Just seen this post on the "The Real UK Bus Enthusiasts" Facebook page, by a post from Michael Mccalla:

Whilst at Gateshead Metro Centre with my mate Trevor Gordon having a coffee, I decided to grab a quick shot of the Coaster branding on a Go North East decker as this will soon be seen on Streetlites, Hybrid Gemini 6063 is seen on service 1A to Whitley Bay, this service will also cease to serve the Metro Centre from September.


1A/1B no longer serving the Metrocentre from September?

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Edit:

Looks like the service might end at Gateshead would make sense just to have a 1 service - replacing the 1A/1B sequence, 1: Whitley Bay - Tynemouth, North Shields, Howdon, Wallsend, Byker, Newcastle, Gateshead - every 20 minutes = 9 PVR

Does it even get any that many passengers between Gateshead and Metrocentre

(27 Jul 2021, 3:52 pm)Michael wrote Just seen this post on the "The Real UK Bus Enthusiasts" Facebook page, by a post from Michael Mccalla:

Whilst at Gateshead Metro Centre with my mate Trevor Gordon having a coffee, I decided to grab a quick shot of the Coaster branding on a Go North East decker as this will soon be seen on Streetlites, Hybrid Gemini 6063 is seen on service 1A to Whitley Bay, this service will also cease to serve the Metro Centre from September.


1A/1B no longer serving the Metrocentre from September?

Wow,wasnt expecting that,wonder whats gonna replace it,if anything at all

(27 Jul 2021, 3:53 pm)Train8261 wrote Does it even get any that many passengers between Gateshead and Metrocentre

Not sure it is designed to carry passengers between Gateshead and the Metrocentre.
It's possibly designed to complement the likes of the 97 down Bensham Bank and around Lobley Hill. 
I'm sure parts of the route replaced the 95/96 and 98 too. Might be worth double-checking that one though.

(27 Jul 2021, 3:52 pm)Michael wrote Just seen this post on the "The Real UK Bus Enthusiasts" Facebook page, by a post from Michael Mccalla:

Whilst at Gateshead Metro Centre with my mate Trevor Gordon having a coffee, I decided to grab a quick shot of the Coaster branding on a Go North East decker as this will soon be seen on Streetlites, Hybrid Gemini 6063 is seen on service 1A to Whitley Bay, this service will also cease to serve the Metro Centre from September.


1A/1B no longer serving the Metrocentre from September?

-------

Edit:

Looks like the service might end at Gateshead would make sense just to have a 1 service - replacing the 1A/1B sequence, 1: Whitley Bay - Tynemouth, North Shields, Howdon, Wallsend, Byker, Newcastle, Gateshead - every 20 minutes = 9 PVR

Which would reduce the PVR down from 13 to 9 (a round trip Whitley Bay to Gateshead would be 3 hours) - which funny enough would result in 8 additional Euro 6 Streetlites alongside the 'Durham Diamond' examples and those already at Gateshead - enough for the Q1/Q2, 49/49A, 57 and 33/33A. Would then just leave the 6/12/12A.....

(27 Jul 2021, 4:06 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Which would reduce the PVR down from 13 to 9 (a round trip Whitley Bay to Gateshead would be 3 hours) - which funny enough would result in 8 additional Euro 6 Streetlites alongside the 'Durham Diamond' examples and those already at Gateshead - enough for the Q1/Q2, 49/49A, 57 and 33/33A. Would then just leave the 6/12/12A.....

Was just about to edit my post to mention that

Shame the electric buses wouldn't be able to keep charged on the 6/12/12A or could they?


The 25 will also need Euro 6 buses

Edit:

Unless we will see more cuts to services going in to Newcastle?

(27 Jul 2021, 4:14 pm)Michael wrote Was just about to edit my post to mention that   

Shame the electric buses wouldn't be able to keep charged on the 6/12/12A or could they?


The 25 will also need Euro 6 buses

Edit:

Unless we will see more cuts to services going in to Newcastle? 

I think it is inevitable to be honest.
The fleet isn't going to grow and there's an awful lot of duplication over the river.
Add in the stresses/strains of using the resource effectively (ensuring Euro5 vehicles are on routes not affected by CAZ), coupled with changing passenger habits and I can see this being the beginning of further cuts/consolidation.

Heard on the grapevine that there's a lot of changes coming, related to CAZ and fleet movements, as well as route changes in general. Not heard anything concrete yet though.

(27 Jul 2021, 4:36 pm)deanmachine wrote Heard on the grapevine that there's a lot of changes coming, related to CAZ and fleet movements, as well as route changes in general. Not heard anything concrete yet though.

What kind of changes have you heard?

(27 Jul 2021, 4:54 pm)Michael wrote What kind of changes have you heard?

Routes being merged and separated all over the place, as well as changing depots. Like I said though, it's just hearsay, the best one I heard was the Cherry being the 39 and that going to Low Moorsley, I'm pretty sure that one is nonsense though, as the Cherry has the normal 35 locations on the side.

Will the Consett X-Lines interworking patterns eventually be revised amongst these alleged changes?

(27 Jul 2021, 5:18 pm)L469 YVK wrote Will the Consett X-Lines interworking patterns eventually be revised amongst these alleged changes?

It's been mentioned. Nothing concrete here either.

(27 Jul 2021, 3:52 pm)Michael wrote Just seen this post on the "The Real UK Bus Enthusiasts" Facebook page, by a post from Michael Mccalla:

Whilst at Gateshead Metro Centre with my mate Trevor Gordon having a coffee, I decided to grab a quick shot of the Coaster branding on a Go North East decker as this will soon be seen on Streetlites, Hybrid Gemini 6063 is seen on service 1A to Whitley Bay, this service will also cease to serve the Metro Centre from September.


1A/1B no longer serving the Metrocentre from September?

-------

Edit:

Looks like the service might end at Gateshead would make sense just to have a 1 service - replacing the 1A/1B sequence, 1: Whitley Bay - Tynemouth, North Shields, Howdon, Wallsend, Byker, Newcastle, Gateshead - every 20 minutes = 9 PVR

Could merge the 1 onto the 57 instead? Don't see the point in sending buses across the Tyne for the sake of it to Gateshead and they're both every 20 minutes would certainly explain why the Citylink Mercedes are being painted all of a sudden and being sent to Sunderland.

Be interesting to see what services are cut (if any at all) and which ones get a major change to it

Given from end of August Stanley Travel will be running 4 buses an hour during the day in a loop between Stanley, Annfield.Plain, Harelaw, Dipton, Tantobie and Tanfield Lea I'd be very surprised if some of the changes weren't in that area....

(27 Jul 2021, 3:53 pm)Train8261 wrote Does it even get any that many passengers between Gateshead and Metrocentre

As someone who used to do that frequently, no. I was often the only one on.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

(27 Jul 2021, 5:39 pm)Stanleyone wrote It's been mentioned. Nothing concrete here either.

The last speculation I came up with was:

- X30 (Stanley only) & X70/X71 = PVR 8
- X31 (with 1PH to Consett) = PVR 4
- X45/X46/X47 = PVR 14 (same as old 45/46/47)

To be honest, if the short X21 runs made a comeback, GNE could technically move the X31 to Chester Le Street and interwork with the Durham short X21 journeys. Only issue would be branding.

(27 Jul 2021, 10:12 pm)L469 YVK wrote The last speculation I came up with was:

- X30 (Stanley only) & X70/X71 = PVR 8
- X31 (with 1PH to Consett) = PVR 4
- X45/X46/X47 = PVR 14 (same as old 45/46/47)

To be honest, if the short X21 runs made a comeback, GNE could technically move the X31 to Chester Le Street and interwork with the Durham short X21 journeys. Only issue would be branding.

The issue is that the X21 spends less of it's time being an express 21 than it does running the rest of the route to West Auckland.

So, they could probably solve that by rebranding the X21, and keeping the X21 for purely the Durham-Newcastle shorts

(27 Jul 2021, 3:52 pm)Michael wrote Just seen this post on the "The Real UK Bus Enthusiasts" Facebook page, by a post from Michael Mccalla:

Whilst at Gateshead Metro Centre with my mate Trevor Gordon having a coffee, I decided to grab a quick shot of the Coaster branding on a Go North East decker as this will soon be seen on Streetlites, Hybrid Gemini 6063 is seen on service 1A to Whitley Bay, this service will also cease to serve the Metro Centre from September.


1A/1B no longer serving the Metrocentre from September?

-------

Edit:

Looks like the service might end at Gateshead would make sense just to have a 1 service - replacing the 1A/1B sequence, 1: Whitley Bay - Tynemouth, North Shields, Howdon, Wallsend, Byker, Newcastle, Gateshead - every 20 minutes = 9 PVR

If the rumour that the 1 will be cut to Gateshead is true, could the X66 be routed back round the car parks and ASDA/IKEA again to make up for the loss of the 1A/B? In doing so, it would push the PVR up to 4, hence explaining the 4 different colours the Volvos are getting (complementing the 4 malls at the Metrocentre)

(27 Jul 2021, 11:04 pm)Adtrainsam wrote If the rumour that the 1 will be cut to Gateshead is true, could the X66 be routed back round the car parks and ASDA/IKEA again to make up for the loss of the 1A/B? In doing so, it would push the PVR up to 4, hence explaining the 4 different colours the Volvos are getting (complementing the 4 malls at the Metrocentre)

I vaguely remember seeing either Dan or MG on Twitter saying there were no plans to serve IKEA/Metrocentre car parks again due to low usage. 

Maybe things have changed?

If the 1A/1B is axed to the Metrocentre,will it be renumbered back to 1 again since it wont need to A and B variation anymore,?

(27 Jul 2021, 11:04 pm)Adtrainsam wrote If the rumour that the 1 will be cut to Gateshead is true, could the X66 be routed back round the car parks and ASDA/IKEA again to make up for the loss of the 1A/B? In doing so, it would push the PVR up to 4, hence explaining the 4 different colours the Volvos are getting (complementing the 4 malls at the Metrocentre)

It does appear that the plate "BU54 MCE" has been purchased for 5504, as it's no longer available on the DVLA Personalised Registrations website.

With the X66 being every 10 mins according to the branding, an extension out to Asda might be happening...?

(28 Jul 2021, 7:45 am)omnicity4659 wrote It does appear that the plate "BU54 MCE" has been purchased for 5504, as it's no longer available on the DVLA Personalised Registrations website.

With the X66 being every 10 mins according to the branding, an extension out to Asda might be happening...?

Didn't there used to be 4 branded Streetlites when every other X66 did the lap around the car parks?

(28 Jul 2021, 8:47 am)streetdeckfan wrote Didn't there used to be 4 branded Streetlites when every other X66 did the lap around the car parks?

Yes - 5391 was also branded (with the green Metro Gnome)

What the difference between the 1A/1B (apart from the running times) do they follow the same route cause If they do. Wouldn't it be easier to run the 1A/1B as one full service and renumber it back to the 1

(28 Jul 2021, 9:43 am)Train8261 wrote What the difference between the 1A/1B (apart from the running times) do they follow the same route cause If they do. Wouldn't it be easier to run the 1A/1B as one full service and renumber it back to the 1

They go different routes in Lobby Hill:
1A serves Chiltern Gardens and Malvern Gardens - the old 96 route
1B goes via Cragside Gardens - the old 95 route

Before Gateshead is there any changes to the route

(27 Jul 2021, 11:04 pm)Adtrainsam wrote If the rumour that the 1 will be cut to Gateshead is true, could the X66 be routed back round the car parks and ASDA/IKEA again to make up for the loss of the 1A/B? In doing so, it would push the PVR up to 4, hence explaining the 4 different colours the Volvos are getting (complementing the 4 malls at the Metrocentre)

I can't see GNE commercially serving the car parks again to be honest. Whenever I used the S1 or the X66 extension, I was generally the only one on the bus. Same with the old ASDA free bus that ran years ago.

There's alternatives on Hollinside, Marconi Way and Scotswood View, if anyone doesn't fancy the walk from the main centre.

(28 Jul 2021, 11:14 am)Adrian wrote I can't see GNE commercially serving the car parks again to be honest. Whenever I used the S1 or the X66 extension, I was generally the only one on the bus. Same with the old ASDA free bus that ran years ago.

There's alternatives on Hollinside, Marconi Way and Scotswood View, if anyone doesn't fancy the walk from the main centre.

I used to use it for IKEA, but it was often faster to just to catch either the 6, X45 or X46 and get off at the Marriott and just walk around

(28 Jul 2021, 11:21 am)streetdeckfan wrote I used to use it for IKEA, but it was often faster to just to catch either the 6, X45 or X46 and get off at the Marriott and just walk around

Bet it was fun getting on the bus with your flatpacks