(15 Aug 2018, 10:18 pm)mb134 wrote "Arriva prove themselves unreliable" - I wonder if you've given much thought to why the Alnwick services aren't always bang on time, or how often you use them and understand why? The A1 north of Morpeth is a single carriageway for much of the X15 route, and is frequently at a standstill. Morpeth traffic is also ridiculously unpredictable, and can be awful at various points of the day. Also "unreliable" - yes they're usually 5-10 minutes late, but in all the time I've used them, they've never failed to turn up. 

The N1 - I don't understand how that route would be any more reliable than the X15. The issue with the X15 is, mainly, the A1 between Morpeth and Alnwick, and Morpeth itself. There also isn't an awful lot of demand for a really slow route to the Airport. Most people will get a taxi, or an express to Regent Centre and catch a Metro.

It's well worth a try at New Ideas, people said the X10 into Dalton Park would be a bad move, it turns out it's boosted passenger numbers...

And I think you will find most delays are caused by passengers at the bus stations mainly purchasing various tickets. I've been on the X15 quite a few times and even when it departs Newcastle late it makes up the time on route.

(15 Aug 2018, 10:26 pm)S830OFT wrote It's well worth a try at New Ideas, people said the X10 into Dalton Park would be a bad move, it turns out it's boosted passenger numbers...

And I think you will find most delays are caused by passengers at the bus stations mainly purchasing various tickets. I've been on the X15 quite a few times and even when it departs Newcastle late it makes up the time on route.

However the X10 was building on an already solid route. Your proposal would be in competition with an established service, and ran by a company with a bad reputation. 

The X15 generally does make up time out of Newcastle, as the time allocated for it to cover the A1 stretch to Morpeth is usually more than required. There is time allowed at each bus station for passengers to buy tickets, as is the same with any bus route. The X15 has 7 minutes at Haymarket, 5 at Morpeth and 6 at Alnwick (10 if it doesn't extend to Berwick). A big issue with the X15 is that the A1 has no overtaking lane from Morpeth until just after the Felton turn off, where it duals until after Alnwick. Traffic on this section of road is horrific at the best of times, often slowed to 5-10 mph for no reason. You also then need to contend with the traffic in Morpeth, Alnwick and Gosforth. 

Arriva could, of course, whack a load of extra running time into each journey to combat this traffic. However, what happens when the traffic is less than expected, or is only bad in one place? They'd have a load of early running buses doing dangerously low speeds on the A1, carrying fresh air because the advertised journey time was excessive.

(15 Aug 2018, 10:18 pm)mb134 wrote "Arriva prove themselves unreliable" - I wonder if you've given much thought to why the Alnwick services aren't always bang on time, or how often you use them and understand why? The A1 north of Morpeth is a single carriageway for much of the X15 route, and is frequently at a standstill. Morpeth traffic is also ridiculously unpredictable, and can be awful at various points of the day. Also "unreliable" - yes they're usually 5-10 minutes late, but in all the time I've used them, they've never failed to turn up. 

The N1 - I don't understand how that route would be any more reliable than the X15. The issue with the X15 is, mainly, the A1 between Morpeth and Alnwick, and Morpeth itself. There also isn't an awful lot of demand for a really slow route to the Airport. Most people will get a taxi, or an express to Regent Centre and catch a Metro.

Not quoting multiple posts, so this applies to all of the three above posts.

I agree with all this (above quoted post), X15 etc has more often than not been close to time most of the times I've used it but of course there is some instances where this isn't the case for whatever reasons. Will additionally add that his route suggestion to Newcastle is similar to the old 44 that carried very few passengers between Morpeth and Dinnington. Would also dread to think how much it would cost to run one of those Versa's to Newcastle and back and how would the 470/473 run if one of the buses for the service is heading to/from Newcastle?

With regards to promotion of their services, considering they set up a Facebook page and suddenly deleted it says it all... So good luck at any sense of promotion.

Just been on PCLs website and the M1 timetable which is a Nexus one has been cut and edited and now indicates that there is now only an M1 Monday to Fridays departing Morpeth for Thropton at 10am, all other journeys have seemingly being dropped all of a sudden including the diverted Wednesday service and Sunday service to the Metrocentre, however I see no changes registered on VOSA since November 2017 and the Sunday M1 registration is still 'registered' which sounds fishy but let us not forget the 79 to Kingston Park or wherever it went and seemingly morphed into a circular around the Morpeth area but timetables didn't reflect that change. All other timetable sources still indicate the timetable is as it was from November 2017.

(15 Aug 2018, 11:44 pm)Jimmi wrote Not quoting multiple posts, so this applies to all of the three above posts.

I agree with all this (above quoted post), X15 etc has more often than not been close to time most of the times I've used it but of course there is some instances where this isn't the case for whatever reasons. Will additionally add that his route suggestion to Newcastle is similar to the old 44 that carried very few passengers between Morpeth and Dinnington. Would also dread to think how much it would cost to run one of those Versa's to Newcastle and back and how would the 470/473 run if one of the buses for the service is heading to/from Newcastle?

With regards to promotion of their services, considering they set up a Facebook page and suddenly deleted it says it all... So good luck at any sense of promotion.

Just been on PCLs website and the M1 timetable which is a Nexus one has been cut and edited and now indicates that there is now only an M1 Monday to Fridays departing Morpeth for Thropton at 10am, all other journeys have seemingly being dropped all of a sudden including the diverted Wednesday service and Sunday service to the Metrocentre, however I see no changes registered on VOSA since November 2017 and the Sunday M1 registration is still 'registered' which sounds fishy but let us not forget the 79 to Kingston Park or wherever it went and seemingly morphed into a circular around the Morpeth area but timetables didn't reflect that change. All other timetable sources still indicate the timetable is as it was from November 2017.

Maybe if PCL did what Glen Valley did, which was run the 473 to Wooler but return to Alnwick as the 470. Also interwork with the 15 if they changed the timetable...

I was under the impression that the Wednesday service to the Upper Wansbeck Valley was subsidised by Northumberland County Council. I'm therefore quite surprised it's been just dropped altogether.

Charles

(15 Aug 2018, 10:01 pm)S830OFT wrote Suggestion:
Route N1 'The Northern Direct' 
Alnwick - Willowburn - Shilbottle - A1 - Morpeth - Stannington - Dinnington - Newcastle Airport - Newcastle St. Thomas Street - Central Station.


This service will replace service S1/S2 in Stannington, it will reinstate the link to Newcastle, it will allow links to Train and Flight Connections by serving Newcastle Airport and Central Station. Also will allow more choice for passengers, in particular Alnwick to Morpeth as the current X15 is always delayed for various reasons.

No demand for running services to Newcastle Airport. Just look at the existing services which run there, nobody uses them as they'd rather get the Metro or drive as it's more convenient. 

And there is really no point running in competition with Arriva, that service won't be self-sustainable, and will rely on Council subsidies from other services to prop it up.

I've wonder if we just need a shift in mindset, both from a passenger perspective and an operational one. 

Logistically it will be a pain from both sides. 
Do services tie in with flight departures and arrivals? Are there options available should there be delays to flights? 
If the answers are no to those questions, then it is little wonder bus services have never taken off (pardon the pun) - regardless of any other mitigating factors that there may be.

(15 Aug 2018, 9:01 pm)James101 wrote PSVAR/DDA doesn’t apply to vehicles with less than 22 passenger capacity.

I’m torn on opinion on PCL. Clearly their vehicles and presentation standards are not ideal but neither is the owner on a yacht in the Maldives whilst the pensioners of Croquetdale suffer. PCL are a marginal operator working scraps of services not profitable enough for Arriva to bother. Certainly, the output of Spirit Buses was much better, but clearly unsustainable. The issue here, I feel, is government policy on supported services more generally.

What is unacceptable, however, is dropping journies randomly on such infrequent routes. Again, much of the blame lies with PCL here, but maybe if they, or others, were paid a fair amount for the carriage of passengers it would be a better story?

I think PCL get £51,000 a year for the 15/16 (I remembered that being quoted somewhere). So say they operate it 300 days a year at an estimate, that's like £170 a day. I don't know how that compares to other secured routes, but it doesn't seem much at all.

Does PCL still do the bus on a Sunday from Newcastle St Thomas Street to Whitehouse Farm at Morpeth?

if so, is it reliable as its only couple of journeys each way, and does anyone have an idea of fares. Thanks

(17 Aug 2018, 6:31 pm)ifm001 wrote Does PCL still do the bus on a Sunday from Newcastle St Thomas Street to Whitehouse Farm at Morpeth?

if so, is it reliable as its only couple of journeys each way, and does anyone have an idea of fares. Thanks

According to the M1 timetable on PCLs website, no, the timetable on their site is now showing that there is only a departure from Morpeth at 10am up to Thropton on weekdays only. Other outlets are suggesting that the Sunday service plus some other departures still run but the reality seems to be that only the weekday morning run operates now.

I really wouldn't risk catching it, as you're likely to end up wasting your time.

(17 Aug 2018, 6:08 pm)Tom wrote I think PCL get £51,000 a year for the 15/16 (I remembered that being quoted somewhere). So say they operate it 300 days a year at an estimate, that's like £170 a day. I don't know how that compares to other secured routes, but it doesn't seem much at all.

So say they receive £170 per day. If they used a small conventional bus and 15MPG from it, that would be around £50 in fuel alone. Plus say £90 on 10 hours labour for the driver? £30 to cover overheads of running a bus, I doubt that would even come close to covering a lease on something like the E200 Spirit were using. Is it any wonder the service is in the state it's in?

(17 Aug 2018, 7:02 pm)Jimmi wrote According to the M1 timetable on PCLs website, no, the timetable on their site is now showing that there is only a departure from Morpeth at 10am up to Thropton on weekdays only. Other outlets are suggesting that the Sunday service plus some other departures still run but the reality seems to be that only the weekday morning run operates now.

I really wouldn't risk catching it, as you're likely to end up wasting your time.

It would be best ringing PCL up and asking...

(17 Aug 2018, 7:06 pm)James101 wrote So say they receive £170 per day. If they used a small conventional bus and 15MPG from it, that would be around £50 in fuel alone. Plus say £90 on 10 hours labour for the driver? £30 to cover overheads of running a bus, I doubt that would even come close to covering a lease on something like the E200 Spirit were using. Is it any wonder the service is in the state it's in?

Yeah exactly, I guess not much else can really be expected that the standard of service that it is.

(17 Aug 2018, 7:06 pm)James101 wrote So say they receive £170 per day. If they used a small conventional bus and 15MPG from it, that would be around £50 in fuel alone. Plus say £90 on 10 hours labour for the driver? £30 to cover overheads of running a bus, I doubt that would even come close to covering a lease on something like the E200 Spirit were using. Is it any wonder the service is in the state it's in?

£50 in fuel? Maybe if you're using a minibus on it but that MPD they've got on it now will be using more in the region of £80-90 a day. Added to the wages of say £90 a day that eats up all of your subsidy and that's before adding other costs on top. It needs a lot of revenue to make it worthwhile and I dare say in the winter season it's a complete waste of time.

(17 Aug 2018, 7:32 pm)Tom wrote Yeah exactly, I guess not much else can really be expected that the standard of service that it is.

If I was a regular passenger on service 15 I would expect the allocated vehicle to be Easy Accessible, the LDV Convoy and Sunshine bus are not accessible...

I was reading on here that somebody with a pram couldn't board the bus because it was a minibus... To be honest when they posted the council's response it was way past what I thought they would have said to the situation. 

Definitely something going on with Northumberland County Council, they are not alike Nexus. Nexus give contracts first and foremost based on quality, I think NCC give contracts based on the lowest bid.

Also don't want to raise more concerns, however it is worth pointing out that when the Otterburn Parish Council reported PCL to the Traffic Commissioner PCL pulled out from operating the 808. And in a newspaper article they pointed out that there was holes in the door allowing draft in, to which they claim PCL patched up with a towel... Not sure how true those allegations were but it sounds extremely serious. 

One thing all companies should remember, big or small is that the customer is King. Making their experience as pleasurable as possible will go a long way...

(17 Aug 2018, 7:06 pm)James101 wrote So say they receive £170 per day. If they used a small conventional bus and 15MPG from it, that would be around £50 in fuel alone. Plus say £90 on 10 hours labour for the driver? £30 to cover overheads of running a bus, I doubt that would even come close to covering a lease on something like the E200 Spirit were using. Is it any wonder the service is in the state it's in?

They were supposedly on a subsidy of £75 a day for service 808 which consisted of one journey a day in each direction from Otterburn to Newcastle typically using a van interworking with some of their other supported runs on some days such as the 882 between Colwell and Hexham on Saturdays, this seemingly wasn't enough for them to continue operating the service, so they dropped the contract and it got put out for tender again with Phoenix now running it. If they are on about £170 a day for the 15/16, I fear there is little in the way of profit being made on the service.

Don't know where the bus is parked at the start/end of the day but the bus should actively be out on the road in motion for a minimum of 6 and a half hours a day, add nearly 2 hours on Tues, Thurs & Saturdays when the 16 runs. Think their drivers are on about £8 an hour, don't know how the rate of pay applies to the few breaks the service has over the course of the day.

I'd say that the service can typically carry somewhere in the region of 16 passengers on some journeys, some journeys may carry more and some will carry less.

(17 Aug 2018, 8:31 pm)Jimmi wrote They were supposedly on a subsidy of £75 a day for service 808 which consisted of one journey a day in each direction from Otterburn to Newcastle typically using a van interworking with some of their other supported runs on some days such as the 882 between Colwell and Hexham on Saturdays, this seemingly wasn't enough for them to continue operating the service, so they dropped the contract and it got put out for tender again with Phoenix now running it. If they are on about £170 a day for the 15/16, I fear there is little in the way of profit being made on the service.

Don't know where the bus is parked at the start/end of the day but the bus should actively be out on the road in motion for a minimum of 6 and a half hours a day, add nearly 2 hours on Tues, Thurs & Saturdays when the 16 runs. Think their drivers are on about £8 an hour, don't know how the rate of pay applies to the few breaks the service has over the course of the day.

I'd say that the service can typically carry somewhere in the region of 16 passengers on some journeys, some journeys may carry more and some will carry less.

Think the bus for the 15 now parks in Wooler Depot with the 2 versas...

(17 Aug 2018, 11:08 pm)S830OFT wrote Think the bus for the 15 now parks in Wooler Depot with the 2 versas...

They park on the Lionheart Industrial Estate near to the entrance to the Aln Valley Railway.

Charles

(18 Aug 2018, 8:14 am)Charles41 wrote They park on the Lionheart Industrial Estate near to the entrance to the Aln Valley Railway.

Charles

Sometimes, a driver who lives just outside Alnwick will often have whatever vehicle he’s using outside his house in an adjacent lay-by too.

(18 Aug 2018, 8:25 pm)Cobalt271 wrote Sometimes, a driver who lives just outside Alnwick will often have whatever vehicle he’s using outside his house in an adjacent lay-by too.

Parked at Lionheart today were:

KX06LYJ Solo
KX06LYS Dart
GN06UEK Iveco

I haven't seen the two Volkswagen LT minibuses in a while. Does anyone know if they are still in the fleet?

Charles

(19 Aug 2018, 2:00 pm)Charles41 wrote Parked at Lionheart today were:

KX06LYJ Solo
KX06LYS Dart
GN06UEK Iveco

I haven't seen the two Volkswagen LT minibuses in a while. Does anyone know if they are still in the fleet?

Charles

When I seen GN06 UEK in Alnwick last week on the A1, it had garden bin stickers on the side with 15 on. I feel sorry for passengers when that is actually allocated to the 15 as it's pretty much a insult.

(19 Aug 2018, 2:00 pm)Charles41 wrote I haven't seen the two Volkswagen LT minibuses in a while. Does anyone know if they are still in the fleet?

Charles

Think they still have them but don't appear to have seen service for a while.

MH06WCU is currently listed for sale online.

Think Optare Excel Y249DRC is still part of the fleet and is being repainted into the black & red livery.

They're not exactly logical when it comes to repainting their fleet? Second time that a freshly repainted bus has been flogged.

(23 Aug 2018, 2:51 pm)omnicity4659 wrote They're not exactly logical when it comes to repainting their fleet? Second time that a freshly repainted bus has been flogged.

In fairness, MH06WCU was probably only partially repainted, top half was already red. Not even flogged most of the time, more often than not they go to scrap instead.

Not seen the MAN E200 since its repaint.

Latest Primo in the fleet is KX57FNK, was on 885 on Tuesday.

Why do PCL purchase buses but after around a month in service they leave the fleet? I have lost count of how many Primos they have now.

It would be great to see the excel in the red and black livery, although the way PCL are going im sure it will be limited time only.

(23 Aug 2018, 4:46 pm)S830OFT wrote Why do PCL purchase buses but after around a month in service they leave the fleet? I have lost count of how many Primos they have now.

It would be great to see the excel in the red and black livery, although the way PCL are going im sure it will be limited time only.

Most of the buses which have been purchased are rather old and as a result end their lives at PCL. I think all of the Primo's (excluding the ex EYMS one which appears to be dead), believe the Centro, Solo and the Primo's are leased rather than bought which is presumably how they can have such a big turnover in Primo's and how they remain in dealer-stock white.

Always wondered this, does anybody know what PCL stands for?
I could only think of Private Limited Company... Any ideas?

(23 Aug 2018, 6:48 pm)S830OFT wrote Always wondered this, does anybody know what PCL stands for?
I could only think of Private Limited Company... Any ideas?

Peter Cowell

(23 Aug 2018, 6:48 pm)S830OFT wrote Always wondered this, does anybody know what PCL stands for?
I could only think of Private Limited Company... Any ideas?

It stands for Peter Cowell Leisure. PCL is not a limited company. It is a sole trader wholly owned by the Mr Cowell.

Charles

(23 Aug 2018, 8:06 pm)Charles41 wrote It stands for Peter Cowell Leisure. PCL is not a limited company. It is a sole trader wholly owned by the Mr Cowell.

Charles

Correct. He began his leisure business by hiring out...not a coach but...a bouncy castle!