From the GNE FB page:

Go North East
Due to an incident at Blackett Street in Newcastle, services are diverting via St Mary's Place.

Not sure if Arriva run that way but a heads up!

(02 Oct 2013, 10:49 am)Michael wrote From the GNE FB page:

Go North East
Due to an incident at Blackett Street in Newcastle, services are diverting via St Mary's Place.

Not sure if Arriva run that way but a heads up!

The X2 can run that way, but it generally runs up John Dobson Street and St Marys Place. No other services though.

Management visited Wrights last week and the Sapphire fleet has now been accepted and should be delivered in the coming 2 weeks ready for a launch in early November.
Cascades as a result should see a number of DAF SB220 withdrawn across the fleet.

(03 Oct 2013, 10:07 am)tyresmoke wrote Management visited Wrights last week and the Sapphire fleet has now been accepted and should be delivered in the coming 2 weeks ready for a launch in early November.
Cascades as a result should see a number of DAF SB220 withdrawn across the fleet.

That's good news, I had totally forgot about these being on order with Arriva as nobody has said anything about them for a while now.

Sapphire brings a number of enhancements to service 7 between Darlington and Durham, via Newton Aycliffe and Ferryhill.
11 new VDL SB200 / Wright Pulsar 2 vehicles are due to be delivered in the next few weeks.

They'll have:
- "luxury" leather seats (believe these will be the Civic seats with headrests, as seen in the current Omnicities and the 05 reg MPD's)
- Free wi-fi
- Charging points (sockets)
- Next Stop Announcements (audio-visual)

From 27th October the route of service 7 will be changing very slightly to incorporate the DurhamGate development at Thinford, between Ferryhill and Durham, with slightly increased running time as a result.
An additional morning journey and afternoon return journey (giving 3 return journeys) will extend to/from Framwellgate Moor for New College Durham students following comments about overcrowding.
Further simplification of the route see's 0623 journey starting at Coxhoe re-formed to start at Ferryhill at 0650, with a new connecting journey on service 56 starting in Coxhoe at 0621 arriving in Ferryhill at 0642.

PB0002717/290 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Variation Accepted by SN: Operating between Darlington and Durham given service number 7 effective from 27-Oct-2013. To amend Timetable.

Just looking at points raised on the page before, how could a Durham county week ticket cover Peterlee-Sunderland & Sunderland-Peterlee. When Sunderland isn't Durham? From Ryhope you're in Tyne & Wear. Is there some way around this? Is that part of the ticket?

(03 Oct 2013, 10:16 pm)CatsFast101 wrote Just looking at points raised on the page before, how could a Durham county week ticket cover Peterlee-Sunderland & Sunderland-Peterlee. When Sunderland isn't Durham? From Ryhope you're in Tyne & Wear. Is there some way around this? Is that part of the ticket?

Yes, the Durham County ticket is valid for any journey starting or finishing in County Durham... Therefore you can use it to Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough etc providing your journey starts or finishes in County Durham. Teencards used to be similar until they became North East wide.

First of the Sapphire Pulsars have Arrived

NL63 VRG
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77351420@N04/10086162243/

(04 Oct 2013, 4:06 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote First of the Sapphire Pulsars have Arrived

NL63 VRG
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77351420@N04/10086162243/

Looking forward to the "no quibble" money back guarantee !

(04 Oct 2013, 6:32 pm)busman101 wrote Looking forward to the "no quibble" money back guarantee !

A little bit like Go North East's 'Gold Standard' offering on the X9/X10.

Nice pretty words, but a bit like trying to get blood out of a stone.

(04 Oct 2013, 7:10 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote A little bit like Go North East's 'Gold Standard' offering on the X9/X10.

Nice pretty words, but a bit like trying to get blood out of a stone.

Got any examples or just doing a bit of trolling ? I've never had a problem with the X9/X10 when I've used it

(05 Oct 2013, 8:50 am)busman101 wrote Got any examples or just doing a bit of trolling ? I've never had a problem with the X9/X10 when I've used it

I use it fairly frequently and haven't had much of an issue either (I was lucky in the last year or two of B7s admittedly!) - maybe the odd vehicle without wi-fi or whatever but they usually turn up.

(05 Oct 2013, 8:50 am)busman101 wrote Got any examples or just doing a bit of trolling ? I've never had a problem with the X9/X10 when I've used it

I've never really had a problem with the service. It's one of the few that always tends to be punctual. But I agree, the 'Gold Standard' is nothing more than pretty words. That's across the board - not just exclusive to the X9/X10.

Can't remember which Omnicity it was, think it was 4662, was seen Broken Down in Eldon Square at just after 2.30pm, which would of meant Passengers waiting for the 685 had to wait a further hour, maybe longer for the Stagecoach one to turn up depending on the Layover time in Newcastle.

I think most passengers ended up on GNE X84/X85 as the 15.10 and 15.40 Departures were pretty full.

(05 Oct 2013, 8:14 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote Can't remember which Omnicity it was, think it was 4662, was seen Broken Down in Eldon Square at just after 2.30pm, which would of meant Passengers waiting for the 685 had to wait a further hour, maybe longer for the Stagecoach one to turn up depending on the Layover time in Newcastle.

I think most passengers ended up on GNE X84/X85 as the 15.10 and 15.40 Departures were pretty full.

Jesmond Depot provided a replacement Pulsar? - They generally have one spare in Haymarket.

(05 Oct 2013, 8:14 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote Can't remember which Omnicity it was, think it was 4662, was seen Broken Down in Eldon Square at just after 2.30pm, which would of meant Passengers waiting for the 685 had to wait a further hour, maybe longer for the Stagecoach one to turn up depending on the Layover time in Newcastle.

I think most passengers ended up on GNE X84/X85 as the 15.10 and 15.40 Departures were pretty full.

Oh dear ! I noticed a facebook post to say a 685 was late coming from Carlisle this morning - there'll be letters to the Courant and the MP

(05 Oct 2013, 8:14 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote Can't remember which Omnicity it was, think it was 4662, was seen Broken Down in Eldon Square at just after 2.30pm, which would of meant Passengers waiting for the 685 had to wait a further hour, maybe longer for the Stagecoach one to turn up depending on the Layover time in Newcastle.

I think most passengers ended up on GNE X84/X85 as the 15.10 and 15.40 Departures were pretty full.

This one? http://www.flickr.com/photos/northern156/10105324593/
Was on the 1554 ex-Carlisle, 15 minutes late at Longbyre where the pic was taken.

(05 Oct 2013, 9:10 pm)northern156 wrote This one? http://www.flickr.com/photos/northern156/10105324593/
Was on the 1554 ex-Carlisle, 15 minutes late at Longbyre where the pic was taken.

Must of been another one then as I left Newcastle at 4pm and it was still sitting there on the Layover

Just a thought with all of Arriva's Promotion and upgrade in Frequency of the X1/X2 Middlesbrough - Durham - Newcastle, Would be worth putting the Service under the Sapphire Branding.

(05 Oct 2013, 10:50 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote Just a thought with all of Arriva's Promotion and upgrade in Frequency of the X1/X2 Middlesbrough - Durham - Newcastle, Would be worth putting the Service under the Sapphire Branding.

I have asked the question and apparently not. There are other services being looked at for the next Sapphire route(s)

(05 Oct 2013, 11:00 pm)tyresmoke wrote I have asked the question and apparently not. There are other services being looked at for the next Sapphire route(s)

the 306 will be one of them i'm guessing, quite surprised Arriva hasn't gone with the X2 for Sapphire as I think it would be a perfect choice, plus the fact Sapphire has Wifi etc it could potentially take customers in Durham/Middlesbrough and Newcastle away from using say 21/X21 and the X9/X10 Perhaps. Can't think of any other routes as I don't really use Arriva that much.

(06 Oct 2013, 1:54 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote the 306 will be one of them i'm guessing, quite surprised Arriva hasn't gone with the X2 for Sapphire as I think it would be a perfect choice, plus the fact Sapphire has Wifi etc it could potentially take customers in Durham/Middlesbrough and Newcastle away from using say 21/X21 and the X9/X10 Perhaps. Can't think of any other routes as I don't really use Arriva that much.

X15/X18?

Are Arriva doing anything with smart ticketing? Or have I completely missed this? I was looking to buy a 4 weekly ticket, but preferably not in paper form. :s

(06 Oct 2013, 2:38 pm)aureolin wrote Are Arriva doing anything with smart ticketing? Or have I completely missed this? I was looking to buy a 4 weekly ticket, but preferably not in paper form. :s

M-ticket app?

(06 Oct 2013, 3:17 pm)CatsFast101 wrote M-ticket app?

Had thought about mobile ticketing, but I'm not a huge fan of it. I'd rather have a smartcard which I know I'm going to be able to use when I need it, whereas I don't know how much phone battery I'd have left by the end of the day.

(06 Oct 2013, 3:20 pm)aureolin wrote Had thought about mobile ticketing, but I'm not a huge fan of it. I'd rather have a smartcard which I know I'm going to be able to use when I need it, whereas I don't know how much phone battery I'd have left by the end of the day.

Yeah that's always the problem with mobile ticking app especially if you out from early morning and/or out til late night. For things like day tickets, I generally prefer the old fashioned way as the key card reader on GNE Buses often don't work, a friend who had a annual get around pass was made to pay the single fare on at least 3 journeys this summer.

(06 Oct 2013, 3:48 pm)CatsFast101 wrote as the key card reader on GNE Buses often don't work, a friend who had a annual get around pass was made to pay the single fare on at least 3 journeys this summer.

Whilst I know they should work everytime but I would not say 3 journeys in Summer months counts as often.

(06 Oct 2013, 3:55 pm)citaro5284 wrote Whilst I know they should work everytime but I would not say 3 journeys in Summer months counts as often.

Can the ticket machines not read Key Cards? I've seen coffin dodgers using the ticket machines for their concessionary passes.

(06 Oct 2013, 3:59 pm)Daniel wrote Can the ticket machines not read Key Cards? I've seen coffin dodgers using the ticket machines for their concessionary passes.

Yes they can. Sometimes there is a communication issue between the reader and the ETM which causes the problem. Also it is suppose to work when the remote reader is working, the one on the ETM does not and vice versa.