(16 Jan 2022, 10:34 am)RMF1254 wrote Are the Little Coasters subsidised during the day? The 51/51A isn’t subsidised all day either although I believe there was money put into the 51A from the builders of the new estates in East Benton or Holystone.

(16 Jan 2022, 11:30 am)Storx wrote They're not but they'd just fit in with them all and all really struggle (carry around fresh air most the time). The Northern sections of both the 19 and 42A are both subsidised though. 

Personally though I have a big problem with bus routes that are commercial during the day then paid by tax payers during the evening and Sundays. It's just not right a commercial company that profit it during some hours then when it doesn't suit then we have to pay for it. The profits (if there is any) from the likes of the 11 during the day would go help offset some of the costs in the evening or at least spend elsewhere within Nexus. 

It would also create a nice little network which might go somewhere with hubs at North Shields, Wallsend and Whitley Bay as they all serve the places. The farce of having one operator during the day and one during the evening is useless aswell but GNE or whoever shouldn't automatically win the contract because they run during the day either.

(16 Jan 2022, 11:35 am)Bazza wrote It may be that the profits created during the day are not enough to cover the losses during the evening, in which case the operator would withdraw completely.

(16 Jan 2022, 11:35 am)Bazza wrote It may be that the profits created during the day are not enough to cover the losses during the evening, in which case the operator would withdraw completely.

(16 Jan 2022, 12:18 pm)Andreos1 wrote In which case, they need to do something about the daytime route and ensure it is more than sustainable, rather than maintaining the status quo.

The operators sole aim is to make money. Its not about passengers.
If they're struggling to make money from their existing network, then something is going wrong somewhere.

(16 Jan 2022, 12:46 pm)Bazza wrote There is lots of discussion on here on what is going wrong.   

Personally,   I believe it needs a root and branch change, rather than fiddling about at the edges.  

Large companies removing profits from public services to pay shareholders is one of the major hurdles to any improvement.

(16 Jan 2022, 11:30 am)Storx wrote They're not but they'd just fit in with them all and all really struggle (carry around fresh air most the time). The Northern sections of both the 19 and 42A are both subsidised though. 

Personally though I have a big problem with bus routes that are commercial during the day then paid by tax payers during the evening and Sundays. It's just not right a commercial company that profit it during some hours then when it doesn't suit then we have to pay for it. The profits (if there is any) from the likes of the 11 during the day would go help offset some of the costs in the evening or at least spend elsewhere within Nexus. 

It would also create a nice little network which might go somewhere with hubs at North Shields, Wallsend and Whitley Bay as they all serve the places. The farce of having one operator during the day and one during the evening is useless aswell but GNE or whoever shouldn't automatically win the contract because they run during the day either.

(16 Jan 2022, 1:02 pm)Omega54 wrote I wonder if GNE are successful in the EV bid whether they might get 2 ADL BYD E200MMC for the 684 with maybe 1 or 2 tables. 

Tbh upgrading the QuayCity Q3's it would have been nice if they have maybe 1 or 2 tables on.

(16 Jan 2022, 7:26 pm)Adrian wrote 684 isn't covered in the ZEBRA bid for Hexham (which I believe will be Yutongs anyway), and at roughly £379,801 per bus, I can't see any operator commercially funding them anytime soon.

(16 Jan 2022, 9:06 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote So the 684 will keep Versas for the long term? What Hexham services are covered in the ZEBRA bid? Are the Yutongs going to be good buses?

(16 Jan 2022, 10:11 pm)Adrian wrote This post has details of the ZEBRA bid allocation: https://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=3355&pid=270000#pid270000

(21 Jan 2022, 2:35 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Can't help but wonder if GNE have jumped the gun a bit with giving up on the commuter type services.  Since the announcements re Covid measures being removed as part of Operation Red Meat/Save Big Dog there's been a marked change in a lot of the chatter around return to offices.  Certainly in some cases a much more significant expectation of physical presence in office than had previously been mooted.

(21 Jan 2022, 2:46 pm)Adrian wrote I'd say they've jumped the gun in advance of the BSIP, but I don't think the Big Dog will be around long enough for "Operation Red Meat" to become reality.

They might well remove restrictions, but they'd have to introduce new legislation if they wanted to mandate the private sector back into the office. Many are looking, if not already at advance stages, of hybrid working models. This is what operators should be focusing their time on; ensuring suitable travel products are available to ensure the bus still remains an attractive proposition to hybrid workers on office days.

(21 Jan 2022, 3:57 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Yes but..public sector is a pretty sizeable part of the workforce, especially in NE.  And equally some examples of big name private businesses throwing caution to the wind and calling workers back to offices en masse (certainly some of the banking institutions, for example).  Of course there are a decent number of forward thinking private companies who are looking at meaningful hybrid models but I guess my point was the numbers apparently to be required to return to offices in public sector and some of the private sector is greater than might have been anticipated a few weeks or months ago.

Regardless of the detail of hybrid working pattern thoughs, the current offer from operators is unlikely to tempt a willing switch onto buses, for all the reasons well rehearsed on here.  I think with more in offices, those who have no choice but to use bus will make the reduced offering of peak runs fuller/run later and so continue the vicious cycle; meaning those with any choice steering clear.

(21 Jan 2022, 4:53 pm)L469 YVK wrote GNE still have a good offering to Cobalt though:

- 309 every 20 mins including 310 covering NBS & Sage with a very short walk.

- X39 at peak times.

(21 Jan 2022, 2:46 pm)Adrian wrote I'd say they've jumped the gun in advance of the BSIP, but I don't think the Big Dog will be around long enough for "Operation Red Meat" to become reality.

They might well remove restrictions, but they'd have to introduce new legislation if they wanted to mandate the private sector back into the office. Many are looking, if not already at advance stages, of hybrid working models. This is what operators should be focusing their time on; ensuring suitable travel products are available to ensure the bus still remains an attractive proposition to hybrid workers on office days.

(23 Jan 2022, 12:12 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote X85 not being withdrawn from 30th January? Nexus website now says X84 withdrawn (replaced by 684) and X85 revised timetable. Maybe this is to keep a service on Sundays?

(23 Jan 2022, 12:14 pm)Michael wrote X85 - 1 each way - Mon to Fri only.


https://www.nexus.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/bus/x085-gne-300122.pdf

(23 Jan 2022, 12:18 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Thank you. Couldn't find it. What's the point of that?

(23 Jan 2022, 12:22 pm)Michael wrote Some reason its only shown in the timetable section.

Probs because passengers moaned it was going to take too long on the 684 - and I bet half of them don't even use it!

(23 Jan 2022, 12:39 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Yeah the 684/685 will take forever to do the full route between Hexham and Newcastle, but one X85 each way and only Monday to Friday seems pointless and unusable. The 74  is good one way, but the X84/X85 is a good quicker option. Disappointed there will be no services on Sundays (they could at least implement ticket acceptance on the 685). Arriva operates the Sunday 685 don't they?

(23 Jan 2022, 1:06 pm)Omega54 wrote I wonder which depot is going to operate it and what vehicle will use it. 

It would be nice if it was 5498.

(23 Jan 2022, 12:39 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote Yeah the 684/685 will take forever to do the full route between Hexham and Newcastle, but one X85 each way and only Monday to Friday seems pointless and unusable. The 74  is good one way, but the X84/X85 is a good quicker option. Disappointed there will be no services on Sundays (they could at least implement ticket acceptance on the 685). Arriva operates the Sunday 685 don't they?