(08 Mar 2024, 6:50 am)MVK500R wrote The Q3 isn't changing after all. Spoke to a driver about it on Tuesday night and he said it's still going to severe Osborne Road.

Then what was the point in announcement it was a success. Its still losted the 35 will go there

I've just read the consultation which was posted in NOVEMBER. GNE knew there was a chance they would not be paid to run through Jesmond in some capacity since whenever the tenders went out. If they didn't plan for a scenario where they didn't win the 35 (the consultation was pretty explicit), then what on earth have they been doing?

What's even more strange. The Q3 was mentioned in the news section when it was announced it was won but now its complete gone. The only remains now are the 35 still going via Osborne Road. Nothing mentioned of the Q3 anymore

An improved 35 bus route will operate on a new route from Fawdon to Newcastle City Centre every 30 minutes. Buses will now include Osborne Road in Jesmond and also run on evenings and Sundays providing new links at these times to and from Fawdon, Kenton Park Shopping Centre, Osborne Road and Newcastle City Centre.

No mention of the Q3 anymore

(08 Mar 2024, 9:38 am)Aaron21 wrote What's even more strange. The Q3 was mentioned in the news section when it was announced it was won but now its complete gone. The only remains now are the 35 still going via Osborne Road. Nothing mentioned of the Q3 anymore

An improved 35 bus route will operate on a new route from Fawdon to Newcastle City Centre every 30 minutes.  Buses will now include Osborne Road in Jesmond and also run on evenings and Sundays providing new links at these times to and from Fawdon, Kenton Park Shopping Centre, Osborne Road and Newcastle City Centre.

No mention of the Q3 anymore

For all thier faults, I don't believe the local authority would pay to run the 35 that way if they knew the Q3 was staying at the time of the consultation.

Either GNE aren't very organised or they are taking the P IMO

"1. Customers using service Q3 to and from Great Park would like to see a more direct service i.e., not via Osborne Road."

(08 Mar 2024, 9:08 am)DeltaMan wrote I've just read the consultation which was posted in NOVEMBER. GNE knew there was a chance they would not be paid to run through Jesmond in some capacity since whenever the tenders went out. If they didn't plan for a scenario where they didn't win the 35 (the consultation was pretty explicit), then what on earth have they been doing?

I don't know the answer but maybe GNE have took it back on commercially. There's absolutely nothing stopping them doing so, ignoring morals.

Unless the Great Park is filling the buses up (which it doesn't), then running a 20 minute bus service against a 7.5 minute bus service which is very well used is probably not the best idea. The buses are pretty much empty as they are anyway.

In an ideal world it should be split back at Newcastle and renumbered the 42 and ran every 15 minutes in tandem with the 43/44/45 which are struggling with capacity to give a bus every 5 minutes vs 7.5 minutes + 20 minutes with tickets accepted between both, but that's a different story.

Also wasn't there a rule when getting electric buses that they couldn't change the route for x years, or am I making that up?

(08 Mar 2024, 9:56 am)Storx wrote I don't know the answer but maybe GNE have took it back on commercially. There's absolutely nothing stopping them doing so, ignoring morals.

Unless the Great Park is filling the buses up (which it doesn't), then running a 20 minute bus service against a 7.5 minute bus service which is very well used is probably not the best idea. The buses are pretty much empty as they are anyway.

In an ideal world it should be split back at Newcastle and renumbered the 42 and ran every 15 minutes in tandem with the 43/44/45 which are struggling with capacity to give a bus every 5 minutes vs 7.5 minutes + 20 minutes with tickets accepted between both, but that's a different story.

Then they should have told NEXUS in November? In the consultation it says they pay for the it to go via Jesmond and have done since 2022

(08 Mar 2024, 9:57 am)DeltaMan wrote Then they should have told NEXUS in November? In the consultation it says they pay for the it to go via Jesmond and have done since 2022

Aye no arguments, it's a bit of a mess. The Q3 is a bit of a mess of a route, the thing is just subsidised all over the place and it's just a weak duplication through Gosforth really.

I know you quoted about the Great Park wanting a faster bus but the Great Park isn't big enough to warrant a 3 BPH service for itself.

It's the sort of route that if the bus companies actually have this 'partnership' they should work together and kill a few other stones around, the X46 being part of it somehow for example. 

imo the Great Park should be covered by the X47 (Stagecoach), with something coming from the Gosforth direction to cover than link (35?/X46?) with the Q3 curtailed in Newcastle but under the current system that won't happen and GNE, GCT and SNE will happily take tax payers money on the 35/X46 and Q3.

(08 Mar 2024, 10:04 am)Storx wrote Aye no arguments, it's a bit of a mess. The Q3 is a bit of a mess of a route, the thing is just subsidised all over the place and it's just a weak duplication through Gosforth really.

I know you quoted about the Great Park wanting a faster bus but the Great Park isn't big enough to warrant a 3 BPH service for itself.

It's the sort of route that if the bus companies actually have this 'partnership' they should work together and kill a few other stones around, the X46 being part of it somehow for example. 

imo the Great Park should be covered by the X47 (Stagecoach), with something coming from the Gosforth direction to cover than link (35?/X46?) with the Q3 curtailed in Newcastle but under the current system that won't happen and GNE, GCT and SNE will happily take tax payers money on the 35/X46 and Q3.

It will certainly be interesting to see what happens next. It cannot be sustainable for both the Q3 and 35 to operate via Jesmond, a well off area, with 5 buses and hour and a Metro, when my Mums' estate, one of the most deprived areas of Newcastle, has two buses per hour. Its a bit sickening.

(08 Mar 2024, 10:46 am)DeltaMan wrote It will certainly be interesting to see what happens next. It cannot be sustainable for both the Q3 and 35 to operate via Jesmond, a well off area, with 5 buses and hour and a Metro, when my Mums' estate, one of the most deprived areas of Newcastle, has two buses per hour. Its a bit sickening.

Yeah totally agreed, the whole Great North Road corridor will be interesting, I think, as I know some think it won't go anywhere and it's all guesswork right now but I have a feeling the trains will have more of an impact personally. 

It's definitely rather busy along there with buses with the: 30/31/35/43/44/45/X46/X9/X10/X11/X14/X15/X16/X18/X20/X21/X22/354/Q3

I want to put my neck on the line and say it's the busiest corridor in the North East, even above Newcastle to Gateshead without working it out.

Just to add to this, one thing we're missing here is the 35 registration which is completely missing aswell. Maybe the changes aren't going ahead at all?

Stagecoach have the registration in for the X78 so it's not as if they haven't done them yet. It's not as if it's like Nexus to be incompetent in communications.

(08 Mar 2024, 10:04 am)Storx wrote I know you quoted about the Great Park wanting a faster bus but the Great Park isn't big enough to warrant a 3 BPH service for itself.

I think if Great Park was to get another service it would be best to use one of the Kingston Park Stagecoach routes, or extend the 777 so that they've got a direct link to the Airport as well. Not everyone from Great Park will want to go to Gosforth and Newcastle.

(08 Mar 2024, 11:48 am)mb134 wrote I think if Great Park was to get another service it would be best to use one of the Kingston Park Stagecoach routes, or extend the 777 so that they've got a direct link to the Airport as well. Not everyone from Great Park will want to go to Gosforth and Newcastle.

Yeah agreed tbh, the X47 would be the best route imo, would give the other half of the Great Park a bus service aswell. It pretty much ends at it anyway.

Problem with the Q3 is that it's the Q2/40A/X40 all merged into 1 route, so somewhere along its route you'll have someone moaning and bitching that they've lost that service, but yet i bet they never used it in the first place

(08 Mar 2024, 3:31 pm)V514DFT wrote Problem with the Q3 is that it's the Q2/40A/X40 all merged into 1 route, so somewhere along its route you'll have someone moaning and bitching that they've lost that service, but yet i bet they never used it in the first place

Aye your right there, it's just not very logical either as there's nothing of real note on the beyond Newcastle / Gosforth really.

It'd be interesting to see how many people actually cross Newcastle or whether it would be better being split again, and restore the proper loop in Newcastle.

Looks like Tynedale Links is getting a refresh, about time too as some of them are in a bit of a state externally and haven’t been touched since they were new in 2016.


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(10 Mar 2024, 1:00 pm)TEN 6083 wrote

Looks like Tynedale Links is getting a refresh, about time too as some of them are in a bit of a state externally and haven’t been touched since they were new in 2016.


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Shame the Drifter couldn't get a refresh... been the same since the Streetlites arrived for the route.

(10 Mar 2024, 1:11 pm)Michael wrote Shame the Drifter couldn't get a refresh... been the same since the Streetlites arrived for the route.

Prince Bishops as well. I’ve been in Durham the past couple of days photographing rail replacements and a few of them are missing vinyls.


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(10 Mar 2024, 1:00 pm)TEN 6083 wrote

Looks like Tynedale Links is getting a refresh, about time too as some of them are in a bit of a state externally and haven’t been touched since they were new in 2016.


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Yes, Tynedale Links is getting a refresh this summer apparently. Long overdue.

(10 Mar 2024, 1:00 pm)TEN 6083 wrote

Looks like Tynedale Links is getting a refresh, about time too as some of them are in a bit of a state externally and haven’t been touched since they were new in 2016.


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Could you tell me where you found the picture from please? Is there any info on the refresh?

(10 Mar 2024, 3:42 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Could you tell me where you found the picture from please? Is there any info on the refresh?

That image is posted on GNE's facebook.

(10 Mar 2024, 4:34 pm)F114TML wrote That image is posted on GNE's facebook.

Cheers.

(10 Mar 2024, 1:22 pm)TEN 6083 wrote Prince Bishops as well. I’ve been in Durham the past couple of days photographing rail replacements and a few of them are missing vinyls.


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Both Prince Bishops and Drifters ARE getting a refresh next

(10 Mar 2024, 6:07 pm)Retro Nero wrote Both Prince Bishops and Drifters ARE getting a refresh next

I hope they keep the 60 Livery and don't dum the brand down similar to Coasters old Livery to the new one that would be a shame.

(10 Mar 2024, 6:07 pm)Retro Nero wrote Both Prince Bishops and Drifters ARE getting a refresh next

About time, still sticking to the same Streetlites on the 60?, hopefully they might get a seat upgrade with USB's.

(10 Mar 2024, 8:59 pm)Michael wrote About time, still sticking to the same Streetlites on the 60?, hopefully they might get a seat upgrade with USB's.

They could do with new buses, they need it tbh. 

When Deptford goes eletric or hybrid or whatever GA or GNE are thinking theyll probably be first in line to get them

I wonder if only the Solos are getting a refresh for Tynedale Links or if the Versas could be repainted yellow?

Does anybody know yet when the refresh for Tynedale Links is happening and if the same buses will be in the livery or if some of the other Solo SRs or Versas will be repainted into the new livery?

Has the yellow been changed to a brighter shade or just the same?

317 is going great.

660 got taken off and replaced by a Cobalt cause of a break down and now 5463 has also died on its first journey taking 20 minutes to get from Percy Main to Royal Quays

(24 Mar 2024, 10:15 am)Aaron21 wrote 317 is going great.

660 got taken off and replaced by a Cobalt cause of a break down and now 5463 has also died on its first journey taking 20 minutes to get from Percy Main to Royal Quays

Typical of the wrecks that are offloaded to Percy Main.

GCT 351 from Newcastle - Whitley Bay didn't even start at Haymarket, it started in Jesmond and is running 8 minutes early.

(24 Mar 2024, 11:24 am)nova347 wrote GCT 351 from Newcastle - Whitley Bay didn't even start at Haymarket, it started in Jesmond and is running 8 minutes early.

It would've that's just a tracking error, GCT cuts out all the time - if it's working at all.