(30 Mar 2017, 7:33 am)RJamie M wrote You can't easily fit anything longer a solo around the hospital, I think the council and the hospital would be jubious if a full sized bus was allocated.
I think the 6 (or a varient) should run via hobson.

How on earth do you get from bridgehill to medomsley, also on the 46?

As I previously said, the X70/X71 pick up and drop off a hell of a lot of passengers in the morning. I'm fairly sure the X71 is contracted through hamsterly mill to lintz, but even if it isn't - it's a link that hasn't been broken for near decades, and it's healthy. There is no reason to run a limited stop service from consett. During the day they are empty enough as they are, without omitting stops.

(30 Mar 2017, 7:58 am)GX03 wrote Easy enough, for the 46 from Shotley Bridge turn right following the 45 route (Consett bound) but follow the road straight ahead and it brings you to the cross roads at medomsley edge. The turning area at the hospital will easily accommodate a double decker, X71 doesn't carry that many between Consett and burnhopfield, The X72 variation carries even less.

• Services 33/700 will merge together with an clockwise/anti-clockwise extension around Sunderland providing links across the city for Students of Sunderland College and University, NHS Workers and Patients at Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland Eye Infirmary & Sunderland Children's Centre, along with Business links to Doxford International and local links for the Elderly across the area making it easier to get around.
  
• Services will run Every 15 Minutes Monday to Saturday, and Every 30 Minutes on Sundays and Bank Holidays and will also stop within the grounds of the Royal Hospital.
  
• Services would also be operated by brand new Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrids.
  

(22 Jul 2017, 11:25 pm)MrFozz wrote I would love to see GNE come into Shildon...Arriva are crap, the 5 and 5A always seem to run late , the 1 isnt too bad and the X1 goes nowhere near my house...Weardale 7 upto Spennymoor isn't too bad but, but it only runs hourly Monday-Friday...I want my favourite Bus Company back lol

2 choices...

The X21 sits in Bishop for ages so extend one of them down to the King William at Shildon

Bishop Auckland-Cockton Hill-South Church-Shildon

Turn the 18 into a circular route

Bishop Auckland-Coundon-Eldon-Shildon King William-Shildon Church St-Shildon Main St-Hippodrome-Tindale Cres-Woodhouse Close-Bishop Auckland

New Service 17...Basically 18 in Reverse

(22 Jul 2017, 10:14 pm)Andreos1 wrote I'm not a fan of the X66 being continuously downgraded - initially with extra stops and now with it being sent on a grand tour of the Metrocentre, but get why it is.

To maintain some sort of integrity and stop the inevitable issues with reliability, I wondered if there would be an alternative.

We already see Green Solars going around the front of the Metrocentre, so why not offer that as the S1 replacement?

(23 Jul 2017, 7:04 am)G-CPTN wrote Pertinent observation and quite right that GNE should respond to changing trends.

Hexham moved the bus station from its central location to make way for the development of new shops - which have failed to materialise, and the old bus station remains derelict as the remaining town centre shops continue their decline (not helped by the bus station no longer delivering customers into the town centre).

(23 Jul 2017, 6:56 am)Dan wrote By suggesting that the 97/97A are extended via the S1 route, I'm not sure you do understand why the X66 service has had extra stops added and will now be extended via the S1 route?

By and large, footfall at the Metrocentre is going down. Like most shopping centres, a lot of people have moved away from the traditional methods of shopping, in favour of online shopping. On a service like the X66, I think it is only right for Go North East to move with the times, instead of sticking to the same route that was always traditionally known, despite shopping habits changing massively since then.

One of the main areas of the Metrocentre that is growing, unlike the other shopping malls, is the yellow quadrant. The yellow mall is where the leisure activities and restaurants are based. If this is the main place in the Metrocentre that people are travelling to, it seems a great idea in my eyes to provide a direct bus there from Gateshead, that takes under 15 minutes and runs at a regular frequency through the day.

It's important to understand here that Go North East faces their biggest competitor on their Metrocentre services: the car. Even I, as someone who gets free travel, often use the car when travelling to the Metrocentre. Why? A lack of a direct service to where I usually shop in the Metrocentre. I can drive to the Metrocentre in 15-20 minutes depending on traffic, but you're looking at borderline an hour by the time I get the Metro to Gateshead, X66 to Metrocentre, then walk to the shopping mall of my preference (or wait for a connection to S1 - which may have just left as I arrived). What is the appeal of travelling by public transport, especially when there is free car parking?

Time will tell with the X66 - but with the right marketing, it can only be a good thing.

(30 Jul 2017, 6:53 pm)ifm001 wrote I think the short 1s from Whitley Bay to Gateshead should be withdrawn and revises eveey 30 mins just Whitley Bay to Wrekenton.

The 11 is providing the alternate service between Gateshead and Whitley Bay still providing the 15 min link between major points Gateshead. newcaatle. Byker. Wallsend.North Shields.a d Whitley Bay.

(31 Jul 2017, 9:46 am)V514DFT wrote Maybe extend the 40/41 to serve Percy Main and East Howdon would also be nice if the Residents of Hadrian Park had a bus to North Shields since the old peoples home has been re-built

(31 Jul 2017, 6:57 pm)Ex-conductor wrote Several years ago I wrote to GNE, complaining that the direct link between Hadrian Park and North Shields had been discontinued. This link had been possible with the then 300 service, which was the forerunner of today's 310. I also complained about the withdrawal of direct buses between North Shields and Blyth. I could not, and still cannot understand why GNE insist on creating long routes from the coast areas such as to Wrekenton, Kibblesworth and the recently-introduced 42A to Kingston Park via most of the north-west of North Tyneside at the expense of more local routes. It may suit their scheduling and vehicle allocation, but does not serve the local population adequately. Of course GNE's response was to point out connecting facilitites. Why, then do't they point out connecting facilities to these faraway places and concentrate on more local links, which are bound to attract more customers?

(31 Jul 2017, 9:02 pm)L469 YVK wrote Extending the Coaster to Blyth would be one option but would require a long layover whether using the full or short Coaster boards. Also, drivers would most likely need to be under strict orders to ask all passengers boarding in Blyth for destinations to ensure that any vunlerable passengers intending to head to Bedlington Station / Ashington don't end up in the middle of Wallsend / Byker.

If extra Omnicities could be sourced, could GNE not exploit the market for a faster version of the 308, serving all stops between Blyth and Billy Mill then only calling at Norham Road and Willington Square? Could interwork with the Coaster in Blyth and offer a more reliable service (with no tight turnarounds) without needing a driver changeover at Norham Road making it a true express service. And to attract passengers on Lynn Road / Billy Mill / Norham Road and Willington Square who would need to rely on the 308 during evenings and Sundays, maybe a special reduced weekly ticket could be offered covering all stops between Billy Mill Lane and Newcastle to attract commuters during the morning / afternoon peaks.

(31 Jul 2017, 9:25 pm)Jamie M wrote Since when do drivers have to tell passengers what stop they are at? They're there to drive safely and provide valid tickets, not be a tourist announcement script.

The difference would also be limited. Go north east gave away Ashington and those routes in exchange for Hexham, would be silly to try and go back to turf-waring in the very same areas. The councils wouldn't want it at all.

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(01 Aug 2017, 5:27 pm)L469 YVK wrote What I meant was that with Arriva already operating a number 1 service in Blyth, GNE drivers would need to ask passengers boarding in Blyth where they intend to travel to if they're buying a ticket or got any form of a pass / key card etc.

They wouldn't need to announce the stops or let passengers know where to get off, they would just have to ask any passengers boarding in Blyth where they're going to make sure that any vunlerable passengers (elderly, visually impaired etc) don't end up in Wallsend / Byker if they were intending to head into Ashington / Bedlington.

(31 Jul 2017, 8:29 pm)big mac wrote Yes indeed. Gone are the days where you could get one bus to go from somewhere to somewhere else.

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