It’s just disappointing

(16 May 2022, 2:17 pm)Rob44 wrote Is there no wat GNE could divert an x-lines service from consett or stanley to Kibblesworth?  Would be nice to get a bus with wifi, next stop announcements, nice paint job, charging points....

Probably not worth the hassle the inevitable road chaos of the A1 works will cause to services to the detriment of passengers already on a never ending journey. 

You could potentially extend the 34 to loop into Kibblesworth up Lamesley and through Durham Rd back to Ouston to keep a link to Newcastle via the 21

(16 May 2022, 2:14 pm)Rob44 wrote well the 28a 28b and 29 all serve  a village called kibblesworth. They have there pitchforks at the ready although ive heard someone from go north east is availble to come down and speak to they if they want

The 69 is only direct bus to Qe from winlaton, whickham so when those 2 villages find out they are losing it.... oooooooh dear

either the 28 or the 25 goes through wreckenton along the top road. Im sure that's the only bus service except for a taxi bust on weekdays.

It would also end a direct service to the QE and Bensham Hospitals for Birtley and Kibblesworth (options being switch in Low Fell to the ever reliable Loop or switch in Gateshead to Voltra for Bensham)

The 25 serves Eighton Banks - it looks they are maintaining that - perhaps it will turn around at Mill House? The 23 serves that road too.

(16 May 2022, 2:20 pm)Ambassador wrote Probably not worth the hassle the inevitable road chaos of the A1 works will cause to services to the detriment of passengers already on a never ending journey. 

You could potentially extend the 34 to loop into Kibblesworth up Lamesley and through Durham Rd back to Ouston to keep a link to Newcastle via the 21

Yes can imagine those traveling from stanely and consett have a long enough journey as is. what about diverting a 21 in to kibblesworth by turning right at the ale taster and rejoining at the first pub in birtly?

(16 May 2022, 2:14 pm)Rob44 wrote well the 28a 28b and 29 all serve  a village called kibblesworth. They have there pitchforks at the ready although ive heard someone from go north east is availble to come down and speak to they if they want

The 69 is only direct bus to Qe from winlaton, whickham so when those 2 villages find out they are losing it.... oooooooh dear

either the 28 or the 25 goes through wreckenton along the top road. Im sure that's the only bus service except for a taxi bust on weekdays.

The 69 provides lots of intermediate links in my experience.  Winlaton/Swalwell up to Whickham; Winlaton/Swalwell/Whickham to Team Valley; Team Vally/Bensham/Saltwell Road up to Low Fell, as well as people going to the QE.

The 12 strikes me as a bad move.  Keeping the round the world 12A at the expense of the quicker 12 will never encourage people back.

I'm guessing these changes will also cause a knock on effect to current Nexus services with them having to subsidise (a lot of ) extra services as a result of these proposed changes.

Some of the R routes, 23, 37, 73, 168 515/558 and some Team Valley workers service (whatever is left of them) are ones that spring to mind which could be withdrawn or cut or incorporated into other services.

(16 May 2022, 2:15 pm)Ambassador wrote I think I had a fairly positive view of Martijn when he came into GNE but I'm increasingly of the view he's a 'peacetime PM' as they say and absolutely not suited to the current challenging environment. He's tried and failed, let someone else have a go?

Can't help but agree with you.
His strategy seems to nothing more than give his old mate Stenning a fortune and spending his time on Twitter congratulating other operators

I do honestly think that had COVID not happened then we would have seen passenger numbers continue to increase. The mistake I think they've made is continuing on with the same strategy rather than changing course. Now, I don't know what course that would be, but I'm not the MD!

I think what we need is to figure out where people actually want to go. It's all well and good picking two places and complaining because there isn't a bus between them, but how do we actually know people want to travel between them?
We need someone like Nexus to commission a piece of research to really figure this out before they start cutting routes left right and centre. It would be difficult and expensive, but it would be worth it

(16 May 2022, 2:31 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Can't help but agree with you.
His strategy seems to nothing more than give his old mate Stenning a fortune and spending his time on Twitter congratulating other operators

I do honestly think that had COVID not happened then we would have seen passenger numbers continue to increase. The mistake I think they've made is continuing on with the same strategy rather than changing course. Now, I don't know what course that would be, but I'm not the MD!

I think what we need is to figure out where people actually want to go. It's all well and good picking two places and complaining because there isn't a bus between them, but how do we actually know people want to travel between them?
We need someone like Nexus to commission a piece of research to really figure this out before they start cutting routes left right and centre. It would be difficult and expensive, but it would be worth it

We’ll I think Malarkys ideas are pretty great - shame people at GNE think they know better.
I love how all the services which have got brand new buses their frequencies being reduced.

honestly I feel like they are waiting maybe 1 year before ordering more buses for the 60 as that seems to be the only one which doesn’t have any major changes.

(16 May 2022, 2:35 pm)Unber43 wrote We’ll I think Malarkys ideas are pretty great - shame people at GNE think they know better.
I love how all the services which have got brand new buses their frequencies being reduced.

honestly I feel like they are waiting maybe 1 year before ordering more buses for the 60 as that seems to be the only one which doesn’t have any major changes.

New buses cost a lot to run when you are probably carrying 20% fewer passengers than they would be expecting if we take the national figures as a guide

(16 May 2022, 2:25 pm)Rob44 wrote Yes can imagine those traveling from stanely and consett have a long enough journey as is. what about diverting a 21 in to kibblesworth by turning right at the ale taster and rejoining at the first pub in birtly?

That's what the current 28B does but I'm guessing the numbers are too low to warrant the diversion away from Durham Road/extend journey times to Chester Le Street

(16 May 2022, 2:40 pm)DeltaMan wrote New buses cost a lot to run when you are probably carrying 20% fewer passengers than they would be expecting if we take the national figures as a guide

Not just the newer buses, which are more fuel efficient. 

it’s the Orbit, 58. 

godknows where the new electric buses are going to go

Which leads us back to the old age debate

An older bus, less bells and whistles but goes from A to B at minimal cost to the operator. It's a few loose panels and there's no leaflets inside and the NSA is hit and miss but it runs.

VS

A shiny new bus with snakes and ladders on the tables, comfy seating, costs a fortune to run but has lots of NSA and great looking leaflets inside but is being cut.

Now of course it's not that black and white but when you look at the stick that Arriva and Stagecoach get beaten with - you can clearly see whose better at running buses in the current climate.

(16 May 2022, 2:46 pm)Ambassador wrote Which leads us back to the old age debate

An older bus, less bells and whistles but goes from A to B at minimal cost to the operator. It's a few loose panels and there's no leaflets inside and the NSA is hit and miss but it runs.

VS

A shiny new bus with snakes and ladders on the tables, comfy seating, costs a fortune to run but has lots of NSA and great looking leaflets inside but is being cut.

Now of course it's not that black and white but when you look at the stick that Arriva and Stagecoach get beaten with - you can clearly see whose better at running buses in the current climate.

I don’t think people know how good GNE buses are with tables and wireless chargers. There was a tiktok that went ‘viral’ and people were saying where’s this, I wish my buses were like this - maybe if the most popular routes had these spec it might get more people on if they show photos of buses, instead of just XLimes

Market Street did wonders for the 28/28A

Wonder what I’ll happen with the 25


Honestly I think the 2 should be split between silksworth and Washington, with them both starting from Sunderland with the 2 taken up the little pinks services for added connections

Cutting the 20 on an evening from Dodford int I don't understand for the little time it takes.

(16 May 2022, 2:15 pm)Ambassador wrote I think I had a fairly positive view of Martijn when he came into GNE but I'm increasingly of the view he's a 'peacetime PM' as they say and absolutely not suited to the current challenging environment. He's tried and failed, let someone else have a go?

Usually I'd be first to blame him but I'm not sure whether it's him or someone above him that's the problem here.

GoAhead are seem to be going for a we want a profit approach now and will do anything to get a profit now. It seems the totally wrong approach to me and long term it's going to be devastating. Arriva and Stagecoach seem to be going for a longer approach and actually letting Covid end first before butchering everything. Whether Arriva and Stagecoach will make a profit this year (doubt it - who knows) but long term it's better and let the buses grow back so they can make a profit long term. Not to mention they didn't do a ridiculous policy of reducing fares which clearly didn't work and don't have the awkward position of fares need to be blatantly higher to make certain routes profitable but you can't do that because of the PR problems.

Right now cutting services and having half the services cancelled because there's no driver's long term seems a bizarre approach and won't get people back to using buses.

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Also to whoever was asking about areas without a service, unless you live on Durham Road there's no bus service anywhere in Birtley which is pathetic nor does Waldridge or Pelton Fell. You might aswell add Harlow Green aswell as an hourly service is too infrequent in urban areas.

Cancelling the 55 is a massive mistake

(16 May 2022, 2:35 pm)Unber43 wrote We’ll I think Malarkys ideas are pretty great - shame people at GNE think they know better.
I love how all the services which have got brand new buses their frequencies being reduced.

The Consett and Stanley X Lines routes have been slashed twice now since they received the new buses

(16 May 2022, 2:48 pm)Unber43 wrote I don’t think people know how good GNE buses are with tables and wireless chargers. There was a tiktok that went ‘viral’ and people were saying where’s this, I wish my buses were like this - maybe if the most popular routes had these spec it might get more people on if they show photos of buses, instead of just XLimes

It doesn't matter how 'good' GNE buses are with their tables, wireless chargers, and various other bells and whistles which people lavish praise upon. Those are just enhancements to the passenger experience. However, if the service doesn't meet the requirements of where people wish to travel, which is the fundamental purpose of any bus route, those enhancements are nothing more than a pointless PR exercise.

(16 May 2022, 2:50 pm)Unber43 wrote Market Street did wonders for the 28/28A

Wonder what I’ll happen with the 25


Honestly I think the 2 should be split between silksworth and Washington, with them both starting from Sunderland with the 2 taken up the little pinks services for added connections

25 change will go ahead I think.

The 'revised' 1 will probably turn around at Mill House and they'll loop the Nexus 23 round to plug the Portobello gap left by 25/82

(16 May 2022, 2:44 pm)Unber43 wrote Not just the newer buses, which are more fuel efficient. 

it’s the Orbit, 58. 

godknows where the new electric buses are going to go

Fuel efficiency is good, butbthere a load of overheads with new vehicles. They all go when it's all paid off, so you can make good money on the correct route.  See Stagecoach using MANs on the X buses in West Newcastle.

Also, for those praising Arriva and Stagecoach for not cutting routes, wait until BRG runs out in a few months time. Rumour has it, they are also axing services when the time comes. I guess this puts GNE ahead of the curve in this respect.

(16 May 2022, 3:02 pm)DeltaMan wrote Fuel efficiency is good, butbthere a load of overheads with new vehicles. They all go when it's all paid off, so you can make good money on the correct route.  See Stagecoach using MANs on the X buses in West Newcastle.

There's something to be said for fleet standardisation too - much easier to have interchangeable mechanics to support as well and helps with bulk buying parts.

Like the old adage of a Ford car, anyone can fix a Ford car, basic parts and low running costs vs say a Renault

(16 May 2022, 2:07 pm)Thomas12 wrote The 22 sorted this one out a while back.

Although I would agree with your other points, there doesn't seem to be any interest or innovation from Go North East to change the network to suit the needs of passengers.

Must admit, I was thinking of a place on North Tyneside and that one jumped out. No idea why I didn't think of it properly!

How about Backworth, Marden or Forest Hall? Frantically checking to see there now. Doubting myself!

(16 May 2022, 2:20 pm)Ambassador wrote Probably not worth the hassle the inevitable road chaos of the A1 works will cause to services to the detriment of passengers already on a never ending journey. 

You could potentially extend the 34 to loop into Kibblesworth up Lamesley and through Durham Rd back to Ouston to keep a link to Newcastle via the 21

It's impossible to send the 34 beyond Ouston without leaving Urpeth Grange without a bus service instead or with a very poor service at least.

Imo more needs to be done with the 21, there's 6 buses an hour travelling along Durham Road though Birtley half the time carrying fresh air as it misses most the estates yet the rest of the town is unserved altogether now.

Why not split it up,
One doing the current 21 route to Brandon
The second doing the 25 route additionally serving Sanders Garden and Blackfell Avenue then the 25 route from there to CLS.
A third doing the 28 route from Birtley to Pelton then run straight into Chester Le Street every 30 minutes, heck you could drop the 34 down to hourly aswell so Urpeth Grange still has a service.

4 buses an hour via Chester le Street and Newcastle / Gateshead with the normal 21 and X21 is more than enough. Heck even send the X21 through Birtley and only serve the Morrison's stops, Windsor Road and the Coach and Horses it's only roughly a few minutes longer anyway.

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(16 May 2022, 3:15 pm)Andreos1 wrote Must admit, I was thinking of a place on North Tyneside and that one jumped out. No idea why I didn't think of it properly!

How about Backworth, Marden or Forest Hall? Frantically checking to see there now. Doubting myself!

Marden, Monkseaton and Tynemouth

(16 May 2022, 3:02 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Also, for those praising Arriva and Stagecoach for not cutting routes, wait until BRG runs out in a few months time. Rumour has it, they are also axing services when the time comes. I guess this puts GNE ahead of the curve in this respect.

Maybe they will. But I'm not so sure. You don't need 100% of your customers back to break even if you don't have massive overheads in your route costings.

(16 May 2022, 2:15 pm)Ambassador wrote I think I had a fairly positive view of Martijn when he came into GNE but I'm increasingly of the view he's a 'peacetime PM' as they say and absolutely not suited to the current challenging environment. He's tried and failed, let someone else have a go?

Often wonder if it's those beneath him in the commercial depts to be honest.
A new MD can come in, but if they don't know the area nor the history and are being told things by the planners and commercial teams... 

'nah, that won't work'. 'why would someone want to go there?'. 'It's always been like that.' Why change it?'

Regardless of any other schemes, ideas or preconceptions that might have worked in another part of the country.

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(16 May 2022, 2:56 pm)Unber43 wrote Cancelling the 55 is a massive mistake

Not looking at the routes that ran alongside it was the initial error. 

Basic stuff that they only got round to fixing. But probably too late.

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(16 May 2022, 2:31 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Can't help but agree with you.
His strategy seems to nothing more than give his old mate Stenning a fortune and spending his time on Twitter congratulating other operators 

I do honestly think that had COVID not happened then we would have seen passenger numbers continue to increase. The mistake I think they've made is continuing on with the same strategy rather than changing course. Now, I don't know what course that would be, but I'm not the MD!

I think what we need is to figure out where people actually want to go. It's all well and good picking two places and complaining because there isn't a bus between them, but how do we actually know people want to travel between them?
We need someone like Nexus to commission a piece of research to really figure this out before they start cutting routes left right and centre. It would be difficult and expensive, but it would be worth it

Isn't that what all of 'the ten percent club' members do?

(16 May 2022, 3:15 pm)Andreos1 wrote Must admit, I was thinking of a place on North Tyneside and that one jumped out. No idea why I didn't think of it properly!

How about Backworth, Marden or Forest Hall? Frantically checking to see there now. Doubting myself!

Haha, well Forest Hall has the 53, and Backworth has the 19 - both were recent changes in March to be fair.

Marden is a good one though. Walker is also relatively poorly connected to Cobalt, requiring a change of buses if you don't live on the Fossway.

(16 May 2022, 3:25 pm)Andreos1 wrote Often wonder if it's those beneath him in the commercial depts to be honest.
A new MD can come in, but if they don't know the area nor the history and are being told things by the planners and commercial teams... 

'nah, that won't work'. 'why would someone want to go there?'. 'It's always been like that. Why change it?'

Regardless of any other schemes, ideas or preconceptions that might have worked in another part of the country.

I might have more sympathy for this position if he wasn't fond of making vacuous statements of little substance and lots of verbiage - much like his counterparts in local councils, who largely see transport planning as a PR exercise which can be peddled out and lapped up by the local rags; and his counterparts in bus companies dotted elsewhere around the country.

(16 May 2022, 3:02 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Also, for those praising Arriva and Stagecoach for not cutting routes, wait until BRG runs out in a few months time. Rumour has it, they are also axing services when the time comes. I guess this puts GNE ahead of the curve in this respect.

Hardly a curve to aspire to be ahead of as a public transport provider - we cut faster and harder than the rest (in Sept 21) then again, and again.  Meanwhile our competitors have barely cut anything yet.  #BetterThanEver.