(12 Feb 2022, 9:57 am)ASX_Terranova wrote Could the 310 be extended to Whitley Bay like the 300 used to?

What’s the obsession with extending routes? Surely an extended route just reduces reliability?

(12 Feb 2022, 9:57 am)ASX_Terranova wrote Could the 310 be extended to Whitley Bay like the 300 used to?

Yes. It could be extended. It could also be extended beyond Whitley Bay to Edinburgh and Aberdeen if there was enough demand - as could any route.

(12 Feb 2022, 9:57 am)ASX_Terranova wrote Could the 310 be extended to Whitley Bay like the 300 used to?

If were talking about the North Tyneside buses imo they should be (if they're working together).

22 (SNE) - Every 20 Mins (Cobalt to Throckley)
23 (SNE) - Every 20 Mins (GNE 1 route North Shields to Newcastle (only), 22 route to Throckley)
310 (GNE) - Extended to Whitley Bay via 1 route.
1 - Withdrawn

The 1 just duplicates the 22 for most of it's route and GNE no longer have any other commercial services in Howden / Percy Main / Byker so it's just a pointless duplicated service which supposedly the bus partnership is supposed to be removing.

(12 Feb 2022, 11:20 am)Storx wrote If were talking about the North Tyneside buses imo they should be (if they're working together).

22 (SNE) - Every 20 Mins (Cobalt to Throckley)
23 (SNE) - Every 20 Mins (GNE 1 route North Shields to Newcastle (only), 22 route to Throckley)
310 (GNE) - Extended to Whitley Bay via 1 route.
1 - Withdrawn

The 1 just duplicates the 22 for most of it's route and GNE no longer have any other commercial services in Howden / Percy Main / Byker so it's just a pointless duplicated service which supposedly the bus partnership is supposed to be removing.

I agree with everything bar the numbering, the 23 should be the 21.

(12 Feb 2022, 11:32 am)ASX_Terranova wrote I agree with everything bar the numbering, the 23 should be the 21.

Nah be confusing that, the 21 is the Low Fell services so you'd end up with two 21 services serving similar bus stops. The 23 doesn't serve Newcastle and just meanders around Washington to Birtley and there's no Arriva 23.

(12 Feb 2022, 11:34 am)Storx wrote Nah be confusing that, the 21 is the Low Fell services so you'd end up with two 21 services serving similar bus stops. The 23 doesn't serve Newcastle and just meanders around Washington to Birtley and there's no Arriva 23.

Didnt the 22 used to be the 21 though?

(12 Feb 2022, 11:36 am)ASX_Terranova wrote Didnt the 22 used to be the 21 though?

Not too sure tbh possibly a long time ago but most people have probably forgot anyway.

(12 Feb 2022, 11:36 am)ASX_Terranova wrote Didnt the 22 used to be the 21 though?

Yes it did. There also used to be a 20 which ran  alongside it. The 22 (and 23) were originally the TWOC numbered competition along the same routes.

(12 Feb 2022, 11:34 am)Storx wrote Nah be confusing that, the 21 is the Low Fell services so you'd end up with two 21 services serving similar bus stops. The 23 doesn't serve Newcastle and just meanders around Washington to Birtley and there's no Arriva 23.

Depends where you mean then because they is definitely an Arriva 23. Sunderland- Dalton Park - Easington Colliery- Peterlee - Hartlepool.

---

(12 Feb 2022, 11:34 am)Storx wrote Nah be confusing that, the 21 is the Low Fell services so you'd end up with two 21 services serving similar bus stops. The 23 doesn't serve Newcastle and just meanders around Washington to Birtley and there's no Arriva 23.

Have the same service number for completely different services is nothing new either. I know for a fact they are two different service 1 two different service 10 two different service x10 so really it nothing new.

(12 Feb 2022, 6:32 pm)col87 wrote Depends where you mean then because they is definitely an Arriva 23. Sunderland- Dalton Park - Easington Colliery- Peterlee - Hartlepool.

---

Have the same service number for completely different services is nothing new either. I know for a fact they are two different service 1 two different service 10 two different service x10 so really it nothing new.

Just serving Newcastle there. I know about the same numbers though but personally not a fan of it, would rather try and remove some of the duplicate numbers if they serve similar stops anyway.

The two X10's aren't too bad as they go opposite directions and from different bus stations. Not a fan of the two 1's though.

(12 Feb 2022, 11:36 am)ASX_Terranova wrote Didnt the 22 used to be the 21 though?

It used to be the 21 and 22,,SNE also had a 21 and 22 to Throckley

After seeing this month's changes to the 309/310/311, although the later journeys to Blyth perhaps had to go given the current climate, the rest of the evening times particularly for the ex Newcastle 310 journeys are all over the place. I've created a suggested evening timetable with the following in mind:

• Users of services 310/311 in High Farm & Hadrian Park (not easily covered by other services) would have a more convenient service restored, departing Newcastle between the xx:00 and xx:30 side of the hour, as opposed to waiting nearly an hour at xx:55.
  
  
• All 309 journeys in both directions compliant with Cobalt shift patterns. Also a later service towards Blyth from Cobalt after 21:00 (20:00 on Sundays).
  
  
• Most service 309 journeys in both directions would work in 'partnership' with Arriva's 308 on common sections of route. This means that there would be a departure on both services at either side of the hour ex Newcastle. Arriva's 308 departing at xx:12 and GNE's 309 departing at either xx:50, xx:52 or xx:55.
  
  
• PVR remains unchanged initially at 4x vehicles and later reducing to 3x vehicles with a similar interworking pattern later on. Early evening times between 18:00 and 20:00 tidied up with some journeys withdrawn but a more streamlined and simplified timetable rather than having random 311 journeys running at whenever.
  
  
• Only pitfall will be the withdrawal of some later journeys towards Newcastle from Hadrian Park and High Farm. However, I'd imagine the usage of such journeys being very low. This would allow a small number of later 310 journeys to instead operate via Cobalt Business Park towards Newcastle. 
  

(13 Mar 2022, 6:34 pm)L469 YVK wrote After seeing this month's changes to the 309/310/311, although the later journeys to Blyth perhaps had to go given the current climate, the rest of the evening times particularly for the ex Newcastle 310 journeys are all over the place. I've created a suggested evening timetable with the following in mind:

• Users of services 310/311 in High Farm & Hadrian Park (not easily covered by other services) would have a more convenient service restored, departing Newcastle between the xx:00 and xx:30 side of the hour, as opposed to waiting nearly an hour at xx:55.
  
  
• All 309 journeys in both directions compliant with Cobalt shift patterns. Also a later service towards Blyth from Cobalt after 21:00 (20:00 on Sundays).
  
  
• Most service 309 journeys in both directions would work in 'partnership' with Arriva's 308 on common sections of route. This means that there would be a departure on both services at either side of the hour ex Newcastle. Arriva's 308 departing at xx:12 and GNE's 309 departing at either xx:50, xx:52 or xx:55.
  
  
• PVR remains unchanged initially at 4x vehicles and later reducing to 3x vehicles with a similar interworking pattern later on. Early evening times between 18:00 and 20:00 tidied up with some journeys withdrawn but a more streamlined and simplified timetable rather than having random 311 journeys running at whenever.
  
  
• Only pitfall will be the withdrawal of some later journeys towards Newcastle from Hadrian Park and High Farm. However, I'd imagine the usage of such journeys being very low. This would allow a small number of later 310 journeys to instead operate via Cobalt Business Park towards Newcastle. 
  

Just had a quick look, imo you'd be better just extending the 311 to Northumberland Park via Cobalt and binning off the 309 completely in the evening. They have the 308 to go where they want to go and you'd restore a bus from Cobalt to Northumberland Park (the last 19 is 20:48 now).

Bus partnership and all that it 'should' not be a problem. Means the 310 gets a quicker service than meandering around Hadrian Park as well.

(13 Mar 2022, 7:48 pm)Storx wrote Just had a quick look, imo you'd be better just extending the 311 to Northumberland Park via Cobalt and binning off the 309 completely in the evening. They have the 308 to go where they want to go and you'd restore a bus from Cobalt to Northumberland Park (the last 19 is 20:48 now).

Bus partnership and all that it 'should' not be a problem. Means the 310 gets a quicker service than meandering around Hadrian Park as well.

It wouldn't be a bad idea in theory, but the PVR would still need to be 3x vehicles as it would take more than 30 minutes for both the 310 & 311 go complete their journeys.

Plus the 309 does carry an 'okayish' load during the evenings as does the 310. The extra few minutes through Hadrian Park on the 310 at a night time when the roads are quiet isn't a big deal.

But, Arriva on the otherhand could look to amend the 53 to additionally serve Northumberland Park during the evenings perhaps?

(13 Mar 2022, 8:11 pm)L469 YVK wrote It wouldn't be a bad idea in theory, but the PVR would still need to be 3x vehicles as it would take more than 30 minutes for both the 310 & 311 go complete their journeys.

Plus the 309 does carry an 'okayish' load during the evenings as does the 310. The extra few minutes through Hadrian Park on the 310 at a night time when the roads are quiet isn't a big deal.

But, Arriva on the otherhand could look to amend the 53 to additionally serve Northumberland Park during the evenings perhaps?

And the 54 too

(13 Mar 2022, 8:11 pm)L469 YVK wrote It wouldn't be a bad idea in theory, but the PVR would still need to be 3x vehicles as it would take more than 30 minutes for both the 310 & 311 go complete their journeys.

Plus the 309 does carry an 'okayish' load during the evenings as does the 310. The extra few minutes through Hadrian Park on the 310 at a night time when the roads are quiet isn't a big deal.

But, Arriva on the otherhand could look to amend the 53 to additionally serve Northumberland Park during the evenings perhaps?

Probably wouldn't make too much sense that, you'd have passed Shiremoor and be well on your way to wherever by the time to bus gets anywhere near Northumberland Park and Shiremoor is on the boundary of Zone B/C so there's no price difference.

It's probably the main reason why they've pushed for it to run through there in the evening anyway.

**New Service**
29 - Newcastle - Gateshead - Bensham - Saltwell Road - Low Fell - Kibblesworth - Birtley - Ouston - Perkinsville - Pelton - Beamish - Grange Villa - Pelton Fell - Chester-le-Street
Operating Hourly Monday to Sunday

The current Evening/Sunday Service 28B will be introduced to operate Hourly each day of the week with it additionally serving Bensham/Saltwell via Belle Vue Bank in Low Fell covering the section of routes 28A/29 and will be renumbered as 29, both 28A/28B withdrawn in their existing forms and the service continue on from Perkinsville to Chester-Le-Street allowing service 734 to also be withdrawn.

**New Service**
67 - Kibblesworth - Allerdene - Harlow Green - Wrekenton - Leam Lane Estate - Q.E. Hospital - Windy Nook - Gateshead Interchange - Bensham - MetroCentre - Swalwell - Winlaton Mill - Winlaton
Operates Hourly Monday to Sundays, Existing Services 29/67 withdrawn.

Services 29/67 merged together to create a new route with the 29 taking it's existing route from Kibblesworth to Harlow Green, it will then head up to Wrekenton then onto Q.E. Hospital via Leam Lane Estate, from there it will follow the current 67 route through Windy Nook to Bensham going via Gateshead Interchange first to improve local connections before continuing on via the current 29/67 route through Bensham onto Saltwell Road maintaining existing connections, from here the revised service will continue as it does presently to MetroCentre with an extension to Winlaton via Swalwell and Winlaton Mill creating some new local links in this area.

X56 - Sunderland, A690, Doxford Park (peaks), A19, Amazon, Heworth, Newcastle Eldon Square (every 30 mins). 

310 extension, or 9A. 

310/312 North Shields, Jarrow, Amazon, Heworth. 

I was reading something about Seaton, and loads come from Doxford Park. 

60 - Parkside, Dawdon, Seaham, New Seaham, Ryhope, Grangetown - Sunderland (Every 20 Mins) 
60A or X60 - Parkside, Princess Road (area) Seaham, Avenue or Along to Lord Byrons Walk, Seaton , Doxford Park, Sunderland (Every 20 mins) 

Or you could do a 61 & 61A. In a loop form. Murton - New Seaham - Sunderland - Doxford - Murton. The only issue is how many go to Murton, comapred to the areas the 60 serves. 

Also X30 to be standalone 7 days a week.

(21 Mar 2022, 6:38 pm)Unber43 wrote X56 - Sunderland, A690, Doxford Park (peaks), A19, Amazon, Heworth, Newcastle Eldon Square (every 30 mins). 

310 extension, or 9A. 

310/312 North Shields, Jarrow, Amazon, Heworth. 

I was reading something about Seaton, and loads come from Doxford Park. 

60 - Parkside, Dawdon, Seaham, New Seaham, Ryhope, Grangetown - Sunderland (Every 20 Mins) 
60A or X60 - Parkside, Princess Road (area) Seaham, Avenue or Along to Lord Byrons Walk, Seaton , Doxford Park, Sunderland (Every 20 mins) 

Or you could do a 61 & 61A. In a loop form. Murton - New Seaham - Sunderland - Doxford - Murton. The only issue is how many go to Murton, comapred to the areas the 60 serves. 

Also X30 to be standalone 7 days a week.

Couldn’t the passengers just get the 60 from Seaham to Ryhope then the 39 to Doxford park?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

(21 Mar 2022, 7:09 pm)cbma06 wrote Couldn’t the passengers just get the 60 from Seaham to Ryhope then the 39 to Doxford park?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, but I don't think many people, if anyone does that. I would safety say more people go Via Sunderland and get on the 55 than get the 39

(21 Mar 2022, 6:38 pm)Unber43 wrote Also X30 to be standalone 7 days a week.

That would be a commercial car crash waiting to happen! Fair enough the Mon-Sat daytime X30 / X70 group of services being split but evenings & Sundays, the X30 wouldn't be viable running standalone.

(21 Mar 2022, 8:02 pm)L469 YVK wrote That would be a commercial car crash waiting to happen! Fair enough the Mon-Sat daytime X30 / X70 group of services being split but evenings & Sundays, the X30 wouldn't be viable running standalone.

Tbh I think the X30 should run seperate all the time, cos there are a lot of streetlites being placed on Double Decker service especially during the day for the X70/71/72/31. Just so they can get any double deckers and it would only be the X30 running singles.

I don't get how Consett can have 4 Spare E400, 3 StreetDecks, and Several G2's and still have single decks runnings on a daily basis

(21 Mar 2022, 8:10 pm)Unber43 wrote Tbh I think the X30 should run seperate all the time, cos there are a lot of streetlites being placed on Double Decker service especially during the day for the X70/71/72/31. Just so they can get any double deckers and it would only be the X30 running singles.

I don't get how Consett can have 4 Spare E400, 3 StreetDecks, and Several G2's and still have single decks runnings on a daily basis

It's impossible to have the X30 run standalone, it's an hourly service which takes 40 minutes end to end (roughly). Unless you want buses sitting around doing nothing every run for 20 minutes there's no way you can timetable it sensibly.

(21 Mar 2022, 8:10 pm)Unber43 wrote Tbh I think the X30 should run seperate all the time, cos there are a lot of streetlites being placed on Double Decker service especially during the day for the X70/71/72/31. Just so they can get any double deckers and it would only be the X30 running singles.

I don't get how Consett can have 4 Spare E400, 3 StreetDecks, and Several G2's and still have single decks runnings on a daily basis

Usually it's because deckers are required on other services, there's an E400MMC and/or StreetDeck on 16/16A, 47/47A & X5/X15's most days covering, just today there was 6333, 6341 & 6361 on 16/16A, 6339 & 6351 on 47/47A plus 5409 & 6044 on X5, these were all on for at least part of the daytime today.

(21 Mar 2022, 9:11 pm)Jimmi wrote Usually it's because deckers are required on other services, there's an E400MMC and/or StreetDeck on 16/16A, 47/47A & X5/X15's most days covering, just today there was 6333, 6341 & 6361 on 16/16A, 6339 & 6351 on 47/47A plus 5409 & 6044 on X5, these were all on for at least part of the daytime today.

There was a few single deckers on the X70's X30's. 

is it that Consett don't have enough branded Double Deckers, the allocations are now worse than deptford.

(21 Mar 2022, 9:35 pm)Unber43 wrote There was a few single deckers on the X70's X30's. 

is it that Consett don't have enough branded Double Deckers, the allocations are now worse than deptford.

It's because the Hybrids are unreliable and are on work that's way too long / hard for them. There's 6 of them off the road atm. 

They should be something like the 58 but because of the LEZ they can't.

Moving the Volvo B5LH to Consett hasn't been the best idea

(22 Mar 2022, 11:30 am)Train8261 wrote Moving the Volvo B5LH to Consett hasn't been the best idea

But what other route would suit them. I mean maybe the 50, with 6301-6307 (idk if that is enough) swapping them out. The 50 would defo be a good option if the 26 was being moved to PM.

(22 Mar 2022, 6:13 am)Storx wrote It's because the Hybrids are unreliable and are on work that's way too long / hard for them. There's 6 of them off the road atm. 

(22 Mar 2022, 11:30 am)Train8261 wrote Moving the Volvo B5LH to Consett hasn't been the best idea

I'm not sure I agree that it wasn't 'the best idea'. Go North East needed to upgrade capacity on service 16, which allowed some peak-time resource to be taken out (more cost effective). On average there are normally three Hybrids off the road at any given time, so three spares are allocated (6064, 6069, 6070). They also didn't meet the requirements for the CAZ, so had to be moved out of Newcastle city centre (though the council are now considering an exemption given the number of these that Stagecoach operate into the city).

There are more off the road at the moment, but this mainly relates to the shortage of labour across the industry. Volvo, like most sectors, are short of staff - this means the buses go to Volvo and wait to be repaired. We're jumping to conclusions if we assume it's because the work they're on is too strenuous for that type of vehicle; most drivers comment and say that they are much better than the Streetlites previously allocated.

Last week there was four ADL E400s off the road - are we going to suggest that they are allocated to work that's too strenuous?

(22 Mar 2022, 4:58 pm)Dan wrote Last week there was four ADL E400s off the road - are we going to suggest that they are allocated to work that's too strenuous?

Absolutely. With the amount of armchair bus drivers and engine experts on here, it's the only conclusion that fits the emperical, albeit limited, data.