(07 Mar 2015, 12:37 pm)mb134 wrote Thought they only had 4 branded: 7514/5/6/7?

(07 Mar 2015, 12:37 pm)mb134 wrote Thought they only had 4 branded: 7514/5/6/7?

(07 Mar 2015, 12:44 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote I had a look at the list in the portacabin, and it says five with 7515 scribbled out.
Don't know how that's happened.

(07 Mar 2015, 12:46 pm)Kuyoyo wrote No, 7514-7 maded 4 X14. 7511-3 are X15 branded.

(07 Mar 2015, 2:33 pm)Dan wrote Is there a reason for late-running on the X12/X2? I've tried to time photographs so many times now and I've failed due to late running.

Doesn't matter which day, what time, there always seems to be an issue. One would have thought Arriva would aim to stamp these issues out upon MAX conversion of the route.

(07 Mar 2015, 2:33 pm)Dan wrote Is there a reason for late-running on the X12/X2? I've tried to time photographs so many times now and I've failed due to late running.

Doesn't matter which day, what time, there always seems to be an issue. One would have thought Arriva would aim to stamp these issues out upon MAX conversion of the route.

(07 Mar 2015, 2:48 pm)Jimmi wrote I have no idea but it often ends up running late at points of the day when I've tried to get the X2 to Newcastle and the X12 from the likes of Sedgefield. Could be anything, although often when I've used the X2/X12 and it has been late it has been a VDL DB300 Gemini turn up and they seem not very fast on some of the more rural sections of the route especially towards Sedgefield.

I imagine the refurbishment to MAX isn't helping as people will be seeing different coloured buses turning up to usual and some people are getting confused, especially on the X2 with people confusing it with a Go North East bus.

(07 Mar 2015, 10:20 pm)tyresmoke wrote Was the utterly gutless 7474 - no wonder it was late all day

(07 Mar 2015, 10:22 pm)Dan wrote What's the excuse for the rest of the X2/X12 PVR.....?

In the interests of fairness, I must point out that 7618 departed Durham on an X12 on-time earlier, although carried very few passengers as 7610 departed ten minutes prior...

(07 Mar 2015, 10:28 pm)tyresmoke wrote I'm wondering if the diversions in Chester-le-Street are causing some of it. Having said that the Stockton ones all seem to run more or less on time (the 1535 from Middlesbrough today departed on time) so I think it's more an issue with Durham's operation. Whether that's down to the buses (Geminis limited at 50mph), the drivers or something else I'm not sure.

(07 Mar 2015, 10:30 pm)Dan wrote Shouldn't be having as big an affect as it seems to be having, and of course this diversion hasn't been in place for months (or years) on end. See aureolin's earlier post.

Go North East's services are running fine, as the diversion in Chester-le-Street only really adds about two minutes to the normal timetabled journey. Easily made up when you've got enough recovery time built into the timing points or layover time at each end, which, as already established, the X2/X12 has very little.

I would e-mail Arriva Customer Services to address my issues with regards to timekeeping and lack of layover, but quite frankly, it's not worth the 30-day wait for a response. Quite surprising Arriva isn't more proactive on a route which they face strong competition on...

(07 Mar 2015, 10:30 pm)Dan wrote Shouldn't be having as big an affect as it seems to be having, and of course this diversion hasn't been in place for months (or years) on end. See aureolin's earlier post.

Go North East's services are running fine, as the diversion in Chester-le-Street only really adds about two minutes to the normal timetabled journey. Easily made up when you've got enough recovery time built into the timing points or layover time at each end, which, as already established, the X2/X12 has very little.

I would e-mail Arriva Customer Services to address my issues with regards to timekeeping and lack of layover, but quite frankly, it's not worth the 30-day wait for a response. Quite surprising Arriva isn't more proactive on a route which they face strong competition on...

(07 Mar 2015, 10:47 pm)aureolin wrote I wouldn't think the Geminis being limited to 50mph would create a massive problem? I can only think of one part of the route that it could legally exceed 50 anyway? Between Pity Me and Chester. Stockton is just as bad as Durham imo, and I can only put it down to lack of running time in the timetable.

Look at Durham Bus Station to the Science Site for example. 8 minutes, and 10 minutes during peak times. That's navigating the busy North Road roundabout, getting through the Millburngate roundabout lights (which will cost you a few minutes if caught). After then, you have the potential of a further 4 or 5 sets of lights, not to mention the usual Elvet/Church Street congestion, due to it being tight and a single lane. Then you've got stops to take account of... It's a miracle if you can do that in 8 or 10 mins. In my own experience, it takes about 15 mins or 20 at peak times. The timetable also allows 8 minutes from Durham Science Site, to the Bowburn Hare & Greyhounds, both normally and at peak times. Google quotes that as 7 minutes by car, and lets face it, you're not stopping to pick up and drop people off in a car.

(07 Mar 2015, 10:47 pm)aureolin wrote I wouldn't think the Geminis being limited to 50mph would create a massive problem? I can only think of one part of the route that it could legally exceed 50 anyway? Between Pity Me and Chester. Stockton is just as bad as Durham imo, and I can only put it down to lack of running time in the timetable.

Look at Durham Bus Station to the Science Site for example. 8 minutes, and 10 minutes during peak times. That's navigating the busy North Road roundabout, getting through the Millburngate roundabout lights (which will cost you a few minutes if caught). After then, you have the potential of a further 4 or 5 sets of lights, not to mention the usual Elvet/Church Street congestion, due to it being tight and a single lane. Then you've got stops to take account of... It's a miracle if you can do that in 8 or 10 mins. In my own experience, it takes about 15 mins or 20 at peak times. The timetable also allows 8 minutes from Durham Science Site, to the Bowburn Hare & Greyhounds, both normally and at peak times. Google quotes that as 7 minutes by car, and lets face it, you're not stopping to pick up and drop people off in a car.

(07 Mar 2015, 10:56 pm)Jimmi wrote In fairness the 21 the short journeys don't do the diversion the X2 does (although leaves from a different stop to normal) and the Durham 21's have lots of layover in Durham Bus Station often see a 21 leave then see another one arrive. Although the X21 seems to cope fine and GNE can send another bus out from Bishop Bus Station if it looks like the X21 will arrive back late, Arriva can't really do this in Middlesbrough Bus Station with the X12/X2 especially on Belmont operated journeys.

I imagine Stockton's journeys seem to go more smoothly as they use Pulsar's on their journeys which handle the route well while the Gemini's are pretty slow especially on hills on the X12 route. Also Stockton don't change drivers in Durham Bus Station like Belmont depot does on journeys leaving as the X2 and journeys leaving as the X12.

Other than that all I can say is possibly traffic related issues especially in the Durham area at times and how many stops it actually makes between Durham and Coxhoe.

(07 Mar 2015, 11:03 pm)Kuyoyo wrote The peak time workings are rarely as late as you say they are by the time they reach Stockton - I've seen them all week and the Stockton-worked duplicate normally gets a few minutes layover at the Royal Oak.

(07 Mar 2015, 11:05 pm)aureolin wrote The diversion isn't *that* much of an issue though. It's a couple of minutes, along a route with zero congestion. You'd expect there to be room in a timetable to accommodate that couple of minutes, otherwise how would you expect the timetable to cope with anything other than a skeleton traffic flow?

I'd ask how long a driver change should realistically take? Again, should be accounted for in a realistic timetable. Mind you, it doesn't help when the bus is still standing there with it's ignition off, minutes after it should have departed, with a driver nowhere in sight. Too much of a common sight when it comes to Durham changeovers. 

Stopping between Durham and Coxhoe is practically every stop, but that extends to the 56/57/57A too. I sound like a broken record, but a realistic timetable should account for this. It also indicates that the demand is a lot higher than the supply. 

(07 Mar 2015, 11:05 pm)aureolin wrote The diversion isn't *that* much of an issue though. It's a couple of minutes, along a route with zero congestion. You'd expect there to be room in a timetable to accommodate that couple of minutes, otherwise how would you expect the timetable to cope with anything other than a skeleton traffic flow?

I'd ask how long a driver change should realistically take? Again, should be accounted for in a realistic timetable. Mind you, it doesn't help when the bus is still standing there with it's ignition off, minutes after it should have departed, with a driver nowhere in sight. Too much of a common sight when it comes to Durham changeovers. 

Stopping between Durham and Coxhoe is practically every stop, but that extends to the 56/57/57A too. I sound like a broken record, but a realistic timetable should account for this. It also indicates that the demand is a lot higher than the supply. 

(07 Mar 2015, 11:14 pm)tyresmoke wrote I'd say a driver change realistically shouldn't take any more than 2-3 minutes.
I'd argue some of the issue lies in adding extra stops willy nilly without giving us any extra time. All stops from Coxhoe to Pity Me now, that's not an express... The local services (56/57's) job is to serve all stops

(07 Mar 2015, 11:19 pm)aureolin wrote I hadn't realised that all stops between Durham - Pity Me were now valid. I seem to recall that it only stopped at the Salutation, Fram shops, and then at the far end of Pity Me (can't remember what the pub is called!). 

(07 Mar 2015, 3:04 pm)Dan wrote I have been following GNE's 6022 on the 21 all the way from Gateshead on this X2. The 21 has picked up and dropped off at pretty much every stop and this X2 has only dropped someone off once, yet we are still behind... It is just ludicrous - the driver seems reluctant to even make an attempt at getting in front.

We're now at Chester-le-Street. Express service, huh?

(07 Mar 2015, 11:29 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Dan, I'm not picking at any drivers here and this is only a small minority but do you notice some a VERY SMALL number of drivers who drive very slowly and I don't mean by sticking to the speed limit and driving to to conditions, I mean doing 20 in a 30 and doing 40 on a 50+ dual carriageway. Here's my instances:

- 7524 on the X22 from Brunton Pk to Newcastle due turned up 5 mins late and ended up getting into Haymarket just before 15:55 when he was supposed to be heading back out to Newbiggin as service X21. Driver was driving very slowly to the lights after blue house then floored it from there.

- 7608 on the 308 turned up 5 minutes late and ended up arriving at Haymarket by 07:15 9 minutes late having been overtaken by the following 306, 309 and even the 310 which was due in at 07:15. Bus wasn't busy at all. Driver never got above 30 on the Coast Road.

- Several instances on the 43 and 1 driver never or very rarely got above 20 on a journey that normally runs on time. Same driver was ahead on a preceeding 45 a few weeks later and we followed him all the way to Wideopen behind on the 43.

I know GNE don't tolerate it (road, vehicle, statutory, high loads, operational and conditions permitting) and I've heard that if any drivers are found, they get sent to CLS for training. I don't know what stance Arriva take but unless them six conditions in the brackets above are preventing the service running to time, there's no excuse particularly driving deliberately slowly and it should be nipped in the bud. Even saw several complaints on FB about this issue.