(12 Dec 2013, 8:03 pm)Dan wrote Do think it's a bit backward... Introducing branding on a service which interworks with another.
I'll jump in before people say, "Go North East have services which do that too". To those people - I've criticised GNE's services which do that too.

(12 Dec 2013, 8:00 pm)Tom wrote 6 and 42 interwork, so not rare really.

(12 Dec 2013, 8:12 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote I didn't know that don't pay much attention to Arriva and there interworkings etc,plus it's rare I ever go to Durham anyway, and I agree with Daniel that having branding on an Interworking Service, Would it not be worth Re-Numbering the 42 as 6A so that the Branding isn't meaningless.

(12 Dec 2013, 8:58 pm)BJ10VUS wrote It could be something to look at, but then there's route information on the bus above the windows, plus is it really worth the £60 to re-register?

(12 Dec 2013, 8:03 pm)Dan wrote Do think it's a bit backward... Introducing branding on a service which interworks with another - especially when branding isn't a common thing in the Arriva North East network.
I'll jump in before people say, "Go North East have services which do that too". To those people - I've criticised GNE's services which do that too.

(11 Dec 2013, 7:06 pm)Greg in Weardale wrote Exactly. It's a question of SERVICE v COMPETITION. I agree that Northern starting the X84/85 between Hexham and Newcastle was opportunistic (although they did run the 684 hourly, albeit slower), more so than the introduction of the OK1 which did fill a gap in the market with a fast bus Crook - Bishop - Darlington and on a different route than Arriva's 1/1B ie via the new shops at St Helens and West Auckland rather than Shildon. But Arriva's response to the Tynedalexpress has put competition before service, as northern156 has lost his early SERVICE to Carlisle, so Arriva can COMPETE with GNE between Hexham and Newcastle, even though to do this they now have five light workings between Jesmond and Hexham and one all the way to Carlisle, instead of the one they had before (the return of the evening X85). Why didn't they just retime their X85's to run in front of Northern? Yes, they've saved three long layovers in Carlisle in the morning (assuming the word on the street is correct that the empty bus works the 1107) and two in the evening, but there must still be four long breaks in Carlisle between 1256 and 1707, unless the Tardis has regenerated as an OmniCity! It's silly, illogical and commercially it can't be financially viable as the revenue Arriva may claw back from GNE will be gobbled up by all the empty running.

(19 Dec 2013, 4:10 pm)RGR756V wrote This is exactly what happened when the 6 was increased to a 12 minute frequency. Two buses an hour were removed from Evenwood to stick an extra service in from Durham to West Auckland to compete with the X21 and OK1, yes the old 50 was extended to Evenwood via Ramshaw but people do not want to be carted all around Toft Hill and Witton to get to Bishop and not surprisingly it was binned in September. Now the two Cockfield buses get absolutely hammered and causes late running and bunching of the service.

(19 Dec 2013, 5:12 pm)Tom wrote Ticket changes

New tickets from Arriva allow travelling between Hartlepool and Sunderland for £6.90 (day) and £25.50 (week), and Peterlee and Sunderland for £5.70 (day) and £22 (week) which is rather good!

(19 Dec 2013, 5:12 pm)Tom wrote Ticket changes

New tickets from Arriva allow travelling between Hartlepool and Sunderland for £6.90 (day) and £25.50 (week), and Peterlee and Sunderland for £5.70 (day) and £22 (week) which is rather good!

(19 Dec 2013, 5:45 pm)cbma06 wrote Who made these prices up?, for the 3 zone ticket for a month to travel in Hartlepool, peterlee and Sunderland is the same price for a northeast all zone ticket for a month.

To travel between Hartlepool,peterlee and Sunderland for a week and if you just pay an extra pound per week then you can get an northeast all zone ticket.

The East Durham triple ticket should of been a lot cheaper than just a pound ish cheaper than a northeast all zone ticket.

Wish there was picture or diagram of the zone boundries of the east durham ticket.

I think Arriva should take a page out of GNE ticket boundries, and have the same kind of setup even though the prices might be a bit cheaper but it would at least draw more passengers onto there buses

(19 Dec 2013, 5:52 pm)Tom wrote There is:
http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/uploadedFiles/Updates/North_East/East%20Durham%20Triple%20Ticket%20Map(1).pdf

(20 Dec 2013, 7:54 am)tyresmoke wrote The live map feature on the Arriva Bus App has started to be rolled out across the region. It appears around half of Durham and Stocktons fleet are currently tracking... I can certainly say 1485 doesn't yet!

(21 Dec 2013, 7:13 pm)JoshP wrote Apparently one of the gas busses in Darlington has been involved in a RTA with a Range Roven in the town centre and there is one confirmed fatality.

(19 Dec 2013, 10:51 pm)tyresmoke wrote So the oldest Dart finally sees a paint shop...