I think the 20 X20 and the 55 are meant to give a frequency of every 7/8 minute on shared sections of their routes Sunderland-Houghton I know most passengers will wait for the X20 even though it takes the same route and time as the other 2 services

(26 Mar 2022, 6:49 pm)Unber43 wrote Tbh I wouldn't say that for the 4/20, the 60 & 56 maybe only in peak time. But the 4 & 20 are rammed constantly

They are rammed at the current frequency. Add in the costs of adding to the pvr and it likely becomes unsustainable. 

The 21 isn’t a comparable route to any other GNE route. They could run a bus every 30 seconds and it would still stop at every stop between Barley Mow and Gateshead. It’s a freak of nature that route and despite the very best efforts of Peter Huntley and Kevin Carr to entirely screw it up, it’s still standing.

(26 Mar 2022, 10:34 pm)Ambassador wrote They are rammed at the current frequency. Add in the costs of adding to the pvr and it likely becomes unsustainable. 

The 21 isn’t a comparable route to any other GNE route. They could run a bus every 30 seconds and it would still stop at every stop between Barley Mow and Gateshead. It’s a freak of nature that route and despite the very best efforts of Peter Huntley and Kevin Carr to entirely screw it up, it’s still standing.

Every 12 mins the 20 was till Oct, with the buses already repainted and staff coming back. 

What did Kevin and peter do?

There's a chicken and egg scenario, too. The 21 and x21 used to run 6 times an hour from Durham. Ignoring the improvement just before the pandemic when that was weighted more in favour of the X21, we are still down to 4 times an hour. When they all run.

Pre pandemic, I'd happily run into Newcastle twice a, week. Now it feels like more of a faff with a lot more clock watching and it is twice a month at best.

(26 Mar 2022, 6:49 pm)Unber43 wrote Tbh I wouldn't say that for the 4/20, the 60 & 56 maybe only in peak time. But the 4 & 20 are rammed constantly

I've never seen them 'rammed' since pre-pandemic. In fact, I was on a peak time 20 out of Durham on Friday, which was one of two that ran as a pair due to lateness, but they were neither rammed coming into Durham or leaving. I'd say there were no more than 25 of us between two buses, and this is similar to other times I've used the 20 or X20 during peak times - even into Sunderland.

As for the 4, the last time I've seen a rammed for in recent memory, is when the two prior to it were cancelled. Heworth-Follingsby for the PM shift changeover at Amazon is busy, but the extra short runs grab this. They get a but busier around school times, but so does everything.

I think the cuts to services have been well documented elsewhere on the forum and it could be argued that they don't go far enough in reducing the fall in passenger numbers.
I'm not going to repeat myself in here, but I saw this and it got me thinking.
https://twitter.com/NorthumbriaPCC/statu...8olZY3O0lg&s=19
The Northumbria PCC has a big consultation going on at the moment around safety on public transport.

There are obviously a number of concerns around that, but the proposed changes may have an impact on any work she is doing. Whether that be down to frequency or lack of choice.
If those safety concerns continue, partially due to these cuts - at what point do the public just give up with public transport?

(27 May 2022, 11:47 am)Andreos1 wrote I think the cuts to services have been well documented elsewhere on the forum and it could be argued that they don't go far enough in reducing the fall in passenger numbers.
I'm not going to repeat myself in here, but I saw this and it got me thinking.
https://twitter.com/NorthumbriaPCC/statu...8olZY3O0lg&s=19
The Northumbria PCC has a big consultation going on at the moment around safety on public transport.
There are obviously a number of concerns around that, but the proposed changes may have an impact on any work she is doing. Whether that be down to frequency or lack of choice.
If those safety concerns continue, partially due to these cuts - at what point do the public just give up with public transport?

ive filled this in as i spotted it on the chronicle website. Meant to mention it on here...

(27 May 2022, 11:51 am)Rob44 wrote ive filled this in as i spotted it on the chronicle website. Meant to mention it on here...

I've not done it yet. But hopefully I'll get to do it soon. 

For other members of the forum who are concerned about these upcoming cuts and potential impacts on safety or vulnerability - here's a direct link to the survey. https://vru.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/nopcc-bus-may22

Remember, whilst this survey could be about a member of the forum, it may also be worth baring in mind anything that could happen to someone's mam, grandma or sister.

In Germany for the three months spanning school breaks a simple €9 monthly ticket can be bought permitting use of all buses, trams, light rail and regio trains. A concerted effort to get passengers back, imagine if we had any form of transport policy in this country...

(03 Jun 2022, 6:28 am)54APhotography wrote In Germany for the three months spanning school breaks a simple €9 monthly ticket can be bought permitting use of all buses, trams, light rail and regio trains. A concerted effort to get passengers back, imagine if we had any form of transport policy in this country...

Is German transport all franchised?
As it's obviously easier to do this type of offer if you haven't hundreds of individual commercial operators to negotiate with.

(03 Jun 2022, 7:57 am)busmanT wrote Is German transport all franchised?
As it's obviously easier to do this type of offer if you haven't hundreds of individual commercial operators to negotiate with.

Government initiative, obviously big share of market to DB/Arriva/Alex but covers all operators.

https://www.ft.com/content/b540a307-e258...d22ede86a2

Maybe tables and paint jobs attract passengers after all?!

Rise in petrol prices sees people make the switch to bus.

(11 Jun 2022, 11:07 am)Andreos1 wrote Maybe tables and paint jobs attract passengers after all?!

Rise in petrol prices sees people make the switch to bus.

The train is certainly cheaper now that Northern have advances available on the day, but buses from my area twinned with onward travel from Haymarket doesn't offset the cost of fuel until I'm travelling as far as Sunderland or Alnwick...

(11 Jun 2022, 7:23 pm)omnicity4659 wrote The train is certainly cheaper now that Northern have advances available on the day, but buses from my area twinned with onward travel from Haymarket doesn't offset the cost of fuel until I'm travelling as far as Sunderland or Alnwick...

There's the time factor to take in to account too.
Did a trip the other day in the car.
Round trip of about 100 miles. 3 different locations (excluding the start and end point which was the same) and it took just over 2 hours in the car.
Including connections (forget about any missing 4's that were abandoned at the Galleries), I reckon it would be touching on 7 hours on the bus.
7 or 8 buses, depending which route I took and two different operators.
It would have been 6 hours prior to the post-pandemic cuts.

That's going to take some serious increase in fuel costs and decrease in bus fares to even consider making the switch, beyond fancying a day of gricing.

Appreciate its just one example (not that extreme), but it sums up the network across the region.

Ahead of the 22/23 Premier League starting, Network Ticketing have released info on the latest release of its Magpie Mover.

This season's Magpie Mover pass is now on sale to NUFC season ticket holders at a new price of £25 for all age categories (previously £30) and with an extended period of usage.

Magpie Movers permit public transport use across Tyne and wear on home matchdays beginning three hours before kick-off and now valid from any Newcastle City Centre departure point until the end of service that day, replacing the previous three hour post-match window.

 
Let's just hope there's enough public transport about to shift the huge numbers expected to take the offer up!

(27 Jun 2022, 4:33 pm)Andreos1 wrote Ahead of the 22/23 Premier League starting, Network Ticketing have released info on the latest release of its Magpie Mover.

This season's Magpie Mover pass is now on sale to NUFC season ticket holders at a new price of £25 for all age categories (previously £30) and with an extended period of usage.

 
Let's just hope there's enough public transport about to shift the huge numbers expected to take the offer up!

I bought this when it was 10 ages ago.... since its been slowly rising over the last few season ( and with buses bit turning up) i havent bother. Now its actually gone down a fiver i might invest especially as you can use it at any time after the match now rather than only up to two hours. But cant get on site to buy it!

(27 Jun 2022, 5:03 pm)Rob44 wrote I bought this when it was 10 ages ago.... since its been slowly rising over the last few season ( and with buses bit turning up) i havent bother. Now its actually gone down a fiver i might invest especially as you can use it at any time after the match now rather than only up to two hours. But cant get on site to buy it!

With the added flexibility of being able to use it on multiple operators. So if its a JH there and a GCT home afterwards, you don't have to worry about just having a GNE ticket. 

Throw in to the mix all of these people now working from home and not having a specific operators weekly or monthly ticket and it's win win as far as the Magpie Mover is concerned.

£15 for circa 20 games is a steal.

I've seen some fairly decent loadings on the 309/X39 in the mornings ex Newcastle going along the Coast Road towards Cobalt. Don't know about the Blyth > Cobalt flow.

Are more workers going back to offices at the Cobalt? I know Arriva dropping the X6 has probably helped GNE's numbers slightly.

(02 Jul 2022, 9:33 am)L469 YVK wrote Are more workers going back to offices at the Cobalt?

Of course. But it's easier to point fingers at them "not going back" as an excuse for incompetence, something seen across the wider transport industry, especially by the DfT.

Why are free bus pass holders staying away?
https://www.transportfocus.org.uk/news/w...ying-away/

A direct link to a copy of the full report is also here: https://d3cez36w5wymxj.cloudfront.net/wp...survey.pdf

I'm currently working on a bit of research for a very large organisation getting feedback on plans for new buildings in central Newcastle, and rather interestingly when asked what is most important, one thing that comes up rather frequently is more parking, and out of the many hundreds of responses I've gone through so far, only 2 have mentioned access to public transport.

When XLines was at its peak at Consett, GNE offered...

2x X45
1x X46
1x X70
1x X71
1x 47
1x 47A 
7/8 buses per hour to Newcastle from Consett, you could get to Metrocentre & Newcastle every 10 mins within an hour

It is now..

2x X45
1x X71
2x 47 = 5 buses per hour from Consett, 3 buses per hour under 1 hour to Newcastle. 

But GNE totally upgraded the entire Consett network brand new buses, however since then there has been slashes 

X46 reduced to 1ph, now 0ph 
47A 1ph, now 0ph 
47 1ph, now 2ph. X46 was withdrawn due to low passenger numbers, yet the 47 was double in frequency. 
X70 withdrawn 
X30 extension to Consett withdrawn. 

Clearly GNE old routes aren't working, I was on the X71 today as well as the 47 and I was thinking about the reductions as people were complaning in Consett I do wonder how many people who live on the X45/47/X71 route and travel to Newcastle/Metrocentre/Gateshead using their car instead of the bus when they are able to, why are they doing it when you could get a bus every 15 mins at one point and I think thats what GNE have to find out why they aren't using their services, do they not want to walk so far to the bus stop, when there car is right outside, do they need to change buses? 

GNE needs to find out why people aren't using their services, instead of relying on old routes which used to work e.g 39/38 they need to adapt to new travel plans. It would be really intresting for GNE/DCC to do a survey on the streets where the buses stop and a couple of street either side which have 2-5 mins walking why they are using it, what would make them use it?

(08 Aug 2022, 9:59 pm)Unber43 wrote When XLines was at its peak at Consett, GNE offered...

2x X45
2x X46
1x X70
1x X71
1x 47
1x 47A 
1x X30 = 9 buses per hour to Newcastle from Consett, you could get to Metrocentre & Newcastle every 10 mins within an hour

It is now..

2x X45
1x X71
2x 47 = 5 buses per hour from Consett, 3 buses per hour under 1 hour to Newcastle. 

But GNE totally upgraded the entire Consett network brand new buses, however since then there has been slashes 

X46 reduced to 1ph, now 0ph 
47A 1ph, now 0ph 
47 1ph, now 2ph. X46 was withdrawn due to low passenger numbers, yet the 47 was double in frequency. 
X70 withdrawn 
X30 extension to Consett withdrawn. 

Clearly GNE old routes aren't working, I was on the X71 today as well as the 47 and I was thinking about the reductions as people were complaning in Consett I do wonder how many people who live on the X45/47/X71 route and travel to Newcastle/Metrocentre/Gateshead using their car instead of the bus when they are able to, why are they doing it when you could get a bus every 15 mins at one point and I think thats what GNE have to find out why they aren't using their services, do they not want to walk so far to the bus stop, when there car is right outside, do they need to change buses? 

GNE needs to find out why people aren't using their services, instead of relying on old routes which used to work e.g 39/38 they need to adapt to new travel plans. It would be really intresting for GNE/DCC to do a survey on the streets where the buses stop and a couple of street either side which have 2-5 mins walking why they are using it, what would make them use it?

It was

X45 - X2
X46 - X2
X70 - X1
X71 - X1
X30 - X1

or

X45 - X2
X46 - X1
47/47A - X2
X70/X71 - X2

There's never been 9 buses an hour to Consett any time recently, just saying.

(08 Aug 2022, 10:04 pm)Storx wrote It was

X45 - X2
X46 - X2
X70 - X1
X71 - X1
X30 - X1

or

X45 - X2
X46 - X1
47/47A - X2
X70/X71 - X2

There's never been 9 buses an hour to Consett any time recently, just saying.

Sorry got confused with the dates of when the routes were withdrawn, when was the X30 extension withdrawn can anyone recall?

Possibly not in the best thread but not sure where else to post it...have wondered for a while why, when we hear all the challenges of low passenger numbers etc, operators continue to run double deckers all through the evening, often carrying fresh air. Would it not be more economical, and better for the environment, if they pulled the deckers off after the evening peak and subbed with single decks from other routes (once their frequencies have reduced). I get that in some cases this would introduce a logistical challenge/dead mileage but in many cases (especially SNE) plenty of routes run past or close to the depots. Obviously for GNE it would be more of an issue as the branding would go out the window, but there are plenty of scheduled examples of wrong brands over the recent past. I just wonder if it would help make some of the more marginal routes a bit less of a black hole e.g. running a Solo, Streetlight or E200 instead of a B9 or E400.

Realise can't do anything about the overhead of driver wages but given fuel costs are cited as need for fares increases etc, surely using less fuel hungry vehicles would make sense. And of course, would need a bit of common sense, not doing the above on match days or other times/routes of high demand...though being realistic that is not very many (matchdays aside) these days.

(08 Aug 2022, 10:11 pm)Unber43 wrote Sorry got confused with the dates of when the routes were withdrawn, when was the X30 extension withdrawn can anyone recall?

https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/getting-bu...-september - With those changes I believe.

From 2016 to 2017 to 2018 to 2019 was there an increase passenger number for GNE services?

(03 Aug 2022, 11:07 am)streetdeckfan wrote I'm currently working on a bit of research for a very large organisation getting feedback on plans for new buildings in central Newcastle, and rather interestingly when asked what is most important, one thing that comes up rather frequently is more parking, and out of the many hundreds of responses I've gone through so far, only 2 have mentioned access to public transport.

Is it really surprising? Buses at the moment are incredibly unreliable and relatively expensive vs a car.

The waiting lists for ebikes and car share schemes are endless at the moment for us. We’re still paying for the vast majority of colleagues to use taxi/ Uber over public transport on their office day

https://twitter.com/transport_north/stat...0qFgjTaO4g&s=19

I'd go, but I'd have to drive there...

(18 Aug 2022, 3:41 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://twitter.com/transport_north/stat...0qFgjTaO4g&s=19

I'd go, but I'd have to drive there...

And clearly not interested in the views of those who work  weekdays,  9-5