(11 Feb 2020, 2:01 pm)Citaro5338 wrote Will 7446 be Withdrawn from the accident or is it being fixed

(11 Feb 2020, 6:06 am)RobinHood wrote The 63 isn't changing its frequency.

The 62 will replace the 64 route in Redcar, with the X3 picking up other parts around Redcar Lane.

Full details are not out yet but apparently X3 route is changing to go that way and X4 will be running until midnight too.

The drivers at Redcar have seen the ideas and I'm told that 62, 63, 64 all have extra time in their timetables compared to now.

The real casualty is the 81, but you can't keep running around with fresh air.

(11 Feb 2020, 7:41 pm)scanialover wrote

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So, what's going to happen now? Our Prime Minister is talking about a revolution in bus services with talk of 4000 new buses. Yet here in our part of the country we're about to suffer another round of service cuts, reductions and timetable re-arrangements all in a bit for the operator to reduce costs / save money without much regard for their customers; have I been asked for my opinion? Has anyone been asked. I ask one question?  Why change something that works?

Screenshot_20200211_210908_com.android.chrome.jpg (Size 525.2 KB | Downloads 37)

(11 Feb 2020, 1:09 am)Kuyoyo wrote Redcar’s Pulsars are off to Stockton in exchange for their Streetlites - presumably alongside losing 1759 and 4516.

(11 Feb 2020, 9:29 pm)scanialover wrote Redcar and Cleveland with a 36% drop in patronage ? Nothing to do with Arriva by any chance

(11 Feb 2020, 9:15 pm)Andreos1 wrote Reading an article about this new lot of funding, I saw this image:


R&C is on the list for the biggest drops in patronage.
I appreciate the new Teesflex initiative could help to arrest the fall in some of the area, but there needs to be acknowledgement amongst the main operators, that what they're doing isn't working. 
I think the question needs to be asked about what they're doing to arrest that fall, which doesn't involve cuts and consolidation. 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that cuts don't equate to more bums on seats.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51460437

(11 Feb 2020, 7:41 pm)scanialover wrote

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So, what's going to happen now? Our Prime Minister is talking about a revolution in bus services with talk of 4000 new buses. Yet here in our part of the country we're about to suffer another round of service cuts, reductions and timetable re-arrangements all in a bit for the operator to reduce costs / save money without much regard for their customers; have I been asked for my opinion? Has anyone been asked. I ask one question?  Why change something that works?

(11 Feb 2020, 10:21 pm)Ryland wrote Will this include 1440 as redcar sapphire spare 
Does could we potentially see a sapphire launch of the 63

(11 Feb 2020, 10:21 pm)Ryland wrote Will this include 1440 as redcar sapphire spare 
Does could we potentially see a sapphire launch of the 63

(11 Feb 2020, 6:38 pm)GNE6312 wrote What happened during the accident

(12 Feb 2020, 8:15 am)omnicity4659 wrote Why do you need to know?

(12 Feb 2020, 8:21 am)Citaro5338 wrote Has 1407 transferred or is it on loan to Darlington

(12 Feb 2020, 8:21 am)Citaro5338 wrote Has 1407 transferred or is it on loan to Darlington

(12 Feb 2020, 8:22 am)GNE6312 wrote Hopefully none as Ashington need it. Considering a solo is on the X21/X22.

(12 Feb 2020, 8:56 am)S830OFT wrote It would be easier letting the X4 replace the 64, only adding an extra 30 minutes onto the journey...

(12 Feb 2020, 9:10 am)S830OFT wrote With rumours speculating Redcar service changes, here is a little suggestion thought of my own.

Route X3/A: Revised to serve Marske Estate.

Route X4: This service will serve South Bank, Eston and Grangetown. To ensure the timetable is efficient the service will omit Dormanstown.

Route 62: Revised to serve Ings Farm replacing service 64.

Route 63: Reduced to every 12 minutes.

Route 64: This service will be merged with service X4 to offer improved connections to Saltburn, Loftus & Whitby from the South Bank area.

Route 64A: Reduced to every 30 minutes, this service will interwork with service X3/X3A.

Route 81: Will only operate between Marske and Guisborough.?

(11 Feb 2020, 9:29 pm)scanialover wrote Redcar and Cleveland with a 36% drop in patronage ? Nothing to do with Arriva by any chance

(10 Feb 2020, 4:31 pm)tvd wrote Every year the timetable changes come along, the PVR of depots is reduced.  Services are cut here and there, each time meaning a few more passengers are put off using buses or are forced to use other means of travel.  Then they complain that roads are getting busier and bus journeys take longer - Arriva are always trying to get councils to cough up and create bus priority lanes and so on.

I know they're running a commercial business which cant afford losses, but they need to be doing more to at least maintain services if not enhance them.  Cutting services too early on an evening may mean that a passenger wont travel into work in the morning by bus if he knows there's no bus to get home, so that's a passenger lost.  Cutting the 81 between Gbro and Stokesley loses a few more passengers that they wont get back.

Whatever happened to a bit of imaginative thinking in order to keep a service running?  Promote the 81 - use a special livery - have offers on fares - use Midibuses instead of full size vehicles - look at it the current route could be tweaked - or even go to 2 hourly for the full route to Stokesley? 

As much as I agree councils and national government could do more for the industry, I think the bus companies are far too quick to blame everything on them and go for the easiest short term option of cutting services instead of making genuine effort to do what they are in control of to maintain them.

(12 Feb 2020, 9:21 am)Kuyoyo wrote On loan pending its return to Stockton


Ashington don't need it - it was being used by Ashington from a reserve position covering for 7513. Now the new 7510 has arrived, 1407 is surplus at Ashington and is needed back at Stockton as the depot technically never received an additional vehicle in August when the S1 was introduced on weekdays (and of course, when the X12 replaced it in October)

(10 Feb 2020, 9:30 pm)tyresmoke wrote Its not much of a walk, maybe 5 minutes between the two stops at the very most, and the 5/5a are every 15 mins from Guisborough so you should never be waiting too long at Swans Corner. Not ideal but it can be done. Can't see NYCC funding a replacement.
To be honest I'm amazed the 81 has lasted this long, but most of the changes seem pretty positive in my eyes. Just not sure about chopping the 64 in Redcar. Agree about punctuality on the 63 and 64 though, and chopping them to every 12/15 won't help in that respect with same loads spread over less buses.

(12 Feb 2020, 9:21 am)Kuyoyo wrote On loan pending its return to Stockton


Ashington don't need it - it was being used by Ashington from a reserve position covering for 7513. Now the new 7510 has arrived, 1407 is surplus at Ashington and is needed back at Stockton as the depot technically never received an additional vehicle in August when the S1 was introduced on weekdays (and of course, when the X12 replaced it in October)


The 62 is replacing the 64 in Redcar and the X3/X3a takes over from the 62. The X4 replaces the 62 in Dormanstown as well (doubling the number of buses through there to Middlesbrough and giving an improved journey time).


81 is still serving Marske Estate.
X3/X3A replaces the 62 between Dormanstown and Marske (though via Redcar Clock and Seafront rather than Morrisons).
62 replaces the 64 from Grangetown to Ings Farm then follows a revised route from there to New Marske and Marske
63 isn't changing its frequency - just revised times
64/64a will be running Middlesbrough-South Bank-Eston-Grangetown every 30 minutes each, with suggestions of interworking with X3/X3a - if so likely see X3/64/64a/X3a as the pattern and vice versa (ie do one of each Middlesbrough-Grangetown after arriving in on X3 or X3A)
Diverting the X4 to replace the 64 will bring the added complexity of having to route learn Whitby's driving staff on the route around Eston etc - the route they'll take through Dormanstown is effectively one long road which shouldn't confuse them too much)

(12 Feb 2020, 11:58 am)Storx wrote Could do with Redcar Steel closing with 3,200 less people coming into the area aswell but it's easier to just blame the bus companies even known people have said bar the 81 it's mostly improvements which would affect Arriva as much everyone else in the area.

(12 Feb 2020, 12:47 pm)Andreos1 wrote I mentioned the external factors myself. Of which British Steel/SSI is. 

What have the operators done to mitigate any drop in passengers caused by that closure and maintain or increase numbers?

(12 Feb 2020, 1:21 pm)Storx wrote The problem is it could be irreversable if it's people coming from Middlesbrough to the Steelworks. There's no reason for people to travel into the area as there's not particular any reason for people to go to Redcar. If Middlesbrough's numbers are down the same percentage then you could say that.

I'm not defending Arriva (as they're nowhere near perfect if even good) but for all we know the numbers on the 62/64 might be down from Grangetown etc to Redcar but up towards Middlesbrough where people have found new jobs.

(12 Feb 2020, 2:52 pm)Andreos1 wrote Of course. 
However, with cutting services, the network reducing and fares increasing - the argument could be that theyve not looked to replace that market lost with SSI/BS.

Where have they looked to grow an existing market or exploit an new market in an effective manner in the R&C area since SSI/BS and Viva changes?

(12 Feb 2020, 7:36 pm)scanialover wrote Now we read that the X4 is going to head through Dormanstown on its way to Whitby. What, please, does the letter "X" refer to here and why does Dormanstown need an enhanced service?

Obviously Attica's boffins have done their work with the forthcoming raft of changes but have they been there to experience the reality of the situation. Dare they face this reality? Talk to the customers, find out their views.

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Now we read that the X4 is going to head through Dormanstown on its way to Whitby. What, please, does the letter "X" refer to here and why does Dormanstown need an enhanced service?

Obviously Arrivas boffins havhe done their work with the forthcoming raft of changes but have they been there to experience the reality of the situation. Dare they face this reality? Talk to the customers, find out their views.

(13 Feb 2020, 9:24 am)tvd wrote Diverting the X4 through Dormanstown seems a ridiculous move to me.  They've got an X3/X3A/X4 combined frequency of every 15 mins, non stop  from Redcar to Middlesbrough.  Fast and frequent services are what the public want these days, and here are Arriva tinkering about and adding yet more time to the journeys when instead they should've been promoting these selling points on the bus liveries, having special fares, new buses and so on.

With this and the 81 makes me think back to the old town service which ran between Marske Estate and Dormanstown.  Bringing something like that back would be a better option, in my opinion, and not messing about wth the X4.

Another old service that worked was the X56.  Ran limited stop from Whitby/Loftus to Middlesbrough for fast journeys, complimented with the 256 stopping everywhere.  It was popular and ran every 30mins.  Now we only have the 5's and X4's, both take a long time to get to Middlesbrough from East Cleveland.  And a couple of token X5's running to a strange route early in the morning only.

Coastliner and Go North East invest in their long distance services, have much better vehicles and are always updating their fleet.  Arriva on the other hand dont seem to have a clue how to attract people onto the buses or what passengers want and expect these days,  have little investment and then are baffled when passenger numbers decline.