(31 Dec 2012, 8:27 pm)W179SCU wrote [quote='Daniel' pid='999' dateline='1356981970']
[quote='Michael' pid='997' dateline='1356971748']
Daniel what time were u at south shields and jarrow?, i was at both places today to, i decided to go on a adventure haha

Between 15:00 and 15:30. I had intended to stay longer but my camera died on me... It was constantly out from 09:00am! :L

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Had intended on editing the above post but they'll go unnoticed now (as I've taken so long to caption them all)! See below:

I was there between 1 and 3, just missed you


Wonder what the first odd working on 2013 will be tommorow

(01 Jan 2013, 8:52 pm)Liam wrote Just realised how out of place the "Stopping" sign on the Tyne Tees Xpress B9s looks. You would have thought the screen would have been located their and the "Stopping" sign at the back of the stairs where the screen is currently positioned.

I'd guess its something to do with DDA, plus the postitioning of the CCTV screen above the poster holder on the back of the stairs.

(31 Dec 2012, 4:35 pm)Michael wrote Wonder what the first odd working on 2013 will be tommorow

Enjoy the rain, if you choose to go out!

Happy New Year All.

Quick question, I notice the 21 is running a special timetable still, had a look and can't see much difference aside the early morning Newcastle-Birtley Komatsu run (for Lord Lawson Academy) being taken out. Is that it?

Also spotted this morning (from afar) was a conked out Waggonway in Lamesley (the 3rd I've seen in 2 weeks!) alongside a Lambton Worm. The DAF's are really struggling lately

Was on open line today and got a few answers

Michael:
Hi, first of all Happy New Year, I was wondering if you are planning to do any more Customer Consultation's, if so which locations would be up for changes?

Hi Michael, happy new year to you too. We always aim to conduct service changes in areas where we a planning any significant changes to routes. However, some passengers complained that they were unable to access the online consultations we've previously used (if for example they don't have a computer), therefore we are trying different methods to increase the accessibility to our consultations, including door to door surveys. We are currently consulting on some plans to change services in Prudhoe & Western Gateshead, with leaflets posted to all households in the areas affected by the change and staff on board buses.

Wonder what services/changes these will involve?
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are you planning on ordering new buses this year expect for the ones for the TEN routes?

We have a number of proposals for new vehicles in the pipeline, though unfortunately I'm unable to provide exact details of these at the current time.
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a friend asks, are u planning on buying any of the buses which were on demo last year at Deptford depot, such as the E200,Wright Streetlite etc?
We're still evaluating whether these vehicles would be better suited to our services. Each time we decide to buy new vehicles, all of the vehicle types available on the market at that time will be considered before we make a decision

Got a shock this morning seeing 4944 on the 9A this morning still carrying full The Nine vinyls! Been so used to seeing the ex-West Durham Swift Omnicities on the service lately.

(02 Jan 2013, 8:09 pm)Brandon wrote Got a shock this morning seeing 4944 on the 9A this morning still carrying full The Nine vinyls! Been so used to seeing the ex-West Durham Swift Omnicities on the service lately.

You are joking, right? I got my dates mixed up and I go to London tomorrow.
I had intended to re-take my photo of the 9A this morning but decided against it..!

Yup, it remains the last one to be fully branded according to my fleet list.

Not joking! And bad luck getting your dates mixed! It was running on the 0602 from Sunderland that goes all the way through to North Shields. I was on the bus sitting at the lights at the Wheatsheaf when it went flying past. First time this journey has operated since before Christmas with it being all Saturday timetables! To be fair, I've even see a ShowStopper on that particular journey recently as well as a Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7 a few times, but the ex-West Durham omni's are usually the norm.

I'm surprised 4944 has stayed so long at Percy Main and especially in full branding, with the other examples having moved to Highwayman a little while ago...

(02 Jan 2013, 8:33 pm)Brandon wrote Not joking! And bad luck getting your dates mixed! It was running on the 0602 from Sunderland that goes all the way through to North Shields. I was on the bus sitting at the lights at the Wheatsheaf when it went flying past. First time this journey has operated since before Christmas with it being all Saturday timetables! To be fair, I've even see a ShowStopper on that particular journey recently as well as a Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7 a few times, but the ex-West Durham omni's are usually the norm.

I'm surprised 4944 has stayed so long at Percy Main and especially in full branding, with the other examples having moved to Highwayman a little while ago...

A Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7 on the 9A???? - Percy Main don't have any, do they?

Just checked the fleet list, and you're right Percy Main don't have any at the moment. When it's dark outside and I'm in a passing bus, it's very hard to see fleet numbers, but they were definitely B7's for sure! The first two journeys from Sunderland appear to run light from Percy Main depot before service. Perhaps the times I've seen B7's on the 9A, they have been supplied by Deptford instead; if Percy Main for whatever reason were unable to get a vehicle down in time.

The next time I see a B7 on the 9A, I'll try my best to get a fleet number just to see if that's the case.

(02 Jan 2013, 9:09 pm)Brandon wrote Just checked the fleet list, and you're right Percy Main don't have any at the moment. When it's dark outside and I'm in a passing bus, it's very hard to see fleet numbers, but they were definitely B7's for sure! The first two journeys from Sunderland appear to run light from Percy Main depot before service. Perhaps the times I've seen B7's on the 9A, they have been supplied by Deptford instead; if Percy Main for whatever reason were unable to get a vehicle down in time.

The next time I see a B7 on the 9A, I'll try my best to get a fleet number just to see if that's the case.

Couldn't it be a Lolyne? - Or a DFDS President? - I forgot about them!

(02 Jan 2013, 9:10 pm)W179SCU wrote

(02 Jan 2013, 9:09 pm)Brandon wrote Just checked the fleet list, and you're right Percy Main don't have any at the moment. When it's dark outside and I'm in a passing bus, it's very hard to see fleet numbers, but they were definitely B7's for sure! The first two journeys from Sunderland appear to run light from Percy Main depot before service. Perhaps the times I've seen B7's on the 9A, they have been supplied by Deptford instead; if Percy Main for whatever reason were unable to get a vehicle down in time.

The next time I see a B7 on the 9A, I'll try my best to get a fleet number just to see if that's the case.

Couldn't it be a Lolyne? - Or a DFDS President? - I forgot about them!

Definitely Northern B7's!

It would be great to see a DFDS President sometime though!

(02 Jan 2013, 9:12 pm)Brandon wrote

(02 Jan 2013, 9:10 pm)W179SCU wrote

(02 Jan 2013, 9:09 pm)Brandon wrote Just checked the fleet list, and you're right Percy Main don't have any at the moment. When it's dark outside and I'm in a passing bus, it's very hard to see fleet numbers, but they were definitely B7's for sure! The first two journeys from Sunderland appear to run light from Percy Main depot before service. Perhaps the times I've seen B7's on the 9A, they have been supplied by Deptford instead; if Percy Main for whatever reason were unable to get a vehicle down in time.

The next time I see a B7 on the 9A, I'll try my best to get a fleet number just to see if that's the case.

Couldn't it be a Lolyne? - Or a DFDS President? - I forgot about them!

Definitely Northern B7's!

It would be great to see a DFDS President sometime though!

The spare ones are often on the 17... But they have been on the 9 before

I forgot about the Metro replacement work. It would have been from the start of November because that's when I started work and had to use the replacement buses for the Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd November - I completely forgot about that! The B7's were probably straying on the 9A when I saw them.

If a DFDS Seaways branded vehicle can make its way onto the 80, I think it's fair to conclude they can make their way onto anything.

(02 Jan 2013, 9:39 pm)Daniel wrote If a DFDS Seaways branded vehicle can make its way onto the 80, I think it's fair to conclude they can make their way onto anything.

I saw one on the 41 when coming back from Shields. The 40/41/80/17A interwork...

It may well be that it is on the start of a peak running board that runs into depot around 0930 having provided an extra vehicle at peak ime, in which case it is likely to be allocated any vehicle which is required by engineering. Just a guess though.

Pleased to say that 3826 is back in service after its crash on the slip road going to the Metrocentre the other week. Spent this morning/lunchtime on the 24. It has a slightly different front end but it still seems to work perfectly fine

On Take Pride in Prudhoe Fb page theres a post about changes for the TEN and looks like the 11, well anyway they have a draft on what the main changes are. (dont know full questionaire, not online yet)

Go North East are consulting on changes they plan from March. In a nutshell the frequency of the 10 west of Prudhoe lights will drop from 20 minutes to 30 minutes. However brand new double deck buses will operate the 10 and other tweaks mean that the number of seats and frequency east of Prudhoe is rather positive. Broadly I welcome this although it will highlight how poor the west and south quarters of Prudhoe are served by public transport.

By comments the 11 will become a 10B, has anyone got the leaflet and be able to upload it to here?

I can't find an online copy of the consultation unfortunately. Looks like you can pick up a copy at Prudhoe Post Office and Library but that's not really convenient for me! By the sounds of it, Prudhoe will get a "clockface" bus timetable towards Newcastle, every 15 minutes on 10/10B, rather than a 20 minute service on 10 and every 30 minutes on 11.

I've just been checking out the Prudhoe council minutes to see if there was anything there but there wasn't. Something about the 686 though. Took me ages to figure out that the titles of the Word documents were dates! Ended up going through them all

http://www.parish-council.com/prudhoe/library.asp

Minutes from 30 November 2012 -

Members received the e-mail from NCC detailing that the new route and timetable of the 686 would remain unchanged from that already advised. Additionally a report was given that NCC were unable to find a solution to the issue of students travelling to Prudhoe Community High School from Ovingham. Cllr Mrs Burt expressed disappointment again that a solution could not be found to this problem. Cllr Bradbury stated that he hoped that when school transport contracts were due for renewal that this issue would be addressed in the tender issued by NCC and proposed that the Town Council respond to this effect.

It was AGREED that the Town Council would formally request NCC make provision for students travelling from Ovingham to Prudhoe Community High School in future school transport contracts
Proposed: Cllr N Bradbury
Seconded: Cllr Mrs E Burt

Members discussed the request by Go North-East to contribute toward the cost of distributing bus timetables in the Town.

It was AGREED that the Town Council would not subsidise the timetable distribution costs of a private company
Proposed: Cllr Mrs E Burt
Seconded: Cllr N Bradbury

Looks like there might be a change to the 686 too.

I'll post a link to that Facebook page, some interesting comments underneath -

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=310901169022070&set=pb.244877205624467.-2207520000.1357242771&type=3&src=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash3%2F541945_310901169022070_559926112_n.jpg&size=308%2C626

This may be of interest to some members - gives details about the levels of subsidy given to a number of Go North East operated services in the West Northumberland Area - published February 2012 -

[attachment=1401]

Ive emailed GNE for more info, wonder y its not up on the site yet

So with the 11 now becoming the 10B, am I right in saying that that would release some of the Toon Link branded buses? If so, does anyone have any idea what route they'll be placed on?

(03 Jan 2013, 8:47 pm)Adam wrote So with the 11 now becoming the 10B, am I right in saying that that would release some of the Toon Link branded buses? If so, does anyone have any idea what route they'll be placed on?

Doubt it - You really think they will put deckers on a low passenger number service like that? - There is never more than 10 people on the service when I see it! The other day, I saw it leave with only one person, having a deckers would be a waste of fuel, and quite franky pointless...

(03 Jan 2013, 8:57 pm)W179SCU wrote

(03 Jan 2013, 8:47 pm)Adam wrote So with the 11 now becoming the 10B, am I right in saying that that would release some of the Toon Link branded buses? If so, does anyone have any idea what route they'll be placed on?

Doubt it - You really think they will put deckers on a low passenger number service like that? - There is never more than 10 people on the service when I see it! The other day, I saw it leave with only one person, having a deckers would be a waste of fuel, and quite franky pointless...

I was reading some of the comments on the facebook link and a couple of people suggested the 11 is becoming the 10B. Must have misinterpreted it. Sorry. I've saw the 11 about three quarters full before but I agree with you about deckers being impractical.

(03 Jan 2013, 9:13 pm)Liam wrote

(03 Jan 2013, 8:57 pm)W179SCU wrote

(03 Jan 2013, 8:47 pm)Adam wrote So with the 11 now becoming the 10B, am I right in saying that that would release some of the Toon Link branded buses? If so, does anyone have any idea what route they'll be placed on?

Doubt it - You really think they will put deckers on a low passenger number service like that? - There is never more than 10 people on the service when I see it! The other day, I saw it leave with only one person, having a deckers would be a waste of fuel, and quite franky pointless...

At peak times the 11 is really busy, very few seats left by the time you get to Blaydon on mornings. And leaving Newcastle at peak times it is full. Even on a morning when one of the X66 Mercs is used it is still well filled. Never been on at non-peak times though so can't really tell you what its like then.

Trough the day it aunt though!

GNE appear to have focussed the customer consultation by distributing leaflets in the areas directly affected.

My understanding is that the 10/10A/10B will continue together to provide a bus every ten minutes on the Crawcrook - Ryton - Blaydon - Metrocentre - Newcastle route. At the 'outer' ends, each operates every 30 minutes. Together, during the daytime, the 10/10B provide a bus every fifteen minutes from Prudhoe to Newcastle (10B replacing 11 at Prudhoe Interchange and running via the existing 11 route into Crawcrook). During the Monday to Friday peaks, a new 11A runs via the existing 11 route to Newcastle - two journeys in each direction.

Elsewhere, a 'new' service 11 runs Newcastle - Business Park - Blaydon - Ryton - Crawcrook - Woodside - Folly - Greenside - High Spen - Chopwell - Blackhall Mill, Monday to Saturday daytimes, every 30 minutes, with extras in the weekday peaks. Together with the existing 32, this maintains a bus every fifteen minutes between Blaydon and Newcastle via the Business Park and Newcastle College (every 10 minutes weekday peaks). This service would replace the existing 69A, which would be withdrawn, but on the upside, together with existing service 47, Blackhall Mill, Chopwell and High Spen get a bus every fifteen minutes towards Newcastle via two different routes; High Spen gets a daytime bus through the northern end of the village every 30 minutes to Newcastle, something it hasn't had for years; Woodside gets a doubling of its bus service.

Evening and Sunday services would remain largely unchanged.

It looks to me as if there'll be more winners than losers with these proposed changes. The 10 has never really justified Peter Huntley's gamble on increasing the former 602 service, but at least the company gave it a decent shot. Prudhoe sees an increase in buses to Metrocentre, and Greenside, Folly and Woodside get more and better connections. Chopwell does really well out of this!

(04 Jan 2013, 10:37 am)eezypeazy wrote This service would replace the existing 69A, which would be withdrawn, but on the upside, together with existing service 47, Blackhall Mill, Chopwell and High Spen get a bus every fifteen minutes towards Newcastle via two different routes

So, is the whole Wardley - Blackhall Mill route to be withdrawn, or just the stops between Metrocentre and Blackhall Mill?

My understanding is it's just the Metrocentre - Blackhall Mill section.

(04 Jan 2013, 11:18 am)eezypeazy wrote My understanding is it's just the Metrocentre - Blackhall Mill section.

That's good

The quality is great for me, thanks for uploading! I had been considering making a trip over to Prudhoe to pick one up!

I'd been trying to figure out how 10/10B could run every 15 minutes from Prudhoe to Newcastle as well as fit in with the 10A to provide an evenly timed 10 minute frequency between Crawcrook and Newcastle. But I completely forgot that the existing 11 route is slightly shorter than the 10; the 11 runs direct via Hexham Road instead of down Greenside Road. So that would allow the 10B to "sneak ahead" by five minutes in order to get the 10 minute frequency with 10/10A from Crawcrook onwards. Coming back from Newcastle to Prudhoe the 10/10B will alternate every 10 or 20 minutes something along the lines of 00/10/30/40 kind of pattern, while the 10A operates the two journeys in between.

Great set of changes proposed here. There's been many calls on the GNE Facebook page asking for an increase in the frequency of buses to Blackhall Mill. By having an additional half hourly service, this takes a huge strain off the 47 and avoids the MetroCentre which some people may prefer; it can get pretty hectic there at times for traffic.

Chopwell really does benefit from these changes. I really can't see Nexus ever funding a 15 minute service to Newcastle from here if they take over our routes. That could be a part of the idea - Go North East innovating and investing in the network to make it the best it possibly can in order to stave off a QCS.