(23 Sep 2014, 1:33 pm)Andreos1 wrote Sorry - the NPower service.

If NPower have signed a contract that means GNE can afford to send a decker back and forth all day, then brilliant.
Even if it was a partial contribution, that enabled GNE to divert a commercial run around there - even better. GNE win twice then, with conc passes, ticket sales AND NPower's contribution, ensuring it calls into The Chilton Country Pub.
The x22 would have been ideal!

One thought I have just had, is the state of Black Boy Road in the winter and DCC's apparent reluctance in gritting their portion.
Although it has just recently been 'dressed', it wasn't too long ago that Busman101 was complaining about the state of road.


#busesinditches
#hashtagsonNEB 



It is interesting the signs are on the Sunderland/T&W side of the bridge and is about the DCC portion.
DCC don't have any signs on their side of the bridge.

The service will be running as a private service presently.  The reason it's running is the severe lack of car parking space within the npower site now that it is the only site for the North East. Peterlee will cease to exist by the end of this month so staff from across the North East will travel to Rainton.  A park & ride service is the only viable option at present to acommodate the increase in staff housed within Rainton

Due to varying shift patterns not everyone starts or finishes at the same times.  

The cost to nPower will be a part of the package required to move employees from other locations.

Without an incentive like this the staff (unions) would have kicked-up a fuss about potential constructive dismissal.

I would imagine that nPower would want to keep at least some of their staff (having trained them) - even if there is some shrinkage expected.

(23 Sep 2014, 6:11 pm)Dan wrote Scania L94UB 4972 has now re-gained "Laser" vinyls, joining the already confirmed 4968 and 4970.
4971 was still in plain gold yesterday, but I didn't see it today, so cannot comment on whether it has been branded or not.

I was on it yesterday and was plain gold

(23 Sep 2014, 12:37 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote You could argue the same about QEH Shuttle and the X40, seems pointless to me Operating a Service every 15/20 Minutes throughout the Day when as say nobody is going to use it due to being in Work, Perhaps Operating the Service to Employers Shifts would be more Ideal, as I would imagine there will a hell of lot of Dead Mileage on these Services also.

Dunno about the X40, but if staff had to 'pay' to use the QEH shuttle the majority would probably just walk.

(23 Sep 2014, 6:50 pm)gordondack wrote The service will be running as a private service presently.  The reason it's running is the severe lack of car parking space within the npower site now that it is the only site for the North East. Peterlee will cease to exist by the end of this month so staff from across the North East will travel to Rainton.  A park & ride service is the only viable option at present to acommodate the increase in staff housed within Rainton

Due to varying shift patterns not everyone starts or finishes at the same times.  

Sorry to keep harping on about this. Sad as it sounds, I find the whole set up for the service quite interesting.

Yeah, I get the varying shift patterns - but if a car park is full for the majority of the day from early morning, the chances of it emptying enough to justify a decker operating every 15mins, is slim to nil.
The fact the 35a can leave Rainton Bridge carrying nowt but the driver (operating a 20min frequency) and the 20a can whizz through and not stop at all - ditto the the 923, tells me all there is to know about shift patterns and demands for public transport over the course of the day.

In addition, since Monday, I have seen 6100 four times (it may have been 6099 today, never noticed the fleet id), and I have seen no more than 1 passenger on board the bus (all at varying times of the day) on each of those occasions.
Granted, it will get a lot busier than that.

Also, there are two more 'restriction/advisory' road signs on the route - which I hadn't noted previously.
One prior to the left hand turn onto Black Boy Road and one on the entrance to Black Boy Road.

However, to turn this into a positive! 
Demand for P&R will be higher today than previously - if only because of the huge crane parked outside NPower, offering bungee jumps. Not sure how many car parking spaces that is taking up, but it is a few!

(24 Sep 2014, 11:16 am)Chris wrote Dunno about the X40, but if staff had to 'pay' to use the QEH shuttle the majority would probably just walk.

When I've been on the X40 throughout the day it's been quite busy

4949 courtesy of DiagTest:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/110217213@...155470557/

Personally, it looks like it has repainted white again but it is probably just me.

(24 Sep 2014, 3:20 pm)Robert wrote 4949 courtesy of DiagTest:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/110217213@...155470557/

Personally, it looks like it has repainted white again but it is probably just me.

Indeed it has. I think it's down as 'White' on our fleet list?

3802 is the latest Trident in for repaint.

(24 Sep 2014, 3:29 pm)Dan wrote Indeed it has. I think it's down as 'White' on our fleet list?

3802 is the latest Trident in for repaint.

Looks like they are continuing the poppy bus?

700's running in threes, this afternoon at 3:20- the buses weren't regulated. One driver was going to self regulate (as he was 40 minutes late!) but told to continue by control, from what I gather. Seems to be a few problems with the 700's. While passengers were turned away off 1 bus this morning.

(24 Sep 2014, 3:37 pm)Drifter60 wrote 700's running in threes, this afternoon at 3:20- the buses weren't regulated. One driver was going to self regulate (as he was 40 minutes late!) but told to continue by control, from what I gather. Seems to be a few problems with the 700's. While passengers were turned away off 1 bus this morning.

Contact Nexus with your concerns...?

Was going to email Go North East?

(24 Sep 2014, 3:44 pm)Drifter60 wrote Was going to email Go North East?

Why? They don't pay for the service and aren't in charge of making changes... That's down to Nexus...

(24 Sep 2014, 3:44 pm)Drifter60 wrote Was going to email Go North East?

Makes sense to me.
Although it is a Nexus service, GNE are the ones who manage and operate it on a daily basis.

Suppose it won't do any harm cc'ing Nexus into the email and then both parties are privvy to the issues you raise.

(24 Sep 2014, 3:47 pm)Andreos1 wrote Makes sense to me.
Although it is a Nexus service, GNE are the ones who manage and operate it on a daily basis.

Suppose it won't do any harm cc'ing Nexus into the email and then both parties are privvy to the issues you raise.

I'd suggest that Nexus should be aware of overcrowding issues, given that Go North East will send Nexus service statistics. This is the reason we saw the introduction of service 701.

Any service changes are down to Nexus though; as such, I think it would be more appropriate to e-mail Nexus with concerns or ideas for improvements regarding these services? Go North East is no more than a middle man, and I think Drifter60 stands a better chance of getting his message across by e-mailing Nexus directly.

(24 Sep 2014, 3:50 pm)Dan wrote I'd suggest that Nexus should be aware of overcrowding issues, given that Go North East will send Nexus service statistics. This is the reason we saw the introduction of service 701.

Any service changes are down to Nexus though; as such, I think it would be more appropriate to e-mail Nexus with concerns or ideas for improvements regarding these services? Go North East is no more than a middle man, and I think Drifter60 stands a better chance of getting his message across by e-mailing Nexus directly.

Ever think the 700 will be allocated bigger buses, if numbers continue to rise?

(24 Sep 2014, 4:07 pm)Michael wrote Ever think the 700 will be allocated bigger buses, if numbers continue to rise?

In all honesty, I don't. Nexus can't finance such things - just see recent discussion re QuayLink.

I think Nexus will expand on service 701 during the periods whereby overloading is an issue (as it certainly isn't at certain points of the day when nothing but fresh air is carried).

Somebody may know the answer to this but is 3801 VOR? Havent seen it at all for weeks (at least after its repaint (if its been done which im sure it has))

(24 Sep 2014, 3:50 pm)Dan wrote I'd suggest that Nexus should be aware of overcrowding issues, given that Go North East will send Nexus service statistics. This is the reason we saw the introduction of service 701.

Any service changes are down to Nexus though; as such, I think it would be more appropriate to e-mail Nexus with concerns or ideas for improvements regarding these services? Go North East is no more than a middle man, and I think Drifter60 stands a better chance of getting his message across by e-mailing Nexus directly.

Hence the suggestion to include both.

Saying that, if the action/response Drifter60 gets from Nexus, is anything like the one I had re GCT - he is on to a winner.
It has been the only passenger related dealings I have had with Nexus, but it beat anything GNE have 'done', in response to an issue, hands down.

(24 Sep 2014, 4:16 pm)Dan wrote In all honesty, I don't. Nexus can't finance such things - just see recent discussion re QuayLink.

I think Nexus will expand on service 701 during the periods whereby overloading is an issue (as it certainly isn't at certain points of the day when nothing but fresh air is carried).

Iv'e seen it many times packed to the brim, also like other services, they can be empty... 

3891 repainted.  Still got a logo to go on the front thou.

(24 Sep 2014, 5:01 pm)citaro5284 wrote 3891 repainted.  Still got a logo to go on the front thou.

It looks much better than last version

(24 Sep 2014, 5:05 pm)Michael wrote It looks much better than last version

I prefer the last version...

(24 Sep 2014, 4:16 pm)Dan wrote In all honesty, I don't. Nexus can't finance such things - just see recent discussion re QuayLink.

I think Nexus will expand on service 701 during the periods whereby overloading is an issue (as it certainly isn't at certain points of the day when nothing but fresh air is carried).

I think the element of the partnership that Sunderland Connect has with the Uni is the key here. Added security over the local government cuts that Quaylink is feeling the pressure from. We'll have to see what happens though.

Looking at the Nexus list I supplied on here, there are two separate contracts for Sunderland Connect. One for the 700 & 701 of two vehicles (expiring Sept 2015), and one for just the 700 of one vehicle. That one was marked as having expired on the 12th September this year, so I wonder how they've renegotiated that one? Option of a year extension perhaps?

(24 Sep 2014, 5:01 pm)citaro5284 wrote 3891 repainted.  Still got a logo to go on the front thou.

Thanks for uploading a photo, citaro5284. Saw it while passing Percy Main this evening and it looked alright, but there was a few buses in front of it so couldn't get a decent photo. Hopefully ready for service tomorrow!

Will be interesting to see the other colours for 3866/67 and 3890!

(24 Sep 2014, 5:01 pm)citaro5284 wrote 3891 repainted.  Still got a logo to go on the front thou.

Looks really smart that.

(24 Sep 2014, 5:01 pm)citaro5284 wrote 3891 repainted. Still got a logo to go on the front thou.

Love it, nice contrast between green and white. Looks pretty eye catching, if you ask me.

(24 Sep 2014, 5:45 pm)Marcus wrote Love it, nice contrast between green and white. Looks pretty eye catching, if you ask me.

Looks similar to 3867 now. 

(24 Sep 2014, 5:18 pm)Dan wrote Thanks for uploading a photo, citaro5284. Saw it while passing Percy Main this evening and it looked alright, but there was a few buses in front of it so couldn't get a decent photo. Hopefully ready for service tomorrow!

Will be interesting to see the other colours for 3866/67 and 3890!

Could go down the primary colours route which would mean 3866/7/90 would be Red, Yellow and Blue. Open for suggestions i guess. If only we could have little games like this where you could get #NEBPoints

(24 Sep 2014, 12:48 pm)Andreos1 wrote Sorry to keep harping on about this. Sad as it sounds, I find the whole set up for the service quite interesting.

Yeah, I get the varying shift patterns - but if a car park is full for the majority of the day from early morning, the chances of it emptying enough to justify a decker operating every 15mins, is slim to nil.
The fact the 35a can leave Rainton Bridge carrying nowt but the driver (operating a 20min frequency) and the 20a can whizz through and not stop at all - ditto the the 923, tells me all there is to know about shift patterns and demands for public transport over the course of the day.

In addition, since Monday, I have seen 6100 four times (it may have been 6099 today, never noticed the fleet id), and I have seen no more than 1 passenger on board the bus (all at varying times of the day) on each of those occasions.
Granted, it will get a lot busier than that.

Also, there are two more 'restriction/advisory' road signs on the route - which I hadn't noted previously.
One prior to the left hand turn onto Black Boy Road and one on the entrance to Black Boy Road.

However, to turn this into a positive! 
Demand for P&R will be higher today than previously - if only because of the huge crane parked outside NPower, offering bungee jumps. Not sure how many car parking spaces that is taking up, but it is a few!

Enjoying the craic on the npower p&R route from Chilton Country Pub to Rainton Bridge.  To put a bit of perspective into the discussion, the site was picked by npower and the route has been fully risk assessed before the operation started as well as the car park at Chilton.  That process included looking at the bridge and the weight limit is 40 tons, so no problem for a bus, regardless of size.  Since my last moan on Black Boy Road, its been resurfaced and widened slightly too, plus its got a centre line for the first time in the 14 years I've known the road.  There's been a bit of tree pruning done as well so that double deckers can be used.  The yellow warning signs are to persuade HGV's, particularly artics, not to use Black Boy Road as a rat run to get to the A1 at Chester-le-Street - they need to face the FPF and pray for safe passage.

The vehicle size is at the request of the customer and it may well change in the next few weeks once the service settles down.  The timetable may change too - it's all down to the customer.  There's another 400 plus people moving from Peterlee to Rainton Bridge from next week, so its busy times at Rainton Bridge and the aim is to increase usage on the 20A, 35A & 921-923 etc as well as having the p&r sites.

Lets see if the second p&r site provokes as much reaction when it starts next Monday - eyes peeled boys and girls!!!