(08 Oct 2015, 3:40 pm)S813 FVK wrote Exactly...it is going to become like any other route operating between the Metrocentre and Gateshead (minus the 97 which does a tour of Whickham and Lobley Hill first) if they keep adding stops in here and there. The Riverside stop, yes - it saves money for drivers but other than that, I am personally strongly against adding any more stops to a service that has been non-stop for years.

It has been mentioned in the past, but I wonder if the current model and push towards day tickets has helped make the decision to add more stops?

The percentage of cash fares vs tickets on the X66, will mean the revenue/profit wont be fantastic.
Sticking a few more stops in, with very little impact on the overall running of the route, can only help that profit and revenue.

(08 Oct 2015, 4:46 pm)Michael wrote Timetables have appeared on the Stanley changes to - http://www.simplygo.com/news/changes-to-...ober-2015/


Timetables have appeared for the changes to services in Winlaton, Ryton and Rowlands Gill from 25 October 2015-  http://www.simplygo.com/news/changes-to-...ober-2015/


Timetables have appeared for the changes to services in Whickham and Dunston from 25 October 2015 - http://www.simplygo.com/news/changes-to-...ober-2015/
 

All only available from the link - not on the service list yet on the GNE site.


Edit: Like how it shows what zones the buses go through, much easier to find out now!

Never seen a more pointless route than the 64....why didn't they just merge it with the 95?

Proper maps like those on new X30/31 timetable are infinitely superior and more useful than the linear diagrams usually shown. The lack of maps on GNE timetables is what makes them inferior to Arriva's. However, timetables and access to them on Arriva's website are useless; simply go.com is much better.

Nah. I think maps like that are unnecessary. Passengers want to know if the bus stops at 'X' but they don't need to know where 'X' is. A simple map like the basic lines work and have done for years.

I too fail to see the logic in the X30/31/32 having the same brand as the new 12/12A. There is zero common ground between them and could actually end up confusing people at the Newcastle end. Especially as X31 has a very similar route number to the current Toonlink 31.

(08 Oct 2015, 5:26 pm)markydh wrote I too fail to see the logic in the X30/31/32 having the same brand as the new 12/12A. There is zero common ground between them and could actually end up confusing people at the Newcastle end. Especially as X31 has a very similar route number to the current Toonlink 31.

But baring in mind the 31/32 are being renumbered 12/12A...that problem shouldn't exist (may take a few weeks for passengers to get used to the new numbers though).

No, the linear diagrams don't work, they tell you the main stops but are useless if you are on a bus (without next stop announcements) and don't know the area; with a reasonable map you can follow the route. Or if you want to get a bus in a unfamiliar place you can work out where it runs from a decent map. The vast majority of bus timetables now have proper maps as the other big companies realise they are the most useful way of showing the route.

(08 Oct 2015, 5:33 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote No, the linear diagrams don't work, they tell you the main stops but are useless if you are on a bus (without next stop announcements) and don't know the area; with a reasonable map you can follow the route. Or if you want to get a bus in a unfamiliar place you can work out where it runs from a decent map. The vast majority of bus timetables now have proper maps as the other big companies realise they are the most useful way of showing the route.

I agree proper maps that show the area the route goes thru are much better, than a long line with place names dotted along it!

I definitely think this change to a proper map is far better!

(08 Oct 2015, 5:33 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote No, the linear diagrams don't work, they tell you the main stops but are useless if you are on a bus (without next stop announcements) and don't know the area; with a reasonable map you can follow the route. Or if you want to get a bus in a unfamiliar place you can work out where it runs from a decent map. The vast majority of bus timetables now have proper maps as the other big companies realise they are the most useful way of showing the route.

I just can't agree. While i can't say there are no positives to the maps, the linear maps are much better. The colours for each route are different which makes it easier to tell the difference between the routes unlike the X30/X31/X32 map (although the X32 kind of is easier to follow as it is a dotted line) and is less messy in built up areas (such as Newcastle for example).

You can have different colours like the Stanley area and Winlaton maps to show routes and variations, but single colour solid and dotted lines can also do, as most timetables are printed only with one or two colours. Decent maps are an essential part of timetables.

(08 Oct 2015, 3:23 pm)Dan wrote Come on, Lee... I'm sure the person(s) responsible for coming up with brand names have an awful lot of marketing expertise, and just because you dislike the brand names, does not mean that "someone needs to have a word with them".

We discussed brand names needing to have a meaning to be successful and marketable from this post onwards, with regards to Stagecoach's "Connecting the Dots" brand. To follow on from the recent posts in the "What's annoying you today?" thread regarding debate and brash statements; the aforementioned debate regarding branding is, in my opinion, one of the better 'debates' we've had more recently, and (with hindsight) I'm shocked I didn't contribute a little bit more to it.

If you go back to the aforementioned debate, you'll see that, initially, I was of the opinion that brand names should have a meaning. Because I thought that brand names ought to have a meaning, I attempted to draw inferences based on the well-known idiom "connecting the dots", and suggested Stagecoach's use of this idiom didn't really work (in my opinion) as a brand name. However, Adrian hit the nail on the head by discussing Go North East's "Fab Fifty Six" brand. What made service 56 "fab" all of those years ago? Nothing - it was just a catchy name with a bit of alliteration. Almost ten years later, and I'd argue that it's one of Go North East's more recognised brand names, and it's one of those names that seems to roll off the tongue. "Fab Fifty Seven" seems to piggy-back on the brand name of service 56, and in my opinion, isn't half as successful. I'd have suggested it was down to the dated vehicle allocation if service 56 wasn't allocated fairly elderly Scania L94s until 2014... How do you know that "indiGo" isn't the next "Fab Fifty Six"..?

In my opinion; Go North East's branding went downhill a few years ago, but recent designs are a significant improvement on what we've had in the past. The "Green Arrow" is a prime example of this - it's a far superior design to "The Highwayman", and I think it's instantly more recognisable.

I have always preferred brands with regional and area associations, such as 'The Red Kite' and 'Blaydon Racers' although improved designs on recent branding has compensated for perhaps more bland brand names. Overall, I'm a bit undecided on the latest round of branding.

Just a shame the Blaydon Racers doesn't go along Scotswood Road like it used to when it was first introduced, eh? Would be perfect for the 12/12A.

(08 Oct 2015, 6:51 pm)S813 FVK wrote Just a shame the Blaydon Racers doesn't go along Scotswood Road like it used to when it was first introduced, eh? Would be perfect for the 12/12A.

Didn't the 31/32 used to be Blaydon Racers?

(08 Oct 2015, 7:01 pm)Sidthebusbabe wrote Didn't the 31/32 used to be Blaydon Racers?

Indeed they did. When the brand was first introduced.

(08 Oct 2015, 4:54 pm)S813 FVK wrote The lack of maps does annoy me slightly. I much prefer the line ones as opposed to the one found on the X30/X31/X32 timetable.

I agree, when they work I like Arriva's ones

(08 Oct 2015, 6:50 pm)Sidthebusbabe wrote I have always preferred brands with regional and area associations, such as 'The Red Kite' and 'Blaydon Racers' although improved designs on recent branding has compensated for perhaps more bland brand names. Overall, I'm a bit undecided on the latest round of branding.

My favourite would be OK Way, Prince Bishops or Cobalt Clipper, wish they could have sensible brand names for the indigo etc
Especially hate the FAB 57, it really is far from fab

Yes it would be more logical to include 11s and 12s in Blaydon Racers, with more of the Whickham area ones as Green Arrows, not just 97s. Branding should be more widespread with perhaps several routes in an area in the same brand. And less GNE red buses.

Keep the Venture brand (and livery) I say.

Looking at the 11 timetable, it doesnt need to interwork so the 96 will be a stand alone service to,as that doesn't need to interwork either.

The 64 and 95 will interwork, like it was said.

That's right, the 11 and 96 don't need to interwork, but the fact that the 11 starts from Eldon Square, but finishes at Market St. and the 96 commences from Market St. but ends up at Eldon Square shows that, as predicted on here, they will interwork. Otherwise this timetabling is ridiculous.

(08 Oct 2015, 10:12 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote That's right, the 11 and 96 don't need to interwork, but the fact that the 11 starts from Eldon Square, but finishes at Market St. and the 96 commences from Market St. but ends up at Eldon Square shows that, as predicted on here, they will interwork. Otherwise this timetabling is ridiculous.

Honestly, its daft if they don't need to interwork why does GNE need to make them.. 

Its better for driver changeovers though (which is possibly one of the main views that GNE have taken in this decision). They can be done at Gateshead rather than sending a driver to Blaydon or somewhere like that.

(08 Oct 2015, 10:12 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote That's right, the 11 and 96 don't need to interwork, but the fact that the 11 starts from Eldon Square, but finishes at Market St. and the 96 commences from Market St. but ends up at Eldon Square shows that, as predicted on here, they will interwork. Otherwise this timetabling is ridiculous.

Wouldn't the 11 be quite tight timetabling if it ran to Eldon Square and didn't interwork?

Also with Interworking, they don't need to worry about doing driver changes on that route, and can do them all at either Metrocentre or Gateshead.

(08 Oct 2015, 10:12 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote That's right, the 11 and 96 don't need to interwork, but the fact that the 11 starts from Eldon Square, but finishes at Market St. and the 96 commences from Market St. but ends up at Eldon Square shows that, as predicted on here, they will interwork. Otherwise this timetabling is ridiculous.

And you all said I was wrong...

(09 Oct 2015, 6:00 am)DanPicken wrote And you all said I was wrong...

When? I think you must have missed the post in which I suggested originally that they would be interworking at Market Street and Eldon Square... I did, however, make a comment about services 11 and 96 being branded as "Toon Link" (which lo and behold, they aren't going to be any more..!)

(19 Sep 2015, 7:23 am)Dan wrote Summary of the VOSA registrations, cancellations and amendments as at 19/09/2015 (effective 25th October 2015)

Service 96 is revised to operate a through journey to Newcastle - interestingly, two terminal points are shown on the registration (Eldon Square and Market Street)... I wonder if this could be associated with interworking patterns?

The 90 is also changing from the 25th October:

Last journey from Team Valley South Bus Station is re-timed to leave 5 minutes earlier than now.. still ran by NEXUS... not sure what company runs it at that time:

New timetable here: http://www.simplygo.com/download/publication/73543.86

Only 2 days to go until the Hexham changes and the new Tynedalexpress timetable still hasnt been uploaded on to the website.

(10 Oct 2015, 12:16 pm)S813 FVK wrote Only 2 days to go until the Hexham changes and the new Tynedalexpress timetable still hasnt been uploaded on to the website.

Wonder if Hexham will loose anymore buses due to service changes?

(11 Oct 2015, 10:42 am)Michael wrote Wonder if Hexham will loose anymore buses due to service changes?

There was a PVR reduction owing to the loss of Nexus Miscellaneous Works contracts at Percy Main from 31st August, and it was suggested that Dennis Trident/East Lancs Lolyne 3859 (W859 PNL) would have been withdrawn as a result. This vehicle has been retained in the fleet at Percy Main ahead of the upcoming increase in PVR (for the new 434/448 services in Bedlington/Ashington).

There was a PVR reduction at Hexham, owing to the withdrawal of this season's AD122 service, from 27th September. The two AD122 branded MPDs are in line to be de-branded, but the branding company have been busy with the "Toon Link" branded OmniCitys at Riverside for the past week or two. One of these yellow MPDs released 560 to Deptford, and the other was retained for the increase in PVR for the new services from tomorrow. You certainly won't see any buses leaving Hexham when the PVR is going up... haha.

(11 Oct 2015, 10:52 am)Dan wrote There was a PVR reduction owing to the loss of Nexus Miscellaneous Works contracts at Percy Main from 31st August, and it was suggested that Dennis Trident/East Lancs Lolyne 3859 (W859 PNL) would have been withdrawn as a result. This vehicle has been retained in the fleet at Percy Main ahead of the upcoming increase in PVR (for the new 434/448 services in Bedlington/Ashington).

There was a PVR reduction at Hexham, owing to the withdrawal of this season's AD122 service, from 27th September. The two AD122 branded MPDs are in line to be de-branded, but the branding company have been busy with the "Toon Link" branded OmniCitys at Riverside for the past week or two. One of these yellow MPDs released 560 to Deptford, and the other was retained for the increase in PVR for the new services from tomorrow. You certainly won't see any buses leaving Hexham when the PVR is going up... haha.

Oh well!, it was worth posting just incase! 

Honestly thought the AD122 MPD's were de-branded a while ago.