(15 Dec 2022, 9:24 pm)Andreos1 wrote As citaro has already said, I think he's in for the long haul.
Just need to look at his CV to see that he's not one of these 18month wonders.

(15 Dec 2022, 10:11 pm)Storx wrote It'll be interesting to see how well he'll do as he doesn't have much past experience of companies like GNE. Arriva North East had millions of investment under him and he had it quite easy with the ability to remove baggage since it was seriously outdated the network at the time, GNW was quite similar really. Something that neither can really happen under GNE as it's kind of the opposite with a new fleet but a network falling apart with nothing left to cut and shockingly bad staff morale which he certainly doesn't have a good record with.

(16 Dec 2022, 9:53 am)morritt89 wrote I definitely think he is here for the long haul and dare I say it, he has a business mentality which is required to make the business profit making again.

Unfortunately this includes redundancy for non driving and engineering staff but does a depot really need 5 managers? At Arriva, again under Nigel, there were 2 managers at Belmont and that was it.

I can see, to the detriment of the network and passenger experience more service cuts and more staff going out to tender (at least that's guaranteed income).

The 4274 contracts have been handed back to DCC but apparently GNE has bid for them again. After the drivers pairwise, they became loss making (and also Nigel doesn't like the coaches).

As a driver I genuinely feel sorry for the managers particularly those that have worked there way up from being a driver and put the hours in and gone above and beyond. As for the timing at Christmas, redundancy is never something a manager wants to do so is there a right time?

As a final part, Nigel admitted in his staff memo that GNE was going downhill and losing money before Covid but obviously Covid was the straw that broke the camels back.

In my personal opinion, to much focus has been given to branding (Sunderland District) and little on board extras rather than focusing on what's important which is a bus which gets people from A to B when they want to go and is reliable. What difference does it matter what colour a bus us? Once your on it, you can't see the outside... 

(16 Dec 2022, 11:01 am)Andreos1 wrote I agree. It has been a huge focus. I've said it for years - but I don't think it works. Maybe the numbers and state of the network back the claims up.
Inevitably, we get the patter that 'people talk about it, so it must be working'. Really? Cut after cut, after rebrand, after paint job. That would tend to say otherwise.

The network is the issue. That's where the hard miles need putting in and it needs redesigning.
Bizarrely, it doesn't seem to be happening. We just keep seeing the same old, over and over again. With those cuts I mentioned above being thrown in to the mix.

Those cuts to routes and staff will save some money. It might stabilise the numbers on balance sheet. Will it grow the numbers? Doubt it.

(16 Dec 2022, 9:53 am)morritt89 wrote I definitely think he is here for the long haul and dare I say it, he has a business mentality which is required to make the business profit making again.

Unfortunately this includes redundancy for non driving and engineering staff but does a depot really need 5 managers? At Arriva, again under Nigel, there were 2 managers at Belmont and that was it.

I can see, to the detriment of the network and passenger experience more service cuts and more staff going out to tender (at least that's guaranteed income).

The 4274 contracts have been handed back to DCC but apparently GNE has bid for them again. After the drivers pairwise, they became loss making (and also Nigel doesn't like the coaches).

As a driver I genuinely feel sorry for the managers particularly those that have worked there way up from being a driver and put the hours in and gone above and beyond. As for the timing at Christmas, redundancy is never something a manager wants to do so is there a right time?

As a final part, Nigel admitted in his staff memo that GNE was going downhill and losing money before Covid but obviously Covid was the straw that broke the camels back.

In my personal opinion, to much focus has been given to branding (Sunderland District) and little on board extras rather than focusing on what's important which is a bus which gets people from A to B when they want to go and is reliable. What difference does it matter what colour a bus us? Once your on it, you can't see the outside...

(16 Dec 2022, 11:56 am)DeltaMan wrote There is a difference between liveries and branding though.

Unlike something like Cobalt Clipper or Angel, Sunderland and District is a failed exercise in branding as there is nothing behind it (the network map has whole swathes of Sunderland blank) If it was joint Stagecoach thing then I could see the benefit. What you are left with is meaningless liveries. 

Going forward, I think there will be less of the Sunderland and District nonsense and more focus on the few universally recognised brands.

(16 Dec 2022, 11:05 am)F114TML wrote Tbh, I often end up sat behind a GNE bus and half the time I read the branding on the back and (particularly if it's a Sunderland District one) just think to myself "what?". Particularly funny are the fares ones where they've removed the numbers (cos the fares have gone up) but nothing else, so it randomly says "all day" and "all week " and something about the app being cheaper, completely disconnected from everything else, although it looks like they're being replaced with whatshisface crossing his arms next to a giant "£12.83"

(16 Dec 2022, 12:26 pm)F114TML wrote I do wonder how many people try to get on GNE buses with Stagecoach-only tickets, though.

(16 Dec 2022, 11:01 am)Andreos1 wrote I agree. It has been a huge focus. I've said it for years - but I don't think it works. Maybe the numbers and state of the network back the claims up.
Inevitably, we get the patter that 'people talk about it, so it must be working'. Really? Cut after cut, after rebrand, after paint job. That would tend to say otherwise.

The network is the issue. That's where the hard miles need putting in and it needs redesigning.
Bizarrely, it doesn't seem to be happening. We just keep seeing the same old, over and over again. With those cuts I mentioned above being thrown in to the mix.

Those cuts to routes and staff will save some money. It might stabilise the numbers on balance sheet. Will it grow the numbers? Doubt it.

Regarding the redundancies. I reckon they're going to be saving a 6 figure sum. Not massive and certainly not enough to save the company overall. But added together with other savings, it might balance things out a little.
Then what? More cuts? More cost savings?
At some point there needs to be growth. I'm unsure when (if ever) that's going to happen.

(16 Dec 2022, 9:39 pm)mb134 wrote I think the whole "let's brand everything" is done. While I don't think they're the only companies with financial issues by a long shot, we are seeing cash issues with GNE and Transdev. As you suggest, those in the Ten Percent Club spent the past few years shouting from the rooftops about how branding is the key to recovery - surely if that was the case then GNE and Transdev would be flush with cash. 

I do think the X-Lines idea in principal was good but became somewhat messy, similar to the rollout of Arriva's MAX and Sapphire. I also wonder how good the initial business case was behind some of the routes that were converted, given how quickly they were dropped? After that though, things like Sunderland District, East Durham Explorer etc... Ultimately it all comes down to the old MD, and the question of if they were the right fit for that situation. Horses for courses and all that. 

There seems to be a change of approach with Featham, or at least a recognition of the situation the company is in. Cutting say £675k/year (using UK average wage - I doubt many will be that high though) in wages will definitely help balance some of it I reckon. Looking at LinkedIn he's bringing in folk from his time at Arriva to help as "Business Improvement Managers", evidently wants people he can trust to go and do the dirty work. You'd think that network changes will follow, but I imagine they'll want to do it properly if they are going to make huge changes - and that sort of project will require a fairly large chunk of data and a good few months of planning as a minimum. We'll probably see other changes across the business to start off with, beginning with these staff cuts and the rumoured selling off of the coaches. 

I think growth, in any company truth be told, is a little way off. Driver shortages need to be addressed, then there'll need to be growth in confidence from the travelling public. To get growth to anywhere near pre-Covid there'll also need to be frequency improvements, which will likely involve investment in the fleet given most companies have reduced fleet size over the last couple of years. 

(17 Dec 2022, 6:11 pm)Andreos1 wrote Reducing fleet size has gone on for years. I'd argue it's not done anything other than weaken operations.

It's almost like a tory austerity dogma. Cut, cut and cut some more and assume there's growth to be made at some point.
And if there's not. Cut again.

It can't continue. Something has to stop and I hope that growth you mention, happens soon. For the sake of those who don't drive and those who see public transport as a lifeline to the outside world.

(17 Dec 2022, 7:11 pm)Malarkey wrote Just need Go North East, Stagecoach, Arriva, Independent Operators, Nexus and Local Councils to sit around a table and get rid of the duplication along various corridors in the region to bring about a more stabilised network of services as lot of them could be merged into others offering alternative links for local communities which would go along way in solving this "Driver Shortage" situation.

(17 Dec 2022, 8:03 pm)Storx wrote I'm not sure it would be in the best interests of GNE that mind.

Coast Road, 306/308 are primary routes - 309/310/311 out.
Wallsend, 22 primary route - 1 out.
Gosforth, 43/44/45 primary routes - Q3 out.
Sunderland to West Seaham / Peterlee, 22/23 primary routes - 61 out.
Durham to Bishop Auckland, 6 primary route - X21 out.
Sunderland to Pennywell, 20 primary route, 39/39A out.

GoNorthEast are generally the nuisance operator in terms of duplicating things.

I'm not saying none of those routes should exist but the sake of removing all duplication then those would have to go. In fact I can't think of any where the other 2 are the nuisance tbh other than maybe the X12 between Durham and Newcastle but again it has its purpose.

(17 Dec 2022, 8:16 pm)Unber43 wrote But wouldn't you agree the X21/39/39A could possibly be the better option for passengers with better connections. And as for the 22/23 surely they're the nuisance operator which have came into Sunderland/Seaham which is heavy GNE Territory.

(17 Dec 2022, 8:33 pm)Storx wrote Not really the 6 is every 15 minutes and runs on evenings in a Arriva area whereas the X21 is every 30 minutes and doesn't.

The X21 should avoid Durham if it was about duplication like it used to then it would be more useful. If tickets were intermodal then no-one loses out.

Peterlee and West Seaham are both heavy Arriva though, there's always going to be some duplication.

On paper though the best routes would be imo:

X21: Sunderland - Limited Stop - Seaham - Limited Stop - Peterlee - Current Route - Darlington (Hourly)
X22: Sunderland - Limited Stop - Seaham - Limited Stop - Peterlee - Current Route - Middlesbrough (Hourly)
X6: Withdrawn, replaced by X21/X22
22: Sunderland - East Lea / West Lea - Murton - South Hetton - Peterlee - Current Route - Durham (Every 30 Minutes)
23: Current Route (Every 30 Minutes)
60 -> Renumbered 21 (Every 15 Minutes)
61: Withdrawn, replaced by 22

21/22/23 - Every 7.5 Minutes, Sunderland to East/West Lea
X21/X22 - Every 30 Minutes

Obviously a problem when you have 2 operators though. The PVR should be the same / slightly less than now aswell.

(17 Dec 2022, 8:03 pm)Storx wrote I'm not sure it would be in the best interests of GNE that mind.

Coast Road, 306/308 are primary routes - 309/310/311 out.

(17 Dec 2022, 8:03 pm)Storx wrote I'm not sure it would be in the best interests of GNE that mind.

Coast Road, 306/308 are primary routes - 309/310/311 out.
Wallsend, 22 primary route - 1 out.
Gosforth, 43/44/45 primary routes - Q3 out.
Sunderland to West Seaham / Peterlee, 22/23 primary routes - 61 out.
Durham to Bishop Auckland, 6 primary route - X21 out.
Sunderland to Pennywell, 20 primary route, 39/39A out.

GoNorthEast are generally the nuisance operator in terms of duplicating things.

I'm not saying none of those routes should exist but the sake of removing all duplication then those would have to go. In fact I can't think of any where the other 2 are the nuisance tbh other than maybe the X12 between Durham and Newcastle but again it has its purpose.

(17 Dec 2022, 8:52 pm)Unber43 wrote Well Arriva are pulling out of Sunderland and Seaham, with reduced services to Sunderland on Saturdays and Sundays. X21 was pulled out too. 

I feel like Peterlee is a massive issue, arguable GNE should run the 22 between Sunderland & Durham, and 23 between Sunderland & Peterlee & 24 between Peterlee & Durham. And then you could extend the X6 to Middlesbrough which would become a better connection to the X10 too. 

And 6 at every 15 mins is better however on X21 offers a better connection to Newcastle and if it was every 15 mins it would be better, same with the 21, if that was every 15 mins to Brandon it would be better, and a much better option via 49/49A. 

Personally I would do 

X5 - Sunderland - Peterlee - Hartlepool (every 60 mins) Old 55 Way
X5A - Sunderland - Peterlee - Hartlepool (23 way every 60 mins)
X6 - Sunderland - Seaham - Dalton Park - Peterlee - Middlesbrough (every 60 mins)
X7 - Sunderland - Seaham - Dalton Park - Peterlee - Wingate - Bowburn - Durham (every 60 mins)
X8 - Newcastle - Durham - Bowburn - Darlington (Every 30 mins) 
60 - Sunderland - Parkside (every 12 mins)
61 - Sunderland - Dalton Park - Murton - South Hetton - Peterlee (every 30 mins) - Darlington (hourly)
62 - Sunderland - Seaham - Dalton Park - Hawthorn - Easington - Peterlee (every 30 mins)
63 - Peterlee - Shotton - Sherburn - Durham - Arnison Centre(every 60 mins)
65 - Seaham - Dalton Park - Hetton-Le-Hole - Durham (every 30 mins)
64/64A - (209/210 route)

(17 Dec 2022, 9:20 pm)Malarkey wrote It looks that way when you look at it but if look to how Oxford done there's earlier in the year if either Oxford Bus Company or Stagecoach were losing out on a shared corridor then the latter was awarded a contract of services from the latter on another shared corridor or a non competitive corridor, not sure if that work up here as I would say our services are more complex and each operate in the same areas with a varying percentage of who's the more dominant operator.

That is why I would then say once you've removed all duplication of services then they should all be retendered and open to bidding from all operators in similar way to how they are working it out in Manchester with there "Bee Network" which be starting in September 2023. 

Only other way I could see it benefitting both Arriva and Go North East was if they did a trade of Arriva Durham (Belmont/Full X12 Ops) for Go North East (Percy Main/Q3-Riverside), that would make "Arriva the Primary Operator in North Tyneside through to Blyth" and "Go North East the Primary Operator in County Durham" and then streamline the frequency's of services from there to better suit passenger demand.

(17 Dec 2022, 7:11 pm)Malarkey wrote Just need Go North East, Stagecoach, Arriva, Independent Operators, Nexus and Local Councils to sit around a table and get rid of the duplication along various corridors in the region to bring about a more stabilised network of services as lot of them could be merged into others offering alternative links for local communities which would go along way in solving this "Driver Shortage" situation.

(17 Dec 2022, 9:45 pm)Unber43 wrote Honestly I feel like there needs to be areas splits e.g

GNE - Sunderland (south of the river + 24/56/9), Consett, Durham, Washington, Newcastle (centre) , Gateshead, South Shields, Peterlee, South Durham, possibly Hartlepool

Arriva - Darlington, North East Newcastle, Middlesbrough, South Durham towards Darlington, Redcar

SC - Middlesbrough, Sunderland (north of river wear), Possibly Hartlepool

Also Operators like GCT aren't helping either with getting people on the bus