(04 Dec 2024, 11:07 pm)Storx wrote It's 3 isn't it? I'd assume anyway, it being a 90 minute round trip.

(05 Dec 2024, 10:42 am)Adrian wrote Thought the additional runs were Newcastle to Chester-le-Street only?

(05 Dec 2024, 3:02 pm)Storx wrote Yeah, it has 45 minutes to run from Newcastle to CLS though. Went from 6 BPH to 8 BPH, I think? I'm questioning myself now.

(06 Dec 2024, 4:26 am)Dan wrote If I recall correctly, it was two extra buses funded by the BSIP for the frequency increase and, effectively, one extra bus for punctuality. Three in total.

The latter does seem to have vastly improved with buses not bunching anyway near as often.

The downside, as I mooted a couple of weeks ago, is that the BSIP funding is being pump primed into a route that the operator isn’t showing enough care nor consideration for. Given GNE takes the revenue risk on this (the BSIP funding doesn’t cover the entire cost of the additional buses), they ought to be doing everything within their power to market the service, generate growth, and operate it to their very best ability, so that the entire cost is covered and this is something which is sustainable at the end of the BSIP.

(06 Dec 2024, 3:43 pm)Michael wrote 26th  January 2025

Sunderland changes  - https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-changes-sunderland-and-washington

South Tyneside: https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-changes-south-tyneside-26-january-2025

---

According to VOSA, X10 down for changes on the same day.


I'm on my phone and in the Airport so cba to copy and paste the changes on here.

(06 Dec 2024, 5:17 pm)busmanT wrote A very motley bunch of buses being used on the 21, including dual doors which can’t be accessed by wheelchairs at Durham or Eldon Square. Whilst the single door converted E400 are on schools or Gateshead locals.

(06 Dec 2024, 5:41 pm)Adrian wrote One of them appears to be the 2A being axed with the 2 being changed to 3x buses per hour and curtailed at Sunderland.

Not that the website clearly explains that. Yet another example of a lack of attention to detail.


Not to mention a number of stops along route, which was a problem when the Vykings operated the route in the 2010s.

(06 Dec 2024, 5:57 pm)pbjd wrote Never seen such badly worded passenger information, 61/62/62a seemingly to replace 39/39a/39b but it reads as they’re in addition to, as well as misinformation about frequency between Boldon Asda and Jarrow, stating it’ll be 2bph when it’ll in fact be 4. 

Also very little information on more exact routings leaving a lot of guesswork and assumption to be made.

Services 35 and 36 - Sunderland – Boldon – Jarrow – Lukes Lane 

Service 35: This service has been revised to operate an hourly route connecting Sunderland, Hylton Castle, Boldon, Fellgate, and Jarrow. This service will provide new links between Fellgate and Sunderland on Monday-Saturday. 

(06 Dec 2024, 3:43 pm)Michael wrote 26th  January 2025

Sunderland changes  - https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-changes-sunderland-and-washington

South Tyneside: https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-changes-south-tyneside-26-january-2025

---

According to VOSA, X10 down for changes on the same day.


I'm on my phone and in the Airport so cba to copy and paste the changes on here.

(06 Dec 2024, 6:09 pm)Adrian wrote They seem more bothered in getting their tabloid-style headlines in, rather than accurate information about the service changes.

Left arm doesn't know what the right is doing.

(06 Dec 2024, 4:26 am)Dan wrote If I recall correctly, it was two extra buses funded by the BSIP for the frequency increase and, effectively, one extra bus for punctuality. Three in total.

The latter does seem to have vastly improved with buses not bunching anyway near as often.

The downside, as I mooted a couple of weeks ago, is that the BSIP funding is being pump primed into a route that the operator isn’t showing enough care nor consideration for. Given GNE takes the revenue risk on this (the BSIP funding doesn’t cover the entire cost of the additional buses), they ought to be doing everything within their power to market the service, generate growth, and operate it to their very best ability, so that the entire cost is covered and this is something which is sustainable at the end of the BSIP.

(06 Dec 2024, 6:53 pm)citaro5284 wrote And to think GNE were finalists in North East Marketing Awards last night......

Must have been for Santa Bus eh, which seems once again to get more marketing than actual services that fare paying people need to travel on!

(04 Dec 2024, 6:18 pm)Storx wrote They'd be better building a new bus stop on Percy Street and pulling the 21 out of the bus station. When a service is every 7.5 minutes it doesn't need to serve a bus station, especially when all the buses go the same route at least (people beyond CLS should be using the X21).

Anything 12 minutes or above, where all the buses goes to the same destination (ie. not the 10/10A/10B) should be nowhere near a bus station unless there's ample space and the stands aren't pull in and reverse ie. Gateshead and Middlesbrough.

(06 Dec 2024, 8:53 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Maybe we should be using the x21 but sometimes the Durham 21 is there and the x21 that leaves at roughly the same time nowhere in sight, in the flesh or on the app, and I'm not risking it.

(06 Dec 2024, 9:35 pm)Storx wrote Aye don't blame you, the X21 should be more frequent imo, would make those issues a little less of a problem, it arguably would've been better use of BSIP money than the 21, especially if at the same time it was advertised as the new 10 minute service South of Durham rather than the 10 20 0 10 service they've got right now. Awful waste of resources having 2 buses following each other for 45 minutes or whatever the 6/X21 is.

(07 Dec 2024, 5:00 am)ALavery wrote Absolutely buzzing to wait for my 61 and have three turn up at once because they all caught up to each other on Chester road! I have absolutely no clue why they have chose to merge the 61 with the 39? I can’t say anyone in murton/seaham is needing to be up pennywell for whatever reason apart from work and still keeping it at every half an hour too? Does this mean it wont call into park lane anymore then or will it do something like the 2? Into park lane on its way to pennywell and missing it out going to murton? Either way compared with the other changes the whole thing is a shambles. Nobody should have to wait an hour for a bus unless the ridership is destitute and it flys through the middle of nowhere, the least a service should be, combined frequency or not is every 30 mins. People aren’t going to be wanting to get the bus when the only one that takes them home is once an hour, this whole turn up and go thing is great if you live on a main road, but god forbid you live in an estate with houses like most people.

(07 Dec 2024, 9:47 am)Storx wrote To be fair the 60-63 changes have been crying out to be done for years. It was an own goal having them all over the place when you look at other similar corridors like the Great North Road in Gosforth which is similar. 

Mind not sure what the 'now' turn up and go nonsense is about since they've decreased the frequency from 14 buses an hour to 12 buses an hour. I'm not including the X6 here as that's also nonsense. 

The Ryhope area is confusing though as I'm not sure what's doing what route. The 63 seems to be doing the 39 route. 61/62/62A is doing the 2/2A route though. 

It feels like it's something like this:


(60 - Blue, 61 - Green, 62/62A - Purple, 63 - Red)

The 63 is very unclear whether it's doing the estates or not, but would make sense since it's no doubt getting the Solo's now, similar with the 61 rejoining at the Green or going via the bypass. I could be very wrong though.

(07 Dec 2024, 10:41 am)busmanT wrote I can’t see passengers from Murton, or those going to/from Dalton Park, being happy with these changes. I can see Arriva’s 22 getting busier.

(06 Dec 2024, 5:41 pm)Adrian wrote One of them appears to be the 2A being axed with the 2 being changed to 3x buses per hour and curtailed at Sunderland.

Not that the website clearly explains that. Yet another example of a lack of attention to detail.

(07 Dec 2024, 2:18 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Glad it's not just me - I couldn't make sense of the Washington changes.  Totally unclear what the route is going to be if serving Barnwell and Harraton but not via Shiney Row as currently?  Presumably direct via A182 so cutting service to Sunderland from the likes of Mount Pleasant?  Nice of them to introduce need for additional connections and therefore cost for folk with these "improvements".