(30 Mar 2023, 7:33 pm)nova347 wrote The Tens seem to be really busy like. Same with the X1 whens that every 12 mins frequency coming back.

To be honest changing it back to every 12 minutes, means it awkward frequency on the Houghton to Peterlee section. Does the X1 need more capacity in any sections? I’m sure this forum has previously mooted ideas of shorts between Newcastle and Washington, but is it required?

(31 Mar 2023, 4:21 am)Dan wrote You have been told in the past that the majority are temporary and will be reinstated as/when staffing levels permit.

They are temporary changes until (or if) Go North East announces that they are permanent. The fact they haven’t announced these are permanent (unlike X9, X22 etc) suggests that GNE still has an ambition to reinstate the frequency.


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To be fair though I think many regular passengers would assume the majority of these are now permanent. Those temporary changes were put in place in September it’s April tomorrow. When does temporary become semi-permanent? Not having a go either as I appreciate you can’t run services without drivers, it’s better to reduce rather than having loads of cancelled runs.

I would also just say that there’s nothing on GNE’s timetable sections to suggest any services are temporary reduced. For instance the 12 was amended in January, but the frequency isn’t even briefly mentioned as been temporarily reduced… And what about the 97? It was temporary reduced to every 20 minutes, in the meantime it’s been absorbed into the 1, which runs every 20 minutes, so really that temporary change is permanent? Or as permanent as it gets at the moment surely?

(31 Mar 2023, 7:21 am)streetdeckfan wrote Were the short X21s withdrawn temporarily or was that permanent? I would have thought the cove vinyls would have been changed if it was permanent.

Is there a complete list of services which are still on temporary timetables?



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The 3rd September temporary reductions:
8, 10A/10B, 12, 39, 53/54, 57, 60, 65, 97 - frequency drops
X20 - withdrawn
51/52 - route cut from Newcastle.

AFAIK - none of the above have ever been confirmed permanent.

(31 Mar 2023, 9:08 am)Unber43 wrote I hope your right.

But just for confirmation the X20 is totally cancelled apart from Sunderland - Doxford?

Was that officially confirmed by the operator?

(31 Mar 2023, 3:01 pm)Drifter60 wrote The 3rd September temporary reductions:
8, 10A/10B, 12, 39, 53/54, 57, 60, 65, 97 - frequency drops
X20 - withdrawn
51/52 - route cut from Newcastle.

AFAIK - none of the above have ever been confirmed permanent.


Was that officially confirmed by the operator?

With the X20/39 the branding has been moved, and for the X20 the vehicles have actually been sold.

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Also when the 20 was 12 to 15, and now is Permanent GNE never told anyone that it was permanent.

(31 Mar 2023, 3:01 pm)Drifter60 wrote The 3rd September temporary reductions:
8, 10A/10B, 12, 39, 53/54, 57, 60, 65, 97 - frequency drops
X20 - withdrawn
51/52 - route cut from Newcastle.

AFAIK - none of the above have ever been confirmed permanent.

Weren't there still temporary reductions from way back which haven't been made permanent?

"Does the X1 need more capacity in any sections? I’m sure this forum has previously mooted ideas of shorts between Newcastle and Washington, but is it required?"

The Newcastle to Washington section can be pretty busy, even off peak, but that tends to happen when there has been disruption to the service. Probably far better for the actual timetabled services to all run as planned than overstretch, though I can see the potential benefit of peak shorts and matchday duplicates.

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(31 Mar 2023, 3:16 pm)Unber43 wrote With the X20/39 the branding has been moved, and for the X20 the vehicles have actually been sold.

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Also when the 20 was 12 to 15, and now is Permanent GNE never told anyone that it was permanent.

The X20 vehicles were money pits in terms of both fuel and maintenance.

(31 Mar 2023, 3:16 pm)Unber43 wrote With the X20/39 the branding has been moved, and for the X20 the vehicles have actually been sold.

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Also when the 20 was 12 to 15, and now is Permanent GNE never told anyone that it was permanent.

Because it is still a "temporary" reduction - once the position on funding post 30th June and once it is clear how passenger number are settling down I'm sure that decisions will be made.

(31 Mar 2023, 4:03 pm)BusLoverMum wrote

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The X20 vehicles were money pits in terms of both fuel and maintenance.

So why was it upgraded from Solos to Citaros?

(31 Mar 2023, 4:25 pm)Unber43 wrote So why was it upgraded from Solos to Citaros?

I believe it was due to when the X20 was extended to Langley Park

(31 Mar 2023, 4:31 pm)KingSlayerRBLX wrote I believe it was due to when the X20 was extended to Langley Park

The Solos went to Langley Park afaik as the X6 lost Xlines Branding

(31 Mar 2023, 4:02 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Weren't there still temporary reductions from way back which haven't been made permanent?

(31 Mar 2023, 3:16 pm)Unber43 wrote With the X20/39 the branding has been moved, and for the X20 the vehicles have actually been sold.

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Also when the 20 was 12 to 15, and now is Permanent GNE never told anyone that it was permanent.

I think perhaps the only other temporary reduction was the 20? There’s that many different changes though! Yeah you might be right, I’m not sure if the change from every 12 to every 15 was ever classed as permanent. Only other one that springs to mind is the 21 but I think when the 7-8 minute frequency was dropped, I think that was branded as a permanent move.

THats why I think the 20 was made permanent or I classed it as when Every 15 Mins was added to the brand

(31 Mar 2023, 4:43 pm)Unber43 wrote The Solos went to Langley Park afaik as the X6 lost Xlines Branding

And it quickly became clear that replacing mostly double deckers on the 14 with the solos currently on the X20 was never going to work, hence the move to full size single deckers.

(31 Mar 2023, 12:26 pm)Unber43 wrote Or is it the truth?

No,its the same repetitive bs that you come out with all the time, change the record and deal with it, 65 this, 20 that, X20 this, it changed, get over it

(31 Mar 2023, 6:33 pm)BusLoverMum wrote And it quickly became clear that replacing mostly double deckers on the 14 with the solos currently on the X20 was never going to work, hence the move to full size single deckers.

Must say Langley Park hasn't half had it hard in the past few years with GNE.

Down from
2x Durham Fast
1x Durham via Arnison
2x Newcastle via CLS

To
2x Sunderland via Arnison and the world

Can't be many places that's had that much of a downgrade.

(31 Mar 2023, 9:45 pm)Storx wrote Must say Langley Park hasn't half had it hard in the past few years with GNE.

Down from
2x Durham Fast
1x Durham via Arnison
2x Newcastle via CLS

To
2x Sunderland via Arnison and the world

Can't be many places that's had that much of a downgrade.

Arnison is an important connection. It's their local shops!

Which way did the 13 used to go and was that the every 30 min one?

(31 Mar 2023, 10:59 pm)Unber43 wrote Which way did the 13 used to go and was that the every 30 min one?

Direct along the B6532 from Framwellgate Moor to Scariston then as per the 14(20/X20).

In its later years it was half hourly but at one stage it was 13 & 14 both hourly, combining into two trips an hour.

(31 Mar 2023, 9:57 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Arnison is an important connection. It's their local shops!

Aye no arguments, that was reference to the change from the X20 to 20. It'd be a chore of a route from end to end (and there's nothing quicker either).

When GNE had Bendys how many did they have for the X66 (at every 6 mins peak) and 58?

Originally it was 4 for the X66. If one was unavailable, a rigid Scania would cover.

There was 18 Citaro Bendys, with a 19th (5357) being used short term. 4 were branded (also converted from triple door to dual door) for the X66 and the rest were branded for the 58. The original Solar Fusions were painted and branded for the X40.

4 operating 20 journeys a hour, that must have meant barely two mins either end.

Also I remember one being on the 56, what was that for?

In the mornings before the X66 went up to full frequency, there was one or two workings on other services, the 188 (56) and 611 (11) being two of them. Some of these workings were altered with service changes, the ones that did the 611 (11) started doing the 11X from Low Prudhoe instead.

Also you need to remember at the time of the Bendy on the X66 they actually ran non stop from Gateshead to Metrocentre. There was a timetable, but more or less when the next one arrived, the one in the bus station would depart once it had loaded.

Why was the 11X an express? Also what journeys did it operate as I can't seem to find it

(02 Apr 2023, 6:47 pm)Unber43 wrote Why was the 11X an express? Also what journeys did it operate as I can't seem to find it

Slight mistake on my account.
It was the X11 around 2008 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...0871587338
Then at some point it became the 11 which used two bendys in a morning.
As I caught this from Blaydon to Scotswood Bridge - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1145981454
Then I caught the second working coming off the Scotswood Bridge - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1145201306

When the 188 was withdrawn, the 56 never actually used bendys. I think there was talk of an extra in the morning on the 21 using the bendy. But possible the one that previously did the 611 and the one did the 188 were both utilised on the revised X11 then 11.

Cannot remember if the practise continued when the Citaros bendys came as I haven't got any photos of the Citaros Bendys on the 11, but you had the routes 58, X40 and X66 all using bendy buses.

I remember seeing a photo of a bendy on the 56, and Im pretty sure I went on it, I think it could have been a trial for either a bendy or a decker on the 56.

(02 Apr 2023, 6:47 pm)Unber43 wrote Why was the 11X an express? Also what journeys did it operate as I can't seem to find it

Was it not a replacement for the Arriva peak time X66 Newcastle-Stocksfield service?  Presumably that stopped or transferred as part of the Hexham/604 operations being taken over.

It could have been. Did anyone have the timetable for the 11X or X66 or 11 which had used the bendy

Deptford must be short on deckers, the 56 has had two single deckers a lot of days since the schools came back for easter. As well as the 20/20A/65 which I believe the 20 is meant to have 3, 05:34 to Durham (goes onto the 20A), 0702 Langley Park, 0732 Langley Park, and the 65/20A is meant to have two, if not three.

(03 Apr 2023, 11:16 am)Chris 1 wrote Was it not a replacement for the Arriva peak time X66 Newcastle-Stocksfield service?  Presumably that stopped or transferred as part of the Hexham/604 operations being taken over.

To cut a long story short, they're were too clever by half and effectively removed two buses an hour from the peak AM timetable (what would be the 602) and we're surprised buses were overloaded by the time they left Ryton, which ended up with the 11X running.

When GNE took over the routes, they kept the 602 and 604 numbers, but changed the X66 to the X12, so that was clever....

What's 6309 doing at Consett?

(21 Apr 2023, 9:25 pm)Unber43 wrote Deptford must be short on deckers, the 56 has had two single deckers a lot of days since the schools came back for easter. As well as the 20/20A/65 which I believe the 20 is meant to have 3, 05:34 to Durham (goes onto the 20A), 0702 Langley Park, 0732 Langley Park, and the 65/20A is meant to have two, if not three.

There was at least three singles on yesterday - one versa and two streetlites (didn't get numbers cos I was driving). In fact, I'm sure I only saw one Cityrider decker yesterday... and it was on the X20 (which still, somewhat hilariously, has 'via Arnison Centre' on the dest screen).

There was one parked at the back of Deptford depot, but it seems to have gone.