From what I'm gaging on social media is that to the average Joe this strike is costing them a fortune to get to work, kids to school etc for a prolonged amount of time.

I overheard a conversation on the 50 tonight where a bloke commuting between Durham and Washington claimed that he booked - with great difficulty - two weeks of annual leave rather than face losing the entirety of his weekly take-home pay twice over on taxis.

What happens with tonight's N21s? I imagine they'll technically be Friday shifts, but isn't there usually overlap with some first journeys out on a morning?

As the shifts for them clocked on at 2147 & 2118 tonight they will run as normal.

It's gonna be interesting tomorrow when people are gonna be travelling to the match. I hope other operators can step in and offer some transport for those who's going to the match, especially between chester and Newcastle

Are there actually any benefits to GNE giving in to Unite's demands?

They're already loss making with seemingly no return to profitability in sight, so the best financial option would be to just wind down GNE.

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Yes. The union demands will be negotiated and this is clearly more about terms and conditions than basic pay, despite the latest Unite bluster. 

The current management and commercial model shows no sign of returning to profit, it’s still recovering from Gilbert and his enthusiast crazed decisions. It’s clearly poorly run, whether wilfully or just a lack of people management/experience and it being on the cheap is another matter. Despite what we see from management twitter and Facebook accounts…run properly there’s hope. 

There is also no chance in hell Go Ahead won’t be waiting for the golden goose of franchising coming in once the Regional Mayor gets their feet under the table.

Arriva North East's Facebook:

Due to industrial action at Go North East from Saturday 30th of September until Friday 6th of October we will accept Go North East Tickets free of charge in the following areas.

Great North Road / Brunton Land / Newcastle Haymarket
Earsdon / North Shields
Durham / Newcastle
Cramlington / Newcastle
Annitsford / Quorum / Newcastle

This is in addition to the existing arrangements already in place on services 306/308.

Surprised ANE and SNE are allowing free travel for GNE passholders as they could have stood to rake in a fair amount of extra revenue.  Unless this is an arrangement somehow funded by GNE so ANE/SNE still generate income but then surely they would be promoting ticket acceptance on their channels?

Surprised ANE and SNE are allowing free travel for GNE passholders as they could have stood to rake in a fair amount of extra revenue.  Unless this is an arrangement somehow funded by GNE so ANE/SNE still generate income but then surely they would be promoting ticket acceptance on their channels?

Undermining the strike by such a move, not at all happy that we're being forced into accepting their tickets.

Strikebreaking is what it is.

Undermining the strike by such a move, not at all happy that we're being forced into accepting their tickets.

Strikebreaking is what it is.

Unless GNE are paying them to do it though I don't get what ANE/SNE gain from doing it

Unless GNE are paying them to do it though I don't get what ANE/SNE gain from doing it

potential new customers in the future for the similar areas...

Unless GNE are paying them to do it though I don't get what ANE/SNE gain from doing it

I suspect less hassle for drivers, especially when the £2 fare is kicking about and most importantly, more future patronage. Gives passengers an awareness of alternatives, especially when GNE are the worst of all 3 for disruption at the moment. 

It’s also an excellent brand image. Admittedly, it’s not winning a Twitter poll for best open top route but still…..it’ll stick with a lot of leisure passengers and potentially grow passengers. The GNE bus never turns up but hey, here’s this Stagecoach one I can get, I might stick with this, I wouldn’t see it as undermining the strikes more commercial entity revelling in another’s failure

Undermining the strike by such a move, not at all happy that we're being forced into accepting their tickets.

Strikebreaking is what it is.

How is undermining a strike? The amount of overlap between GNE and other operators is minimnal. Let's be sensible about it. It's not strikebreaking. 

They aren't operating services that Go North East would be. They aren't using Go North East vehicles to bolster thier own services and they aren't using Go North East drivers either.

Everytime a driver in my expierence has been asked about the strikes, theyve been supportive. But my worry is that people who don't have tech wont know there is a strike and they will be standing at stops for hours

The people who don't have tech will likely have caught it in the paper or on TV news as if they don't like technology, chances are they use one of those methods instead.

seen a couple of GCT buses running near Old Durham road. Don't seem any busier than a " normal" Saturday

seen a couple of GCT buses running near Old Durham road. Don't seem any busier than a " normal" Saturday

67 and 69 I guess? Not too surprised really - they both avoid the Metro so aren't really an alternative for anyone.

The X12s I saw through low fell this morning ran through bus full. Would imagine with the strikes they’re barely picking up past Durham

The X12s I saw through low fell this morning ran through bus full. Would imagine with the strikes they’re barely picking up past Durham

Looks like there's duplicates running from Stockton now with extra buses heading towards Newcastle.

Btw wouldn't be surprised if they're full well before Durham. There's no train service at all from Newcastle to Middlesbrough either today so it's the only way between the two.

Looks like there's duplicates running from Stockton now with extra buses heading towards Newcastle.

Btw wouldn't be surprised if they're full well before Durham. There's no train service at all from Newcastle to Middlesbrough either today so it's the only way between the two.

Is the Metro on?

Is the Metro on?

It is for now

X50/327/X75 are operating atm, I'm surprised.

X50/327/X75 are operating atm, I'm surprised.

All being ran from Saltmeadows since their drivers are agency.


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X50/327/X75 are operating atm, I'm surprised.

I'm not surprised about the 327/X75. With them being contract services, I think they'd have always found a scab strike-breaker to work them, to avoid being hit in the pocket.

X50 I'm more surprised about. It's not subsidised by the local authority from what I understand, so maybe they get some money from NUFC for it? 

Looks like solid turnouts on the picket lines earlier this morning, from the photos I've seen so far today.

Heavy delays on the x12, unsurprisingly. The one that was due into Durham about 20 minutes ago is at Gateshead Interchange. Whether it's broken down or what, goodness knows.

Heavy delays on the x12, unsurprisingly. The one that was due into Durham about 20 minutes ago is at Gateshead Interchange. Whether it's broken down or what, goodness knows.

1443 arrived at NCL over 70 mins

Heavy delays on the x12, unsurprisingly. The one that was due into Durham about 20 minutes ago is at Gateshead Interchange. Whether it's broken down or what, goodness knows.

They probably should have been allocated double deckers…

1443 arrived at NCL over 70 mins

The people who don't have tech will likely have caught it in the paper or on TV news as if they don't like technology, chances are they use one of those methods instead.

I made a point of going to the O Gauge Show at Nissan of stopping at the stops after Bunnyhill as there were lots waiting for 56s. Nobody i told was aware.od the strike and headed off for 3s or 13s. Didn't see anybody at the stops on my way back so assume word of mouth is getting around

Is the Metro on?

Just Northern trains on strike today.

They probably should have been allocated double deckers…

Durham / Stockton don't have any Decker's which can run it, without cost, and sending deckers down from Northumbria just causes problems here instead.

They probably should have been allocated double deckers…

With what deckers?

1443 arrived at NCL over 70 mins

*1441 - this one was badly hit, slow moving almost everywhere from Durham Uni onwards. It went back to Stockton light to get back to schedule now with the 15:55 off Middlesbrough.

Traffic around Durham Uni is sending all services around that area to hell regardless of operator (ANE, SNE, GCT).

Durham / Stockton don't have any Decker's which can run it, without cost, and sending deckers down from Northumbria just causes problems here instead.

Durham do have two - 7523/39 have both had Euro6 mods to enable them to be used on the X12. Unfortunately, whoever was allocating this morning has reportedly ignored a note left by one of the inspectors this morning and allocated 1481 instead.

Durham do have two - 7523/39 have both had Euro6 mods to enable them to be used on the X12. Unfortunately, whoever was allocating this morning has reportedly ignored a note left by one of the inspectors this morning and allocated 1481 instead.

At least one of them appeared on the X12 during the week.