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+--- Thread: Disruptions and driver shortages (/showthread.php?tid=3532)
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - streetdeckfan - 14 Sep 2022
(14 Sep 2022, 3:09 pm)citaro5284 wrote How is it awful? A double deck vehicle hitting a low hanging branch can easily smash an upper front windscreen. Do you expect the vehicles to keep on hitting it and a possibility of someone sitting upstairs getting showered with glass?
Back when I was at school one of the scholars hit a branch and it cracked the window, wasn't exactly a pleasant experience!
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Adrian - 14 Sep 2022
(13 Sep 2022, 12:19 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/1569661616320389121?t=tSxrjzZcqpOy4vyLOIC58Q&s=19
Not only are passengers getting the blame.
But we've got traffic delays in Stanley! Who knew? I thought they only happened in the mind of a long gone, meerkat.
Same with the 65. Cut the frequency then blame the customers that are still bothering.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Andreos1 - 15 Sep 2022
(14 Sep 2022, 4:36 pm)Adrian wrote Same with the 65. Cut the frequency then blame the customers that are still bothering.
How dare passengers want to get a bus from A to B and delay a service which clearly doesn't have a timetable or allocation to meet demand...
If they had anything about them, they would just cut the service completely and remove the problem at hand.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - DeltaMan - 15 Sep 2022
(14 Sep 2022, 4:36 pm)Adrian wrote Same with the 65. Cut the frequency then blame the customers that are still bothering.What's the difference between "blame" and "reason"?
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Unber43 - 15 Sep 2022
GNE really needs to look at their scheduling, there is like 3x more journeys shortened/cancelled/delayed due to passenger numbers or delays which tbf is a joke.
And most the time when I see 21's, X1's go NIS at Eldon Square they don't post anything.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Drifter60 - 15 Sep 2022
(15 Sep 2022, 3:54 pm)DeltaMan wrote What's the difference between "blame" and "reason"?
It doesn’t really matter - GNE are saying the cause of delays on the 65 route are because, at least in part, high passenger numbers. A route they’ve just ‘temporarily’ cut back to hourly instead half hourly. So not only are customers getting less buses per hour, they’re now getting more delays because two bus loads of people are trying to get the one service. ‘blaming’ or ‘reasoning’ it’s just semantics really. Outcome is the same. Now some would say the transparency of GNE is good, but it also highlights the lack of foresight of cutting the timetable back without thinking of knock on effects or mitigation.
On a similar note, a friend of mine tells me there was 20 running through Houghton today with ‘Bus Full’ on the blind around 3:45/4:00 this afternoon. Again a route that’s already down to every 15 minutes from its previous higher frequency (every 10-12 minutes) on top of the fact they’ve ‘temporarily’ removed service X20 (and permanent withdrawal of the 55 route) on the same corridor. Let’s just hope a few of these temporary changes can be reverted sooner rather than later.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Unber43 - 15 Sep 2022
(15 Sep 2022, 9:16 pm)Drifter60 wrote It doesn’t really matter - GNE are saying the cause of delays on the 65 route are because, at least in part, high passenger numbers. A route they’ve just ‘temporarily’ cut back to hourly instead half hourly. So not only are customers getting less buses per hour, they’re now getting more delays because two bus loads of people are trying to get the one service. ‘blaming’ or ‘reasoning’ it’s just semantics really. Outcome is the same. Now some would say the transparency of GNE is good, but it also highlights the lack of foresight of cutting the timetable back without thinking of knock on effects or mitigation.The 20's have been rammed going through Houghton.
On a similar note, a friend of mine tells me there was 20 running through Houghton today with ‘Bus Full’ on the blind around 3:45/4:00 this afternoon. Again a route that’s already down to every 15 minutes from its previous higher frequency (every 10-12 minutes) on top of the fact they’ve ‘temporarily’ removed service X20 (and permanent withdrawal of the 55 route) on the same corridor. Let’s just hope a few of these temporary changes can be reverted sooner rather than later.
And aswell there was at one point before bus times went down only 2 60's tracking on route out of the 6 that must have been a nightmare, there was been 7 out of 11 56's today, aswell as a few 20's and berries missing aswell.
If Deptford this bad, got knows how they're getting on in Washington.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Unber43 - 16 Sep 2022
What a joke GNE
Delays/Cancellation all bloody day. These changes definitely did not improve reliability if anything they've made it worse.
Entire GNE Network needs re-scheduling.
65, X1, 4, 21, X21, 60, 25.
They're all over the place.
65 has been moved to Seaham for changeovers however why didn't they bring a bus which they could just take straight on the route as they're all late.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Thomas12 - 16 Sep 2022
Another shambles day on the Q3 since it moved back to Riverside too - no bus to/from Wallsend for an hour and an half this afternoon. Disgraceful on a service paid for by Nexus.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Adrian - 16 Sep 2022
(16 Sep 2022, 5:40 pm)Thomas12 wrote Another shambles day on the Q3 since it moved back to Riverside too - no bus to/from Wallsend for an hour and an half this afternoon. Disgraceful on a service paid for by Nexus.
With the Wallsend to St Peters bit being the bit Nexus fund, I would log it directly with Nexus per their complaints charter.
I'd recommend making it clear in your contact that you're sending it their way because it's funded in part by Nexus, as sometimes they'll try and redirect you to the operator.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - 54APhotography - 17 Sep 2022
(16 Sep 2022, 4:56 pm)Unber43 wrote What a joke GNEI would say the entire timetabling of services could do with change. Few buses connect now with the cuts to services. It's a massive task, but one which would perhaps alleviate some of the frustration.
Delays/Cancellation all bloody day. These changes definitely did not improve reliability if anything they've made it worse.
Entire GNE Network needs re-scheduling.
65, X1, 4, 21, X21, 60, 25.
They're all over the place.
65 has been moved to Seaham for changeovers however why didn't they bring a bus which they could just take straight on the route as they're all late.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Ambassador - 17 Sep 2022
Jesus the 21 on a match day is a dictionary definition of a route that cannot cope and needs support that it won’t get in the current climate.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Adrian - 17 Sep 2022
(17 Sep 2022, 5:21 pm)Ambassador wrote Jesus the 21 on a match day is a dictionary definition of a route that cannot cope and needs support that it won’t get in the current climate.
The queue for it at Gateshead Interchange was quite big when I was there later this afternoon. Unless they were turning one at Gateshead, those waiting for the Southbound journeys might as well have started walking then.
Notably the 82 I used went out almost full to seating capacity, with only a couple seats spare. Only 4 got off at Wrekenton but quite a few ended up getting off between the Coach and Horses and where it comes back on to Durham Road at the shops. Not bad for a secured service!
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Andreos1 - 17 Sep 2022
(17 Sep 2022, 11:43 am)54APhotography wrote I would say the entire timetabling of services could do with change. Few buses connect now with the cuts to services. It's a massive task, but one which would perhaps alleviate some of the frustration.
It should have been done years ago.
This latest lot of changes could have done something that wasn't done during the previous revisions, the ones before them or the times... Well you get the gist.
Wasted opportunity. Again.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Malarkey - 17 Sep 2022
Noticed today some of these "Agency Drivers" that GNE have brought in to cover the additional contracts they are operating, most noticeably Metro Replacements 900/X900 are using Drivers from Abellio London as two of the drivers I seen today both were wearing Abellio uniform, must be costing Go North East a significant amount of money for their wages/accommodation for the next 3 months.
Elsewhere the 21/X21 is just an utter joke with the amount of Angel/XLines X21's parked up in Gateshead Interchange at various points of the day due to services being cut short at Gateshead, feel sorry for those who are then left like waiting excessive periods time to end up like a tinned sardine on a bus that is then way beyond capacity, echoing the points of others the timetables across multiple routes are just not fit for purpose as they don't have enough running time and layover periods are tighter than nuns you know what causing service cancellations left, right and centre as the drivers physically can't do anything to keep to time due to elements such as the A1 Works impacting the 21/X21 at Peak Times.
Don't even get me started on Riversides Depot Allocator.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Unber43 - 17 Sep 2022
(17 Sep 2022, 8:16 pm)Malarkey wrote Noticed today some of these "Agency Drivers" that GNE have brought in to cover the additional contracts they are operating, most noticeably Metro Replacements 900/X900 are using Drivers from Abellio London as two of the drivers I seen today both were wearing Abellio uniform, must be costing Go North East a significant amount of money for their wages/accommodation for the next 3 months.Riverside, Deptford, Washington allocations are all, all over the place.
Elsewhere the 21/X21 is just an utter joke with the amount of Angel/XLines X21's parked up in Gateshead Interchange at various points of the day due to services being cut short at Gateshead, feel sorry for those who are then left like waiting excessive periods time to end up like a tinned sardine on a bus that is then way beyond capacity, echoing the points of others the timetables across multiple routes are just not fit for purpose as they don't have enough running time and layover periods are tighter than nuns you know what causing service cancellations left, right and centre as the drivers physically can't do anything to keep to time due to elements such as the A1 Works impacting the 21/X21 at Peak Times.
Don't even get me started on Riversides Depot Allocator.
Yes there may have been a case for drivers only familiarised on certain vehciles but its beyond a joke now with allocations.
I had a quick check over the last two days and there has been
87 Delayed/Operational Issue Service Gaps (45 mins delays on 25, 30 65's)
10 Breakdowns
These don't even include when X1/21/60/4's go NIS due to late running which has been happening a lot, and they weren't put on Twitter
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Andreos1 - 17 Sep 2022
(17 Sep 2022, 8:16 pm)Malarkey wrote Noticed today some of these "Agency Drivers" that GNE have brought in to cover the additional contracts they are operating, most noticeably Metro Replacements 900/X900 are using Drivers from Abellio London as two of the drivers I seen today both were wearing Abellio uniform, must be costing Go North East a significant amount of money for their wages/accommodation for the next 3 months.
Elsewhere the 21/X21 is just an utter joke with the amount of Angel/XLines X21's parked up in Gateshead Interchange at various points of the day due to services being cut short at Gateshead, feel sorry for those who are then left like waiting excessive periods time to end up like a tinned sardine on a bus that is then way beyond capacity, echoing the points of others the timetables across multiple routes are just not fit for purpose as they don't have enough running time and layover periods are tighter than nuns you know what causing service cancellations left, right and centre as the drivers physically can't do anything to keep to time due to elements such as the A1 Works impacting the 21/X21 at Peak Times.
Don't even get me started on Riversides Depot Allocator.
It must be paying well though?
To tender for a taxpayer funded contract and then recruit drivers from elsewhere (even with any associated overheads) and make a loss... Well that's commercial suicide.
I'm sure everything is costed out well and GNE are making a fair few quid out of this arrangement.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Adrian - 17 Sep 2022
(17 Sep 2022, 8:16 pm)Malarkey wrote Noticed today some of these "Agency Drivers" that GNE have brought in to cover the additional contracts they are operating, most noticeably Metro Replacements 900/X900 are using Drivers from Abellio London as two of the drivers I seen today both were wearing Abellio uniform, must be costing Go North East a significant amount of money for their wages/accommodation for the next 3 months.
Elsewhere the 21/X21 is just an utter joke with the amount of Angel/XLines X21's parked up in Gateshead Interchange at various points of the day due to services being cut short at Gateshead, feel sorry for those who are then left like waiting excessive periods time to end up like a tinned sardine on a bus that is then way beyond capacity, echoing the points of others the timetables across multiple routes are just not fit for purpose as they don't have enough running time and layover periods are tighter than nuns you know what causing service cancellations left, right and centre as the drivers physically can't do anything to keep to time due to elements such as the A1 Works impacting the 21/X21 at Peak Times.
Don't even get me started on Riversides Depot Allocator.
Maybe so, but I'd be very surprised if it wasn't factored into the price they've given Nexus to run the service.
It's a big piece of work. Given operators are struggling getting drivers to cover their normal work, they've clearly had to look further afield to cover this contract. Whilst I'm personally not a fan of using agency workers, I think it's good that GNE have clearly put a well-thought out plan in place to cover this. I was at Heworth for a bit earlier, and it seemed to be running like clockwork; even with the match traffic.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Ambassador - 17 Sep 2022
Yes those agency drivers are erm….well, an experience.
Pleasing to see the 82 doing well, I’ve used it a few times.
Re-the 21. It was running in 4s pre match and leaving Low Fell standing. The cannon looked like Eldon square bus station! The poor X12 was again full and standing from Allerdene. Post match, even at 6.30pm was just as bad, 3 angels filled up across 3 stands at ES leaving other city stops and Gateshead wanting….
In a fully staffed world you’d have 21s running to the Angel and back to pick up the slack from Durham Road. Alas in our current world we’ve got empty Angels in Gateshead and Streetlites running a service…
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Jack Gill - 18 Sep 2022
GNE's short notice cancellations have finally returned.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Unber43 - 18 Sep 2022
(18 Sep 2022, 9:14 am)Jack Gill wrote GNE's short notice cancellations have finally returned.Seems to only be washington today.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Drifter60 - 18 Sep 2022
I’m not sure these short notice cancellations really make any sense. For instance the 20 today:
Prince Bishops 20:
The following full journeys will not operate
From Durham: 10:04, 15:04, 16:04, 17:14
From Langley Park: 10:37, 15:37, 16:37, 17:47
But how come there’s no journeys cancelled from Sunderland listed?
EDIT: before replying I’ve worked this one out I believe. Washington operate the Langley to Durham shorts on Sundays. But how confusing is that information on a public facing platform? It didn’t make much sense to me, let alone other passengers. You’d also be led to believe that Sunderland to Durham is running perfectly fine, which probably isn’t the case either.
Also the fact there’s a three hour gap in buses to/from Langley Park is a disgrace also.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Unber43 - 18 Sep 2022
(18 Sep 2022, 4:37 pm)Drifter60 wrote I’m not sure these short notice cancellations really make any sense. For instance the 20 today:The 17:47 from Langley Park is the last service to Durham.
Prince Bishops 20:
The following full journeys will not operate
From Durham: 10:04, 15:04, 16:04, 17:14
From Langley Park: 10:37, 15:37, 16:37, 17:47
But how come there’s no journeys cancelled from Sunderland listed?
EDIT: before replying I’ve worked this one out I believe. Washington operate the Langley to Durham shorts on Sundays. But how confusing is that information on a public facing platform? It didn’t make much sense to me, let alone other passengers. You’d also be led to believe that Sunderland to Durham is running perfectly fine, which probably isn’t the case either.
Also the fact there’s a three hour gap in buses to/from Langley Park is a disgrace also.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - deanmachine - 18 Sep 2022
(18 Sep 2022, 4:37 pm)Drifter60 wrote I’m not sure these short notice cancellations really make any sense. For instance the 20 today:
Prince Bishops 20:
The following full journeys will not operate
From Durham: 10:04, 15:04, 16:04, 17:14
From Langley Park: 10:37, 15:37, 16:37, 17:47
But how come there’s no journeys cancelled from Sunderland listed?
EDIT: before replying I’ve worked this one out I believe. Washington operate the Langley to Durham shorts on Sundays. But how confusing is that information on a public facing platform? It didn’t make much sense to me, let alone other passengers. You’d also be led to believe that Sunderland to Durham is running perfectly fine, which probably isn’t the case either.
Also the fact there’s a three hour gap in buses to/from Langley Park is a disgrace also.
Does seem quite mad that Deptford don't run all the way to Langley Park on a Sunday, never made any sense to me, even when it was the X20. Must make sense to someone in Bensham though.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Andreos1 - 18 Sep 2022
(18 Sep 2022, 4:37 pm)Drifter60 wrote I’m not sure these short notice cancellations really make any sense. For instance the 20 today:
Prince Bishops 20:
The following full journeys will not operate
From Durham: 10:04, 15:04, 16:04, 17:14
From Langley Park: 10:37, 15:37, 16:37, 17:47
But how come there’s no journeys cancelled from Sunderland listed?
EDIT: before replying I’ve worked this one out I believe. Washington operate the Langley to Durham shorts on Sundays. But how confusing is that information on a public facing platform? It didn’t make much sense to me, let alone other passengers. You’d also be led to believe that Sunderland to Durham is running perfectly fine, which probably isn’t the case either.
Also the fact there’s a three hour gap in buses to/from Langley Park is a disgrace also.
#missingpurplestreetlites
Short notice cancellations - itsadam - 19 Sep 2022
I don't know if anyone else has noticed but they've started listing their short notice cancellations again. They did it for Sunday missed out today and the ones they've got now are for tomorrow
RE: Short notice cancellations - Ambassador - 19 Sep 2022
Copy and paste with no proofreading on the page do we think….
After 3pm, please add any additional cancelled journeys in red and highlight any journeys you’ve managed to cover in green.
Very professional…..nearly as professional as not running an up to every 10 minute service for 45 minutes..seriously why is the point of Newcastle to Gateshead Angel runs?!
RE: Short notice cancellations - BusLoverMum - 19 Sep 2022
Glad they have. Eldest starts a new course in the morning and the bus he was going to catch is bloody cancelled.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - Ambassador - 22 Sep 2022
Wasn’t sure where to put this but I’d like to report an anti GNE tree, it may be one of Malarkey’s or even Andreos tree variants.
See, GNE can’t serve High Street West at Gateshead because of a tree blocking the road,
However…this tree doesn’t seem to be attacking Arriva or JH Coaches who still serve the route.
I really hope this anti GNE tree can be restrained.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages - streetdeckfan - 22 Sep 2022
(22 Sep 2022, 10:14 pm)Ambassador wrote Wasn’t sure where to put this but I’d like to report an anti GNE tree, it may be one of Malarkey’s or even Andreos tree variants.
See, GNE can’t serve High Street West at Gateshead because of a tree blocking the road,
However…this tree doesn’t seem to be attacking Arriva or JH Coaches who still serve the route.
I really hope this anti GNE tree can be restrained.
You sure it's not just Unber standing at the side with a twig so they can complain about them going the wrong way?
Then again, that assumes they can manage to look away from Bustimes for more than 10 seconds