Concerns me that the 685 can be classed as a local bus service anyway. There's no way the councils should be reimbursing operators to allow ENCTS holders to travel for free.

Likewise - they even brand the 685 as a 'cross country' service...


Then again, if the registration is going to be split, it will only be a local bus service.

To put some of the "issues" to bed...
I've since found out that it will not be numbered X85 but simply service 85, and 685 beyond Haydon Bridge.

Close enough to what I said originally then Scott! Eeesh, making me cause drama like that for no good reason!

It's not reliable today, so no change for the better?! I don't know how they would cope if Go North East's John at Hexham wasn't so nice, and didn't arrange it so they can both fit into Hexham at once, opposed to leaving one queued getting even later.

Is that the friendly old fella who always hands out timetables and stuff for Hexham services? Good man he is, I know he pushed a few people onto the X85 when it was first born - making sure he told everyone it was low floor too!
Guess during the snowy winter period, he can be on hand to make sure a Tynedalexpress is always leaving Hexham on time, utilising one of Hexham's spare vehicles which can hopefully be parked in the bus station as a backup vehicle?

Must be catching.

When Go North East started the X7 on 24th March, it only received its first marketing push in the middle of May. Genius!

At least the X7 was getting lots of mentions on social media, had a timetable available on the bus and got mentions on the company website - meanwhile, the Peterlee student ticket hasn't had any of these !

Yep. It seems like the councillors get to dictate what the operators do along this route, similar to how changes dictated by a councillor in Harlow Green can cause the rest of the Coaster service to suffer.

Not quite sure why this is on the Arriva pages, but the people of Harlow Green wanted a bus to Newcastle, not just the Councillor - from what I see in the peak's, the Coaster seems to run ok in both directions around Gateshead

If Arriva really want to win back customers in the Tyne Valley, why not try this:

- Service X80 will replace service 685. It would serve the current 685 route between Carlisle and Hexham. From Hexham, buses would serve GNE's 10 route between Hexham and Prudhoe Front Street. From Prudhoe, buses would then operate limited stop to Newcastle only calling at Blaydon and Metro Centre. Service X80 would operate every 30 minutes during the day between Newcastle and Hexham with buses continuing hourly to Carlisle. Evening and Sunday buses would operate every 2 hours between Carlisle and Hexham with buses then feeding onto a regular Sunday service between Hexham and Newcastle.

- Service 602 would serve Prudhoe to Newcastle every 30 minutes using the same route as the 10B but buses would call at all stops between Metro Centre and Newcastle. Evening and Sunday buses would operate hourly contunuing to Hexham with buses every 2 hours continuing to Carlisle as service X80.

-Service 603 would serve Rockwood Hill to Newcastle every 15 minutes via the 10A route but serving all stops between Metro Centre and Newcastle. Evening and Sunday buses would operate every 30 minutes.

- Service 604 would operate the same route as the 10B between Low Prudhoe and Stoneyflat Bank. After this point, buses would serve the same route as service 10 between Here and Newcastle but serving all stops between Metro Centre and Newcastle. Buses would operate every 30 minutes with evening and Sunday buses operating every 60 minutes.

E400 7510 caught fire last night in Felton last night while operating the X15.

And this is what it looks like this morning (Photo @ sportpix99)

E400 7510 caught fire last night in Felton last night while operating the X15.

And this is what it looks like this morning (Photo @ sportpix99)

How on earth did that happen?!

E400 7510 caught fire last night in Felton last night while operating the X15.

And this is what it looks like this morning (Photo @ sportpix99)

Will any bus be replacing that? - Hopefully a Olympian

Will any bus be replacing that? - Hopefully a Olympian

More than likely be a Prestige to Blyth, and one of 7624/5 moving to Ashington, given Ashington will need a tachograph-fitted vehicle for the X15/X18.

More than likely be a Prestige to Blyth, and one of 7624/5 moving to Ashington, given Ashington will need a tachograph-fitted vehicle for the X15/X18.

Thanks Tony - It'll be a bonus for me as I need to photo a few prestiges - I would imagine it will be 4005?

Thanks Tony - It'll be a bonus for me as I need to photo a few prestiges - I would imagine it will be 4005?

Whatever is spare - let's not forget a large number are due off in the next 2 months once 1513-23 enter service.

Ashington have yet to get that other Spectra into service yet. As a result Olympian 7367 seems to still be clinging on.

What Arriva should do for the X15 and X18 is allocate the 57 and Y reg VDL / DAF Lowlanders. They have a massive 9 litre engine in them and despite the Y reg ones being old, Arriva could retrofit the Y reg ones by refurbishing them and puting better seating in them and on both, perhaps install Wi-Fi and power sockets too.

And after refurbishment if you gave them private number-plates, not many passengers would be able to tell the differenced between the Y and the 57 reg buses.

More stuff going for scrap includes Prestige 4036 from Redcar and 4057 from Stockton in the last 2 days. More are expected to depart shortly.

Durham Park and Ride Optare Solo's now have vinyl's for Lumiere Festival over Lindisfarne Gospel Cats it looks good.

With regard to 7510 a friend of mine travelled on it from Morpeth a few weeks ago he was sitting at the back on the top deck, as they approached the Seaton Burn area of the A1 he could smell something burning, then either someone downstairs alerted the driver or the driver himself noticed as the bus pulled into a layby and they were all transferred onto a following bus.

Something I don't think has been reported yet is that redcar seem to have changed the allocation of the x4 (unsure about the x3) to rely more on the vdl pulsars rather than the temsas probably to try and combat the shocking performance and reliability of the temsas on this route

There is a general trend to try and use the Pulsars on X3/X4 yes, presumably a sign of what's to come next year. Temsas are now used more on the 63 and 81. Having said that, one of the Yorkshire DAFs was on the X3/X4 (and 64A obviously) yesterday!

PB0002717/346 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Durham
Finish Point: Bishop Auckland
Via:
Service Number: 6
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 14-NOV-2013
Other Details: Extra Evening journeys PM

PB0002717/347 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Durham
Finish Point: Peterlee
Via:
Service Number: 22
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 14-NOV-2013
Other Details: Extra PM journeys for Special event

PB0002717/348 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Durham
Finish Point: Ushaw Moor
Via:
Service Number: 48
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 14-NOV-2013
Other Details: Extra PM journeys

PB0002717/349 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Durham
Finish Point: West Cornforth
Via:
Service Number: 56
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 14-NOV-2013
Other Details: Extra journeys PM

PB0002717/346 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Durham
Finish Point: Bishop Auckland
Via:
Service Number: 6
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 14-NOV-2013
Other Details: Extra Evening journeys PM

PB0002717/347 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Durham
Finish Point: Peterlee
Via:
Service Number: 22
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 14-NOV-2013
Other Details: Extra PM journeys for Special event

PB0002717/348 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Durham
Finish Point: Ushaw Moor
Via:
Service Number: 48
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 14-NOV-2013
Other Details: Extra PM journeys

PB0002717/349 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: Durham
Finish Point: West Cornforth
Via:
Service Number: 56
Service Type: Normal Stopping
Effective Date: 14-NOV-2013
Other Details: Extra journeys PM

The timetables for the extra PM journeys are on the Durham County Council website:

http://durham.pindarcreative.co.uk/announcements.asp

Seeing as I can't find anything on the website here's a copy of the East Durham student poster.
I presume the 23 is being promoted as it is valid throughout on that route, whereas the other routes compliment it on certain sections.

Attached Files

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image.jpg (Size 1.91 MB Downloads 24)

Few snippets of information...
Sapphire Pulsar 1516 has been delivered to Darlington.
Redcar based E400 7501/04/12/13 are temporarily on loan to Durham for the Lumiere event. I expect other buses are on loan from other depots too (especially at the weekend).

Survey on the ''NexusBus'' service 59 - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZBNDSNG

Re: the changes to the 685. The timetable has appeared on the Arriva website now and there are a couple of interesting things. The main point of interest is an extra 85 from Eldon Square to Hexham at 17:10 which is clearly designed to take custom from GNE's X85 at 17:15. Strangely, Arriva's X85 at 17:20 remains which I can't help but feel is total overkill. Both early morning X85 journeys from Hexham will now commence from Dickson Drive (with the first of them running 3 minutes earlier than GNE's X85). There's also an extra Hexham - Newcastle 85 at 07:57.

Survey on the ''NexusBus'' service 59 - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZBNDSNG

Looking at the proposals, this is a rather pointless idea. From the Nexus Website: ''Residents and councillors in West Allotment and the Marden Estate had asked Nexus to see if direct links to North Tyneside Hospital could be restored.''

I'd say a direct links to communities like Murton Village need a direct link to Whitley Bay. Otherwise, they are just going to use the car. Residents of Marden Estate have fairly easy links to North Tyneside Hospital, with options of a connection at Whitley Bay (17, 54, 308, 309), Morrisons (17) and North Shields (17, 80). I wouldn't think it would be well used at all.

Diverting the 59 via West Allotment could be an idea, but would it be worth it? I'm not sure. They already have a link to Whitley Bay on the 51, however, I think an additional link to Whitley Bay, as well as new links to Northumberland Park (Metro and Bus Connections) and North Tyneside Hospital.

When they had the W7 (a random and pointless service to say the least!) from South Wellifield to Percy Main that was poorly used too. I know it's no where near the same route, but it's a similar story. Services that aren't going via Whitley Bay, which is what passengers want in these areas of Whitley Bay. The only good links it provided was links from Percy Main and Earsdon Grange to Rake Lane and Norham Road Tesco.

Overall, I think service 59 should go with Option B (Same route, however diverted via West Allotment).

The Solos operating on the 56 aren't working well for Lumiere. I know what a sardine feels like now.

Ah man, wish Arriva worked on Boxing Day.
GNE have picked, chosen and decided which routes they are running - only missing out some villages and towns.

Whereas Arriva aren't bothering at all.

They could have gone for the juggular and launched some new Christmas services in the areas GNE don't see fit - keeping them into the New Year so that passengers benefited from competition AND they could have ran their existing services into Newcastle (and the Metrocentre if they hadn't bailed) - which would have been packed with football supporters and bargain hunters!

Ah man, wish Arriva worked on Boxing Day.
GNE have picked, chosen and decided which routes they are running - only missing out some villages and towns.

Whereas Arriva aren't bothering at all.

They could have gone for the juggular and launched some new Christmas services in the areas GNE don't see fit - keeping them into the New Year so that passengers benefited from competition AND they could have ran their existing services into Newcastle (and the Metrocentre if they hadn't bailed) - which would have been packed with football supporters and bargain hunters!

But they don't.....

Does anyone know if the Alnwick out-station is operational yet. Maybe started with the route changes on October 27th?

Many thanks if you can help

Does anyone know if the Alnwick out-station is operational yet. Maybe started with the route changes on October 27th?

Many thanks if you can help

Chris - this news article may be of interest to you.