Arriva North East: Service Suggestions
Arriva North East: Service Suggestions
(01 Aug 2015, 2:55 pm)R852 PRG The grieving process is a harsh and unforgiving route, but I'm getting there. Got my eye on 4920 at the moment. Fast as a bastard.
(01 Aug 2015, 2:55 pm)R852 PRG The grieving process is a harsh and unforgiving route, but I'm getting there. Got my eye on 4920 at the moment. Fast as a bastard.
(01 Aug 2015, 3:07 pm)R852 PRG You work in Gateshead, you tell it yourself.
As for 4923, that, we can agree on. Always a pleasant ride.
(01 Aug 2015, 3:07 pm)R852 PRG You work in Gateshead, you tell it yourself.
As for 4923, that, we can agree on. Always a pleasant ride.
(01 Aug 2015, 3:07 pm)mb134 I understand the pain, took me forever to get over the departure of 7413. I've got my sights set on 7505 and 7524 currently, although Tommy is insistent on taking the former away from me!
(01 Aug 2015, 3:07 pm)mb134 I understand the pain, took me forever to get over the departure of 7413. I've got my sights set on 7505 and 7524 currently, although Tommy is insistent on taking the former away from me!
(01 Aug 2015, 3:09 pm)Dan Even retains the vintage seat moquette for you, Marcus..!
Whilst off-topic, I think I prefer this discussion rather than the service suggestions with the X21/X22 which have been done a thousand times.
(01 Aug 2015, 3:09 pm)Dan Even retains the vintage seat moquette for you, Marcus..!
Whilst off-topic, I think I prefer this discussion rather than the service suggestions with the X21/X22 which have been done a thousand times.
(01 Aug 2015, 3:09 pm)R852 PRG I could only be loyal to one. I wouldn't like to juggle A-Levels with two relationships.
Here's my suggestion for routes X18, X20, X21, X22, 35, 35A.
(07 Aug 2015, 10:01 am)GX03 SVC Here's my suggestion for routes X18, X20, X21, X22, 35, 35A.
Let's hope this suggestion doesn't turn into a multi-million pound investment into E400MMCs and that.
- Order 9 new ADL Enviro400 / Dennis Trident 2s for routes X21/X22(becomes X41/X42) rebrand 7522-8 as "Sapphire Express" and re-number as X41 & X42. No route or timetable changes while these are trialed with the current timetable to see if it needs tweaking in any places etc.
- 7501-5 get branded as 35/35A along with 1579-81 which will be refurbished to Sapphire spec for 35/35A which will be upgraded to a 10 minute frequency - Mon-Sat daytimes. As the 35 no longer interworks onto route 100 the frequency can be upgraded with just one more bus(?).
- Route X20 (Newcastle-Alnwick) gets upgraded to MAX with deckers from another Arriva division, these will be branded as "Explore Coast & Castles", and promoting the link to South East Northumberland. This route would remain hourly and use the X18 route between Widdrington Station and Alnmouth Station, where the X18 & X20 will call at Alnmouth Station, while the X20 goes straight to Alnwick while the X18 calls at Alnmouth Village then Alnwick (or whatever it is currently) to have a 30-minute frequency between Widdrington & Alnwick.
- So the X18 & X20 get promoted as "every 30 minutes between Widdrington and Alnwick, with hourly extensions to Alnmouth Village"
(07 Aug 2015, 10:01 am)GX03 SVC Here's my suggestion for routes X18, X20, X21, X22, 35, 35A.
Let's hope this suggestion doesn't turn into a multi-million pound investment into E400MMCs and that.
- Order 9 new ADL Enviro400 / Dennis Trident 2s for routes X21/X22(becomes X41/X42) rebrand 7522-8 as "Sapphire Express" and re-number as X41 & X42. No route or timetable changes while these are trialed with the current timetable to see if it needs tweaking in any places etc.
- 7501-5 get branded as 35/35A along with 1579-81 which will be refurbished to Sapphire spec for 35/35A which will be upgraded to a 10 minute frequency - Mon-Sat daytimes. As the 35 no longer interworks onto route 100 the frequency can be upgraded with just one more bus(?).
- Route X20 (Newcastle-Alnwick) gets upgraded to MAX with deckers from another Arriva division, these will be branded as "Explore Coast & Castles", and promoting the link to South East Northumberland. This route would remain hourly and use the X18 route between Widdrington Station and Alnmouth Station, where the X18 & X20 will call at Alnmouth Station, while the X20 goes straight to Alnwick while the X18 calls at Alnmouth Village then Alnwick (or whatever it is currently) to have a 30-minute frequency between Widdrington & Alnwick.
- So the X18 & X20 get promoted as "every 30 minutes between Widdrington and Alnwick, with hourly extensions to Alnmouth Village"
I know that the current routes are OKish, but the furthesy distance shoild benefit from quicker journey times. This will be happening with the X18 and GNE did this with the 10 rerouting it via Willies Well rather than via Stonyflat Bank (now 10B) to give improved journey times from the Tyne Valley to Newcastle and Metrocentre.
(07 Aug 2015, 3:00 pm)DaveyBowyer I know that the current routes are OKish, but the furthesy distance shoild benefit from quicker journey times. This will be happening with the X18 and GNE did this with the 10 rerouting it via Willies Well rather than via Stonyflat Bank (now 10B) to give improved journey times from the Tyne Valley to Newcastle and Metrocentre.
(07 Aug 2015, 3:00 pm)DaveyBowyer I know that the current routes are OKish, but the furthesy distance shoild benefit from quicker journey times. This will be happening with the X18 and GNE did this with the 10 rerouting it via Willies Well rather than via Stonyflat Bank (now 10B) to give improved journey times from the Tyne Valley to Newcastle and Metrocentre.
(07 Aug 2015, 3:06 pm)Tom The X18 will still be serving Alnmouth Station from the 6th September.
(07 Aug 2015, 3:06 pm)Tom The X18 will still be serving Alnmouth Station from the 6th September.
(07 Aug 2015, 3:53 pm)DaveyBowyer Oppps, but you get the point? Northumbria ran the X31 ok, Arriva ran the X31 and the X21 in it's present guide ok and now, if people want to go to Newcastle from Stakeford for Bedlington, they use the X22 or if from Newbiggin, get the 35 / 35A and change onto the X20 either in Ashington or North Seaton. Uner 1hr 15 is fine but taking nearly 1hr 20 (1hr 30 at peak times) does take the p**s a bit.Also I know that people from the west end of Ashingtonp prefer to use the 35 to Morpeth then the express to Newcastle rather than find the nearest X22 stop.
(07 Aug 2015, 3:53 pm)DaveyBowyer Oppps, but you get the point? Northumbria ran the X31 ok, Arriva ran the X31 and the X21 in it's present guide ok and now, if people want to go to Newcastle from Stakeford for Bedlington, they use the X22 or if from Newbiggin, get the 35 / 35A and change onto the X20 either in Ashington or North Seaton. Uner 1hr 15 is fine but taking nearly 1hr 20 (1hr 30 at peak times) does take the p**s a bit.Also I know that people from the west end of Ashingtonp prefer to use the 35 to Morpeth then the express to Newcastle rather than find the nearest X22 stop.
(10 Aug 2015, 12:07 am)coldav Also I know that people from the west end of Ashingtonp prefer to use the 35 to Morpeth then the express to Newcastle rather than find the nearest X22 stop.Well it's happened like this:
(10 Aug 2015, 12:07 am)coldav Also I know that people from the west end of Ashingtonp prefer to use the 35 to Morpeth then the express to Newcastle rather than find the nearest X22 stop.Well it's happened like this:
(10 Aug 2015, 3:04 pm)DaveyBowyer Well it's happened like this:
- 2009: Red Meat and X31 / X32 = 4x quick buses ph from Ashington to Newcastle + 1 super fast bus ph.
- 2010: X20, old X21 = 3x quick buses ph from Ashington to Newcastle + 3 super fast buses ph.
- 2011: X20, old X21 = 3x quick buses ph from Newbiggin and Ashington to Newcastle + 1 super fast bus ph from Newbiggin and Ashington to Newcastle.
- 2012: X20 = 1x quick bus ph from Ashington to Newcastle.
To be honest, the X22 isn't the problem and infact, patronage has improved slightly since the 2012 change. The X21 is the main problem and Arriva need to:
- Reroute the X21 past the Hartlands and have the X21 / X22 leaving Ashington at 5/15 intervals but every 10 mins between Bedlington and Newcastle. Another service could serve Nedderton and form part of the Wide Open / Newcastle corridoor
(10 Aug 2015, 3:04 pm)DaveyBowyer Well it's happened like this:
- 2009: Red Meat and X31 / X32 = 4x quick buses ph from Ashington to Newcastle + 1 super fast bus ph.
- 2010: X20, old X21 = 3x quick buses ph from Ashington to Newcastle + 3 super fast buses ph.
- 2011: X20, old X21 = 3x quick buses ph from Newbiggin and Ashington to Newcastle + 1 super fast bus ph from Newbiggin and Ashington to Newcastle.
- 2012: X20 = 1x quick bus ph from Ashington to Newcastle.
To be honest, the X22 isn't the problem and infact, patronage has improved slightly since the 2012 change. The X21 is the main problem and Arriva need to:
- Reroute the X21 past the Hartlands and have the X21 / X22 leaving Ashington at 5/15 intervals but every 10 mins between Bedlington and Newcastle. Another service could serve Nedderton and form part of the Wide Open / Newcastle corridoor
How exactly at present are the X21/X22 sold by the company - oh yes, as a service every 10 minutes between Ashington and Newcastle and vice Versa. How exactly does a 5/15 minutes split at Ashington making it more attractive? '6 buses an hour' doesn't sound as marketable as 'every 10 minutes'. This is only a solution if there was an issue - but from what I can see, there is no issue.
And also I hear "fast buses". Most X20 journeys have been empty. This shows the demand for "fast buses"...
(10 Aug 2015, 12:07 am)coldav Also I know that people from the west end of Ashingtonp prefer to use the 35 to Morpeth then the express to Newcastle rather than find the nearest X22 stop.
(10 Aug 2015, 12:07 am)coldav Also I know that people from the west end of Ashingtonp prefer to use the 35 to Morpeth then the express to Newcastle rather than find the nearest X22 stop.
Well, go on Arriva's page and have a look at the number of complaints back in September 2012 when they first changed the X21. That says it all and it's not just down to the 57 plates, journey times are also a factor.
If the X20 was to do a no show in Ashington (running about 15 minutes late), people would just wait for it because it does the journey in 40 minutes as opposed to 57 minutes. Now, if the X21 was rerouted and the X20 did the same, people would just get the X21 because it would be able to do the journey in 52 minutes as opposed to 57 minutes.
(10 Aug 2015, 6:36 pm)DaveyBowyer Well, go on Arriva's page and have a look at the number of complaints back in September 2012 when they first changed the X21. That says it all and it's not just down to the 57 plates, journey times are also a factor.
If the X20 was to do a no show in Ashington (running about 15 minutes late), people would just wait for it because it does the journey in 40 minutes as opposed to 57 minutes. Now, if the X21 was rerouted and the X20 did the same, people would just get the X21 because it would be able to do the journey in 52 minutes as opposed to 57 minutes.
(10 Aug 2015, 6:36 pm)DaveyBowyer Well, go on Arriva's page and have a look at the number of complaints back in September 2012 when they first changed the X21. That says it all and it's not just down to the 57 plates, journey times are also a factor.
If the X20 was to do a no show in Ashington (running about 15 minutes late), people would just wait for it because it does the journey in 40 minutes as opposed to 57 minutes. Now, if the X21 was rerouted and the X20 did the same, people would just get the X21 because it would be able to do the journey in 52 minutes as opposed to 57 minutes.
(10 Aug 2015, 7:45 pm)mb134 If enough people didn't like it, and complained, Arriva would have changed it in all likelihood.
I think people will know and understand why Arriva send it that way- so that it serves a whole side of a town, including Red House Farm, the Hazelmere estate, and a high school, as well as an entire village in Nedderton.
If I was waiting at Ashington, I'd be straight onto the X21 if the X20 didn't show.
(10 Aug 2015, 7:45 pm)mb134 If enough people didn't like it, and complained, Arriva would have changed it in all likelihood.
I think people will know and understand why Arriva send it that way- so that it serves a whole side of a town, including Red House Farm, the Hazelmere estate, and a high school, as well as an entire village in Nedderton.
If I was waiting at Ashington, I'd be straight onto the X21 if the X20 didn't show.
(10 Aug 2015, 5:35 pm)mb134 That seems very unnecessary in my opinion, the X22 journey time from Ashington is well under an hour, similar to the 35 and X14/5/8 combination.
Couple that with the hideous reliability of the Morpeth express services, and the patchy 35 reliability (in my experience), I can't see many advantages to going about it that way. I'm not sure on this, but is it more expensive doing that as well?
Final point, I'd prefer to get a nice bus, with e-leather seating, NSA's, WiFi, sockets etc, than a 15 year old ex-London double decker on the 35, then a unbelievably busy MPD on the X14. Not sure why anyone would prefer the latter?
(10 Aug 2015, 5:35 pm)mb134 That seems very unnecessary in my opinion, the X22 journey time from Ashington is well under an hour, similar to the 35 and X14/5/8 combination.
Couple that with the hideous reliability of the Morpeth express services, and the patchy 35 reliability (in my experience), I can't see many advantages to going about it that way. I'm not sure on this, but is it more expensive doing that as well?
Final point, I'd prefer to get a nice bus, with e-leather seating, NSA's, WiFi, sockets etc, than a 15 year old ex-London double decker on the 35, then a unbelievably busy MPD on the X14. Not sure why anyone would prefer the latter?