(07 Jan 2015, 12:03 pm)Dan wrote Former "Laser" branded Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 4968 (NK53 UNU) is the latest example to arrive at Saltmeadows for repaint into "Prince Bishops" purple, ahead of the service changes later this month.

Former "Silver Arrows" branded Mercedes Citaro 0530N/Mercedes Citaro 5325 (NK58 DWC) still remains at Saltmeadows, despite being sent to Saltmeadows on December 29th. Likely that Go North East will try to fit in three Scanias per week instead of two Scanias and one Merc - clearly a problem of some sort as it definitely doesn't take nine days to repaint a bus!

Was just about to ask if 5325 had being sent back yet.

These repaints should be done soon for the Prince Bishops, going fast. 

Forgot to mention, Coaster 5265 broke down at Stand C at Gateshead earlier

5244's display was showing a red square instead of the number 19 when I saw it on it's way to North Shields.

Out of interest do GNE operate the 19 north of Northumberland Park commercially, or is there a contract? Just seems a bit strange that the 19 is the only Go North East service in the Ashington/ Bedlington area. It always seems like it has decent loads, just makes you wonder if Go North East would consider operating in Northumberland again?

(07 Jan 2015, 8:16 pm)mb134 wrote Out of interest do GNE operate the 19 north of Northumberland Park commercially, or is there a contract? Just seems a bit strange that the 19 is the only Go North East service in the Ashington/ Bedlington area. It always seems like it has decent loads, just makes you wonder if Go North East would consider operating in Northumberland again?

It's funded by Go Smarter from Cramlington to Ashington.

(07 Jan 2015, 8:18 pm)Tom wrote It's funded by Go Smarter from Cramlington to Ashington.

Don't think it's fully funded though - I think it's just a contribution..? There's no contractual requirements when it comes to service 19 (under GNE operation).

(07 Jan 2015, 8:20 pm)Dan wrote Don't think it's fully funded though - I think it's just a contribution..? There's no contractual requirements when it comes to service 19 (under GNE operation).

Is it not?
I thought it was fully funded. 

(07 Jan 2015, 8:16 pm)mb134 wrote Out of interest do GNE operate the 19 north of Northumberland Park commercially, or is there a contract? Just seems a bit strange that the 19 is the only Go North East service in the Ashington/ Bedlington area. It always seems like it has decent loads, just makes you wonder if Go North East would consider operating in Northumberland again?

Got to say that there was a decent amount of passengers on-board when I rode it from Bedlington to Royal Quays recently, many got off in Cramlington and then it was people hopping on and off at various points.

(07 Jan 2015, 8:21 pm)Tom wrote Is it not?
I thought it was fully funded. 

The 'Go Smarter' programme appears to be funded by the North East Combined Authority, and Go North East appears to be the beneficiary of a sum of money most months. See details of NECA's expenditure on attached Excel documents:




The funding varies by month; in August, no funding was given to Go North East as part of the Go Smarter programme.

This has been discussed a number of times before. Whilst I am fairly sure that it isn't fully secured, there is some funding given to support the Cramlington - Ashington section of the route, providing links to the employment sites on the fully commercial Cramlington - North Shields section of route.

(07 Jan 2015, 8:18 pm)Tom wrote It's funded by Go Smarter from Cramlington to Ashington.

(07 Jan 2015, 8:20 pm)Dan wrote Don't think it's fully funded though - I think it's just a contribution..? There's no contractual requirements when it comes to service 19 (under GNE operation).

(07 Jan 2015, 8:22 pm)Jimmi wrote Got to say that there was a decent amount of passengers on-board when I rode it from Bedlington to Royal Quays recently, many got off in Cramlington and then it was people hopping on and off at various points.

Thanks Dan and Tom, if it is partially contributed towards it still means Go North East will make money if the route does right?

In my experiences I agree with Jimmi, it seems pretty well used. I think if there were more services in the area, people might be tempted. Every time I've seen the 19 it's been pretty much on time, with a presentable clean looking bus, which can only improve peoples opinion of the company. If I'm honest, if I could use a GNE service I would do, but none go anywhere near my house, and I'd have to get an Arriva bus first. I was talking to a few of my friends the other week who use the Sapphire X22 to get to school and they say that the new buses haven't made much difference, they are still late all of the time. I'm assuming they aren't alone in thinking this so maybe if GNE did move in, they'd get custom.

Noted this morning that 3877 has gained an LED destination blind, replacing the old flipdot one. 

Former "Fast Cats" branded Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 4954 (NL02 ZRX) is the latest example to arrive at Saltmeadows for repaint. Due to the PVR decrease of the "Fast Cats" X36 by one vehicle, this vehicle will be repainted into a purple base livery for use on the revised "Prince Bishops" 20/20A services between South Shields and Durham.

6017's side blind isn't working. Not sure whether it needs looking at, given the new DDA rules in force?

3979 kept cutting on when it performed my scholars which annoyed over half the bus including me.

(09 Jan 2015, 3:45 pm)Dan wrote Former "Fast Cats" branded Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 4954 (NL02 ZRX) is the latest example to arrive at Saltmeadows for repaint. Due to the PVR decrease of the "Fast Cats" X36 by one vehicle, this vehicle will be repainted into a purple base livery for use on the revised "Prince Bishops" 20/20A services between South Shields and Durham.

Thought it would of being 4954 to be repainted, which of the Go North East scania's will be repainted purple, the ex fab 56 ones?

(09 Jan 2015, 5:53 pm)Michael wrote Thought it would of being 4954 to be repainted, which of the Go North East scania's will be repainted purple, the ex fab 56 ones?

As long as they're euro 5 and until it happens, nobody can be certain of any future repaints (if you can understand what i mean :s ).

If the 14 Red Arrows B9TLs became free (11 needed Mon to Sat and 5 eve and Sun) and GNE did the following:

- X51 every 30 mins (60 eve and Sun) serving X21 route to Bedlington Front St from Seacrest Rd then X22 route to Newcastle but only calling at Regent Centre after A1068 / Seaton Burn.

- X52 every 30 mins (60 eve and Sun) serving same route as above but North Seaton instead of Wansbeck Hosp then same route as X51 from Ashington.

They could oust the X21 and all the X22 would have is the punters between Ashington and Bedlington and here's why:
- Powerful engines for reliability and punctuality.
- No fancy detours via Nedderton.
- Free Wi-Fi and High Back seats.
- Simple 15 min (30 eve and Sun) combined frequency between Ashington and Newcastle throughout.
- Radio control in event of emergency, breakdown or delay.
- Many connections available in Newcastle including Metrocentre, Tyne Valley, Gateshead, Durham and Teesside.
- Better passenger trust.
- All buses wheelchair and buggy friendly unlike 7501 - 09.

(09 Jan 2015, 5:54 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote If the 14 Red Arrows B9TLs became free (11 needed Mon to Sat and 5 eve and Sun) and GNE did the following:

- X51 every 30 mins (60 eve and Sun) serving X21 route to Bedlington Front St from Seacrest Rd then X22 route to Newcastle but only calling at Regent Centre after A1068 / Seaton Burn.

- X52 every 30 mins (60 eve and Sun) serving same route as above but North Seaton instead of Wansbeck Hosp then same route as X51 from Ashington.

They could oust the X21 and all the X22 would have is the punters between Ashington and Bedlington and here's why:
- Powerful engines for reliability and punctuality.
- No fancy detours via Nedderton.
- Free Wi-Fi and High Back seats.
- Simple 15 min (30 eve and Sun) combined frequency between Ashington and Newcastle throughout.
- Radio control in event of emergency, breakdown or delay.
- Many connections available in Newcastle including Metrocentre, Tyne Valley, Gateshead, Durham and Teesside.
- Better passenger trust.
- All buses wheelchair and buggy friendly unlike 7501 - 09.

It's likely that GNE would face the same issues as Arriva do on the Durham Road corridor. There are no connecting services, and there isn't a Network One equivalent for Northumberland. Besides that, I can't see the point of replicating an existing route like for like, when surely the key is to come up with something better than what they've got now?

(09 Jan 2015, 6:35 pm)aureolin wrote It's likely that GNE would face the same issues as Arriva do on the Durham Road corridor. There are no connecting services, and there isn't a Network One equivalent for Northumberland. Besides that, I can't see the point of replicating an existing route like for like, when surely the key is to come up with something better than what they've got now?

Exactly - you can't do better than a combined 10 minutely Ashington-Newcastle service. Plus, even if you did put a half hourly service along those lines via North Seaton, people are still going to use the hourly X20 due to its quicker journey times even if it isn't Sapphire or MAX (at present).

(09 Jan 2015, 5:54 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote If the 14 Red Arrows B9TLs became free (11 needed Mon to Sat and 5 eve and Sun) and GNE did the following:

- X51 every 30 mins (60 eve and Sun) serving X21 route to Bedlington Front St from Seacrest Rd then X22 route to Newcastle but only calling at Regent Centre after A1068 / Seaton Burn.

- X52 every 30 mins (60 eve and Sun) serving same route as above but North Seaton instead of Wansbeck Hosp then same route as X51 from Ashington.

They could oust the X21 and all the X22 would have is the punters between Ashington and Bedlington and here's why:
- Powerful engines for reliability and punctuality.
- No fancy detours via Nedderton.
- Free Wi-Fi and High Back seats.
- Simple 15 min (30 eve and Sun) combined frequency between Ashington and Newcastle throughout.
- Radio control in event of emergency, breakdown or delay.
- Many connections available in Newcastle including Metrocentre, Tyne Valley, Gateshead, Durham and Teesside.
- Better passenger trust.
- All buses wheelchair and buggy friendly unlike 7501 - 09.

Even if the Red Arrows did gain Investment this year, I would much rather see 6001-6007 go on the X21 and 3943/6049 to 6055 being utilised on the X30/X31 depending on the PVRs of these Services, I think the X21 is 7 iirc.

(09 Jan 2015, 6:41 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Exactly - you can't do better than a combined 10 minutely Ashington-Newcastle service. Plus, even if you did put a half hourly service along those lines via North Seaton, people are still going to use the hourly X20 due to its quicker journey times even if it isn't Sapphire or MAX (at present).

They may combine every 10 minutes but:
- Passengers on the X21 are having to suffer longer journey times because of it and poor reliability.
- It doesn't truly combine in Bedlington leaving 15 minute gaps causing reliability problems on the X22.
- The X20 can be a very unreliable service at times.
- The vehicle type is not suited to the X21 / X22 unlike the heavy duty B9TL.
- Limited connections south and west of Newcastle.
- No radio control in event of breakdowns, emergencies or delays.
- The X51 / X52 would only take 52 minutes from Ashington to Newcastle (or just under or over 1hr mark during peaks) 
- The X31 / X32 was proven and well used and the X51 / X52 would offer a similar format.
- The X51 and X52 would offer a more frequent service than the X21 (upto every 15 Mon to Sat / 30 eve and Sun) and provide the most frequent and fastest service between Bedlington Red Lion and Newcastle.

It's like if I was travelling to Blaydon, Ryton or Crawcrook from Newcastle, I would use the most frequent and fastest combined group of services (TEN) then if I wanted any local links along route such as Scotswood Rd or Newcastle Business Park, I would use less frequent Toon Link service 11. I wouldn't expect GNE to come up with silly detours and combined frequencies for the sake of it

(09 Jan 2015, 6:55 pm)Malarkey wrote Even if the Red Arrows did gain Investment this year, I would much rather see 6001-6007 go on the X21 and 3943/6049 to 6055 being utilised on the X30/X31 depending on the PVRs of these Services, I think the X21 is 7 iirc.

Me too, they could be used else where, instead of risking them on new unproven routes, also means older buses can be withdrawn or sold. 

Mind you though, the Crusader Mercs retrofitted with Moovbox and NSA's and screens would do until fully proven.

(09 Jan 2015, 6:55 pm)Malarkey wrote Even if the Red Arrows did gain Investment this year, I would much rather see 6001-6007 go on the X21 and 3943/6049 to 6055 being utilised on the X30/X31 depending on the PVRs of these Services, I think the X21 is 7 iirc.

Service X21s PVR is 7.

I'm unsure on the PVR of the X30/X31, I think it might be 5.

But if you work out the length (in time) of the route from Newcastle to Lanchester, and back, you can divide the total time up by 30 (the frequency) to find out how many vehicles are required.

Stanley to Newcastle is roughly 40 minutes, and I think it's something like 30 to Lanchester, so a full run from A to B may be around 70 minutes...70+70 comes to 140. Round it up to include turn-around times, you get 150. 150 divided by 30 = 5.

(09 Jan 2015, 7:03 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote They may combine every 10 minutes but:
- Passengers on the X21 are having to suffer longer journey times because of it and poor reliability.
- It doesn't truly combine in Bedlington leaving 15 minute gaps causing reliability problems on the X22.
- The X20 can be a very unreliable service at times.
- The vehicle type is not suited to the X21 / X22 unlike the heavy duty B9TL.
- Limited connections south and west of Newcastle.
- No radio control in event of breakdowns, emergencies or delays.
- The X51 / X52 would only take 52 minutes from Ashington to Newcastle (or just under or over 1hr mark during peaks) 
- The X31 / X32 was proven and well used and the X51 / X52 would offer a similar format.
- The X51 and X52 would offer a more frequent service than the X21 (upto every 15 Mon to Sat / 30 eve and Sun) and provide the most frequent and fastest service between Bedlington Red Lion and Newcastle.

It's like if I was travelling to Blaydon, Ryton or Crawcrook from Newcastle, I would use the most frequent and fastest combined group of services (TEN) then if I wanted any local links along route such as Scotswood Rd or Newcastle Business Park, I would use less frequent Toon Link service 11. I wouldn't expect GNE to come up with silly detours and combined frequencies for the sake of it

The journey would only be a few minutes difference at best. Your proposed services would suffer from their own reliability issues, if it was anything more than that. Is reliability really that poor? With them being Sapphire services, I can't see it being the case for very long, as Sapphire offers a money back guarantee. 

Normal passengers aren't going to be too fussed about vehicle, as long as it looks smart and presentable, and feels comfortable, which the Sapphire services do. Again, they're not going to care about the lack of a two way radio, as they most likely won't know.

You mention limited connections south and west of Newcastle, but wouldn't GNE passengers suffer the same fate in Bedlington and Ashington?

(09 Jan 2015, 7:10 pm)aureolin wrote The journey would only be a few minutes difference at best. Your proposed services would suffer from their own reliability issues, if it was anything more than that. Is reliability really that poor? With them being Sapphire services, I can't see it being the case for very long, as Sapphire offers a money back guarantee. 

Normal passengers aren't going to be too fussed about vehicle, as long as it looks smart and presentable, and feels comfortable, which the Sapphire services do. Again, they're not going to care about the lack of a two way radio, as they most likely won't know.

You mention limited connections south and west of Newcastle, but wouldn't GNE passengers suffer the same fate in Bedlington and Ashington?

Yeah reliability is very poor on the X21/X22.
They are always running in twos, and once I even had a 25 minute wait for one at Haymarket. It isn't really acceptable, as it happens all of the time. 
Although I can't see GNE introducing a service from Newcastle to Ashington. 

Yes, but despite the lack of local connections in Ashington and Bedlington, there are many more in the heart of Newcastle.

(09 Jan 2015, 7:03 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote It's like if I was travelling to Blaydon, Ryton or Crawcrook from Newcastle, I would use the most frequent and fastest combined group of services (TEN) then if I wanted any local links along route such as Scotswood Rd or Newcastle Business Park, I would use less frequent Toon Link service 11. I wouldn't expect GNE to come up with silly detours and combined frequencies for the sake of it

Why would you use the TEN when the 11 is six minutes faster (and takes the more direct route) between Newcastle and Blaydon (and thus Ryton and Crawcrook) and is less likely to be affected by delays caused by traffic at the Metrocentre?

If both services were due to depart at similar times from Eldon Square, I'd choose the 11 every time.

(09 Jan 2015, 7:10 pm)aureolin wrote The journey would only be a few minutes difference at best. Your proposed services would suffer from their own reliability issues, if it was anything more than that. Is reliability really that poor? With them being Sapphire services, I can't see it being the case for very long, as Sapphire offers a money back guarantee. 

Normal passengers aren't going to be too fussed about vehicle, as long as it looks smart and presentable, and feels comfortable, which the Sapphire services do. Again, they're not going to care about the lack of a two way radio, as they most likely won't know.

You mention limited connections south and west of Newcastle, but wouldn't GNE passengers suffer the same fate in Bedlington and Ashington?

There's also another factor - at this present time there's only 1 Sapphire service that has competition ans that's North West's 575 service which has competition from First Manchester at the Bolton end of the route with their own 575 service. Funny enough, the Sapphire 575 is doing better than the 'Zivvy Rider' branded First service (which is basically their Olympia livery with a Gold relief in place of the purple).

(09 Jan 2015, 7:14 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Why would you use the TEN when the 11 is six minutes faster (and takes the more direct route) between Newcastle and Blaydon (and thus Ryton and Crawcrook) and is less likely to be affected by delays caused by traffic at the Metrocentre?

If both services were due to depart at similar times from Eldon Square, I'd choose the 11 every time.

Have to admit I use the TEN every time - for the power sockets, if nothing else.