(28 Feb 2017, 9:37 pm)S813 FVK wrote I would like to see something like this happen:

- 5x Mercedes Citaros branded 'Blaydon Racers' for services 12/12A replacing the 'Toon Link' brand
- 1x Scania Omnicity repainted into the corporate livery and transferred to Stanley to operate the single decker board on services 6/X70/X71 and replacing the second red Merc.

- 4x Mercedes Citaros branded 'Tynedalexpress' for services X84/X85 joined by 1 red Merc from Stanley as a spare (fitted with WiFi only).
- 5x Scania L94UB to Chester-le-Street for Waggonway 28/28A allowing the current Solars to join the Training Fleet as rumoured

The other red Mercedes Citaro at Stanley could also go to Hexham, repainted and branded for 'Tynedale Links' replacing 5210 on the 680.

Believe that 4965 has been sent up to Thorntons for training conversion.

Does anyone out there know what the situation is with the Go North East travel shop at Chester-Le-Street. I know a while back I'm pretty sure they stopped doing ticket sales etc but can you still obtain timetables. Every time I pass there is usually bus drivers hanging about inside.

(01 Mar 2017, 9:51 am)Northern wrote Does anyone out there know what the situation is with the Go North East travel shop at Chester-Le-Street. I know a while back I'm pretty sure they stopped doing ticket sales etc but can you still obtain timetables. Every time I pass there is usually bus drivers hanging about inside.

Apparently it's now closed, and is a canteen for drivers - If this is the case, they might want to get rid of the big sign.....

(01 Mar 2017, 9:47 am)RBZ 5459 wrote Believe that 4965 has been sent up to Thorntons for training conversion.

As has 4961

(01 Mar 2017, 10:50 am)LeeCalder wrote Apparently it's now closed, and is a canteen for drivers - If this is the case, they might want to get rid of the big sign.....

£££

(01 Mar 2017, 9:47 am)RBZ 5459 wrote Believe that 4965 has been sent up to Thorntons for training conversion.

That's correct - it was confirmed on our news page early this morning.

Other one that wasn't noted on the news page was 4961 from Deptford.

5324 is on loan to Chester le Street from Washington and is on the 8/78 today.

Most of the indio go north tyne solos niw have posters advertising the upcoming changes on the 19th,it appears the current bento asda 42's are going to re-numbered 42A and extend to Kingston Park,its a good idea in my opinion just a shame about it not serving Four Lane Ends

(01 Mar 2017, 10:50 am)LeeCalder wrote Apparently it's now closed, and is a canteen for drivers - If this is the case, they might want to get rid of the big sign.....

It isn't used as a canteen, it is often used as a means of shelter during the rain when drivers are waiting to go onto their next bus, as opposed to the bench immediately in front of the building. The canteen is located behind the travel shop.

(01 Mar 2017, 4:24 pm)R852 PRG wrote It isn't used as a canteen, it is often used as a means of shelter during the rain when drivers are waiting to go onto their next bus, as opposed to the bench immediately in front of the building. The canteen is located behind the travel shop.

But you can get through to the canteen via the old travel shop - there's a door behind the desk. Many drivers use this as through access to the canteen upstairs, and will come back out via the side door.

(01 Mar 2017, 10:50 am)LeeCalder wrote Apparently it's now closed, and is a canteen for drivers - If this is the case, they might want to get rid of the big sign.....

Which makes it virtually impossible to get hold of timetables for the likes of the 18, 34 etc other than on the buses themselves - getting hold of printed timetables in County Durham has always been a pain, which must mean they lose out on potential new/occasional passengers (I know the leaflets are available online, but that's not much use to some when out and about).

Just didn't know if you could still pick up timetables or not from travel shop.

(01 Mar 2017, 12:21 pm)Dan wrote That's correct - it was confirmed on our news page early this morning.

Other one that wasn't noted on the news page was 4961 from Deptford.

Guessing some at Percy Main are being converted too as 4933 is still at Percy Main, saw it on the 40/41 today?

(01 Mar 2017, 5:38 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Which makes it virtually impossible to get hold of timetables for the likes of the 18, 34 etc other than on the buses themselves - getting hold of printed timetables in County Durham has always been a pain, which must mean they lose out on potential new/occasional passengers (I know the leaflets are available online, but that's not much use to some when out and about).

Doesn't solve the problem of individual timetables, but Chester-le-street could do with a big passenger information board, what services go where, and which stand to wait for that service. It's perhaps needed more, now that there is no travel shop.

(01 Mar 2017, 2:54 pm)V514DFT wrote Most of the indio go north tyne solos niw have posters advertising the upcoming changes on the 19th,it appears the current bento asda 42's are going to re-numbered 42A and extend to Kingston Park,its a good idea in my opinion just a shame about it not serving Four Lane Ends

Its been in the upcoming changes thread a while....

(01 Mar 2017, 7:45 pm)Adrian wrote Doesn't solve the problem of individual timetables, but Chester-le-street could do with a big passenger information board, what services go where, and which stand to wait for that service. It's perhaps needed more, now that there is no travel shop.

I don't understand why GNE seem to find it so hard to make timetables available in community locations (e.g. libraries) in the way that Stagecoach and Arriva do.  That would solve the issue in places like CLS, Bishop etc.

(01 Mar 2017, 8:42 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote I don't understand why GNE seem to find it so hard to make timetables available in community locations (e.g. libraries) in the way that Stagecoach and Arriva do.  That would solve the issue in places like CLS, Bishop etc.

They would have to publicise the fact that they are in libraries and most people can access timetables online or from the buses themselves. Most libraries come with free internet connected conputers... I don't think there is a genuine issue here lol.
Every 18 I've been on has an 18 timetable. You can find 13/14s on most solars. The only one you'll have trouble finding is 78/78A (8/8a/78a is common), but internet usage or a trip to washy help centre fixes this..
Everyone can see the times the buses stop and arrive at their nearest stop manually or online, too.

(01 Mar 2017, 12:20 pm)Jamie M wrote £££

I thought it had closed months ago.

(01 Mar 2017, 11:19 pm)BusLoverMum wrote I thought it had closed months ago.

I was trying to say that it costed money to contract people to remove a sign that has very much become an everyday sight for the residents of CLS. It's like the 'Go-Gateshead' sign on Percy Main depot. There's not much harm in leaving it and only costs to remove it, however small.

Are 5284 or 5285 out in service yet?

(02 Mar 2017, 8:22 am)Ds1197 wrote Are 5284 or 5285 out in service yet?

no not at the moment i think there in a depot

Stand changes at Metrocentre Interchange from 27 March 2017

http://newsroom.gonortheast.co.uk/news/s...017-224576

(02 Mar 2017, 9:39 am)Michael wrote Stand changes at Metrocentre Interchange from 27 March 2017

http://newsroom.gonortheast.co.uk/news/s...017-224576

I dont get how shuffling stands reduces congestion - there are the same number of buses and people, but after these changes there'll be a lot more confused people.

(02 Mar 2017, 10:32 am)Jamie M wrote I dont get how shuffling stands reduces congestion - there are the same number of buses and people, but after these changes there'll be a lot more confused people.

Thing is, for services to Newcastle, only the 6, 45/46/47 are moving stands whilst the 10/10A/10B will remain on the same stands. The likes of the 49/49A will move onto the stand the X22/X88 use whilst they move onto stand C which is currently only used by the hourly Nexus service 84. So there is going to be buses spaced about a bit more and means less buses wanting to be on the same stands like what happens now with the GNE Newcastle services. One downside is that the 6, 45/46/47 will leave from a different stand to the 10/10A/10B which means passengers will either have to wait for a bus to turn up at a specific stop or shuffle between the two stands that the GNE Newcastle services will leave from.

(01 Mar 2017, 8:42 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote I don't understand why GNE seem to find it so hard to make timetables available in community locations (e.g. libraries) in the way that Stagecoach and Arriva do.  That would solve the issue in places like CLS, Bishop etc.

They have a small selection of them in the Black Garter pub in Newcastle, if that helps...

Still no NSAs on TENs.

(02 Mar 2017, 3:07 pm)G-CPTN wrote Still no NSAs on TENs.

They'll not get there by themselves, like.

639:

0639 NK12 HCF Go North East by North East Malarkey, on Flickr

Tagline reads 'Never miss your stop │ Many of our buses have next stop screens and announcements'

(02 Mar 2017, 6:26 pm)S813 FVK wrote 639:

0639 NK12 HCF Go North East by North East Malarkey, on Flickr

Tagline reads 'Never miss your stop │ Many of our buses have next stop screens and announcements'

At least Go-Ahead are consistent, we now have buses with services they dont have, whilst running branded buses on the wrong routes! Really wonder what the management are doing.

(02 Mar 2017, 6:48 pm)makem1 wrote At least Go-Ahead are consistent, we now have buses with services they dont have, whilst running branded buses on the wrong routes! Really wonder what the management are doing.

How does that work?