(08 Aug 2013, 5:15 pm)fozzovmurton wrote Just out of interest, why do Stagecoach in Sunderland stay within the City boundary I.e The Board Inn to the West and Seaburn and Grangetown to the North and South respectively.

Would it be worth it to try branch out a bit and say extend there patch to Ryhope, Seaham and beyond.

I do remember years ago before Stagecoach bought busways that busways had a couple of services in Murton, the 155 Murton Circular and the 149 Murton-Seaham service on a Sunday

(08 Aug 2013, 5:34 pm)fozzovmurton wrote Yeah, Favourite, what I remember about it, was its livery, Orange, Cream and Brown iirc..

I didn't realise they were stabled at Hetton.

Sunderland-Hartlepool is an interesting though as the Arriva 23 is turd and Pygalls look like a waste of Space with there medieval single Decker, there former gne yellow Decker and the flying banana I saw today

(08 Aug 2013, 6:31 pm)Andreos1 wrote I wonder how much of it is politics.
We all know about the investigations into route fixing etc., could this be part of it?
It's not as if Stagecoach as an organisation only know how to run city centre services. There will be money to be made, very strange they have never gone about doing it.

(07 Aug 2013, 5:16 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote

(07 Aug 2013, 3:59 pm)RJL66 wrote I think that stagecoach is losing opportunity to create increased patronage - here are my ideas

extend the 10 and or the 11 to Kingston Park via Fawdon providing North Kenton with new links
extend alternate x47 to Red House Farm and Wansbeck road fawdon loop

withdraw route 6 and 8 and improve route 7 to every 20 mins all day

withdraw 35 reroute service 30 via coxlodge to salters road

extend 33 from hollywood Ave to Wallsend and Walker via Freeman and on the irregular route 3 20-30 min frequency and eves alternatively extend the 38 on an Gosforth loop every 20 mins in both directions to replace service 33

Withdrawing the 6 & 8 and "improving" the 7 to every 20 mins would lead to a reduced frequency for the common parts of the routes compared to now, with the 6 & 7 each running every 30 mins!

Not sure about the suggestions for the 10/11/X47 either - though I have for a long time thought that the 10 and 11 should be reworked to extend from North Kenton via Kenton Lane to Ponteland Road and City Centre as that end of Kenton Lane has a really poor service into town (the small bit that is served just has the 15/15A which are infrequent and meander through Blakelaw & Fenham, while the 32/32A do a tedious tour of the whole of Newcastle).

(11 Aug 2013, 10:57 am)RJL66 wrote

(07 Aug 2013, 5:16 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote

(07 Aug 2013, 3:59 pm)RJL66 wrote I think that stagecoach is losing opportunity to create increased patronage - here are my ideas

extend the 10 and or the 11 to Kingston Park via Fawdon providing North Kenton with new links
extend alternate x47 to Red House Farm and Wansbeck road fawdon loop

withdraw route 6 and 8 and improve route 7 to every 20 mins all day

withdraw 35 reroute service 30 via coxlodge to salters road

extend 33 from hollywood Ave to Wallsend and Walker via Freeman and on the irregular route 3 20-30 min frequency and eves alternatively extend the 38 on an Gosforth loop every 20 mins in both directions to replace service 33

Withdrawing the 6 & 8 and "improving" the 7 to every 20 mins would lead to a reduced frequency for the common parts of the routes compared to now, with the 6 & 7 each running every 30 mins!

Not sure about the suggestions for the 10/11/X47 either - though I have for a long time thought that the 10 and 11 should be reworked to extend from North Kenton via Kenton Lane to Ponteland Road and City Centre as that end of Kenton Lane has a really poor service into town (the small bit that is served just has the 15/15A which are infrequent and meander through Blakelaw & Fenham, while the 32/32A do a tedious tour of the whole of Newcastle).

Well I was not getting into semantics! But I do believe I would divert the 7 around blakelaw road and that really would reduce the loss of service drastically and the section of the 6 aropund kingston park could be covered by creative option of the X47 !

(27 Sep 2013, 4:26 pm)Michael wrote It won't but it was a good route the old 21 route used to use it all time.

(27 Sep 2013, 7:10 pm)cbma06 wrote Yep, I used to use the service from Grindon and Thorney Close, years and years ago, a new gaffer started at the wheatsheaf and the person streamlined all the bus services, used to like getting on the 17,21,25 etc.., don't think there ever come back as stagecoach was doing cut backs and saving money at the time, Stagecoach are just content of having these bus services there got now, should run a service connecting Sunderland with Hartlepool, linking all the divisons up.

(27 Sep 2013, 7:51 pm)Michael wrote I really think a Sunderland - Newcastle stagecoach bus would work - Offer a good deal


Sunderland mega rider - All Sunderland Services + E services + the X5 to Newcastle.. for example

Any idea of a route it could use?

I would leave it in stagecoach - Basically the X36 route till Downhill - ASDA - then follow the X34 route? - Hourly at first then - half hourly if it works out?

(13 Oct 2013, 3:06 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote Just been looking back through the Quality Contracts Thread to find the post with all the Liveries etc which on Post 109 Page 11. And I noticed this.

Stagecoach in Newcastle Service 40 - Chapel House - Newcastle -
Byker - Walker - Wallsend, is in the same "Lot" as GNE Service 40 - Wallsend - Battle Hill - Hadrian Park.

So if Stagecoach for example were to Win Lot 1 if the Quality Contracts Scheme goes ahead could we then see the GNE 40 Scrapped and the Stagecoach 40 extended to Hadrian Park from Wallsend

(13 Oct 2013, 3:06 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote Just been looking back through the Quality Contracts Thread to find the post with all the Liveries etc which on Post 109 Page 11. And I noticed this.

Stagecoach in Newcastle Service 40 - Chapel House - Newcastle -
Byker - Walker - Wallsend, is in the same "Lot" as GNE Service 40 - Wallsend - Battle Hill - Hadrian Park.

So if Stagecoach for example were to Win Lot 1 if the Quality Contracts Scheme goes ahead could we then see the GNE 40 Scrapped and the Stagecoach 40 extended to Hadrian Park from Wallsend

(13 Oct 2013, 4:09 pm)cbma06 wrote its just like the other allocated "lot" for Sunderland area, If GNE bids for the Sunderland "lot" then Stagecoach wont be running any bus services in Sunderland area, unless there bid for the works and scholars services.

if Stagecoach is unsuccessful for bids in Sunderland area then maybe the bus depot at Wheatsheaf will fall into the hands of the Council then go into the hands of GNE to run the Stagecoach bus service routes after the QCS comes into force.

Stagecoach wont be able to knock the Wheatsheaf depot down as you will need planning permission for this and I don't think the the council will be approving the demoltion of the depot, as the local councils are in favour of the QCS, and no house builders will not purchase the depot neither as there will know that there wont get permission to built homes on the land as yet again the council will not approve planning permission. (Same situation as the Vaux site when Tesco had planning permission turned down several times from the council).

(13 Oct 2013, 4:20 pm)Michael wrote If it does go ahead, i do hope it doesn't, i want stagecoach to go for Lot 3 (My Area).

Stagecoach could run it with Gas buses and Enviro's alone. =D


Atm their are 260 Enviro's at Stagecoach North East (Not Including 12000)

We also have 40 Gas buses soon.

Stagecoach could also bid on some NEXUS/school contract's such as the 73 etc - They could use most of the spare enviro's on them services - all spares for the fleet would be enviro to.

Would be interesting to see what buses would run on what services?

(13 Oct 2013, 4:31 pm)Andreos1 wrote You may see deckers in Sunderland too

(13 Oct 2013, 5:39 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote It's ok if you live in Sunderland like Michael as you won't be affected that much if say Stagecoach were to win that lot of Services. But if you your me and your living in Washington you looking at Potentially 2 Operators operating the Local Services.

2A/2C – Lot 3
8 – Lot 3
50/50A – Lot 3
M1 – Lot 2
M2/M3 – Lot 2
W5/W6 – Lot 2
X1/X1A – Lot 2
X88 – Lot 3

And the only other Services I use are - X66 Lot 2 - 62/63 Lot 1 - 21 Lot 3 and 10 Lot 3. So really I'm in a Lose/Lose Situation when comes to the proposed changes. Only real bonus is I wouldn't have to change Operators when going to the Eye Infirmary in Sunderland.

(13 Oct 2013, 5:39 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote It's ok if you live in Sunderland like Michael as you won't be affected that much if say Stagecoach were to win that lot of Services. But if you your me and your living in Washington you looking at Potentially 2 Operators operating the Local Services.

2A/2C – Lot 3
8 – Lot 3
50/50A – Lot 3
M1 – Lot 2
M2/M3 – Lot 2
W5/W6 – Lot 2
X1/X1A – Lot 2
X88 – Lot 3

And the only other Services I use are - X66 Lot 2 - 62/63 Lot 1 - 21 Lot 3 and 10 Lot 3. So really I'm in a Lose/Lose Situation when comes to the proposed changes. Only real bonus is I wouldn't have to change Operators when going to the Eye Infirmary in Sunderland.

(13 Oct 2013, 5:48 pm)Andreos1 wrote What difference does it make if two (or three operators) have the contract across a particular area?
I'm not being flippant or trying to start an argument by any means, but as a customer you have one pass which entitles you to use whoever and as an enthusiast, a whole range of vehicles you may not get to ride normally.