There are a few MPD services which need upgrading

The 39 in Sunderland is one of them

The Washington street shuttle needs a upgrade

Don't really know what the passengers are like on the 40/41/80, not from that area and never used them.

Tynedale Links - same as above, never used them.

East Durham - Whats the numbers like since all the changes, diffrent question for it, what has being used on the 265?

(23 Apr 2013, 5:24 am)Michael wrote East Durham - Whats the numbers like since all the changes, diffrent question for it, what has being used on the 265?

"East Durham" branded MPD.

Potentially more issues with the x7 this morning.
A branded vehicle heading North just now was struggling up the incline from Castle Eden and kneeling very low to the road

South Gloucestershire L222SGB is operating service 530 this morning, should be swapped back over with whichever GNE coach broke down there I guess.

1010 X7 from Middlesbrough is just about to leave 20 minutes late.

Aparently there was a bus on fire this morning on Pattinson Road in Washington- ive got no idea what bus it was, but im assuming it was a GNE bus. Just wondering if anyone had any info on it?

Northern Cadet 8269 is the 1410 X7 from Middlesbrough.

(23 Apr 2013, 1:07 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Northern Cadet 8269 is the 1410 X7 from Middlesbrough.

By my reckoning, that should have been the branded bus, I saw heading into Peterlee before 9 this morning, rather than the Northern vehicle

Spd just being towed from park lane, time 5pm

5208 and 5217 are both on the X35

Dont get to Gateshead too often these days, so not sure how rare these workings are.

A Northern Vyking was on the 51/52 and a Northern Renown was being closely followed by a Solar Loop both on the 93's yesterday afternoon

'Fast Cats' Scania 4974 has just left Stockton on the 1720 X7 from Middlesbrough to Sunderland.

OK Expressway on the 50 seen going through Lambton at 18:20pm, so I decided to go catch it on the 50A at 18:50 and it ended up being a WheyAye50 Solar, safe to say I was guttered.

4979 Toon Link is on Blaydon Racers 49B http://www.flickr.com/photos/bazza90/867...hotostream (Bazza90 Bus Photos)

(24 Apr 2013, 4:39 pm)Kuyoyo wrote 'Fast Cats' Scania 4974 has just left Stockton on the 1720 X7 from Middlesbrough to Sunderland.

And here it is, in Stockton - the first non-'East Durham' branded bus on the X7

(24 Apr 2013, 6:44 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote OK Expressway on the 50 seen going through Lambton at 18:20pm, so I decided to go catch it on the 50A at 18:50 and it ended up being a WheyAye50 Solar, safe to say I was guttered.

Was that 1820 towards Durham? If so, it wouldn't do that 50A as they cross in Chester-le-Street.

(24 Apr 2013, 7:14 pm)Kuyoyo wrote

(24 Apr 2013, 4:39 pm)Kuyoyo wrote 'Fast Cats' Scania 4974 has just left Stockton on the 1720 X7 from Middlesbrough to Sunderland.

And here it is, in Stockton - the first non-'East Durham' branded bus on the X7

(24 Apr 2013, 6:44 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote OK Expressway on the 50 seen going through Lambton at 18:20pm, so I decided to go catch it on the 50A at 18:50 and it ended up being a WheyAye50 Solar, safe to say I was guttered.

Was that 1820 towards Durham? If so, it wouldn't do that 50A as they cross in Chester-le-Street.

Must of been but the way the timetable was, it seemed as though it would turn into the 50A, must have misread it

(24 Apr 2013, 7:22 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote

(24 Apr 2013, 7:14 pm)Kuyoyo wrote

(24 Apr 2013, 4:39 pm)Kuyoyo wrote 'Fast Cats' Scania 4974 has just left Stockton on the 1720 X7 from Middlesbrough to Sunderland.

And here it is, in Stockton - the first non-'East Durham' branded bus on the X7

(24 Apr 2013, 6:44 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote OK Expressway on the 50 seen going through Lambton at 18:20pm, so I decided to go catch it on the 50A at 18:50 and it ended up being a WheyAye50 Solar, safe to say I was guttered.

Was that 1820 towards Durham? If so, it wouldn't do that 50A as they cross in Chester-le-Street.

Must of been but the way the timetable was, it seemed as though it would turn into the 50A, must have misread it

That 1820 50 from Lambton to Chester terminates at Chester Moor, while the 1850 50A from Chester actually start in Durham at 1814 off the 1628 from South Shields.

I for one am very interested in the X7 - its daily allocation and the service's progression also. It seems that there has been a Deptford-based vehicle (every day being "Northern" branded, with the exception of today) which I think is rather strange indeed. 4906 (the one involved in the small bump) is still out in service as far as I'm aware, so I can't explain the shortage of "Wear Tees Xpress" vehicles, and why a Peterlee-based vehicle isn't more appropriate - even if it is an "East Durham" MPD rather than a full-sized vehicle!

Do avoid putting other peoples' posts down, Bazza! Some may perceive it as rather rude and offensive indeed - we don't want any further upsets caused!

(24 Apr 2013, 7:26 pm)Daniel wrote I for one am very interested in the X7 - its daily allocation and the service's progression also. It seems that there has been a Deptford-based vehicle (every day being "Northern" branded, with the exception of today) which I think is rather strange indeed. 4906 (the one involved in the small bump) is still out in service as far as I'm aware, so I can't explain the shortage of "Wear Tees Xpress" vehicles, and why a Peterlee-based vehicle isn't more appropriate - even if it is an "East Durham" MPD rather than a full-sized vehicle!

Do avoid putting other peoples' posts down, Bazza! Some may perceive it as rather rude and offensive indeed - we don't want any further upsets caused!

As 4908 was taken off yesterday with the mentioned suspension problems, one failure today and you'd end up with what did happen today - a Deptford bus turning up, particularly if the failure happens at the Sunderland end of the route. A failure in Middlesbrough will just mean the service is resumed in Peterlee with a spare bus.

Can i ask, how are the passenger numbers on the X7?, ive yet to see it as i work 5 days a week.

The one I saw struggling yesterday morning seemed to be replaced by a cadet, going from postings later in the day - depending whether it gave up the ghost at Peterlee or limped onto Sunderland, would be one way of looking at when a replacement drops in.
Suppose it depends how many spare vehicles are knocking about at Peterlee.

(24 Apr 2013, 7:41 pm)Michael wrote Can i ask, how are the passenger numbers on the X7?, ive yet to see it as i work 5 days a week.

Loadings seem to be picking up at the Middlesbrough end but still really no more than a dozen on average.

(24 Apr 2013, 7:41 pm)Andreos1 wrote The one I saw struggling yesterday morning seemed to be replaced by a cadet, going from postings later in the day - depending whether it gave up the ghost at Peterlee or limped onto Sunderland, would be one way of looking at when a replacement drops in.
Suppose it depends how many spare vehicles are knocking about at Peterlee.

That one you saw was 4908. It made it back to Middlesbrough after your sighting but was swapped at some point before it should have arrived in Middlesbrough for the 3rd time.

Ah, hopefully it pick's up the numbers, maybe if people knew it got to peterlee faster, more people may use it.

It did another trip?!
I'm shocked at that it made it off the A19 never mind another journey back down to Middlesbrough...

(24 Apr 2013, 7:51 pm)Andreos1 wrote It did another trip?!
I'm shocked at that it made it off the A19 never mind another journey back down to Middlesbrough...

It was like that Monday as well.

I really love the X7. It's great for me, living in Sunderland. While travelling to Teesside's recent bus rally, I discovered that it took me almost three hours to get to Stockton - and that was by Metro as opposed to usual Go North East bus if I had just purchased a Get Around day ticket as opposed to a Nexus CAT ticket plus that.
Journey time if travelling from Sunderland can be halved by using the X7.

If travelling direct to Middlesbrough, I have discovered that members of the public (like me) prefer to use the X7 from Sunderland to Peterlee, and then the X9 from Peterlee to Middlesbrough. It's only ten minutes faster, but I guess people like the luxury of a 30-minute charge of their devices and prefer the safety of connections to other buses that way. Trust me - I like to take a good risk with a connection, but even I won't put my faith in the X7 to get to Middlesbrough before the OK1 departs..!

Im curious to know what the loading are like between Sunderland and Seaham.
Said it before and sound like a broken record, but I'm sure a link with Doxford Park and Dalton Park would increase loadings- it could even be timed along Durham Road to alternate with the X35.

Speaking from personal experience, but from the west side of the A19 going south, passengers are relying on an X35 which takes a lifetime just to get to Peterlee, an hours journey to Heworth, Gateshead or Newcastle for an X9/10 or a 20/40 min (depending which bus you get) to Sunderland to jump on the X7.
Then you have passengers in the South of the region, who can see Dalton Park, who pass close to Dalton Park or work at Doxford, who have to worry about connections.
Genuinely think GNE have missed a trick sending it down Stockton Road/Ryhope way

A small report on the Go North East: "Buses By Brand" collection. Following an upload of approximately seventy photos (of which have now all been captioned and uploaded and can be seen here), a few replacements and uploads have been made. As ever, should I deem a photo to be of better quality and/or the vehicle is on the wrong branded service, a replacement will be made. Those photos (listed by fleet number below) are denoted with an [R], should they have been replaced.

Prince Bishops:
- 4989 [R]

"Angel":
- 6066 [R]

"Northern" (the tedious one!!):
- 4844
- 5165
- 6038

"Diamond":
- 5293 [R]

"Whey Aye Five 0":
- 4928 [R]
- 4931 [R]

"The Waggonway":
- 4983 [R]
- 4984

"Lambton Worm":
- 4862 [R]
- 4864 [R]

"Lime":
- 4854 [R]

"Cobalt Clipper":
- 5250
- 5259

"Cobalt Connect":
- 5245 [R]

"Simply Buy, Show & Go":
- 3803

The final brand listed in the above update is Go North East's most recent brand, and is (so far) the only vehicle to gain such branding. As a result, the brand set is now complete. Should additional vehicles be added to the brand, I shall update the set's details accordingly.

8270 (Northern) on the 61 this morning. Arrived Sunderland Interchange around 06:30, sorry can't tell you when it left.

Regards,
Callum (sitting on 4934 to school).

Update for X7 and X10 users

Norton Road, Stockton - Road remains closed following a serious fire at Godwins. Demolition will take place very soon.

Source: www.facebook.com/simplygne