxi home because of it.

(24 Dec 2021, 4:36 pm)idiot wrote Correct. It's like the 19th century. I face an expensive taxi home because of it.

maybe they should pay double or  triple the drivers hourly rate l and double to triple the fare and the buses might run Christmas eve, Christmas day and new years day - just like taxi's do with their prices

(24 Dec 2021, 4:47 pm)Rob44 wrote maybe they should pay double or  triple the drivers hourly rate l and double to triple the fare and the buses might run Christmas eve, Christmas day and new years day - just like taxi's do with their prices

Its something that needs to be considered industry-wide though; its not specific to one operator, area or region.

I'm not sure what the history behind Christmas Eve or New Years Eve early finishes is, but its a fairly outdated practice.

There needs to be a balance between ensuring staff have decent availability to time off over Christmas, but at the same time recognising that there's still a limited demand to meet and a service to provide. Even a very limited skeleton service on core routes would be better than we have now and not leave shift workers stranded.

When we talk about encouraging people away from their cars, its worth remembering that private cars don't stop working after 7pm on two eves a year.

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(24 Dec 2021, 5:37 pm)Adrian wrote Its something that needs to be considered industry-wide though; its not specific to one operator, area or region.

I'm not sure what the history behind Christmas Eve or New Years Eve early finishes is, but its a fairly outdated practice.

There needs to be a balance between ensuring staff have decent availability to time off over Christmas, but at the same time recognising that there's still a limited demand to meet and a service to provide. Even a very limited skeleton service on core routes would be better than we have now and not leave shift workers stranded.

When we talk about encouraging people away from their cars, its worth remembering that private cars don't stop working after 7pm on two eves a year.

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all very true.  But is Tesco open till midnight?  Is B and Ms open now so I can get another set of lights for the Christmas tree? Can i call vodaphone to upgrade my phone after 7pm tonight???  I don't know the answers to these but at a guess i would say no to all three.

As for Skelton service I've been unlucky enough to live in 2 areas where if you use boxing day as an example i would have to walk 3 miles down then up a hill to  Durham road for a 21 or walk a mile to widopen crem  for a 43 so really you might as well give the drivers an couple of early finishes, 3 days off over Christmas and use the bus the other 361 days a year they run ( unless it snows )

(24 Dec 2021, 5:37 pm)Adrian wrote Its something that needs to be considered industry-wide though; its not specific to one operator, area or region.

I'm not sure what the history behind Christmas Eve or New Years Eve early finishes is, but its a fairly outdated practice.

There needs to be a balance between ensuring staff have decent availability to time off over Christmas, but at the same time recognising that there's still a limited demand to meet and a service to provide. Even a very limited skeleton service on core routes would be better than we have now and not leave shift workers stranded.

When we talk about encouraging people away from their cars, its worth remembering that private cars don't stop working after 7pm on two eves a year.

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I also think bearing in mind Cars don't stop after 7pm, on a evening cars don't run every 30 mins or every 60 mins.

(24 Dec 2021, 5:45 pm)Rob44 wrote all very true.  But is Tesco open till midnight?  Is B and Ms open now so I can get another set of lights for the Christmas tree? Can i call vodaphone to upgrade my phone after 7pm tonight???  I don't know the answers to these but at a guess i would say no to all three.

As for Skelton service I've been unlucky enough to live in 2 areas where if you use boxing day as an example i would have to walk 3 miles down then up a hill to  Durham road for a 21 or walk a mile to widopen crem  for a 43 so really you might as well give the drivers an couple of early finishes, 3 days off over Christmas and use the bus the other 361 days a year they run ( unless it snows )

Most supermarkets are open until 7pm. The locals/express ones until 10pm, but generally the staff in those stores are from the immediate area.

Not sure about sales for the likes of EE, but there'll very likely be a customer services presence. There needs to be due to the volume of people getting new phones etc for Christmas, and obviously broadband customers could call at any time.

Amazon are still delivering up until 11pm on Christmas Eve. I whilst I don’t think they deliver on Christmas Day or Boxing Day, the logistics behind the scene will still need to happen.

Like I said in my original post though, it needs to be a balance between ensuring staff have decent availability to time off over Christmas, but at the same time recognising that there's still a limited demand to meet and a service to provide.

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Amazon will prob in warehouse till midnight tonight. Boxing day is big to.

(24 Dec 2021, 6:15 pm)idiot wrote Amazon will prob in warehouse till midnight tonight. Boxing day is big to.

At Follingsby at least, there is no night shift tonight. Day shift finish at their usual time and the 4 has departures even later than that. There is a complete factory close-down at Follingsby from now until day shift on Boxing Day, and GNE’s service 4 has been timetabled around their shift patterns on Boxing Day (including extra journey on service 27 which has a guaranteed connection to the 4, as the Metro does not run that early, which has been communicated to their staff).


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Things have changed slightly. Last year I was delivering Xmas eve and warehouse staff were obv in.

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Mind that was Washington depot.

Kudos to GNE working communicating with amazon.

(24 Dec 2021, 4:47 pm)Rob44 wrote maybe they should pay double or  triple the drivers hourly rate l and double to triple the fare and the buses might run Christmas eve, Christmas day and new years day - just like taxi's do with their prices

Taxis aren't triple fare.

Start normally at £3 at weekends and Bank hols but it's £4 over certain dates over Xmas and New year. But then standard 20p charge per 165 yards.

That's a quick Google for Sunderland Council.

(24 Dec 2021, 7:10 pm)idiot wrote Taxis aren't triple fare.

Start normally at £3 at weekends and Bank hols but it's £4 over certain dates over Xmas and New year. But then standard 20p charge per 165 yards.

That's a quick Google for Sunderland Council.

So the taxi's that advertise fare starts at 80p like in newcastle and gateshead could now start at £3? if the use the same system as sunderland?   Now my maths isnt that good but.......

The last time i use a taxi on new years day i think it was just over double what i had paid him last time, including tip ofcourse

The taxi has the benefit of packing in for the night when it gets quiet. The bus doesn't.

From about 5pm onwards on Xmas Eve, there is barley enough people to keep even a skeleton service running. Demand isn't high enough, and in this world we live in, not many operators will take anywhere near the risks they would have, say 24 months ago.

So much for

Prince Bishops on the 35A

Deckers on the 20

Didn't think that Deckers would be on the X66

(26 Dec 2021, 11:59 am)Train8261 wrote So much for

Prince Bishops on the 35A

Deckers on the 20

Didn't think that Deckers would be on the X66

And 2's have Streetlites on them.
Also 4 A-lIne Coaches out, 2 on the 2. 

Does anyone know which bus has what ticket machine in the A-Line fleet?

ALine - Eclipse
ALine 4 - Versa
Aline 3 - Cadet (Last Time I was on it)

(23 Dec 2021, 11:40 am)Keeiajs wrote They never use to. Most of the time (well atleast in the past) its been deptford, Chester-Le-Street & Riverside.

For at least the last 5years, Washington has operated. Consett has operated every Boxing Day since it opened.

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https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1...vKiYfOLz9w&s=19

Anyone spot the errors?
5, 21, X21 and X22 highlighted as running. But the 5, X21 (north of Durham) and X22 don't have their line displayed. 
Stanley to Durham? Line marked out. No service number identified.
Did any X1s make it to Peterlee or Dalton Park today?

(26 Dec 2021, 7:57 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1...vKiYfOLz9w&s=19

Anyone spot the errors?
5, 21, X21 and X22 highlighted as running. But the 5, X21 (north of Durham) and X22 don't have their line displayed. 
Stanley to Durham? Line marked out. No service number identified.
Did any X1s make it to Peterlee or Dalton Park today?

I saw the 5/X22. But I thoguht the X22 would run today. And X1's went to both peterlee and DP.

(26 Dec 2021, 7:57 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1...vKiYfOLz9w&s=19

Anyone spot the errors?
5, 21, X21 and X22 highlighted as running. But the 5, X21 and X22 don't have their line displayed. 
Stanley to Durham? Line marked out. No service number identified.
Did any X1s make it to Peterlee or Dalton Park today?

93 and 94 completely visible too.

A good visual representation of today's network without having to click on a link to read a list, but as ever, there were certainly things that probably ought to have been caught before publishing.

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(26 Dec 2021, 8:06 pm)S813 FVK wrote 93 and 94 completely visible too.

A good visual representation of today's network without having to click on a link to read a list, but as ever, there were certainly things that probably ought to have been caught before publishing. 

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Agree. 
Not sure who signed it off, but back in the day, Ambassador would have been calling for their P45.

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(26 Dec 2021, 8:04 pm)Keeiajs wrote I saw the 5/X22. But I thoguht the X22 would run today.  And X1's went to both peterlee and DP. 

Having seen reports of huge gaps in the lead up to Christmas, I am surprised!

(26 Dec 2021, 8:17 pm)Andreos1 wrote Agree. 
Not sure who signed it off, but back in the day, Ambassador would have been calling for their P45.

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Having seen reports of huge gaps in the lead up to Christmas, I am surprised!

They do turn up to both more times than they don't. The Peterlee services are in desperate need of being Retimed more or less around 15-20 mins late all day. DP aren't that bad due to there 15 mins layover, but can come with 0 layover time. However every so often maybe a few times a week when i see when they just terminate at Easington lane for some reason when they are early. Or they could make it to DP ontime.

Why on earth was there Aline coaches operating to silksworth on service 2 there was no mention of this on the website

They don’t advertise jounerys ran by A-Line…