Moderators wroteMerged thread for Go North East: Minor Service Changes August 2022
Source: https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/changes-x-...asider-x11

X1 down to 15 mins and X11 cancelled from Sunday.

X-lines X1 from Saturday 6 August

The service will be revised to run up to every 15 minutes.
All four buses per hour will serve Easington Lane, with two per hour extending to Peterlee.
Due to low demand, no journeys will serve Dalton Park.

Seasider X11
Sunday 7 August will be the last day our service to Whitby and Scarborough runs.
Those wanting a day out at the North Yorkshire coast after 7 August can do so by catching our X10 service to Middlesbrough and then the Arriva X93/X94 to Whitby or Scarborough.

- This is whats wrong with this company, they extend the X1 to Dalton Park which the only advertisement was on the buses, they don't advertise whenever I've visited Dalton Park there is always loads of people saying "whats the X1" and it shows how much this company cares, it doesn't help the timing comes 15 mins before X10 which is just great business, what a disgrace. Low Passenger Numbers, thats because no one knows it runs!!. It doesn't help the last service to serve Dalton Park leaves at 16:32, who wants to leave Newcastle at that time, it was destined to failure, due to the failure at the top.

But GNE would be overstaffed so there would be plenty of staff moved to be able to cover washington service.

(03 Aug 2022, 9:16 am)Unber43 wrote But GNE would be overstaffed so there would be plenty of staff moved to be able to cover washington service.

Only if the drivers volunteer to go to another depot.


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(03 Aug 2022, 9:16 am)Unber43 wrote Seasider X11
Sunday 7 August will be the last day our service to Whitby and Scarborough runs.
Those wanting a day out at the North Yorkshire coast after 7 August can do so by catching our X10 service to Middlesbrough and then the Arriva X93/X94 to Whitby or Scarborough.

Ah yes, cancelling a seasonal service in the height of the summer holidays, such a great business idea!

Unless people didn't bother going because they realised the seaside is the same down there as it is up here so it's not worth paying extra!

Changes to the X1 and X11 from Saturday/Monday. X1 revised to every 15 minutes, Dalton Park link binned - Peterlee every 30 mins. X11 withdrawn after Sunday’s operation. 

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/changes-x-...asider-x11

A good move in my opinion, operating special seaside trips when normal services are cancelled left, right and centre isn’t great for those who rely on buses just to get home at night. And the X1 every 15 minutes makes sense as at least it’s now exactly every 30 minutes to Peterlee.

(03 Aug 2022, 9:22 am)Drifter60 wrote Changes to the X1 and X11 from Saturday/Monday. X1 revised to every 15 minutes, Dalton Park link binned - Peterlee every 30 mins. X11 withdrawn after Sunday’s operation. 

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/changes-x-...asider-x11

Dalton Park cancellations shows the failure of what GNE has become. 

"low passenger number" thats because no one knows IT EXISTED.

(03 Aug 2022, 9:22 am)Drifter60 wrote Changes to the X1 and X11 from Saturday/Monday. X1 revised to every 15 minutes, Dalton Park link binned - Peterlee every 30 mins. X11 withdrawn after Sunday’s operation. 

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/changes-x-...asider-x11

A good move in my opinion, operating special seaside trips when normal services are cancelled left, right and centre isn’t great for those who rely on buses just to get home at night. And the X1 every 15 minutes makes sense as at least it’s now exactly every 30 minutes to Peterlee.

To be fair, the X11 was due to end on Sunday anyway, but it just seems stupid to me that they wouldn't have it running through the holidays!

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(03 Aug 2022, 9:25 am)Unber43 wrote Dalton Park cancellations shows the failure of what GNE has become. 

"low passenger number" thats because no one knows IT EXISTED.

Or, more realistically, nobody wants to go to Dalton Park because it's overrated with very few shops, and overpriced ones at that.

Should of cancelled the x1 to Dalton park ages ago due to short staffed and advertise the 65 for connections between Hetton interchange and Dalton Park on daytime freq of every 30 minutes.

With the x11 withdrawn will free up at least 1 driver who can do multiple trips on a service bus.


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Are the X1 changes temporary again, as from what I saw last time it was every 15 minutes buses were full a lot of the time. just my experience though.

(03 Aug 2022, 9:30 am)streetdeckfan wrote To be fair, the X11 was due to end on Sunday anyway, but it just seems stupid to me that they wouldn't have it running through the holidays!

That isn't what their press release said - https://newsroom.gonortheast.co.uk/news/...rns-448254

(03 Aug 2022, 9:30 am)Go North East wrote It will run on weekends, bank holidays and school holidays between 28 May and 4 September.

(03 Aug 2022, 9:39 am)omnicity4659 wrote That isn't what their press release said - https://newsroom.gonortheast.co.uk/news/...rns-448254

Ah, so they've updated the website news page, but not the newsroom page


https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/go-north-e...gh-returns

(03 Aug 2022, 9:35 am)omnicity4659 wrote If they're doing it to redeploy the driver to local routes it won't make the slightest difference with staff still leaving en masse because they're being treated like dogshit.

I'm probably leaning more towards lower than expected passenger numbers since I'd imagine they'd make considerably more money with that driver on the X11 than they would having them drive a normal service.

Has anyone been on the X11 recently, or seen the number of passengers?

Cancelling a service with a couple days notice is disgraceful. There may be low demand, but there'll still be some people relying on it, who barely have time to blink to find an alternative.

Of course, the comms could have helped out here, and advised people they can change at Hetton for the 65...

With the X1 timetable change overall, again its leisure customers that are being punished; the ones supposedly the target of modal switch to the bus, instead of taking their car into town and adding to congestion. That's before you add Saturday events and football to the chaos.

More firefighting.

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(03 Aug 2022, 9:16 am)Unber43 wrote But GNE would be overstaffed so there would be plenty of staff moved to be able to cover washington service.

Can't see any driver in the Unite union going anywhere near Washington because of the Chester Le Street depot strike since the 25, 28 and 71 moved there so your enabling the depot closure.

It's why both of these have been done imo, X11 driver's bailing out the mess at CLS and Washington being seriously short of drivers due to lack of interest in helping out.

(03 Aug 2022, 10:24 am)Storx wrote Can't see any driver in the Unite union going anywhere near Washington because of the Chester Le Street depot strike since the 25, 28 and 71 moved there so your enabling the depot closure.

It's why both of these have been done imo, X11 driver's bailing out the mess at CLS and Washington being seriously short of drivers due to lack of interest in helping out.

X11 runs from Deptford

(03 Aug 2022, 10:36 am)Unber43 wrote X11 runs from Deptford

I know but those drivers (depending on their union status) could go bail out CLS. 1 driver could potentially be 5% of the drivers there if it ends up going pear shaped.

Things most be utterly desperate if they are axing a leisure service for the resource of 1 driver.

At what point does the Commercial Team head come out the sand and deploy emergency timetables?

(03 Aug 2022, 11:05 am)Ambassador wrote Things most be utterly desperate if they are axing a leisure service for the resource of 1 driver.

Was thinking the same to be honest.
And the runs to Whitby being apparently popular and I assume money making. 

How many runs per day, will it save by having that 1 driver resource shifted?

(03 Aug 2022, 9:41 am)streetdeckfan wrote Ah, so they've updated the website news page, but not the newsroom page


https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/go-north-e...gh-returns

Why on earth would they retroactively update a press release dated 3 months ago with the new date?

The marketing and comms team are just bizarre

(03 Aug 2022, 11:13 am)Ambassador wrote Why on earth would they retroactively update a press release dated 3 months ago with the new date?

The marketing and comms team are just bizarre

So gullible people like me will think that was always the plan and they haven't just changed it!

(03 Aug 2022, 11:21 am)streetdeckfan wrote So gullible people like me will think that was always the plan and they haven't just changed it!

It's such a waste of their apparant limited resource! It's a really small example of the ineffectiveness within the business

Will the Dalton Park extension on the X1 be permanently cut, or is it just while it's on a reduced timetable?

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/changes-x-...0p24cxAO4I

Go North East have decided to cancel the X11 after close of play this Sunday coming (7/8/22). Safe to say this hasn’t gone down well judging by the comments on Facebook, personally I don’t blame people especially those who don’t drive and look forward to a trip to the seaside.

Also during the middle of the summer holidays as well when parents want to take their kids out for the day.


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Well there were plenty of comment here suggesting that the x11 was the wrong service to prioritise with current staffing issues.

There are other seasides that are easier to get to.

(03 Aug 2022, 11:21 am)streetdeckfan wrote So gullible people like me will think that was always the plan and they haven't just changed it!

Amusingly though the little preview on the main news page hasn't updated itself/been updated, and still says 4th September.

(03 Aug 2022, 9:52 am)Adrian wrote Cancelling a service with a couple days notice is disgraceful. There may be low demand, but there'll still be some people relying on it, who barely have time to blink to find an alternative.

It does seem a daft time to do it in what would presumably be the peak demand however to be fair to GNE, how many people are realistically going to be "relying" on it as compared to those relying on X10 etc for day to day commuting.  Obviously if there was unlimited resource this would be a differnt issue but it looks like prioritisation on a 'least bad option' basis to me.  There were plenty on here commenting that the X11 shouldn't be running and focus on running core network so does seem a bit like whatever they do, they can't get a break.  Also, it's not like there is no alternative and GNE have flagged this, despite it being a local competitor's route, and provided the link to further details.  While I doubt the marginal driver resource released with make a notable difference to the current situation, this is a rare occasion where I feel the criticism of GNE is somewhat unfair.

Interesting how they suggest getting the X10 and X93/94 instead, let's say someone from Newcastle, Gateshead or Heworth got the 09:10 X10 instead, that would get to Middlesbrough at 10:54, around an hour later than present, then let's say they got the 11:20 X93 you'd arrive at Scarborough at 13:38 vice the current 11:45.

As for passengers from Washington, they could always get the X1 to Dalton Park and connect with the X10...oh wait never mind

Alternatively someone could get the 08:44 TPE from Newcastle to York arriving 09:48 and the 10:00 to Scarborough you could be there at 10:52...not that TPE provides the most reliable service atm

It's cheaper riding the X10/X93/4 to Scarborough. It's 10.90 for an explorer that gets u down there compared to the £20 that gets u on an open topper

And the train (if anyone's interested) to Whitby from Newcastle leaves at 0844 (Sunderland 0900, Horden 0916), 20 minute changeover at Middlesbrough (depart 1019) and arrive at Whitby at 1151.

Coming back leaves at 1558, arriving at Newcastle (direct service) at 1850 (Middlesbrough 1730, Horden 1811, Sunderland 1829).

National Rail is quoting £21.40 (no railcard), leaving tomorrow, and frankly is there that much to do in Whitby you need more than 4 hours unless you're doing the NYMR? (The following train leaves some 4 hours later, probably because the Esk Valley Line is mostly single track IIRC, although it is a beautiful journey - far nicer than the road journey IMO).

(03 Aug 2022, 2:29 pm)TEN 6083 wrote https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/changes-x-...0p24cxAO4I

Go North East have decided to cancel the X11 after close of play this Saturday coming (7/8/22). Safe to say this hasn’t gone down well judging by the comments on Facebook, personally I don’t blame people especially those who don’t drive and look forward to a trip to the seaside.

Also during the middle of the summer holidays as well when parents want to take their kids out for the day.


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I fully understand why they've done it in order to free up 1 driver throughout the week but I can't help think that they will take quite a hit on potential revenue through not operating the service as advertised throughout the summer.