(11 Mar 2013, 10:47 am)Liam wrote New style Northern timetable, not sure how long this has been on the site but I have only spotted it. http://www.simplygo.com/download/publication/48781.2 (PDF Document)

Seems be only 64/64A atm, it looks much better than before.

Forgot to say - there was a lime operating the 65 this afternoon between Durham and Seaham.
That has got to be a rare working if ever there was one!

Cheers for posting Dan! Now I'm at home I have time to digest what's proposed! Sorry if I waffle here; I'm just spouting out my thoughts as they come

Everything that has been mentioned makes sense in my view. One thing that strikes me about 26 terminating at Boldon ASDA is that it removes the need for the service to have double deckers (current Jarrow extension is only served between school runs so a bus can drop out). This should see 26 become fully single decker again. It's also proposed that the frequency of service between Red House, Downhill, Town End Farm, Hylton Castle, Castletown, and Enterprise Park is increased from 2 per hour to 3 per hour which has to be a huge plus.

Looking like the complete withdrawal of any useful Sunderland - Pallion links though, but that's no surprise to me. Everytime I've been on the 99, it hasn't picked up any passengers at all in Pallion heading to Sunderland. Pallion is already served by super-frequent Stagecoach 10/11 every 7/8 minutes. Current 99 is plagued with reliability problems due to its long route and tight running times so I guess it's not attractive to bus users in Pallion anymore. The only Go North East link between Sunderland and Pallion is proposed on the 36 during peak times only. But this will be in the "opposite" direction; Sunderland>Pallion in morning peak, and Pallion>Sunderland in afternoon peak. These peak-time links are focused on getting workers to the Enterprise Park at Hylton instead.

The old 35 used to take about 12 minutes between Royal Hospital and Silksworth during the daytime. Current 99 takes 7 minutes between Royal Hospital and Sunderland. To achieve the extra distance required to Silksworth, it looks like they've proposed slight changes to accomodate the extra run time. By their own admission by saying "on a similar route", it looks like the turning circles at Seaburn Morrisons, Witherwack, and Castletown will no longer be served. The time saved from these should be enough to enable the service to run to Silksworth reliably. This will mean that 2 buses (down from 4) would be needed based on an hourly frequency.

It also looks like 99 would serve Beaumont Street in both directions which would be a huge plus for me. This better serves the new housing estate there.

Because the 99 is reducing to hourly, I'm hoping this will eliminate the interworking with Scholars. I can't see the service dropping to every 2 hours during the peaks so that a bus can drop out to run a Scholars, or every 90 minutes for a single bus running between Silksworth and Witherwack only. A regular hourly daytime (6am-6pm) service linking Seaburn and Silksworth to the Enterprise Park with none of this business about dropping buses and axing sections of route on Schooldays would be brilliant.

I think it would be a bigger boost if peak-time journeys could be extended beyond Silksworth the short distance to Doxford International which could almost entirely replace the Nexus 592. I don't think there's any direct service between Silksworth and Doxford Park anymore.

I really like the idea of 36's replacing 99's between Hylton Castle / Castletown / Enterprise Park to Sunderland. The 99 route was a bit of a chew taking the long route via Pallion and Royal Hospital and I think a lot of people prefer to take the 26 for that reason. The timings I've just worked out would be 53-55 minutes in each direction. On a half hourly frequency that would be two buses in each direction running in continuous circles across Sunderland City Centre, with about a 5 minute layover at Park Lane.

On current times, the short 26's get a 9 minute layover at Boldon ASDA, and a 7 minute layover at Sunderland. Considering the route is only 37 minutes long, that's a bit excessive. If the X36 was to add say 2-3 minutes to the existing X3 running times, then maybe 26 and X36 would interwork at Sunderland to better spread the layovers around.

So if I've got this right; 26/X36 would have 7 buses whether they interwork at Sunderland or not. 36's would have 4 buses, and 99 have 2 buses. 9's would also be set to be increasing from 4 to 6. This totals 19. The existing PVR is 21, so I reckon they'd be saving on a couple of buses worth of work if these changes g0-ahead.

I really do like that Northern leaflet - hopefully all other Northern routes will have these at some point!

We might get decent buses on the 26.... not building my hopes up haha


Pallion is stagecoach... that was before they had the 36A/36C and now the 99, they weren't gonna win, The 99 also takes age's which doesn't help.

It could of being extended to Doxford park from Silksworth, that would bring decent links.

Shame about the PVR... i was hoping the 26 and the 36/X36 would have being versa's... I wonder if double decker's would stop on the 99?

Do you think they will brand the 36/X36?

The 9 i can now see getting perm Omicities and branded.

Not sure, I guess it depends on what the plan is for the branded SimpliCity Versas. I think it was mentioned on here by another member that any fleet movements across this year are likely to be temporary and ever-changing throughout the year as older stock is gradually withdrawn and new vehicles are brought in.

I don't want to be presumptuous, but I think these changes will go-ahead. Go North East won't operate commercial routes at a loss so I think there would be changes to X3 anyway - "the costs of operating the service (X3) are not covered by the number of passengers using the service." Same with 99.

Be interesting to see if Nexus would be making any changes to 135/136 at the same time but I highly doubt it!

I also think the changes will go ahead, its giving a better network.

I wonder if the 56 will have changes this year with 80 new buses coming in.

i think we will see decker's on the service.

I wonder when NEXUS will release stand changes for park lane etc.

Just picking up on this, it is strange that GNE
have never been able to crack the Sunderland -
Newcastle express route. Apart from the X2
and before that the X4, which both ran via The
Galleries, anything direct via Newcastle Road/
Heworth has only seemed to last a short while and it is left for a while or renumbered - even
before the metro was extended. With this in mind, would it be worth extending
the express further south? There used to be
services which ran to Seaham, which obviously
attracted passengers between Sunderland and
Seaham plus anyone to/from Sunderland and
Newcastle, but it would need to be quicker than the metro.
Potential passengers faced with the choice of a
metro from Sunderland or a trip around the
estates of Sunderland on a not so frequent bus,
will probably choose the more frequent,
quicker option, even if it is a few quid extra. It will be the same for people in Fulwell, the
Boldons etc.
If there was something like an X56 which
followed a similar route to the 56 in
Sunderland, Southwick etc but used the A19 to
Heworth, I reckon they might have more joy.

Guess these proposed changes means Stagecoach have won the battle in Witherwack and Carley Hill with the 16? Disapointed to say the least, I would have thought GNE would have sent the 36 via current route then say the X36 through Witherwack or vice versa. Cant help but think that these changes wont last, can't imagine uptake on the X36 being huge if i'm being honest but could be wrong. The 36 started at every 10 mins, then 12 and now every 30mins (or 15 if combined with the X36)

(11 Mar 2013, 10:56 pm)olliesunderland wrote Guess these proposed changes means Stagecoach have won the battle in Witherwack and Carley Hill with the 16? Disapointed to say the least, I would have thought GNE would have sent the 36 via current route then say the X36 through Witherwack or vice versa. Cant help but think that these changes wont last, can't imagine uptake on the X36 being huge if i'm being honest but could be wrong. The 36 started at every 10 mins, then 12 and now every 30mins (or 15 if combined with the X36)

Glad Im not the only one who cant see the X36 working.

I dont see or understand the fascination GNE have with Boldon Asda either. It isnt suitable or adequate for a change of buses.

Marley Pots wouldn't have been top on my list to route the only Sunderland-Newcastle express service! But it does re-instate a direct link from that area and Red House to Boldon ASDA which hasn't existed for almost a decade so hopefully that would be appreciated.

If I'm still living where I am by June then I'd definitely be using X36 to travel home (I don't think it would be operating early enough for me on a morning based on current X3 times).

For me, choice between Metro or Bus (not 56!), it would always have to be the bus. I find 30 minutes standing a tad too long when it gets packed during the peaks - the cars are noisy and not relaxing by any means. At least on a bus you've a good chance of getting seat and reading if you want to.

For some reason I remember this little thing Go North East had going on where people write in telling them why they travel with Go North East and why they love their bus service. This one woman won the competition and got a free BuzzFare I think. I remember her talking about the 57A service, "although it's not the quickest way between South Shields and Newcastle, it allows me to sit back and relax and enjoy my book on the way to work" or something along those lines.

The train trumps the bus and Metro anyday though. Although only hourly with extra journeys during the peaks, the journey time is only 20 minutes - much faster than Metro (30 minutes), X3 (just inside an hour) and 56 (well over an hour). You've a much better chance of getting a seat (and the relative luxury of a Class 156 if you know the workings ) than compared to Metro.

I agree with Ollie though about re-routing at least one of 36 or X36 back through Witherwack; preferably X36 because 99 is already providing links to Castletown etc. If there's time too, have the 36 routed around Clacton Road in Hylton Castle once again. What Go North East are lacking in North Sunderland though is a decent evening/Sunday service. The only services on that map that would be operating on an evening/Sunday would be the 9 and 26(A)

i can see the 9 and getting a nice brand not gonna build my hopes up as for what Michael previously said i wouldnt be surprised if the X36 becomes part of Simplicity brand wonder what the orders are for new buses this year any ideas?

(11 Mar 2013, 10:34 pm)Andreos1 wrote Just picking up on this, it is strange that GNE
have never been able to crack the Sunderland -
Newcastle express route. Apart from the X2
and before that the X4, which both ran via The
Galleries, anything direct via Newcastle Road/
Heworth has only seemed to last a short while and it is left for a while or renumbered - even
before the metro was extended. With this in mind, would it be worth extending
the express further south? There used to be
services which ran to Seaham, which obviously
attracted passengers between Sunderland and
Seaham plus anyone to/from Sunderland and
Newcastle, but it would need to be quicker than the metro.
Potential passengers faced with the choice of a
metro from Sunderland or a trip around the
estates of Sunderland on a not so frequent bus,
will probably choose the more frequent,
quicker option, even if it is a few quid extra. It will be the same for people in Fulwell, the
Boldons etc.
If there was something like an X56 which
followed a similar route to the 56 in
Sunderland, Southwick etc but used the A19 to
Heworth, I reckon they might have more joy.

Here was an Idea I proposed the a few weeks back on the service suggestions page.

New X56 Service (Every 30 Minutes) 56 (Every 15 Minutes doing it Normal Service)

X56 Sunderland - Queen Alexandra Bridge - Sunderland Enterprise Park – Castletown – Waterview Park – Peel Retail Park – Concord then Non Stopping service to Gateshead going down Heworth Bypass straight to Gateshead (Same Route as Stagecoach X34) Gateshead – Newcastle.

Basically this Service would bring back the Old X4/X85 Service Between Newcastle and Sunderland and also Replace the 73 Between Sunderland and Concord.

The amount they change services in North Sunderland, its not wonder no one ever uses them. People do they say they lack a decent evening service but I think its just down to stability. I'd imagine it wont be long before the only services in North Sunderland are the likes of the 35/A, 56 and 9. They just cant seem to get anything else working right for them. With these changes in mind I give it until May next year before you see the 99, 26 and X36 gone altogether. Like previous people have said, they should stick to what works, in this case the 56 and add a X56 come onto the A19, straight down the Felling bypass into Heworth, Gateshead and Newcastle and put it into the fab fifty six brand

(12 Mar 2013, 12:35 am)olliesunderland wrote The amount they change services in North Sunderland, its not wonder no one ever uses them. People do they say they lack a decent evening service but I think its just down to stability. I'd imagine it wont be long before the only services in North Sunderland are the likes of the 35/A, 56 and 9. They just cant seem to get anything else working right for them. With these changes in mind I give it until May next year before you see the 99, 26 and X36 gone altogether. Like previous people have said, they should stick to what works, in this case the 56 and add a X56 come onto the A19, straight down the Felling bypass into Heworth, Gateshead and Newcastle and put it into the fab fifty six brand

now i use 26 service and hardly not many people get on unless scholars get on thus why deckers are on but thing is though whats the point in using double deckers on 26 and 99 when nobody will use them i think X56 might work but serve heworth instead

Brandon - I had the pleasure of getting a 156 to Carlisle a while back... I was fearing the worst.
Been on them quite a bit in Scotland too.

With not being a regular visitor to North Sunderland, I don't know the bus network around Castletown, Marley Potts etc too well or how it works currently, but as an outsider looking at the map, the proposed GNE changes seem to skirt around the estates and duplicate the other GNE services mentioned in the consultation as well as others like the 56 and 73.
I appreciate people will be happy about the reinstatement of the 10 year old missing link, but it seems very little imagination has been used in the route design or planning.

Adam - Didnt see the previous suggestion for the x56, but I would keep it away from Washington if only to save time and to avoid too much duplication with existing services - maybe sending it the old X4 way until it reaches the A19 and then direct to Heworth or giving it a 'free reign' so to speak and letting it have a flexible route in case of traffic problems, so it could go via Washington Road like the 56 does and then onto Heworth.

---

(12 Mar 2013, 12:35 am)olliesunderland wrote The amount they change services in North Sunderland, its not wonder no one ever uses them. People do they say they lack a decent evening service but I think its just down to stability. I'd imagine it wont be long before the only services in North Sunderland are the likes of the 35/A, 56 and 9. They just cant seem to get anything else working right for them. With these changes in mind I give it until May next year before you see the 99, 26 and X36 gone altogether. Like previous people have said, they should stick to what works, in this case the 56 and add a X56 come onto the A19, straight down the Felling bypass into Heworth, Gateshead and Newcastle and put it into the fab fifty six brand

On the old GNE facebook forum I said that the X3 wouldnt work either locally or for passengers going the full journey. There have been far too many services going the same way, to only fail and get withdrawn after a short while. Why GNE thought it would be different this time, goodness knows.

If you're on Newcastle Road heading into Sunderland (or vice versa), you are going to get the 1st bus which comes (probably a 35 or 9). Stragglers will get the following bus (probably another 35 or 9...).
I made the point earlier about passengers in Sunderland City Centre choosing the metro over a bus, mainly based on journey times. Brandon mentioned the journey times and also the loadings/over crowding during peak - that says it all for me...

5314 is now branded http://www.flickr.com/photos/bazza90/855...hotostream (Bazza90 Bus Photos)

£1 single, £2 dayticket on strike days again.

'Orbit' Versa, NK11HJF is on the 27 today.

Go North East services on industrial action days

We will do everything we can to prevent or minimise the disruption to customers on the planned driver strike days of Friday 15 March and Monday 18 March. A full and normal service will be operating on Saturday 16 March and Sunday 17 March between the two strike days.

Priority is being given to running services for schools. We anticipate being able to operate a network of skeleton services across the areas of the region that we serve between 7am and 7pm. Travel on these services will be £1 single or £2 for a day ticket.

Frequencies shown below are subject to change with customer demand.

2A & 2C
Silver Arrows
Washington Galleries to Sunderland every 20 minutes via service 2C route

10 & 10A
TEN
Newcastle to Crawcrook every 15 minutes
with buses to Greenside every 30 minutes and to Prudhoe & Hexham every 30 minutes

20/20A/X20
Prince Bishops'
Sunderland to Durham every 20 minutes via service 20A route

21
Angel
Newcastle to Chester-le-Street 15 mins
Newcastle to Durham & Bishop Auckland every 30 minutes (bus will run as service 21 between Newcastle & Durham and as service X21 between Durham & Bishop Auckland)

27
Crusader
Newcastle to South Shields every 15 minutes

42
SimpliCity
Silksworth to Sunderland every 15 minutes

43 / 44
Diamond
Durham & Stanley to Newcastle, every 30 minutes (hourly buses on each route)

45 / 46
Red Kite
Consett to Newcastle every 30 minutes

47
Toonlink
Blackhall Mill to Newcastle every 30 minutes

49/49A/49B/49C
Blaydon Racers
Winlaton to Metrocentre & Gateshead every 15 minutes, alternatley via 49 & 49A routes

53 & 54
Saltwell Park
Newcastle & Gateshead to Saltwell Park every 20 minutes on each route

56
Fab 56
Newcastle to Sunderland every 20 minutes

58
Citylink
Heworth to Newcastle every 15 minutes

60
Drifter
Parkside & Seaham to Sunderland every 20 minutes

309 / 310
Cobalt Clipper
Newcastle to Battle Hill every 10 minutes,
with buses to Cobalt & Whitley Bay every 20 minutes and to Cobalt South & North Shields every 20 minutes

M1
Metrolink
Fallowfield Way to Heworth every 15 minutes

X1
Red Arrows
Newcastle to Washington & Easington Lane every 20 minutes

X66
Gateshead to Metrocentre every 15 minutes

A scania bendy in blue and black just left deptford depot at 17;49pm... It was headig over the bridge, looks to be heading to gateashead way.... Nice to see something diffrent coming out of deptford

Drifter cadet on the 39 at 18;06 heading to pennywell

'Northern' X22, X88 and 91 and 'North Tyne Links' 40 and 41 are the newest timetables to have received the new design.

(12 Mar 2013, 5:54 pm)tom.robinson206 wrote 'Northern' X22, X88 and 91 and 'North Tyne Links' 40 and 41 are the newest timetables to have received the new design.

X35 (black), 67 (Blue) and 69 (Blue) are available from Metro Centre kiosk.

i like the new style timetables as tom reported earlier on makes the route look good wonder if other routes will go in a similar style of bus timetables

Will the 17 be running Friday or not does anyone know????

(12 Mar 2013, 5:54 pm)tom.robinson206 wrote 'Northern' X22, X88 and 91 and 'North Tyne Links' 40 and 41 are the newest timetables to have received the new design.

I notice the stylised North Tyne brand is much less prominent on the 40/41 literature.

(12 Mar 2013, 8:51 pm)Wellsey18 wrote Will the 17 be running Friday or not does anyone know????

Buses on strike days.

Frequencies shown below are subject to change with customer demand.

2A & 2C Silver Arrows Washington Galleries to Sunderland every 20 minutes via service 2C route

10 & 10A TEN Newcastle to Crawcrook every 15 minutes
with buses to Greenside every 30 minutes and to Prudhoe & Hexham every 30 minutes

20/20A/X20 Prince Bishops' Sunderland to Durham every 20 minutes via service 20A route

21 Angel Newcastle to Chester-le-Street 15 mins
Newcastle to Durham & Bishop Auckland every 30 minutes (bus will run as service 21 between Newcastle & Durham and as service X21 between Durham & Bishop Auckland)

27 Crusader Newcastle to South Shields every 15 minutes

42 SimpliCity Silksworth to Sunderland every 15 minutes

43 / 44 Diamond Durham & Stanley to Newcastle, every 30 minutes (hourly buses on each route)

45 / 46 Red Kite Consett to Newcastle every 30 minutes

47Toonlink Blackhall Mill to Newcastle every 30 minutes

49/49A/49B/49C Blaydon Racers Winlaton to Metrocentre & Gateshead every 15 minutes, alternatley via 49 & 49A routes

53 & 54 Saltwell Park Newcastle & Gateshead to Saltwell Park every 20 minutes on each route

56 Fab 56 Newcastle to Sunderland every 20 minutes

58 Citylink Heworth to Newcastle every 15 minutes

60 Drifter Parkside & Seaham to Sunderland every 20 minutes

309 / 310 Cobalt Clipper Newcastle to Battle Hill every 10 minutes,
with buses to Cobalt & Whitley Bay every 20 minutes and to Cobalt South & North Shields every 20 minutes

M1 Metrolink - Fallowfield Way to Heworth every 15 minutes

X1 Red Arrows Newcastle to Washington & Easington Lane every 20 minutes

X66 Gateshead to Metrocentre every 15 minutes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarke...otostream/

This is what GNE should do with there livery, it would maintain the standard livery with a simplistic band for a branded service e.g. in this photo for Saltwell Park. This would be the same for Northern Branded services.

(11 Mar 2013, 7:27 pm)Andreos1 wrote Dont't know if it was true, but after the strike in the 90's, the story was that by setting up Wear Buses, Vfm, Go Gateshead etc - then unions wouldn't be able to have another walk out.

Some of the vehicles OK were using during that strike were ancient - at the time I hadn't seen anything like them before. I remember an old single decker appearing that was still knocking about into the mid-90's on scholar work in Washington!

With regard to this strike, I have been saying for a long time, that GNE are clearly only looking out for their shareholders. Passengers aren't at the top of their priorities and their staff obviously feel like they are being ignored too.
Services have been axed, fares have been increased beyond inflation, wages haven't...
4.5% over two years on an £18k salary (to take it upto 19k) is nothing to a multimillion pound organisation like Go-ahead who apparently aim to increase group wide profits by 200%!
Agreeing/disagreeing whether strike action is correct, is another thing, but the drivers obviously feel this is their only way.

I think that is partly true because Wear Buses, VFM, Coastline etc came about after that strike, 1991 if I remember correctly, I'm am almost certain the company was split up as a result of that strike.

Who remembers who ran what services during that strike, off the top of my head I remember:-

Scarlet Band running the 220(now 20)
Bleanch of Hetton running the 154(now 65)
Michael Franks running the 153(which was close to the 152(now 202))

And I remember OK Travel running s**tload of Go Ahead Northern services throughout Co. Durham and Tyne and Wear, I also remember companies like Bells getting some services, and also Busways had a Local Service round Murton ran under there Favourite brand(155)

(11 Mar 2013, 7:57 pm)Andreos1 wrote Forgot to say - there was a lime operating the 65 this afternoon between Durham and Seaham.
That has got to be a rare working if ever there was one!

That is not as rare as you think, while I have not seen the Lime on the 65 with my own mince's for a while, Lime has been on the 65 quite a few times, and recently Lambton Worm and Waggonway branded vehicles have been on 65

It's times' like this when the GNE Facebook becomes' a gold mine of entertainment.

Apologies for the lack of DDs lately. There has been very little to talk about if I'm honest, so it hasn't seemed worth it.
As soon as there is some news, I'll have the DDs re-instated.