(18 Jun 2022, 11:08 pm)Chris 1 wrote Exactly this.

Plus, you would surely need at least some higher margin routes to help spread the depot overhead.

Yeah totally agreed not to mention running something like the 309/310/311 from Riverside with dead running for 10 miles every morning and night and driver changeovers god knows where would take a massive hit when they're driving by a depot every day. 

Similar for the X1 aswell.

(19 Jun 2022, 8:15 am)Storx wrote Yeah totally agreed not to mention running something like the 309/310/311 from Riverside with dead running for 10 miles every morning and night and driver changeovers god knows where would take a massive hit when they're driving by a depot every day. 

Similar for the X1 aswell.

You could say that but ironically, GNE will also be doing dead runs to and from Hexham on the 10's (with Hexham still running as an outstation) and potentially as far as Durham, Bishop Auckland and West Auckland. So Blyth, Whitley Bay and North Shields wouldn't be a drop in the ocean.

Driver changeovers would just be done at Haymarket.

(19 Jun 2022, 9:41 am)L469 YVK wrote You could say that but ironically, GNE will also be doing dead runs to and from Hexham on the 10's (with Hexham still running as an outstation) and potentially as far as Durham, Bishop Auckland and West Auckland. So Blyth, Whitley Bay and North Shields wouldn't be a drop in the ocean.

Driver changeovers would just be done at Haymarket.

Will they?
I'd imagine there will be a change in timetables and running boards to mitigate the dead mileage.
Whether that be buses terminating short of Hexham to cut down on the dead mileage back to Riverside or something else.

Ditto with the 21/X21 boards.

Nice one

(18 Jun 2022, 7:14 pm)busmanT wrote I’m told that drivers at Chester -Le-Street depot are no longer being asked if they wish to work on their rest days — drivers sat at home willing to work whilst journeys are  cancelled.

Not sure where that info has come from but we're still getting asked if we wish to work rest days. I was asked to work mine this week

(19 Jun 2022, 2:19 pm)NL62WVW wrote Not sure where that info has come from but we're still getting asked if we wish to work rest days. I was asked to work mine this week

Feel free to not comment for obvious reasons but is it purely coincidence the normally fairly reliable service from CLS has gone down the pan since the closure was announced? (In terms of provision not driver service which I’ve found if anything has improved hugely)

It does seem as if half of Chester-le-Street depot is pulling a sickie as some sort of revenge against their depot being closed.

(19 Jun 2022, 2:29 pm)Ambassador wrote Feel free to not comment for obvious reasons but is it purely coincidence the normally fairly reliable service from CLS has gone down the pan since the closure was announced? (In terms of provision not driver service which I’ve found if anything has improved hugely)

At CLS it all boils down to all the messing about at last years pay talks where drivers that would normally do their best to help out just stopped helping.

We also lost quite a few drivers to HGVs and a few went to the Metro and other bus companies, it's still happening now there's at least another 2 gone this week to HGVs.

Couple that with people on the sick and the holiday blocks over these next few months are for summer holidays which means you have 2 weeks off is the perfect storm for things to go tits up.

The closure has come as a shock to some drivers as its been a rumor for years now so there's a few now looking elsewhere closer to home. I think the attitude now is what's the point in helping when it's shutting.

Don't get me wrong there's still a few "Die Hards" that are working every hour possible to keep stuff moving but in reality it's not making much difference.

(20 Jun 2022, 8:09 am)NL62WVW wrote At CLS it all boils down to all the messing about at last years pay talks where drivers that would normally do their best to help out just stopped helping.

We also lost quite a few drivers to HGVs and a few went to the Metro and other bus companies, it's still happening now there's at least another 2 gone this week to HGVs.

Couple that with people on the sick and the holiday blocks over these next few months are for summer holidays which means you have 2 weeks off is the perfect storm for things to go tits up.

The closure has come as a shock to some drivers as its been a rumor for years now so there's a few now looking elsewhere closer to home. I think the attitude now is what's the point in helping when it's shutting.

Don't get me wrong there's still a few "Die Hards" that are working every hour possible to keep stuff moving but in reality it's not making much difference.

And I don't blame them.
Why would a team who are demoralised and pissed off, bend over backwards for a company that doesn't appear to do the same for the team based in Chester?

Clearly a ticking time bomb.

(20 Jun 2022, 8:09 am)NL62WVW wrote At CLS it all boils down to all the messing about at last years pay talks where drivers that would normally do their best to help out just stopped helping.

We also lost quite a few drivers to HGVs and a few went to the Metro and other bus companies, it's still happening now there's at least another 2 gone this week to HGVs.

Couple that with people on the sick and the holiday blocks over these next few months are for summer holidays which means you have 2 weeks off is the perfect storm for things to go tits up.

The closure has come as a shock to some drivers as its been a rumor for years now so there's a few now looking elsewhere closer to home. I think the attitude now is what's the point in helping when it's shutting.

Don't get me wrong there's still a few "Die Hards" that are working every hour possible to keep stuff moving but in reality it's not making much difference.

Sounds like fairly awful management all round, feel for the Team but don’t blame them for walking or doing the minimum, it’s a job searchers market these days and you’ve got all these new options open outside GNE.

I mean, like NL62WVW said loads of drivers have holidays off in July/August it just seems like it will be a catastrophe, its just gonna get worse

After what we've just been told this afternoon, some of changes happening early

(20 Jun 2022, 4:38 pm)NL62WVW wrote After what we've just been told this afternoon, some of changes happening early

Are you able to share what?

(20 Jun 2022, 4:02 pm)Unber43 wrote I mean, like NL62WVW said loads of drivers have holidays off in July/August it just seems like it will be a catastrophe, its just gonna get worse

If there's increased holiday, maybe it's because there's no scholars services to run for the 6 weeks or so of school holidays?

Because we're struggling to cover work a certain flagship route is being moved to another depot.

But the depot it's moving to is struggling to cover its own work so try and figure that out

(20 Jun 2022, 5:02 pm)NL62WVW wrote Because we're struggling to cover work a certain flagship route is being moved to another depot.

But the depot it's moving to is struggling to cover its own work so try and figure that out

Its probs either the X21 or 8

(20 Jun 2022, 5:09 pm)Unber43 wrote Its probs either the X21 or 8

Neither of those are 'flagship' routes. It's the 21, reading between the lines.

Flagship probably wasn't the best word to use, longer distance route shall we say

X21 Then…

That’s a fair few Buses Saved then…

So will that be Riverside or Consett the X21 will be moving to in the interim?

(20 Jun 2022, 7:39 pm)L469 YVK wrote So will that be Riverside or Consett the X21 will be moving to in the interim?

How would you do the driver reliefs if it went to Consett?

(20 Jun 2022, 7:45 pm)citaro5284 wrote How would you do the driver reliefs if it went to Consett?

CLS via A693. Don't know how driving hours would work with the van taken into account.

(20 Jun 2022, 8:11 pm)L469 YVK wrote CLS via A693. Don't know how driving hours would work with the van taken into account.

Can you not work them out for us?

So how would the X21 interwork with either depot?

(20 Jun 2022, 8:19 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Can you not work them out for us?

So how would the X21 interwork with either depot?

Well it wouldn't interwork with any other services with remote reliefs at CLS.

An off peak round trip is 4hr 30m. 25 mins in each direction from Hownsgill would take total driving hours to 5hr 20m without any delays either in service or on remote relief. So perhaps wouldn't work given max driving hours in one go are 5hr 30.

(20 Jun 2022, 8:32 pm)L469 YVK wrote Well it wouldn't interwork with any other services with remote reliefs at CLS.

An off peak round trip is 4hr 30m. 25 mins in each direction from Hownsgill would take total driving hours to 5hr 20m without any delays either in service or on remote relief. So perhaps wouldn't work given max driving hours in one go are 5hr 30.

Even without it being very close to exceeding driving hours, 25 minute trips between Hownsgill and CLS is excessive when Riverside to Gateshead has a frequent direct bus service and is a much shorter distance for dead running.

It would have to be Riverside, they would probs join the X10/X21 rota.

(20 Jun 2022, 9:37 pm)Unber43 wrote It would have to be Riverside, they would probs join the X10/X21 rota.

Wonder if this will influence which vehicle type (minus a handful for the X30/X31) gets removed from Consett to keep vehicle types the same on both routes under the same rota?

StreetDecks would be the most sensible choice as the majority decker type to remain at Consett if the X45 interworks with the X71/X72, and if the evening & Sunday 16B/47/X5/X45 are all interworked.

Likewise, E400MMCs (at least there'd be a choice of 8x + 6336/37 on Sundays) would come in handy at Riverside for busier Sunday journeys (Christmas shoppers, match days etc) if the 6/12/X30/X72 interworked on Sundays as well as Bank Holidays.

(20 Jun 2022, 7:39 pm)L469 YVK wrote So will that be Riverside or Consett the X21 will be moving to in the interim?

Aside from the distance involved, why move the X21 to Consett short term if the plan is for it to transfer to Riverside in a couple of months?

---

Off topic slightly, but there's a cracking set of pictures been shared of Chester Depot on both the I love Durham and the Northern Pre & Post NBC facebook groups. Definitely worth a look.

with the closure of CLS bus Station, this is where it would make most sense for services to go, and what changes would be made

Riverside

X21
21
28/B
29

Washington
81/
Langley Park - CLS Route (whatever that will be called)
8 
34

Consett
8 

Deptford
8
71
26

(21 Jun 2022, 3:45 pm)Unber43 wrote with the closure of CLS bus Station, this is where it would make most sense for services to go, and what changes would be made

Riverside

X21
21
28/B
29

Washington
81/
Langley Park - CLS Route (whatever that will be called)
8 
34

Consett
8 

Deptford
8
71
26

The CLS to Langley Park would be part of the 25 which is of course confirmed to be running between NCL and CLS. 

The 8 makes most sense at Washington tbh as most journeys begin from Chester. The 34 would also be Washington. The 21 at Riverside, I wonder if some of the early morning journeys towards Newcastle will be withdrawn. The 71 obviously Deptford. The 25, 28 and 29 you would think would have to be Riverside, an hourly 25 would have a PVR of 3, (2 if they don't win the Langley Park contract) which could possibly fit at Washington too, the 28/29 could go Consett as well I guess. 

I actually think the X21 would make most sense at Consett or Washington as it would be roughly 30 minutes to Bishop which is about the same as it is from Chester