(28 Dec 2019, 9:56 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Nah. 21 busiest Newcastle-Birtley.

(29 Dec 2019, 10:57 am)big mac wrote Yes, any reduction at all in frequency on the Newcastle to Chester section of the 21 would not be a good idea. I remember a few years ago the frequency was reduced to every 10 minutes, which lead quite commonly to overcrowding and sometimes a wait of up to half an hour for a bus to turn up. I think GNE realised their mistake pretty quickly.

(29 Dec 2019, 11:44 am)Jimmi wrote Think at that point were it was 10 minutes across the whole route (Newcastle to Durham), I remember the reliability being poor at best, was forever running in twos into Durham and gaps of buses not turning up. Have to agree on the Chester to Toon section needing to be kept frequent as it's rather busy.

(29 Dec 2019, 11:50 am)big mac wrote Yes it was 10 minutes between Newcastle and Durham, as they also increased the frequency of the then 24 from Wrekenton to Newcastle to every 10 minutes. 
This created a combined every 5 minute frequency between Low Fell and Newcastle, but the problem was that many passengers along the Durham Road corridor use the services south of Low Fell where the 24 turned off to go to Wrekenton, so they lost out, and the 21 struggled to cope  with the strain put it on it south of Low Fell.

(28 Dec 2019, 1:42 pm)streetdeckfan wrote From what I was told when the X21 was extended, the one part of the 18 route that made money was Walker Drive (probably because the 18 was the only service that went that way), but I have noticed since changing to the X21 it's been a lot busier on Proudfoot Drive than it used to be.

Like I said though, it's not actually that much difference in going via Woodhouse or Watling Road, maybe a minute for two, at a push, and they're more likely to pick up passengers in Woodhouse

I think the extra time from Eden to Tesco is to allow for traffic during busier times (which is basically any time after 2pm these days).
I can almost guarantee that pretty much all afternoon northbound services will run late, the traffic down here is an absolute joke, on many occasions it's taken a good 5 minutes for the X21 to get from Tesco to Watling Road Club, a distance of around 300m!

On another note, I've just looked at the timetable again and it looks it'll be going via Neville's Cross at all times now, missing out the university entirely

(29 Dec 2019, 12:20 pm)busmanT wrote Obviously it will pick up more going via Woodhouse Close (copying Arriva) than Watling Road, but probably 3 or 4 minutes quicker on Watling Road (delay turning right at Cabin Gate, getting out of Proudfoot Drive and especially towards Bishop, with going round Walker Drive) - potential to get a bigger share of the passengers from West and St Helens going to Bishop (at higher fares) with what would be a faster journey, perceptually much faster, and not involve seeing the sights of Woodhouse Close.

(29 Dec 2019, 12:20 pm)busmanT wrote Obviously it will pick up more going via Woodhouse Close (copying Arriva) than Watling Road, but probably 3 or 4 minutes quicker on Watling Road (delay turning right at Cabin Gate, getting out of Proudfoot Drive and especially towards Bishop, with going round Walker Drive) - potential to get a bigger share of the passengers from West and St Helens going to Bishop (at higher fares) with what would be a faster journey, perceptually much faster, and not involve seeing the sights of Woodhouse Close.

(29 Dec 2019, 12:24 pm)S830OFT wrote I wonder if it would be viable to extend one or two journeys to Barnard Castle...

(29 Dec 2019, 1:53 pm)big mac wrote With the changes meaning the x21 will be registered as two routes, will this not make the destination displays potentially confusing?
With it being every 15 minutes to Durham, these journeys that terminate at Durham will have Durham as the destination, but so will the ones that extend to West Auckland. The split will probably mean it will display "Durham for West Auckland" which I'm sure will catch some people out as to which ones terminate where.

(29 Dec 2019, 1:53 pm)big mac wrote With the changes meaning the x21 will be registered as two routes, will this not make the destination displays potentially confusing?
With it being every 15 minutes to Durham, these journeys that terminate at Durham will have Durham as the destination, but so will the ones that extend to West Auckland. The split will probably mean it will display "Durham for West Auckland" which I'm sure will catch some people out as to which ones terminate where.

(29 Dec 2019, 2:03 pm)Dan wrote Don't forget that when a bus is running to a location which isn't the 'usual' terminus, i.e. only serving part of the route, then no via points are included on the destination display so that the terminus can be shown in a larger, bolder, font.

So in this instance of Durham, there will be a clear difference between the 'Durham then West Auckland' display and the 'Durham' only display.

You could argue that it's no more confusing than now, because the displays show "Bishop Auckland then Tindale Crescent" (not a requirement currently as it isn't a split route, but shown like that as Tindale Crescent isn't really a well-known place!)

(29 Dec 2019, 2:18 pm)S813 FVK wrote Fully understand this one with wanting to differentiate between the long and short journeys so I have a degree in confidence that this one isn't going to need an in-depth reply, but merely as devil's advocate...

Why will Durham not fall under a 'regular/usual' terminus to get the new format yet places like Sunniside on the 6 and Quaking Houses on the M6 do?

(29 Dec 2019, 2:03 pm)Dan wrote Don't forget that when a bus is running to a location which isn't the 'usual' terminus, i.e. only serving part of the route, then no via points are included on the destination display so that the terminus can be shown in a larger, bolder, font.

So in this instance of Durham, there will be a clear difference between the 'Durham then West Auckland' display and the 'Durham' only display.

You could argue that it's no more confusing than now, because the displays show "Bishop Auckland then Tindale Crescent" (not a requirement currently as it isn't a split route, but shown like that as Tindale Crescent isn't really a well-known place!)

(29 Dec 2019, 2:15 pm)Jimmi wrote The current peak shorts that terminate at Durham is enough to throw people, many can't seem to comprehend that it's not going any further than that despite showing Durham in ginormous letters on the destination, many a time I've seen people have to be told at Durham Bus Station it's going no further.

Probs be confusing at first but hopefully get better with time when people are used to the changes being made.

(29 Dec 2019, 2:25 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Technically, the X21 doesn't actually go to Tindale Crescent, it goes to St Helens Auckland. The only stop that's in Tindale Crescent is Watling Road Club on the northbound journey, and even that's debatable as it's the wrong side of the road!

Even still, the X21 doesn't go to Tindale Crescent, it goes to Tinddale Crescent as it's misspelled on the registration!

(29 Dec 2019, 2:30 pm)Dan wrote *sigh*

Technicalities and nitpicking aside, enough people refer to Bishop Auckland Retail Shopping Park as "Tindale Retail Park" for this to be the most appropriate thing to show on the destination display...

(29 Dec 2019, 2:25 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Technically, the X21 doesn't actually go to Tindale Crescent, it goes to St Helens Auckland. The only stop that's in Tindale Crescent is Watling Road Club on the northbound journey, and even that's debatable as it's the wrong side of the road!

Even still, the X21 doesn't go to Tindale Crescent, it goes to Tinddale Crescent as it's misspelled on the registration!


You're also forgetting the people that seem to think (and rightly so!) that the X21 isn't express, and stops at every stop, to then complain at the driver when it doesn't stop at their stop!

(29 Dec 2019, 6:42 pm)JP6004 wrote I know it doesn't even depart from the Express Lounge at Gateshead Interchange!

(29 Dec 2019, 6:48 pm)streetdeckfan wrote See Dan, it's not just me that's complaining! There's at least two others on here who are totally not just humouring me!

On another note, hopefully with these upcoming changes, we might eventually get our NSAs back!

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(29 Dec 2019, 6:50 pm)JP6004 wrote Well to be fair Nexus' idea of an Express lounge is like bridge cafe in the Apprentice.....I think they should knock down Gateshead Interchange and start again

(29 Dec 2019, 6:52 pm)streetdeckfan wrote At least the visit to the lounge is more express than the X21!

I don't think Gateshead Interchange is too bad, if anything needs knocked down and started again it's Durham Bus Station! That thing's leakier than some of the StreetDecks!

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(29 Dec 2019, 6:50 pm)JP6004 wrote Well to be fair Nexus' idea of an Express lounge is like bridge cafe in the Apprentice.....I think they should knock down Gateshead Interchange and start again

(29 Dec 2019, 6:54 pm)cbma06 wrote What ever happened about the plans of building a new bus station at Durham, was it just all fantasy in the councillors eyes , or did the council needed to use the money to build themselves a nice new HQ.


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(29 Dec 2019, 6:54 pm)cbma06 wrote What ever happened about the plans of building a new bus station at Durham, was it just all fantasy in the councillors eyes , or did the council needed to use the money to build themselves a nice new HQ.


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Should get mega movers out and shift Gateshead Interchange to Sunderland , Sunderland Interchange is just a shambles and needs knocking down.


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(29 Dec 2019, 7:20 pm)Michael wrote Park lane is horrendous, its a wind tunnel and its just shaped wrong, could of just had it the way the old Interchange was.


Should of 2 rows of Bus stands, buses would of came in from the current way, out by the where the college is, and then go towards Port of call on to Holmeside.

Paving all that section along next to Port of call was a wrong move in my eyes.

(29 Dec 2019, 7:18 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I think we all know the answer to that one!

According to the Durham Council website, they are hoping to get the plans for the new station in and the old one knocked down in April and the new one built by July 2021,
https://www.durham.gov.uk/durhambusstation


I've heard rumours recently that they'll be closing Bishop Auckland Bus Station and moving it to Tindale Crescent once the new bowling alley and cinema get built (if that ever happens, they were supposed to start construction in October but nowt's happened yet!)

(29 Dec 2019, 7:33 pm)2bagstew wrote The planning permission has already been sort.
It’s they layout of the bus stops on North Road that will be the biggest problem.


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(29 Dec 2019, 6:48 pm)streetdeckfan wrote On another note, hopefully with these upcoming changes, we might eventually get our NSAs back!

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(29 Dec 2019, 7:54 pm)Dan wrote Might just leave them disabled, just for you... How would you cope if you had one less thing to twist about?

(29 Dec 2019, 7:48 pm)streetdeckfan wrote If they had a bus station that was capable of holding buses, there would be no need for the stops on North Road.

For me the main issue with DBS is the size rather than the dilapidated state. 
At the minute Durham Bus Station is far too small for the amount of buses that use it. Not long back, I was on the X21 and we had to go round 3 or 4 times because there was no stand available. It's not uncommon to see a 21 or X21 parked at the end with passengers having to walk in front of the buses at stand L

(29 Dec 2019, 8:01 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I'd pick something else of my list of things that irritate me! I could go back to whining about the app, or the lack of multi operator tickets in County Durham, or my dislike for the placement of the white stripe on the E400s.

The list is literally endless!