What's going on in Washington today?
So many delays to the 84. Traffic jams? Roadworks?
It just seems to be the 84 that is affected by delays though. Nothing else in Washington is affected.

According to their twitter feed anyway.

Deptford have been hit worse tomorrow

The 20 is basically every 30 mins between 12 - 2 

56 - 12:12, 12:42, 12:57 |15:27, 15:47 | 16:20, 16:38

60 - 3 in a row at Peak Times - 07:20, 07:33, 07:46 then 09:08, 09:20,

Deptford have been hit worse tomorrow

The 20 is basically every 30 mins between 12 - 2 

56 - 12:12, 12:42, 12:57 |15:27, 15:47 | 16:20, 16:38

60 - 3 in a row at Peak Times - 07:20, 07:33, 07:46 then 09:08, 09:20,

So much for being over staffed from the 24th.

There is washington cancellation but I dont think there is anything like Deptford, Aline should be brought in again. I don't know why they stopped

So much for being over staffed from the 24th.

I expected that if any Depot got hit with cancellations it would be Washington and Depford with all the new routes/changes to the depots I expect them to have cancellations. One of the old Satwell Parks drove passed while doing Route Learning at Ryhope and although it was just a quick look a lot of the seats were filled with drivers learning the route.

I expected that if any Depot got hit with cancellations it would be Washington and Depford with all the new routes/changes to the depots I expect them to have cancellations. One of the old Satwell Parks drove passed while doing Route Learning at Ryhope and although it was just a quick look a lot of the seats were filled with drivers learning the route.

Wow! A bus for route learning with drivers learning the route? Who'da thunk it? You learn something new everyday!

There is washington cancellation but I dont think there is anything like Deptford, Aline should be brought in again. I don't know why they stopped

There is a picture of 5285 on facebook on loan to Aline this evening operating a Service 4

Wow! A bus for route learning with drivers learning the route? Who'da thunk it? You learn something new everyday!

What I meant was those drivers learning routes instead of driving services, so if a lot of drivers are busy learning routes then they won't be able to cover cancelled routes.

There is a picture of 5285 on facebook on loan to Aline this evening operating a Service 4

Said bus and driver also covered a 50 this afternoon.

What I meant was those drivers learning routes instead of driving services, so if a lot of drivers are busy learning routes then they won't be able to cover cancelled routes.

How would you expect them to drive the route, if they don't learn it first...?

Surely that should've been done before the changes, and presumably couldn't because of the chronic staff shortage.

Surely that should've been done before the changes, and presumably couldn't because of the chronic staff shortage.

And then someone would still twist that there's a bus full of drivers out route learning, instead of covering service work that is being dropped, day in, day out. 

There's never been a good time to take drivers away from service work for the past 6+ months.

Yeah, maybe it wasn't a good idea to make massive route changes when they're understaffed. Unfortunately, unlike Stagecoach and Arriva, GNE couldnt really cut frequencies, as many services are hourly, or are in some strange interworking pattern that would cause a massive headache if it were to have a frequency cut.

Yeah, maybe it wasn't a good idea to make massive route changes when they're understaffed. Unfortunately, unlike Stagecoach and Arriva, GNE couldnt really cut frequencies, as many services are hourly, or are in some strange interworking pattern that would cause a massive headache if it were to have a frequency cut.

Would the problem be worse or better if all buses were controlled by a TFL style system?

What? Having central government throw money at them endlessly?

Probably not unless the reason they can't recruit enough drivers and have trouble retaining them is because they don't pay enough.

What? Having central government throw money at them endlessly?

Probably not unless the reason they can't recruit enough drivers and have trouble retaining them is because they don't pay enough.

This the same TFL which is one of the lowest funded public transport networks in the world and one the best aswell?

We already franchise a large chunk of the network up here (whether that's 24/7 or all day) anyway, the catch 22 the profitable routes which could be coming back towards Nexus and funding some of these routes are getting paid out to shareholders. Just to put it into perspective I believe the 5, 9, 24, 35A, 39/39A/39B, 61A and 62 are all tax payer funded at Deptford alone one way or another with nothing in return.

We have by far the worst scenario right now.

This the same TFL which is one of the lowest funded public transport networks in the world and one the best aswell?

We already franchise a large chunk of the network up here (whether that's 24/7 or all day) anyway, the catch 22 the profitable routes which could be coming back towards Nexus and funding some of these routes are getting paid out to shareholders. Just to put it into perspective I believe the 5, 9, 24, 35A, 39/39A/39B, 61A and 62 are all tax payer funded at Deptford alone one way or another with nothing in return.

We have by far the worst scenario right now.

Agreed. Services are a shambles and barely anything connects. The excuse of Covid is wearing thin now, the decline has been set for decades, cherry picking for shareholders is not the way forward at all.

Surely that should've been done before the changes, and presumably couldn't because of the chronic staff shortage.

Most of the drivers route learning now at Deptford are blue rota drivers who have been made up to big bus routes, and they've only started route learning after the service changes. As it would have been even worse if they were route learning before hand.

The "considerable gaps in service combined with extra passenger loads" has started again, although no idea what service/s.

The "considerable gaps in service combined with extra passenger loads" has started again, although no idea what service/s.

https://twitter.com/NELiveTraffic?t=AujC...k2eRSjLzDA&s=09 can't be in any of these places where the cameras are.
There's no buses along those roads! Just queues of cars going places buses do not.

https://twitter.com/NELiveTraffic?t=AujC...k2eRSjLzDA&s=09 can't be in any of these places where the cameras are.
There's no buses along those roads! Just queues of cars going places buses do not.

The 8 runs along the A1231, and the 73 used to, and god knows how many buses go along the A167/Durham Road.

Ive already mentioned mam in the branding thread, but I'm going to mention her again:
She will only ever get the bus to work if she can't drive (ie it's snowing). Getting there's fine because the bus gets there at a reasonable time, coming back she'll try to get a lift - it's quite a walk from where she works (well, about 10 minutes) to where the bus stop to come home is (the bus there stops directly outside). How many people are like her - choose to drive despite the bus being an option?

EDIT: Just checked and since the timetable changed, the bus gets to work 30-45 mins before she starts (depending on her start time) and leaves 30-35 mins after she finishes - not ideal really.

Ive already mentioned mam in the branding thread, but I'm going to mention her again:
She will only ever get the bus to work if she can't drive (ie it's snowing). Getting there's fine because the bus gets there at a reasonable time, coming back she'll try to get a lift - it's quite a walk from where she works (well, about 10 minutes) to where the bus stop to come home is (the bus there stops directly outside). How many people are like her - choose to drive despite the bus being an option?

I think this is for most people, its the flexability, the ability to leave your house whenever you want, especially buses being reduced frequency people just don't want to wait 30 mins for a bus, they want to be able to go out whenever they want

Ive already mentioned mam in the branding thread, but I'm going to mention her again:
She will only ever get the bus to work if she can't drive (ie it's snowing). Getting there's fine because the bus gets there at a reasonable time, coming back she'll try to get a lift - it's quite a walk from where she works (well, about 10 minutes) to where the bus stop to come home is (the bus there stops directly outside). How many people are like her - choose to drive despite the bus being an option?

EDIT: Just checked and since the timetable changed, the bus gets to work 30-45 mins before she starts (depending on her start time) and leaves 30-35 mins after she finishes - not ideal really.

I have a friend that lives in Jarrow and works in Newcastle (a few minutes walk from Haymarket), and she chooses to drive in and out of Newcastle during rush hour, sitting in traffic for longer than it takes her to drive, because she says the Metro is vile and it's packed. And to be fair, I don't blame her. I'd rather sit in the comfort of my own car, stuck in traffic, over a packed bus/metro having to sit next to someone.

Tomorrow there isn't an X20 for two hours.

4 X1's during rush hour

mutliple 4's in a row several times

Multiple 20's cancelled in a row several times

2 8's cancelled in a row

Several 39A's from Houghton cancelled in a row (i think its 4) which means about a 5 hour wait

The 8 runs along the A1231, and the 73 used to, and god knows how many buses go along the A167/Durham Road.

They hadn't been uploaded at the time of posting

But it begs the question about why the people in the cars on the A1231 and Durham Road aren't on a bus.
Is it because the buses along that portion of Durham Road tend to start and finish in the same area (Newcastle and Chester/Durham) and the 8 doesn't offer a viable alternative (assuming the car drivers aren't travelling exactly the same route as the 8 goes) to their car?

Tomorrow there isn't an X20 for two hours.

4 X1's during rush hour

mutliple 4's in a row several times

Multiple 20's cancelled in a row several times

2 8's cancelled in a row

Several 39A's from Houghton cancelled in a row (i think its 4) which means about a 5 hour wait

What heinous shysters.

Tomorrow there isn't an X20 for two hours.

4 X1's during rush hour

mutliple 4's in a row several times

Multiple 20's cancelled in a row several times

2 8's cancelled in a row

Several 39A's from Houghton cancelled in a row (i think its 4) which means about a 5 hour wait

So was withdrawn the 55 a good idea now

So was withdrawn the 55 a good idea now

These are the X1's which aren't running from Peterlee (tho some might start from the Galleries, but for people in Peterlee and the majority of people using the X1 is basically useless)

08:11
11:14

14:38
15:20
15:44
16:20
16:53
17:33
18:00
18:30
19:00
19:30

Ones in Bold which are the ones which are actually running. Tbh its beyond a joke.

I have a friend that lives in Jarrow and works in Newcastle (a few minutes walk from Haymarket), and she chooses to drive in and out of Newcastle during rush hour, sitting in traffic for longer than it takes her to drive, because she says the Metro is vile and it's packed. And to be fair, I don't blame her. I'd rather sit in the comfort of my own car, stuck in traffic, over a packed bus/metro having to sit next to someone.

Yeah, I mainly use the Metro for leisure but I did use it at peak times for a work experience placement in college and it wasn't the most comfortable, but I survived and it wasn't really rammed (those single seats near the wheelchair bay were nice). Although having said that, I don't generally mind standing on a Metro for 30-40 minutes but I think that's just me, as I generally don't like standing on buses.