Optare Versa 8329 has returned to service following a recent accident.
FTAO Acky81 - destination has also been fixed

Severe delays to X7 again this evening: the 1538 departing Sunderland as I type this message.

If anyone is waiting for an X36 beware as 5205 has been running about this afternoon with no front destination display (the side and rear ones are still working).

(27 Nov 2014, 1:39 pm)Dan wrote "Angel" branded Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Geminis 3962/65 are now equipped with Wi-Fi.

Good move. Keeps the service offered consistent. 

New Durham WeeklySaver ticket from 1 December 2014

http://www.simplygo.com/news/durham-weeklysaver


Durham WeeklySaver will be run as a trial period until the end of January 2015 and is available from the driver.

Valid in the area shown on services 13, 14, 15, 15A, 20, 20A, 21, 43, 44, 44A, 50, 50A, 59, 204, 208, 265, X20, X21, X22 and X46.

(27 Nov 2014, 7:11 pm)Michael wrote New Durham WeeklySaver ticket from 1 December 2014

http://www.simplygo.com/news/durham-weeklysaver

For those with a greater knowledge of the area - how does this compare to Arriva's weekly offering?

(27 Nov 2014, 7:31 pm)Dan wrote For those with a greater knowledge of the area - how does this compare to Arriva's weekly offering?

Go North East's offering of £11.80 for a weekly ticket against Arriva's £13.00 weekly ticket in the Durham City zone isn't bad.

However, Arriva charge £25.00 for a weekly ticket in the Durham County zone.

Arriva's Durham City ticket prices (online).
Adult Day
£3.60 

Adult Weekly
£13.00 

Adult 4 Weekly
£46.80 

Adult Annual
£480.00

(27 Nov 2014, 7:31 pm)Dan wrote For those with a greater knowledge of the area - how does this compare to Arriva's weekly offering?

It's £2/£3* cheaper, but it's hard to directly compare. If you live on a route where there's GNE/ANE competition, such as the Pity Me/Framwellgate Moor/Durham City Centre stretch, then it's going to win some customers over for sure, but I think there's a missed opportunity in there not being a new link to East Durham College for example. My understanding is that Arriva only offer multi trip student tickets on a termly basis, which is outside the affordability of some students. Students wanting a weekly ticket would need to pay the relevant adult fare, or £13 for the week.

So in summary - certainly a positive, but some opportunities to work on.

* For the £1 you get Brandon Zones too.

DanOptare Versa 8329 has returned to service following a recent accident.
FTAO Acky81 - destination has also been fixed

Severe delays to X7 again this evening: the 1538 departing Sunderland as I type this message.

That's good news dan

10% off mTickets for a short period of time, starting from 10am.

6087 currently being regulated via Newcastle Road out of Sunderland, it would seem..

Lots of regulated Angels today, presumably down to congestion around Percy St (that should clear up February ttime!)

Eldon Sq could have done with a queue conductor (stagecoach have them out) Horrendous queues around the X10/9 AND 43/44/21 stands

(28 Nov 2014, 5:02 pm)gtom wrote Lots of regulated Angels today, presumably down to congestion around Percy St (that should clear up February ttime!)

Eldon Sq could have done with a queue conductor (stagecoach have them out) Horrendous queues around the X10/9 AND 43/44/21 stands

I can vouch for this.

During the 20-odd minutes I spent at Chester-le-Street, practicing with my camera, Gary Wheatley must have made about two or three Black Horse-bound runs of Service 21 turn around at the bottom and head back to Newcastle. One appeared to come out of the depot to operate a run to Durham, although this could have just come off the motorway.

(28 Nov 2014, 5:05 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote I can vouch for this.

During the 20-odd minutes I spent at Chester-le-Street, practicing with my camera, Gary Wheatley must have made about two or three Black Horse-bound runs of Service 21 turn around at the bottom and head back to Newcastle. One appeared to come out of the depot to operate a run to Durham, although this could have just come off the motorway.

Aye Eldon Square needs a queue conductor full time really. The two Nexus bods tend to go into hiding if it gets busy, until someone pulls a camera out of course.

Lots of regulated Angels today, presumably down to congestion around Percy St (that should clear up February ttime!)

 Eldon Sq could have done with a queue conductor (stagecoach have them out) Horrendous queues around the X10/9 AND 43/44/21 stands

I was on the X2 to Durham and I didn't see an Angel heading in the opposite direction to Newcastle for about 20 minutes, safe to say that a fair few passengers jumped on the X2 instead.

Also saw two Whey Aye Five-O's which were only apart by one minute.

Also 4934 broke down at the traffic lights at Durham Johnston School heading towards the Bus Station (pretty bad place to break down) this resulted in delays to other services.

(28 Nov 2014, 5:11 pm)aureolin wrote Aye Eldon Square needs a queue conductor full time really. The two Nexus bods tend to go into hiding if it gets busy, until someone pulls a camera out of course.

Exactly! - whenever I stand waiting for a bus, the two of them are barricaded in that little office like two Nazi soldiers trying to avoid capture during the last days of WW2!!

TEN has either lost one or is severely delayed - should have left Hexham 16:28 - didn't arrive until 17:00.

No spares, apparently.

X84 likewise running late - due to arrive Hexham 16:40 - was running behind the (delayed) TEN, therefore the subsequent X85 will be leaving at least 10 minutes late.

I sort of sympathise with GNE as Newcastle and Metrocentre are unavoidable and snarled up

The police don'tsseem to be active on Percy St yet and there was a lot of junction blocking going on

I presume GNE will do short workings further down the route again (Birtley-Durham)

There's no easy solution. The Angel is incapable of running on time out of Christmas chaos

(28 Nov 2014, 5:11 pm)aureolin wrote Aye Eldon Square needs a queue conductor full time really. The two Nexus bods tend to go into hiding if it gets busy, until someone pulls a camera out of course.

Although I don't think he's a dedicated 'queue conductor', Go North East has an older bloke based in Eldon Square who helps with pretty much anything...
Not sure of the hours he works, but he's always there whenever I'm there. Helps passengers with the stand they need to be on (even if it is a Stagecoach or Arriva service), and usually advises where a bus is. In times of chaos, he has moved passengers to different stands and guided the buses in, too.

Chester-le-Street's "Northern" branded Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President 6026 (V226 LGC) has now arrived at Saltmeadows for repaint into corporate livery.

I sort of sympathise with GNE as Newcastle and Metrocentre are unavoidable and snarled up

I got the 0934 X22 to the MetroCentre this morning and was due to arrive at 1020 but didn't get there until about 1045, this was due to the amount of passengers boarding the bus and passengers flagging the bus down without reading the display and naturally assumed it was the 21 which got on my nerves and heavy traffic on the A1 and to avoid some of this the driver pulled off the A1 at Team Valley and went on a magical mystery tour.

(28 Nov 2014, 5:35 pm)Jimmi wrote I got the 0934 X22 to the MetroCentre this morning and was due to arrive at 1020 but didn't get there until about 1045, this was due to the amount of passengers boarding the bus and passengers flagging the bus down without reading the display and naturally assumed it was the 21 which got on my nerves and heavy traffic on the A1 and to avoid some of this the driver pulled off the A1 at Team Valley and went on a magical mystery tour.

Due to the heavy traffic associated with the A1, Go North East registered a revised route to service X22 earlier this month. I believe a number of different routes were registered so that drivers can use their best judgement as to which route to take, assisting with timekeeping.

Due to the heavy traffic associated with the A1, Go North East registered a revised route to service X22 earlier this month. I believe a number of different routes were registered so that drivers can use their best judgement as to which route to take, assisting with timekeeping.

Just a shame Arriva haven't done the same with the X24

(28 Nov 2014, 5:39 pm)Dan wrote Due to the heavy traffic associated with the A1, Go North East registered a revised route to service X22 earlier this month. I believe a number of different routes were registered so that drivers can use their best judgement as to which route to take, assisting with timekeeping.

They've had a few routes registered for a few years now. The latest registration was for the 937 becoming the X22 and going through the Valley. It uses the old 183 route through the Teams quite a bit, makes sense really especially with the afore mentioned A1 roadworks. It also uses Bensham and I've been on it through Lady Park too.

Saying that with Retail World, its snarled up wherever you go these days

The left most quarter of 8304's blind has dimmed, but the rest is displaying fine. May need looking at...

(28 Nov 2014, 6:16 pm)aureolin wrote The left most quarter of 8304's blind has dimmed, but the rest is displaying fine. May need looking at...

Noticed that today! The right hand was perfectly fine, but the left was like an iPhone screen with the brightness set to lowest!

The left most quarter of 8304's blind has dimmed, but the rest is displaying fine. May need looking at...

If that is the Worm I saw in Chester I couldn't see this part of the display at all.

I also recently saw a Northern President on service 15/15A and was displaying 1.

(28 Nov 2014, 6:18 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Noticed that today! The right hand was perfectly fine, but the left was like an iPhone screen with the brightness set to lowest!

(28 Nov 2014, 6:21 pm)Jimmi wrote If that is the Worm I saw in Chester I couldn't see this part of the display at all.

I also recently saw a Northern President on service 15/15A and was displaying 1.

Go North East: 8304 / NK09FVE by danielgrahamm, on Flickr

I think it's being quite temperamental; when it's not off completely, it's so dim that you can only just see it.

(28 Nov 2014, 6:24 pm)Dan wrote Go North East: 8304 / NK09FVE by danielgrahamm, on Flickr

I think it's being quite temperamental; when it's not off completely, it's so dim that you can only just see it.

It looked like that when I saw it tonight.

8304s blind has been like that for a while. Angels dont always run late, however the frequency of the 21 means buses will bunch up at busy times. Newcastle is a nightmare anytime of the day & night. Newcastle council have done a great job at making the central station bottle neck even worse!!