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(25 Jan 2014, 7:05 pm)Dr Martin wrote You might be, but the travelling public on the other hand. Some have been a success, some have not, some have had pointless modifications.
(25 Jan 2014, 7:47 pm)citaro5284 wrote Care to elaborate on the pointless modifications. Service changes are done for a reason. If people's travelling habits did not change then service changes would not be needed. What is the point of a service running to the same housing estate just because it always has done, when the houses are no longer standing, or a new shopping centre is built, but because it is out of town and the buses have not gone there in the past, they do not serve it.
Service changes have to be done to ensure profitability of the Company remains, without service changes, profits would suffer, services cut back further and investment would be hindered, which lets be honest is no good for anyone.
People need to live in the real world I am afraid and stop thinking services are changed just for changing them sake. Buses running around carrying fresh air does not pay wages or buy new buses. As most people will know every employee likes pay rises, so without services changes pay rises would not be forthcoming and staff would move. Whilst GNE do service changes on a regular basis, Arriva are just as bad. The amount of service changes South East Northumberland have is shocking and they normally revert them back to the way they were (X4 and X5 as examples).
(05 Feb 2014, 6:53 pm)Davey Bowyer wrote My idea for a fast express service between Blyth and Newcastle. Buses would operate half hourly Monday to Saturday and later on, potential hourly evening and Sunday journeys. Service X89 would be operated by 3 Mercs of the Cobalt Clipper and operate between Blyth and Newcastle calling at Union Street, 12th Avenue, Sixth Avenue, Princess Louise Road, Newsham Road, Wharton Street, Winship Street and Newcastle Road. Buses would then operate non stop to St Mary's and Haymarket via A1061, A189 and B1318 straight into Newcastle.
(05 Feb 2014, 6:56 pm)Tom wrote There is a big gap in the market for Go North East in Northumberland due to the shocking services provided by Arriva, notably the X15/X18.
(05 Feb 2014, 8:42 pm)Davey Bowyer wrote It's a shame Euro 6 emission controls have stopped the production of the B9TL. I could imagine a Volvo B9TL Gemini 2 in GNE colours or brand happily pacing up and down the Northumberland Coastline lauging off the challenges the E400 faces!
(05 Feb 2014, 6:56 pm)Tom wrote There is a big gap in the market for Go North East in Northumberland due to the shocking services provided by Arriva, notably the X15/X18.
(08 Feb 2014, 1:20 pm)Davey Bowyer wrote A half hourly fast express service being operated by a Merc with Wi-Fi fitted would knock ten bells out off the X10 and X11.
(08 Feb 2014, 3:34 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Not really, offering half the capacity on a third of the frequency with no extras on offer (All Blyth vehicles are already fitted with WiFi).
(08 Feb 2014, 3:41 pm)citaro5284 wrote Arriva buses have wifi....never seen this advertised anywhere
(08 Feb 2014, 3:46 pm)aureolin wrote The Sapphire brand is advertised as a standard - WiFi and power sockets being one of those standards?
(08 Feb 2014, 3:48 pm)citaro5284 wrote Yes, but my original comment was referring to Kuyoyo who said all Blyth buses had wifi fitted, now even I know there is no Sapphire vehicles at Blyth!
(08 Feb 2014, 3:46 pm)Dan wrote Good job they don't. I've stood next to several Quorum Express branded vehicles today and not once have I been able to get Wi-Fi.
And of course, I bet you have been no where near where the Quorum Express vehicles are suppose to be, like Ashington
(10 Feb 2014, 2:23 pm)cbma06 wrote I would prefer the cadets to go to Peterlee for 208/202/204/265 sequences, Peterlee has to keep some mpds for the tight estates services.
X36 shouldn't be part of the Fastcasts brand as the X36 has nothing to do with Hartlepool past era.
should of renumbered the X35 as 231 as it was previous before it came X35 as well over half of the route is all stops. and run the route half hourly between Sunderland and Peterlee with hourly from Peterlee to Hartlepool. And run the other half hourly service between Peterlee and Hartlepool as a 230 and extend the service from Peterlee to Sunderland via Seaham/murton area.
(10 Feb 2014, 2:30 pm)Kuyoyo wrote What does 'Fast Cats' have to do with Hartlepool? The 'Fast Cats' brand is more Sunderland-based, hence the addition of the X36 to the brand.
(10 Feb 2014, 2:41 pm)cbma06 wrote Fast Cats brand is not a Sunderland based brand, when the X35 was branded up at the beginning of the launch at GNE also stated that the brand came from the olden days at Hartlepool when the wooden ships came into the harbour and their used to be loads of rats that used to come off the boats/ships really fast and the locals used to call them the fastcats as their couldn't catch them.
(10 Feb 2014, 2:51 pm)Kuyoyo wrote It is now - next to nobody (including myself) know that story (Hartlepool's history is more linked to the unfortunate Monkey they hanged) while Sunderland is far better know in regards to its links with Cats. End of the day, either the brand is completely dropped and both routes run in Go North East red livery, the X36 is dropped which will simply reverse the improved reliability on the X35, or both routes are part of the brand as it is. Indeed, the X36 fits the 'Fast Cats' idea more (fast express from Sunderland, the city of the Black Cats lamp).
(10 Feb 2014, 2:51 pm)Kuyoyo wrote It is now - next to nobody (including myself) know that story (Hartlepool's history is more linked to the unfortunate Monkey they hanged) while Sunderland is far better know in regards to its links with Cats. End of the day, either the brand is completely dropped and both routes run in Go North East red livery, the X36 is dropped which will simply reverse the improved reliability on the X35, or both routes are part of the brand as it is. Indeed, the X36 fits the 'Fast Cats' idea more (fast express from Sunderland, the city of the Black Cats lamp).
(10 Feb 2014, 10:05 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Up the Frequency of the 8/50 to Every 20 Minutes and/or Extend the M2/M3 into Chester le Street on Both Services.
Simple Reason for the 50 is, This Morning I started work at 10pm, and went out to catch the 09:40am which ended up turning up 10 Minutes Late, and I was pretty much cutting it for being late this Morning, Got bollocking off my Line Manager for being a Minute Early for my Shift, Although I should perhaps get an Earlier Bus, But if said Bus had Broken Down, I would of had to wait 30 Minutes for the Next One. Perhaps having the 50 at 02/22/42 through Lambton heading towards Durham wouln't be such a Bad Idea.
As for the 8, A simply short Xpress Journey which goes from Chester le Street to Sunderland via Washington Galleries - Waterview Park and Sunderland Enterprise Park, would be ideal also, As the 8 at 17:17pm from Chester was also 10 Minutes Late, which affects the Reliability of the whole Route and the 78 that it Interworks with. Maybe these should actually be Stand Alone Services.
Then the M2/M3 would also Improve Links between Chester le Street and Washington, Perhaps have it run via Station Lane - Ouston - Pelton/Drum Industrial Estate and Pelton Lane into Chester le Street. "And Brand it Lambton Worm" - Could even Extend to Waldridge Park to Replace the 34/34A and Split the Allocation between Chester/Washington and also Keep the Frequency at Every 15 Minutes across the whole Route.
There's a few Suggestions from my First Day at Work.
(10 Feb 2014, 10:34 pm)aureolin wrote Giving yourself 12 hours travel time from Lambton to Chester le Street is a bit generous mind :p
(10 Feb 2014, 10:05 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Up the Frequency of the 8/50 to Every 20 Minutes and/or Extend the M2/M3 into Chester le Street on Both Services.
Simple Reason for the 50 is, This Morning I started work at 10pm, and went out to catch the 09:40am which ended up turning up 10 Minutes Late, and I was pretty much cutting it for being late this Morning, Got bollocking off my Line Manager for being a Minute Early for my Shift, Although I should perhaps get an Earlier Bus, But if said Bus had Broken Down, I would of had to wait 30 Minutes for the Next One. Perhaps having the 50 at 02/22/42 through Lambton heading towards Durham wouln't be such a Bad Idea.
As for the 8, A simply short Xpress Journey which goes from Chester le Street to Sunderland via Washington Galleries - Waterview Park and Sunderland Enterprise Park, would be ideal also, As the 8 at 17:17pm from Chester was also 10 Minutes Late, which affects the Reliability of the whole Route and the 78 that it Interworks with. Maybe these should actually be Stand Alone Services.
Then the M2/M3 would also Improve Links between Chester le Street and Washington, Perhaps have it run via Station Lane - Ouston - Pelton/Drum Industrial Estate and Pelton Lane into Chester le Street. "And Brand it Lambton Worm" - Could even Extend to Waldridge Park to Replace the 34/34A and Split the Allocation between Chester/Washington and also Keep the Frequency at Every 15 Minutes across the whole Route.
There's a few Suggestions from my First Day at Work.
(11 Feb 2014, 7:40 am)Tom wrote Cutting the 8 from Chester-le-Street to Stanley isn't a good idea, that's the busiest section of the route!
