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Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency

Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency

RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 9:57 pm)Aaron21 wrote I wouldn't as some of them actually make sense. It's the evenings using bsip I don't agree with. And the fact the X20 needed BSIP to come back.  

To be honest I think the improvements in evening and Sunday services are some of the best things to come out of BSIP so far, certainly in Northumberland. 

Morpeth, Bedlington, Ashington, and Guide Post now all have direct links to Cramlington (the nearest cinema to all of those towns), for example. I also think that Arriva should have introduced those links earlier, but in the situation we find ourselves in now it seems like a pretty good use of the funding.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 9:57 pm)Aaron21 wrote I wouldn't as some of them actually make sense. It's the evenings using bsip I don't agree with. And the fact the X20 needed BSIP to come back.

At no point I'm I disagree with any of them. I agree with the 33 becoming BSIP and the 56 but it's the evenings needing bsip that's it
It probably didn't, but if someone is going to wave cash at you for doing something, most businesses are going to take their hand off.

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RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:03 pm)mb134 wrote To be honest I think the improvements in evening and Sunday services are some of the best things to come out of BSIP so far, certainly in Northumberland. 

Morpeth, Bedlington, Ashington, and Guide Post now all have direct links to Cramlington (the nearest cinema to all of those towns), for example. I also think that Arriva should have introduced those links earlier, but in the situation we find ourselves in now it seems like a pretty good use of the funding.
Exactly using it for areas that need it on an evening. Like especially now the 57A goes to Ashington on an evening meaning people in Cramlington can now get to Ashington on an evening

(22 Jan 2024, 9:30 pm)Unber43 wrote They might have a chance to run profitable, where as the 777 is going to die as soon as the BSIP dies.

725/25 is just DCC/NEXUS incompetence

I've seen a lot of positive to the 777 from the account from Arriva, Morpeth Council & Newcastle Airport and it seems to be well. 

The 777 now also serves a massive purpose to the metro line between Kingston Park & Airport as that section is a frequent faults and nexus always said to use the X77/X78 to the Airport (non of which serviced Kingston Park). This 777 will also help metro people
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:03 pm)Adrian wrote Chicken and egg though, isn't it? Seems bus operators only want customers on their terms alone.

In the Big Bus Survey that was conducted ahead of Enhanced Partnership, 'Faster and more reliable journey times' was ranked as the most important factor by respondents, so u don't think you can ignore that people want the ability to get to places faster.

Maybe that's a fault of network design spanning over years, though? Too few services, each doing too much.




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I know it's not buses, but the best thing they could do is to try and extend the remaining part of the Northern network so it's part of the TNE tickets somehow. Would solve the faster links from Hexham if you could actually use the train on a multi modal ticket as it's rather expensive from Hexham currently with a bus ticket on top.

Similar could be said for the likes of Horden which I've seen is getting a massive redevelopment program around the new railway station.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:10 pm)Storx wrote I know it's not buses, but the best thing they could do is to try and extend the remaining part of the Northern network so it's part of the TNE tickets somehow. Would solve the faster links from Hexham if you could actually use the train on a multi modal ticket as it's rather expensive from Hexham currently with a bus ticket on top.

Similar could be said for the likes of Horden which I've seen is getting a massive redevelopment program around the new railway station.

The heavens would open if that happened. Even for the Explorer ticket to be valid futher than Blaydon or Sunderland
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:12 pm)Aaron21 wrote The heavens would open if that happened. Even for the Explorer ticket to be valid futher than Blaydon or Sunderland

Yeah agreed, there's not actually than many stations either really, only, since imo it shouldn't be valid on LNER/TPE/Cross Country:
Morpeth, Cramlington, Seaham, Horden, then the 9 stations or so between Haltwhistle and Wylam and half of them are pretty much unused anyway.

I'm not sure what's happening with the Northumberland Line but I do believe there's some integration from stuff mentioned in the past, planned.

Oh and Bishop Auckland, Newton Aycliffe and Shildon but can't imagine there's much demand there.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:18 pm)Storx wrote Yeah agreed, there's not actually than many stations either really, only, since imo it shouldn't be valid on LNER/TPE/Cross Country:
Morpeth, Cramlington, Seaham, Horden, then the 9 stations or so between Haltwhistle and Wylam and half of them are pretty much unused anyway.

I'm not sure what's happening with the Northumberland Line but I do believe there's some integration from stuff mentioned in the past, planned.

Oh and Bishop Auckland, Newton Aycliffe and Shildon but can't imagine there's much demand there.

I heard there making the ticket prices the same or similar to metro's
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:05 pm)Aaron21 wrote I've seen a lot of positive to the 777 from the account from Arriva, Morpeth Council & Newcastle Airport and it seems to be well. 

The 777 now also serves a massive purpose to the metro line between Kingston Park & Airport as that section is a frequent faults and nexus always said to use the X77/X78 to the Airport (non of which serviced Kingston Park). This 777 will also help metro people

Likewise. All of the parties involved seem to be heavily promoting it, much more than I have seen with any other BSIP route, and you'd imagine Newcastle Airport are also promoting it to their staff.  

As you say, it serves purposes other than simply Morpeth to Newcastle Airport, given it also serves the following employment/education sites as a few examples: 
  • Kirkley Hall (Northumberland College)
  • Newcastle Aviation Academy (Newcastle College)
  • Northumbria Police HQ
  • Kingston Park Shops (new direct link from Ponteland, and Morpeth)
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:10 pm)Storx wrote I know it's not buses, but the best thing they could do is to try and extend the remaining part of the Northern network so it's part of the TNE tickets somehow. Would solve the faster links from Hexham if you could actually use the train on a multi modal ticket as it's rather expensive from Hexham currently with a bus ticket on top.

Similar could be said for the likes of Horden which I've seen is getting a massive redevelopment program around the new railway station.
It makes sense. It happens in Manchester and West Yorkshire, where multi-modal tickets can be purchased for the whole PTE area.

Mayor Driscoll wants to bring this in for the North East, per his manifesto and the public meetings he's been doing.

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RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:18 pm)Storx wrote I'm not sure what's happening with the Northumberland Line

I'm not sure the people who are meant to be delivering it know either. 


Oh wait, you meant ticketing...
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:23 pm)mb134 wrote Likewise. All of the parties involved seem to be heavily promoting it, much more than I have seen with any other BSIP route, and you'd imagine Newcastle Airport are also promoting it to their staff.  

As you say, it serves purposes other than simply Morpeth to Newcastle Airport, given it also serves the following employment/education sites as a few examples: 
  • Kirkley Hall (Northumberland College)
  • Newcastle Aviation Academy (Newcastle College)
  • Northumbria Police HQ
  • Kingston Park Shops (new direct link from Ponteland, and Morpeth)

I remember when the 42A was cut from the airport. A lot of people I knew who used it were not happy and had to travel into town or Regent Centre to get a bus

In my honest opinion. It wouldn't shock me March throws up more links to the airport. Biggest by far is the 44 & 45 as they ain't far from it.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
I agree new services not extending existing services

How about introducing night buses

In sunderland a South loop and a North loop

I would even say fund a 24hr metro around the loop only every 30 min in both directions with security

I would also use Haymarket bus station as a base and create a night service where one bus goes off around North Tyneside and back another one around the west End one around gateshead one around South Tyneside

However say all buses leave haymarket on the hour so they can connect with one another

Then an express bus from haymarket to Team Valley then A1 to Amazon and Nissan

This would create a network for the evening economy of shift workers and nightshift

Team Valley is one of the largest employed industrial estates but the majority start at 2am 4am 5am 6am shifts

There is a 91 bus service that goes from North Tyneside to Team Valley goes round battlehill Wallsend walker byker newcastle but is about 5am

No good for people seeking work and reply on buses or finishing work

I would also look at more links using the Tyne Tunnel

Say a new bus service
Washington Galleries- Amazon - Nissan- then A19 to Jarrow Bus Station - through tunnel to Wallsend bus station up Station Road to battlehill but join coast road at battlehill to silverlink /A19 junction to create a link at silverlink then into cobalt and Northumberland Park

This would actually create many links

New Blyth line at Northumberland Park to connect

A quick access from Cobalt to Northumberland Park Metro or Wallsend (handy and quicker link between two lines even physchologically)

Wallsend bus station connects communities with Cobalt as well as Jarrow (currently takes over an hour to get from Jarrow to Wallsend ) Jarrow then has a link to North of the tyne to go to wallsend as oppose to North Shields - Jarrow then has a link to Amazon Nissan and Washington

Creating a quick link from Washington go Amazon assists the Southern part

For the service to be successful it must be express with limited stops
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:21 pm)Aaron21 wrote I heard there making the ticket prices the same or similar to metro's

Yeah, that's what I heard aswell and being part of the Metro Zones aswell.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:26 pm)Storx wrote Yeah, that's what I heard aswell and being part of the Metro Zones aswell.

I hope that network 1 and tne decide to make the ticket valid on trains to Ashington. Hell the Explorer can be valid to Middlesbrough/Hexham or Morpeth on the train. Like why pay £12.70 to ride a Northern for the same price you ride it for £9.10
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:25 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote Say a new bus service
Washington Galleries-  Amazon - Nissan- then A19 to  Jarrow Bus Station - through tunnel to Wallsend bus station up Station Road to battlehill but join coast road at battlehill to silverlink /A19 junction  to create a link at silverlink then into cobalt and Northumberland Park

I've always thought that the 19 should go through the tunnel vs to North Shields, the buses are almost always dead and there's already Cobalt to North Shields links anyway with the 310/353/354

Probably the best thing you could do is send the 9 through the tunnel to Percy Main and extend it onto the 19 through to Cramlington, obviously you'd have to break the interworking of the 9/5/24 though but it would open loads of areas to Cobalt, and if you did need to go to Nissan you could always change onto the 50 at Boldon.


(22 Jan 2024, 10:27 pm)Aaron21 wrote I hope that network 1 and tne decide to make the ticket valid on trains to Ashington. Hell the Explorer can be valid to Middlesbrough/Hexham or Morpeth on the train. Like why pay £12.70 to ride a Northern for the same price you ride it for £9.10

Yeah let's hope to be honest. Mind not sure Arriva would be too happy for obvious reasons.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:41 pm)Storx wrote I've always thought that the 19 should go through the tunnel vs to North Shields, the buses are almost always dead and there's already Cobalt to North Shields links anyway with the 310/353/354

Probably the best thing you could do is send the 9 through the tunnel to Percy Main and extend it onto the 19 through to Cramlington, obviously you'd have to break the interworking of the 9/5/24 though but it would open loads of areas to Cobalt, and if you did need to go to Nissan you could always change onto the 50 at Boldon.



Yeah let's hope to be honest. Mind not sure Arriva would be too happy for obvious reasons.

I've always wanted the 9 to return to North Shields but with the 10/11 now going to the hub. Don't know how stagecoach would take it. 

Reading through old timetables showed the 5 to Wallsend & the 9 to North Shields. Them were the days. Don't think we will ever see that
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
Really the 5 could been bolted onto the Q3, and the 9 goes all the way through to AShington when the 19 used to go there all the time
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:45 pm)Aaron21 wrote I've always wanted the 9 to return to North Shields but with the 10/11 now going to the hub. Don't know how stagecoach would take it. 

Reading through old timetables showed the 5 to Wallsend & the 9 to North Shields. Them were the days. Don't think we will ever see that

Must admit the 10/11 combination is a bit bizarre, can't really see the connections it makes as it doesn't serve anything really, definitely an operational thing. Going to disagree with the 9 going to Shields on a purely selfish basis as I live on the 19 route and it'd be nice for a cross river route Tongue

Talking about BSIP though, the 19 should run in the evenings and Sunday to give East Cramlington, the new hospital and the new estates near Northumberland Park a bus service, could be easily be done by dropping the rest of the route to hourly. There's nothing on all 3 currently and run it until 9pm or so.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:51 pm)Storx wrote Must admit the 10/11 combination is a bit bizarre, can't really see the connections it makes as it doesn't serve anything really, definitely an operational thing. Going to disagree with the 9 going to Shields on a purely selfish basis as I live on the 19 route and it'd be nice for a cross river route Tongue

Talking about BSIP though, the 19 should run in the evenings and Sunday to give East Cramlington, the new hospital and the new estates near Northumberland Park a bus service, could be easily be done by dropping the rest of the route to hourly. There's nothing on all 3 currently and run it until 9pm or so.

If bsip goes to the 19. I can't see gct running it. It's always puzzle me why the 19 lost an evening service as mentioned it was due to low passenger numbers. But the 19 serves area like Silverlink (Cinema) late working at Cobalt & gives Percy Main & Northumberland Park area a bus service on an evening. Northumberland Park to me is always a slow depression area. It's serverd by 1 bus service next to the metro station and doesn't. Bet u when the line opens. More bus services Will stop at that bus stop
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:25 pm)Aaron21 wrote I remember when the 42A was cut from the airport. A lot of people I knew who used it were not happy and had to travel into town or Regent Centre to get a bus

In my honest opinion. It wouldn't shock me March throws up more links to the airport. Biggest by far is the 44 & 45 as they ain't far from it.
That's interesting as I heard some talk last year that there was a possibility of one of the 44 or 45 going to the Airport when Arriva eventually sorted out their driver shortages.

There was a lot of complaints from local Councillors after the 42A stopped serving Dinnington. It isn't as convenient as getting the 42a without changing, but the extension of either the 44 or 45 to Airport would add an extra link for local residents to connect with Tesco at Kingston Park which was a regular use for 42a passengers.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 11:29 pm)Shrek wrote That's interesting as I heard some talk last year that there was a possibility of one of the 44 or 45 going to the Airport when Arriva eventually sorted out their driver shortages.

There was a lot of complaints from local Councillors after the 42A stopped serving Dinnington. It isn't as convenient as getting the 42a without changing, but the extension of either the 44 or 45 to Airport would add an extra link for local residents to connect with Tesco at Kingston Park which was a regular use for 42a passengers.

It will make sense to send the 44/45 to Airport. Gives people in Dinnington the link to Airport and a quick metro to Kingston Park 

Even another one being the Q3 to Kingston Park. I heard this rumours for ages and it would happen when the new road opened. The new road has opened so possibly if the Q3 is cut along Osborne Road frees up the chance for the Q3 to go to Kingston Park. Even for the people of Great Park to use the bus to go there insted of riding the Q3 to Regent to swap to a metro
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
I am going to respond to some earlier comments;
Aaron21 wroteI've always wanted the 9 to return to North Shields but with the 10/11 now going to the hub. Don't know how stagecoach would take it. Reading through old timetables showed the 5 to Wallsend & the 9 to North Shields. Them were the days. Don't think we will ever see that

1) The 9 used to be every 20 mins through the tunnel (2x to North Shields and 1x 9A to Wallsend). Stagecoach couldn't do anything about it if another operator commercially (won't happen) or nexus changes the contract as it is a contract.

(22 Jan 2024, 10:47 pm)Unber43 wrote Really the 5 could been bolted onto the Q3, and the 9 goes all the way through to AShington when the 19 used to go there all the time

2) The last thing people want is another long winded route from South of the Tyne to Newcastle (disadvantages of light rail systems impacting buses). That would be an awful route [Q3+5] sorry but it would. And the 19 has always ran with support from Cobalt AFAIK and went to Ashington once an hour with the other a short one. Then got reduced to peaks then withdrawn and never replaced.

(22 Jan 2024, 10:51 pm)Storx wrote Must admit the 10/11 combination is a bit bizarre, can't really see the connections it makes as it doesn't serve anything really, definitely an operational thing. Going to disagree with the 9 going to Shields on a purely selfish basis as I live on the 19 route and it'd be nice for a cross river route Tongue

Talking about BSIP though, the 19 should run in the evenings and Sunday to give East Cramlington, the new hospital and the new estates near Northumberland Park a bus service, could be easily be done by dropping the rest of the route to hourly. There's nothing on all 3 currently and run it until 9pm or so.

3) The 10/11 is a contract as stated before except they merged the contracts of Primrose - Jarrow - North Shields (both 30 mins). Cost wise this is beneficial for Nexus and actually has decent numbers using it from when I've used it can be up to 10 people (not bad for a contract). 

Overall I think the 10/11 should be kept the same and the 19+9 merger would be interesting to see the viability of it. But  as with anything comes down to promotion/cost/reliability and most importantly going where people need to be. The 9 is a bizarre route currently due to be chopped and chopped then extended then merged with 61 then reverted to what it is now. Shame because there is definitely potential to extend or even increase the freq as it definitely makes healthy money.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 11:36 pm)Aaron21 wrote It will make sense to send the 44/45 to Airport. Gives people in Dinnington the link to Airport and a quick metro to Kingston Park 

Even another one being the Q3 to Kingston Park. I heard this rumours for ages and it would happen when the new road opened. The new road has opened so possibly if the Q3 is cut along Osborne Road frees up the chance for the Q3 to go to Kingston Park. Even for the people of Great Park to use the bus to go there insted of riding the Q3 to Regent to swap to a metro

Quick edit. Looking up the time from Dinnington to Airport would be 8 minutes so we're looking 10 minutes with stops. That would be a good idea insted of the long layover at Dinnington which could be extended to Airport to cover links
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:24 pm)Adrian wrote It makes sense. It happens in Manchester and West Yorkshire, where multi-modal tickets can be purchased for the whole PTE area.

Mayor Driscoll wants to bring this in for the North East, per his manifesto and the public meetings he's been doing.

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Yeah seen that, hopefully it's implimented. It's crazy how everything is integrated but rail which just seems counter productive to me, especially considering the service along the Tyne Valley is quite decent really, other lines less said mind.

(22 Jan 2024, 10:25 pm)mb134 wrote I'm not sure the people who are meant to be delivering it know either. 


Oh wait, you meant ticketing...

That's true mind, we're Summer 2024 though so I'm not complaining. Be surprised if it's happens mind, as the last time I was down there it was a pond.

(22 Jan 2024, 11:27 pm)Aaron21 wrote If bsip goes to the 19. I can't see gct running it. It's always puzzle me why the 19 lost an evening service as mentioned it was due to low passenger numbers. But the 19 serves area like Silverlink (Cinema) late working at Cobalt & gives Percy Main & Northumberland Park area a bus service on an evening. Northumberland Park to me is always a slow depression area. It's serverd by 1 bus service next to the metro station and doesn't. Bet u when the line opens. More bus services Will stop at that bus stop

The whole 19 is strange tbh, I don't understand why they cut out the Royal Quays for the Fish Quay, it's just made a bus service which pretty much serves no houses at all and there's alternative routes for Cobalt / Silverlink etc which are more frequent.

The long 19's generally have a few people on whenever I see them tbf, but the short 19's are consistantly dead and I'm not surprised either.

(22 Jan 2024, 11:43 pm)logidoodah wrote 3) The 10/11 is a contract as stated before except they merged the contracts of Primrose - Jarrow - North Shields (both 30 mins). Cost wise this is beneficial for Nexus and actually has decent numbers using it from when I've used it can be up to 10 people (not bad for a contract). 

Overall I think the 10/11 should be kept the same and the 19+9 merger would be interesting to see the viability of it. But  as with anything comes down to promotion/cost/reliability and most importantly going where people need to be. The 9 is a bizarre route currently due to be chopped and chopped then extended then merged with 61 then reverted to what it is now. Shame because there is definitely potential to extend or even increase the freq as it definitely makes healthy money.

Honestly, can't disagree with that at all to be honest. I'm not sure what plans they have but they badly need to do something with the short 19's (or scrap it). They're constantly empty whenever I've seen one pass.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 9:28 pm)Storx wrote Let's just spend all the tax payer funds on commercial routes while other people have the square root of nothing.

BSIP should be going nowhere near any of those routes. It should be spent on stuff like the 25 to Langley Park, 56/57/58 in Co. Durham which are infrequent, evening services that don't exist ie. 57 throughout, the X24/X34 Sunday service which never existed, new routes to open new opportunities ie 777 in Morpeth.

Not frequent corridors.

Agreed! Especially when it comes to the more southern parts of County Durham which have really suffered in the last few years with reduced frequencies and lost links

56 - down from half hourly to hourly, the few times I've seen the 56 heading to/from Tindle Crescent before/after Bishop Auckland Town Centre has been dead every time I've seen it, surely would be better to run the 56 half hourly from Bishop Auckland to Coundon at least like it was doing through COVID. Amazing how it was 4 bph not so long ago with the 18 & 56 between Coundon & Bishop.

35A - which is essentially the evening version of the 8/8A/56, was cut down from hourly to every 2 hours in COVID and then when Hodgsons took over, the service was cut to finish at around 10pm meaning the last Ferryhill to Bishop Auckland and Bishop Auckland to Ferryhill trips were withdrawn, this was said to be a temporary measure due to staffing issues when they took on the contract but shows no signs of a return.

8 - parts of Chilton & Ferryhill plus Kirk Merrington and parts of Spennymoor lost their service on a Sunday.

West Cornforth - as well as the reduction of the 56 to hourly and loss of Sunday Service due to 56 now terminating at Coxhoe, the direct link to Spennymoor was lost when Scarlet Band closed - also means Green Lane in Spennymoor went from 3 Buses an hour (8A/112/113) to 1 (8A - 112 withdrawn and 113 terminating at Ferryhill) with 8A now dropping out on school days to run school service 865.

Link between Newton Aycliffe and Sedgefield lost with the X22 replacing the X21 but only as far as Sedgefield, meaning direct journeys from the likes of Fishburn to Aycliffe/Darlo have been lost.

Parts of Shildon now unserved.

Sadly seems these areas ain't going to get a look in, despite the MP for some of the areas claiming to be taking action as suggested in sponsored Facebook posts.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
The thing with BSIP is that it’s being administered by the same people who have overseen a total collapse in the network or who have never been on a bus in their lives.

We need more buses for those 9-5 office based workers!
Newcastle to Sunderland only has a metro, a northern rail service and the worlds slowest bus..let’s add more buses, that sounds an idea
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(25 Jan 2024, 9:44 pm)Jimmi wrote Agreed! Especially when it comes to the more southern parts of County Durham which have really suffered in the last few years with reduced frequencies and lost links

56 - down from half hourly to hourly, the few times I've seen the 56 heading to/from Tindle Crescent before/after Bishop Auckland Town Centre has been dead every time I've seen it, surely would be better to run the 56 half hourly from Bishop Auckland to Coundon at least like it was doing through COVID. Amazing how it was 4 bph not so long ago with the 18 & 56 between Coundon & Bishop.

35A - which is essentially the evening version of the 8/8A/56, was cut down from hourly to every 2 hours in COVID and then when Hodgsons took over, the service was cut to finish at around 10pm meaning the last Ferryhill to Bishop Auckland and Bishop Auckland to Ferryhill trips were withdrawn, this was said to be a temporary measure due to staffing issues when they took on the contract but shows no signs of a return.

8 - parts of Chilton & Ferryhill plus Kirk Merrington and parts of Spennymoor lost their service on a Sunday.

West Cornforth - as well as the reduction of the 56 to hourly and loss of Sunday Service due to 56 now terminating at Coxhoe, the direct link to Spennymoor was lost when Scarlet Band closed - also means Green Lane in Spennymoor went from 3 Buses an hour (8A/112/113) to 1 (8A - 112 withdrawn and 113 terminating at Ferryhill) with 8A now dropping out on school days to run school service 865.

Link between Newton Aycliffe and Sedgefield lost with the X22 replacing the X21 but only as far as Sedgefield, meaning direct journeys from the likes of Fishburn to Aycliffe/Darlo have been lost.

Parts of Shildon now unserved.

Sadly seems these areas ain't going to get a look in, despite the MP for some of the areas claiming to be taking action as suggested in sponsored Facebook posts.

Yeah totally agreed, imo the most sensible thing would be to extend the 99 through to Durham via Amazon. Would open new links pretty much the whole route if it ran something like: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/54.77704...?entry=ttu

With your 56 shorts, you'd technically sort most the issues out with Coundon really, 2 buses to Durham and 2 buses to Bishop. It's also absolutely crackers there's still no bus service to the Amazon at Bowburn.

For Sedgefield to Aycliffe/Darlington, maybe extend that 113 I think it is through, maybe to School Aycliffe to replace, I think the 17, be a bit of a dogleg but still better than nothing tbh and it's vital links like you say. Could maybe bolt into the 8A aswell and give Sedgefield links to Spennymoor. All much better than the X20.
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(22 Jan 2024, 10:45 pm)Aaron21 wrote I've always wanted the 9 to return to North Shields but with the 10/11 now going to the hub. Don't know how stagecoach would take it. 

Reading through old timetables showed the 5 to Wallsend & the 9 to North Shields. Them were the days. Don't think we will ever see that
The 5 never went to Wallsend at all, Wallsend had the 9, North Shields had the 9A, then it was renumbered to 59 and 59A respectively, then there was no bus at all, then the 9 was brought back to run to North Shields, then the 5 took over in 2018, then was replaced by what it is now with the 10/11

Where did the 19 go so wrong, wasnt it (once upon a time) every 15 minutes
Kind Regards
Tez
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(26 Jan 2024, 10:34 am)V514DFT wrote The 5 never went to Wallsend at all, Wallsend had the 9, North Shields had the 9A, then it was renumbered to 59 and 59A respectively, then there was no bus at all, then the 9 was brought back to run to North Shields, then the 5 took over in 2018, then was replaced by what it is now with the 10/11

Where did the 19 go so wrong, wasnt it (once upon a time) every 15 minutes

Can't remember the 19 frequency. But I remember the OmniCity on it
RE: Reintroduction of Temporarily Reduced Services Back to Original Frequency
(26 Jan 2024, 10:34 am)V514DFT wrote The 5 never went to Wallsend at all, Wallsend had the 9, North Shields had the 9A, then it was renumbered to 59 and 59A respectively, then there was no bus at all, then the 9 was brought back to run to North Shields, then the 5 took over in 2018, then was replaced by what it is now with the 10/11

Where did the 19 go so wrong, wasnt it (once upon a time) every 15 minutes

The 319 ran in between all that aswell at some point, by GCT. It also ran before it aswell with the 310, running pretty much the 342 between Wallsend and Cramlington.