(26 Jan 2024, 6:12 pm)Storx wrote The 319 ran in between all that aswell at some point, by GCT. It also ran before it aswell with the 310, running pretty much the 342 between Wallsend and Cramlington.

(27 Jan 2024, 1:20 am)V514DFT wrote Yup
The original 310 was Blyth-Sunderland
The original 319 was Cramlington-Sunderland
On that stretch there's also been
Original 317
17
11 (GNE)
300 
333
Current 317
There was also the trial of the 919 that ran upto the Cobalt
And the 10/11 to the Cobalt before it was re-routed to North Shields
On a seperate subject, i've been think about the 335
I wonder if it would be feasible to add a quick little de-tour into Holystone Park on its travels offering better links to Metro stations, they'd then have access to Northumberland Park (M(and rail)) (351), Four Lane Ends (M) (335)

(27 Jan 2024, 9:40 am)Storx wrote Aye crazy corridor which no-one knows what to do with tbh. 

Btw on the 335 what's the loads like, never seen it around but it's a right obscure route as an understatement with arguably no destination at the Hadrian Park end.

(25 Jan 2024, 11:09 pm)Ambassador wrote The thing with BSIP is that it’s being administered by the same people who have overseen a total collapse in the network or who have never been on a bus in their lives.

We need more buses for those 9-5 office based workers!
Newcastle to Sunderland only has a metro, a northern rail service and the worlds slowest bus..let’s add more buses, that sounds an idea

(27 Jan 2024, 9:57 am)Thomas12 wrote The 335 gets decent loads in the peaks (probably with people heading to and from Tyneview Park/Quorum/BT) but never seen many on it during the day.

Numbers have dropped now since GNE started running it though, as the timings aren't as good as they used to be. The old timings when GCT were running it were better for starting times at BT/Quorum (getting there just before 8/9/10). Obviously that's not the fault of GNE, but more Nexus.

(28 Jan 2024, 11:14 am)DaveFromUpNorth wrote 335 timings are an issue  especially leaving Killingworth off memory serves leaves a minute or two after 342 to Wallsend  and in turn is a quicker service  via Forest Hall to Asda and station Road /Mullen Road Shops

With regards to extending 335 to Holystone I would look at extending the 351 from Holystone to Northumberland Park even on an evening

I would change the 335 after quarom and go via the old route past the station pub and over the level crossing then round Killingworth loop (anti clockwise so it goes via the school into Killingworth bus station)  it also creates a link for camperdown and Burradon industrial estates

(02 Feb 2024, 10:36 am)Ambassador wrote The changes do seem to have created a slight downgrade on the X21 - few Angels' working it and Corporate London heaps been kicking about the past few days

(02 Feb 2024, 10:36 am)Ambassador wrote The changes do seem to have created a slight downgrade on the X21 - few Angels' working it and Corporate London heaps been kicking about the past few days

(02 Feb 2024, 2:10 pm)DeltaMan wrote Very customer friendly welcome from my driver today at the changeover point.... "Second one of these crap ones I've had today"

(02 Feb 2024, 4:41 pm)Ambassador wrote Few missing Angel runs today but the buses haven't gone to waste...3 of them seem to be kicking around the X21

(02 Feb 2024, 10:26 pm)Storx wrote Does anyone know if the X20 is tendered for Deckers? I just find it a bit strange how a bus route which wasn't sustainable at all on a commercial basis, now suddenly needs Deckers on it. It's going from one extreme to the other.

Surely the Enviro 200 MMC's which are going from pillar to post lately could've done it instead with the B5TL's being at Riverside or Consett who are both struggling with Decker's lately.

(02 Feb 2024, 10:31 pm)Adrian wrote Was it ever deemed not commercially sustainable? It was originally only pulled temporarily. I don't think they ever confirmed a permanent plan for it.

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

(02 Feb 2024, 10:56 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote Take the funding element away.

If you reintroduce a bus service and promote it as a "fast link" you want some of your best buses to showcase the route to build confidence

You must also consider the cost per mile these buses do compared to others to make it "profitable" short medium and long term

You would soon complain if you had 15yr old plus double decks that 41 41a often sees ?

(02 Feb 2024, 11:13 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote See when I hear capacity issue I think NIMBY passengers

Not in my back yard...

These days a single decker say 40 seats is realistic 20 seats why

Every one sits and has a row to themselves
If alone with friends I'ts a little different as two would sit together

So capacity "perception is reduced" as the bus is full If a single decker If one person sits on each row of two seats...

I always recall the GCT BUS  I used to get on a morning before driving to work

17 people sitting on a bus and it looked full on a 30 ish seater bus

The aim should be not to feel cramped sniffing armpits listening to other music or standing on the bus from Durham to Sland

(02 Feb 2024, 10:26 pm)Storx wrote Does anyone know if the X20 is tendered for Deckers? I just find it a bit strange how a bus route which wasn't sustainable at all on a commercial basis, now suddenly needs Deckers on it. It's going from one extreme to the other.

Surely the Enviro 200 MMC's which are going from pillar to post lately could've done it instead with the B5TL's being at Riverside or Consett who are both struggling with Decker's lately.

(03 Feb 2024, 12:00 am)DaveFromUpNorth wrote I don't think it is lack of investment

We all know London needs the amazing buses and the mid life workhorses need to be cascaded elsewhere

I think a as a personal opinion that the group reorganisation is to blame incorporating GNE into East Yorkshire 

Which Martijn at the time had to take under his remit

Then we saw ECMS under GNE suddenly become part of GNWest

Under the MD control now how many buses is he in charge control never-mind the public ownership of Manchester "bee Network" plus travelling between Newcastle and Manchester by train or car with an added trip from Scarborough to Manchester

The area is out of depth for a plc company and needs be chopped up

Many people have views of Martijn but as a North East Region he did a canny job of even improving "tat" aka midlife buses

His biggest test was covid when he shut down depots used them as storage depots to run a service

During the initial covid outbreak the best mile per bus was running and worst performing  buses was VOR 

We need to really consider is the area for Nigel  too big as a MD which will be a failure

He will see stats and figures but will never understand or visit villages like Quaking Houses or Greenside or even No-Place or High Haddenhold

He will go on data its how the PLc wants to run the business 

As an MD

If Manchester is busier and more profitable would you not send the best to that area

I may be cynical but hasn't a few buses went to Manchester recently aka in the past 12 months ?

(03 Feb 2024, 12:00 am)DaveFromUpNorth wrote I don't think it is lack of investment

We all know London needs the amazing buses and the mid life workhorses need to be cascaded elsewhere

I think a as a personal opinion that the group reorganisation is to blame incorporating GNE into East Yorkshire 

Which Martijn at the time had to take under his remit

Then we saw ECMS under GNE suddenly become part of GNWest

Under the MD control now how many buses is he in charge control never-mind the public ownership of Manchester "bee Network" plus travelling between Newcastle and Manchester by train or car with an added trip from Scarborough to Manchester

The area is out of depth for a plc company and needs be chopped up

Many people have views of Martijn but as a North East Region he did a canny job of even improving "tat" aka midlife buses 

His biggest test was covid when he shut down depots used them as storage depots to run a service

During the initial covid outbreak the best mile per bus was running and worst performing  buses was VOR 

We need to really consider is the area for Nigel  too big as a MD which will be a failure

He will see stats and figures but will never understand or visit villages like Quaking Houses or Greenside or even No-Place or High Haddenhold

He will go on data its how the PLc wants to run the business 

As an MD

If Manchester is busier and more profitable would you not send the best to that area

I may be cynical but hasn't a few buses went to Manchester recently aka in the past 12 months ?

(03 Feb 2024, 9:04 am)Unber43 wrote Between the 21/X10/X21 there is Flexability, 6333, 3 Angles and 6377.

Theres pretty much always atleast 1 X10 off, one-four X21, and 3 21's. However a lot of this is due to incompetent allocating, such as putting them on school routes or the 57.

(03 Feb 2024, 1:34 pm)Andreos1 wrote Wasted money imo. 
Said so at the time and still believe it now. 
Before Covid, there was a chance to revise the network. 
In the months following, there was another opportunity to revise it. Probably the best opportunity there ever was. 

Instead, he continued to titivate and assume that would bring passengers back.
Totally forgetting the change in passenger habits, journeys or many other factors that came in to play. 

The titivations could have came about after the network was reassessed. Assuming that's what passengers actually wanted and not what people thought they wanted.