Volvo B7 6016 has returned to CLS following repaint.

(24 Dec 2014, 12:42 pm)Jimmi wrote And Eldon Square is suitable for a 7 minute frequency on the Angel, I often see two arrive together and one pulls straight onto the stand and the other drops them off at the opposite end and then often leaves and has to pull back in until the other one leaves or the journeys terminating at Chester will sometimes leave straightaway and head down towards Wilko.

Totally different places. It's better for passengers. It's indoors, warm, seating with shops and toilets. It's staffed, has information and security.

CLogging up Pilgrim St which other operators use as a major thoroughfare and which is a dark grim street with abandoned semi derelict units is not an attractive option

Better management of the situation could see control tell a CLS service that there's 2 Angels infront so turn left on Percy and head to Wilko

One problem with terminating buses on streets (rather than a 'bus station') is that passengers will then cross the street leading to conflicts and possible collisions (as seems to be happening in Stockton).
Of course, similar collisions between buses and pedestrians occur in Newcastle streets without the complication of stationary buses.

(24 Dec 2014, 1:25 pm)gtom wrote Totally different places. It's better for passengers. It's indoors, warm, seating with shops and toilets. It's staffed, has information and security.

CLogging up Pilgrim St which other operators use as a major thoroughfare and which is a dark grim street with abandoned semi derelict units is not an attractive option

Better management of the situation could see control tell a CLS service that there's 2 Angels infront so turn left on Percy and head to Wilko

In fairness I hardly ever walk down Pilgrim St as it looks very grim.

It is usually Chester terminating journeys that don't pick up in Eldon Sq, except one time when it happened on a Durham bound journey and all the concession pass holders ended up getting on the X2 that day.

Moving the 21 to Pilgrim St would probably not stop bunching up.

I agree with the comments about Pilgrim Street being grim and derelict, but it is hardly miles from the hustle and bustle of the shopping streets or entertainment venues such as the Theatre Royal or Tyneside Cinema.

It doesn't do the 56, X34, 100 et al any harm stopping there or there abouts and didn't when the 21 series stopped there previously.
Not sure why it would cause issues stopping there now. It would certainly speed services up and assist with reliability if management of the service is going to continue as it is.

I wonder if there's any reason why Pilgrim Street can not be converted to bus-use only with proper stands and shelters?

The concreted central reservation is probably not needed now and could be removed thus freeing up more space.

If reliability improves on the Fab 56, do you think GNE will extend it to Eldon Square?

I wouldn't extend it. But I am not in charge.
Buses going to Eldon Square can be lost in the city centre for quite a while, only adding to delays.

(24 Dec 2014, 2:26 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote If reliability improves on the Fab 56, do you think GNE will extend it to Eldon Square?

Roadworks have finished at Nissan, so hopefully that means it won't be as bad for delays,  it would be good but i'm not sure, as we know Eldon Square, it can be busy, not sure if any of the stands are free for a service being every 12 minutes (26th January)?

(NEXUS cba to update their own bus station plans on their site so i'm not sure if any have changed) 

(24 Dec 2014, 12:38 pm)gtom wrote Massive vote loser that one. Being anti-car won't do any favours (even if Newcastle do it subversively especially with Central Station schemel)

You're correct the car park closing would solve things but its a moneyspinner and there's no way John Lewis or intu or the Council would close it and again....not a vote winner.

Park and Ride is fine in old small road cities like York or Durham but it will never take off in Newcastle imo unless you start forcing routes to terminate in Gateshead and use the increasingly unreliable Metro, but that's not feasible either imo.

Allowing the situation to continue to worsen and do sweet nothing about it s also a massive vote loser. One party or another will have to make changes at some point, eg London Congestion Charge.

(24 Dec 2014, 2:43 pm)Michael wrote Roadworks have finished at Nissan, so hopefully that means it won't be as bad for delays,  it would be good but i'm not sure, as we know Eldon Square, it can be busy, not sure if any of the stands are free for a service being every 12 minutes (26th January)?

(NEXUS cba to update their own bus station plans on their site so i'm not sure if any have changed) 

With the current stand layout in Eldon Square, I think the only stand that can accommodate a 12 minute service would be Stand J. Currently, it's occupied by the Waggonways, the 74, the Stagecoach X77/X78/X79, and other infrequent services like the 131 and the 808.

Personally though, I wouldn't extend the 56 to Eldon Square. The 56 complements the 57 along Old Durham Road. Also, as a regular passenger between Newcastle and Wrekenton, the current variation of stopping points in the City Centre is great.

(24 Dec 2014, 2:26 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote If reliability improves on the Fab 56, do you think GNE will extend it to Eldon Square?

i'm sure there was once a consultation a few years back about 56 going to Eldon Square there is 2 services that need to go to Eldon Square and they are 56 and 27 would be nice and would boost passenger numbers when am there the services always seem busy even toon links when X3 was there under Red Arrows that was slightly

(24 Dec 2014, 2:06 pm)Andreos1 wrote It doesn't do the 56, X34, 100 et al any harm stopping there or there abouts and didn't when the 21 series stopped there previously.
Not sure why it would cause issues stopping there now. It would certainly speed services up and assist with reliability if management of the service is going to continue as it is.

In the not so distant past, we discussed the services which customers seemingly prefer to use between Newcastle and Wrekenton. Whether it's down to the high frequency, the 'express' nature of the route, or the fact it stops in Eldon Square, service X1 carries the most passengers between these two locations - despite service 28 using the exact same route (and actually getting there in the same amount of time, if not less due to fewer passengers boarding/alighting).

It is interesting to think of what the benefits could be to the Fab56 if it were extended to serve Eldon Square, though I certainly don't believe it will happen.

(20 Dec 2014, 8:07 pm)gtom wrote Seems like a desperate token gesture.  Not really much they can do about the issues around Central at the moment and taking into account the peak time of the year.

If services like 43/44 etc are affected (and judging by Facebook they are struggling up the route) then surely some short reserve runs (especially if there's no scholars PVR) would make sense.  If your losing mileage why not stick in some short runs.  We've seen Chester do it with the Angel from Birtley numerous times

Observed the diversion today and it did actually seem to help - buses getting through a lot faster than they would via the usual route.

I noticed that Stanley were providing Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4902 for short runs between Newcastle and Metrocentre earlier, allowing customers to get to the Metrocentre from Newcastle when a bus had been regulated on its trip to Newcastle.

(24 Dec 2014, 3:50 pm)Dan wrote Observed the diversion today and it did actually seem to help - buses getting through a lot faster than they would via the usual route.

I noticed that Stanley were providing Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4902 for short runs between Newcastle and Metrocentre earlier, allowing customers to get to the Metrocentre from Newcastle when a bus had been regulated on its trip to Newcastle.

That explain's why it was sat NIS.

(24 Dec 2014, 3:50 pm)Dan wrote Observed the diversion today and it did actually seem to help - buses getting through a lot faster than they would via the usual route.

I noticed that Stanley were providing Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown 4902 for short runs between Newcastle and Metrocentre earlier, allowing customers to get to the Metrocentre from Newcastle when a bus had been regulated on its trip to Newcastle.

Stanley have provided a convenient service for a change! Shame they couldnt just do that all the time rather than sticking Olympians on public services...

Go North East: 524 / NA52AWG by danielgrahamm, on Flickr

Anyone going out for the Boxing Day Services tomorrow?

As I've posted before, I think the allocations will be:

1- 2 X ''Highwayman'' Scania Solars.
4 - 4 X ''Laser'' or Silver Citaros.
9 - 2 X ''Simplicity'' Versas.
43/44 - 4 X ''Whey-Aye-Five-0'' Omnicities.
47 - 5 X ''Waggonway'' Solars
88 - 8 X ''Laser'' Citaros (interworking with 35B/35C)
309/310 - 7 X ''Tyne Tees Express'' B9TL's and 3 X Volvo B7TL/Wright Geminis.
X1 - 7 X ''Fab-Fifty-Six'' B9TL's

(25 Dec 2014, 11:24 pm)Tom wrote Anyone going out for the Boxing Day Services tomorrow?

As I've posted before, I think the allocations will be:

1- 2 X ''Highwayman'' Scania Solars.
4 - 4 X ''Laser'' or Silver Citaros.
9 - 2 X ''Simplicity'' Versas.
43/44 - 4 X ''Whey-Aye-Five-0'' Omnicities.
47 - 5 X ''Waggonway'' Solars
88 - 8 X ''Laser'' Citaros (interworking with 35B/35C)
309/310 - 7 X ''Tyne Tees Express'' B9TL's and 3 X Volvo B7TL/Wright Geminis.
X1 - 7 X ''Fab-Fifty-Six'' B9TL's

29A - Drifter streetlites.
42 - Drifter streetlites?

(25 Dec 2014, 11:24 pm)Tom wrote Anyone going out for the Boxing Day Services tomorrow?

As I've posted before, I think the allocations will be:

1- 2 X ''Highwayman'' Scania Solars.
4 - 4 X ''Laser'' or Silver Citaros.
9 - 2 X ''Simplicity'' Versas.
43/44 - 4 X ''Whey-Aye-Five-0'' Omnicities.
47 - 5 X ''Waggonway'' Solars
88 - 8 X ''Laser'' Citaros (interworking with 35B/35C)
309/310 - 7 X ''Tyne Tees Express'' B9TL's and 3 X Volvo B7TL/Wright Geminis.
X1 - 7 X ''Fab-Fifty-Six'' B9TL's

I'll be out and about. Aiming for the first 4.

(25 Dec 2014, 11:34 pm)Michael wrote 29A - Drifter streetlites.
42 - Drifter streetlites?

I'm not sure - won't they just use Simplicity Versas, as the 42 isn't interworking with the 60.

(25 Dec 2014, 11:42 pm)Tom wrote I'm not sure - won't they just use Simplicity Versas, as the 42 isn't interworking with the 60.

Think the 42 used drifter streetlites last year so they may want to keep the allocation the same. Don't even think the 60 ran on boxing day last year so there may not be enough streetlites to cover services 60, 29A and 42 so, based on that, i also think that the 42 (and possibly 29A) will get Simplicity versas.

(25 Dec 2014, 11:46 pm)Robert wrote Think the 42 used drifter streetlites last year so they may want to keep the allocation the same. Don't even think the 60 ran on boxing day last year so there may not be enough streetlites to cover services 60, 29A and 42 so, based on that, i also think that the 42 (and possibly 29A) will get Simplicity versas.

I reckon they will use Streetlites on the 9 and 60, and Versas on the 29A and 42.

---

(25 Dec 2014, 11:41 pm)aureolin wrote I'll be out and about. Aiming for the first 4.

I reckon you might have a Laser Citaro!

(25 Dec 2014, 11:46 pm)Robert wrote Think the 42 used drifter streetlites last year so they may want to keep the allocation the same. Don't even think the 60 ran on boxing day last year so there may not be enough streetlites to cover services 60, 29A and 42 so, based on that, i also think that the 42 (and possibly 29A) will get Simplicity versas.

PVR of 60 tomorrow looks to be 2

(25 Dec 2014, 11:54 pm)Robert wrote PVR of 60 tomorrow looks to be 2

The PVR of the 9 is two, so that's four including the 9.
There is eight Drifter streetlites, so they might be used on the 29A too.

(25 Dec 2014, 11:49 pm)Tom wrote I reckon you might have a Laser Citaro!

I reckon you wont....

Im starting to think that the 47 will be operated by Riverside rather than Chester-le-Street but i dont know why. Just that doubt although i think its pretty clear that chester will do it since it is closer to Consett that Riverside.

(26 Dec 2014, 1:28 am)Robert wrote Im starting to think that the 47 will be operated by Riverside rather than Chester-le-Street but i dont know why. Just that doubt although i think its pretty clear that chester will do it since it is closer to Consett that Riverside.

47 is being run by chester.

Just for anyone out and about today, the allocations should be as follows (subject to any last minute changes with vehicle availability):

Riverside
10A/10B - TEN Volvo B9TL
27 - Crusader Mercedes Citaro
49 - Blaydon Racer Mercedes Citaro
51/52 - Orbit Optare Versa
53/54 - Saltwell Park Streetlite
58 - Citylink Optare Versa
97 - Highwayman Scania L94
X66 - X66 Mercedes Citaro

Deptford
2A/2C - Silver Mercedes Citaro
4 - Red Scania L94
9 - Fast Cats Scania L94
20 - Prince Bishops Scania L94
29A - SimpliCity Optare Versa
35 - Laser Mercedes Citaro
42 - SimpliCity Optare Versa
56 - Fab56 Volvo B9TL
60 - Fab56 Volvo B9TL
88 - Laser Mercedes Citaro
X1 - Fab56 / Red Volvo B9TL

X1/56 should take priority for Fab56 B9's.

Chester-le-Street
21 - Angel Volvo Hybrid
43/44 - Whey Aye Five 0 Scania Omnicity/Red Scania/Waggonway Scania
47 - Red Scania L94/Volvo B10

Percy Main
1 - Cobalt Volvo B9TL
309/310 - Cobalt Volvo B9TL

(26 Dec 2014, 8:14 am)citaro5284 wrote 60 - Fab56 Volvo B9TL

Nice to see GNE thinking ahead and providing double deck capacity on what could potentially be a very busy service due to the match!