(Yesterday, 12:24 pm)Storx wrote I'm not sure that this is the issue with this mind and it's more linked to whoever thought closing Chester Le Street down was a good idea without any real consultation and/or a replacement depot. When you've got staff striking over the situation, I wouldn't be exactly surprised if those same staff took their money for moving and then bolted at the first opportunity to somewhere closer. It's not like there's not ample jobs around for mechanics.

The reputation for GoNorthEast isn't particularly great and the wage isn't anything special either regardless to their bs 'upto' nonsense. 

It's not a surprise the only other depot which has had this problem is Arriva's Blyth depot which had the exact same problem but that one kind of made more sense since they had to leave Jesmond since the lease was up and building a new depot for pretty much only the 51/52/53/54/55 was never going to be sustainable with Covid.

Credit to Arriva though they got a grip of that, mainly because of Ashington loaning a chunk of their fleet. It seems like there's now 3 depots with GoNorthEast going South, it'll be interesting to see how they deal with this as less buses means flogging what's left and that usually ends up going one way and that's more and more off the road. It's a pretty dire situation, much worse than the driver issues imo as you can just hire some temps in to deal with that (if you actually want to deal with it).

I agree engineering staffing needs sorting! But having your most capable modern double decks (although they're not perfect) being strangled by inefficient interworking patterns and poor route planning, whilst routes which need them most are struggling, is also poor planning on GNE's behalf.

Literally all GNE need to do to sort out the mess is:

- X32 2bph and omits Lobley Hill Est....improved links from Stanley to Gateshead
- X31 dropped
- X70 via Lobley Hill Est
- X30/X71 interwork (PVR 4) - low height
- X32 (1bph) / X70 interwork (PVR 4)
- X32 (1bph) / X45 / X73 interwork (PVR 9)

That reduces the low height PVR to 4x. Most of the E400MMC (10x in addition to 6352-55) can then move to  Riverside and that would cover a PVR of 12x (X10 & X21) with 2x spare + 6377.

All B5TL's + 6356-63 (inclusive of 2x spare) would cover the X32/X45/X70/X73 with X20 getting ex GAG stock until other B9TLs (ideally some of the Cobalts if 307/309 get soon to be ex Angel StreetDecks) become available from the Angel cascade chain.

(Yesterday, 9:16 pm)L469 YVK wrote I agree engineering staffing needs sorting! But having your most capable modern double decks (although they're not perfect) being strangled by inefficient interworking patterns and poor route planning, whilst routes which need them most are struggling, is also poor planning on GNE's behalf.

Literally all GNE need to do to sort out the mess is:

- X32 2bph and omits Lobley Hill Est....improved links from Stanley to Gateshead
- X31 dropped
- X70 via Lobley Hill Est
- X30/X71 interwork (PVR 4) - low height
- X32 (1bph) / X70 interwork (PVR 4)
- X32 (1bph) / X45 / X73 interwork (PVR 9)

That reduces the low height PVR to 4x. Most of the E400MMC (10x in addition to 6352-55) can then move to  Riverside and that would cover a PVR of 12x (X10 & X21) with 2x spare + 6377.

All B5TL's + 6356-63 (inclusive of 2x spare) would cover the X32/X45/X70/X73 with X20 getting ex GAG stock until other B9TLs (ideally some of the Cobalts if 307/309 get soon to be ex Angel StreetDecks) become available from the Angel cascade chain.

I get what you're saying and not saying you're wrong. The problem is the Streetdeck's are absolutely useless and the B5TL's aren't much better. Both these should be on the likes of 51/52/93/94 doing town work. They're absolutely useless as an understatement. The problem is there's been no investment for years now.

If you want to get better buses for the X10, then investment for the 10/10A/10B/12 would be a better solution with something coming which can also do the X10. You could also make an option to throw another 8 in for the X21 aswell and have a shared pool for all the harder work there.

If you took the X21 option, the X21 Streetdecks going onto the 58 (and 21) until the electrics come which when they do turn up all the Streetdeck's going onto the 27/51/52/93/94 where they might actually be able to last the day which they're pretty much designed for.

GoNorthEast can't just keep going on without spending a penny, the fleet is aging badly and it's not like those routes I picked are basketcase routes they're flagship routes. 9 vehicles invested in 4 years is embarrassing and even those needed a boost from the tax payer. Arriva get slagged off about their fleet, and rightly so, but even they've invested more! Stagecoach is beating them this year never mind anything else and we're only 11 days into it.

(Yesterday, 9:56 pm)Storx wrote I get what you're saying and not saying you're wrong. The problem is the Streetdeck's are absolutely useless and the B5TL's aren't much better. Both these should be on the likes of 51/52/93/94 doing town work. They're absolutely useless as an understatement. The problem is there's been no investment for years now.

If you want to get better buses for the X10, then investment for the 10/10A/10B/12 would be a better solution with something coming which can also do the X10. You could also make an option to throw another 8 in for the X21 aswell and have a shared pool for all the harder work there.

If you took the X21 option, the X21 Streetdecks going onto the 58 (and 21) until the electrics come which when they do turn up all the Streetdeck's going onto the 27/51/52/93/94 where they might actually be able to last the day which they're pretty much designed for.

GoNorthEast can't just keep going on without spending a penny, the fleet is aging badly and it's not like those routes I picked are basketcase routes they're flagship routes. 9 vehicles invested in 4 years is embarrassing and even those needed a boost from the tax payer. Arriva get slagged off about their fleet, and rightly so, but even they've invested more! Stagecoach is beating them this year never mind anything else and we're only 11 days into it.

Problem is....will GAG invest given franchising is around the corner?

I’d assume the electric Angels will be due this year and that will be the only new stock we see this year (aside some aforementioned Nat Ex coaching stock)

I doubt the situation is tenable to last long enough for franchising

(Yesterday, 2:05 pm)Adrian wrote Isn't it the case that the central Service Delivery Centre was disbanded, in favour of each depot having its own operation? If so, it's still appears that they're either not empowered to make a decision or lack competence in that decision making.

I've noticed similar several times on the 84/85, on a 20 minute frequency, and they'll just shadow each other for the rest of the day. Despite it being one of the easiest routes to regulate due to its small circular nature.

(Yesterday, 2:17 pm)deanmachine wrote SDC still runs the operations in terms late runnings/diversions/disruptions, the depots now are in charge of dealing with calls from breakdowns, at least that's the case at Sunderland.

(Yesterday, 3:04 pm)Adrian wrote Interesting! Does that work better for breakdowns?

I'd say from a customer perspective, disruption information has gone backwards.

So I was heading from Shiremoor to Boldon via public transport today and this shows everything wrong with public transport - every journey had some sort of issue for customer experience....
I had to walk down from Park Ave to top end of Cobalt to get the 19 (I was surprised the bus was decently full), first issue I wanted to get the 9 to Boldon direct and change somewhere between Percy Main and North Shields. The 9 was due 4 minutes before the 19 at the bottom of Percy Main so I missed it. I thought I would go and wait at the transport hub for 15 minutes and I didn't mind that. However due to the tunnel having works on a weekend the 9 only extends from Jarrow once an hour so it was not worth me waiting. I changed my plan and stayed on the 19 to get the Ferry across instead. The 19 seems pretty well timed with the ferry however the 317 clearly isn't as I heard people complaining about this on the ferry as they had to wait for it to return. 
After I got off the Ferry it was so Icy and I could see most people including myself really struggling to walk as there was no grit down. When I got up to the road useful & 'requested' S1 passed me with no one on it. The destination just said South Shields on the front even though it just left the Interchange so basically if you didn't already know where it was going you wouldn't stop the bus.
When at the Interchange the next bus to Boldon was the 50 and I was looking forward to this journey as it was in time and I havent got the 50 in a while. As soon as we reversed and left the Interchange the warning beeping came on and was so loud from a passenger perspective never mind the driver. The bus in question 6303 and obviously Washington based. We got to Westoe at the KFC and we broke down. The driver tried 3 times to get the engine back on. She told all the passengers that she tried to carry on the journey for them as she had the warning lights pop on for a minute every so often so hoped it would be ok. She explained she had no working radio on the bus and was trying the feature on the ticket machine to contact the depot s she has needed coolant all afternoon and she was getting naff responses and told it was 'being reviewed' or some generic wording to that effect. She rang Washy Depot who said they would send out engineers when possible. Luckily passengers only had to wait 18 mins for the next one as it was on time.

Me on the other hand I had to meet someone in Cleadon (I jumped on the arriving 24 at the time) to take me to my destination as the 5 was cancelled and I was already later than I wanted to be. 

So in about 90 mins I had to 5 modes of transport and still default to a car after everything. This journey would've been no longer than 20 mins in a car even with the Tyne tunnel works.

(Yesterday, 11:24 pm)Ambassador wrote I’d assume the electric Angels will be due this year and that will be the only new stock we see this year (aside some aforementioned Nat Ex coaching stock)

I doubt the situation is tenable to last long enough for franchising

Hopefully they don't come too soon! As much as I predict GNE will put StreetDecks on the 307/309 (given previous fuel saving attempts with the GKN mods back in 2014/15), I don't particularly want them. Can just imagine the rattles and bangs going over the speed bumps on Mullen Road and the engine sounding like it's being strangled between Station Road and Benfield Road.

Bet Arriva's finest will have a nice easy day sitting behind these when they're running late or if feeling a bit more adventurous, trying to overtake them on the Station Road - Benfield Road section of the Coast Road.....I have seen it happen in the past with an Arriva DB300 / B5LH (can't remember which) overtaking a GNE Versa on the 58!

(Yesterday, 10:21 pm)L469 YVK wrote Problem is....will GAG invest given franchising is around the corner?

I think GAG would if a sensible business case was put together. They'd simply move the buses if the worst happens. 

I doubt Uncle Ben and Big Nige would want new buses on thier books though when they can get second hand tat with child seats, damp interiors and 1 cylinder!

(Today, 12:40 am)logidoodah wrote So I was heading from Shiremoor to Boldon via public transport today and this shows everything wrong with public transport - every journey had some sort of issue for customer experience....
I had to walk down from Park Ave to top end of Cobalt to get the 19 (I was surprised the bus was decently full), first issue I wanted to get the 9 to Boldon direct and change somewhere between Percy Main and North Shields. The 9 was due 4 minutes before the 19 at the bottom of Percy Main so I missed it. I thought I would go and wait at the transport hub for 15 minutes and I didn't mind that. However due to the tunnel having works on a weekend the 9 only extends from Jarrow once an hour so it was not worth me waiting. I changed my plan and stayed on the 19 to get the Ferry across instead. The 19 seems pretty well timed with the ferry however the 317 clearly isn't as I heard people complaining about this on the ferry as they had to wait for it to return. 
After I got off the Ferry it was so Icy and I could see most people including myself really struggling to walk as there was no grit down. When I got up to the road useful & 'requested' S1 passed me with no one on it. The destination just said South Shields on the front even though it just left the Interchange so basically if you didn't already know where it was going you wouldn't stop the bus.
When at the Interchange the next bus to Boldon was the 50 and I was looking forward to this journey as it was in time and I havent got the 50 in a while. As soon as we reversed and left the Interchange the warning beeping came on and was so loud from a passenger perspective never mind the driver. The bus in question 6303 and obviously Washington based. We got to Westoe at the KFC and we broke down. The driver tried 3 times to get the engine back on. She told all the passengers that she tried to carry on the journey for them as she had the warning lights pop on for a minute every so often so hoped it would be ok. She explained she had no working radio on the bus and was trying the feature on the ticket machine to contact the depot s she has needed coolant all afternoon and she was getting naff responses and told it was 'being reviewed' or some generic wording to that effect. She rang Washy Depot who said they would send out engineers when possible. Luckily passengers only had to wait 18 mins for the next one as it was on time.

Me on the other hand I had to meet someone in Cleadon (I jumped on the arriving 24 at the time) to take me to my destination as the 5 was cancelled and I was already later than I wanted to be. 

So in about 90 mins I had to 5 modes of transport and still default to a car after everything. This journey would've been no longer than 20 mins in a car even with the Tyne tunnel works.

Sounds a nightmare journey there. 

Btw just curious but would it not have been easier to get the Metro to Brockley Whins or East Boldon depending what end of Boldon it is? 

They cover most of it.

(Today, 8:22 am)Storx wrote Sounds a nightmare journey there. 

Btw just curious but would it not have been easier to get the Metro to Brockley Whins or East Boldon depending what end of Boldon it is? 

They cover most of it.

I was going to West Boldon so a 45 minute walk to Brocka or a 20 minute walk to East Boldon.  I hate getting the metro's - I've been on too many that have broken down and I also hate being crushed in as a sardine. This journey according to Google maps 19-Ferry-50 would have been about the same journey time anyways if not quicker as less walking. The biggest problem was the 50 as by this point I did not have time to get the 3 to Biddick and walk. The most annoying thing is there is no consideration for people crossing the tyne unless you are using the Ferry. Try to get to Jarrow and you have to travel 10 mins to North Shields and back on yourself through doubling the journey time. 

I am going to put in some service suggestions in the appropriate thread as I had a while to think about this yesterday.

(9 hours ago)logidoodah wrote I was going to West Boldon so a 45 minute walk to Brocka or a 20 minute walk to East Boldon.  I hate getting the metro's - I've been on too many that have broken down and I also hate being crushed in as a sardine. This journey according to Google maps 19-Ferry-50 would have been about the same journey time anyways if not quicker as less walking. The biggest problem was the 50 as by this point I did not have time to get the 3 to Biddick and walk. The most annoying thing is there is no consideration for people crossing the tyne unless you are using the Ferry. Try to get to Jarrow and you have to travel 10 mins to North Shields and back on yourself through doubling the journey time. 

I am going to put in some service suggestions in the appropriate thread as I had a while to think about this yesterday.

Aye that's fair must admit getting the tunnel is crap like and needs work since the doubling back issue via North Shields is a problem and if your actually in Shields going via the ferry is just as quick anyway. 

I know I've mentioned it a few times but I'd love to see the 9/19 merged together as a long Cramlington to Sunderland route. Obviously don't expect anyone to do it end to end but it would be a useful little route in between.

(9 hours ago)logidoodah wrote I was going to West Boldon so a 45 minute walk to Brocka or a 20 minute walk to East Boldon.  I hate getting the metro's - I've been on too many that have broken down and I also hate being crushed in as a sardine. This journey according to Google maps 19-Ferry-50 would have been about the same journey time anyways if not quicker as less walking. The biggest problem was the 50 as by this point I did not have time to get the 3 to Biddick and walk. The most annoying thing is there is no consideration for people crossing the tyne unless you are using the Ferry. Try to get to Jarrow and you have to travel 10 mins to North Shields and back on yourself through doubling the journey time. 

I am going to put in some service suggestions in the appropriate thread as I had a while to think about this yesterday.

The best option I can see for your journey is 64 minutes, which still isn't good when it's 15-20 minutes in the car. That's Shiremoor > North Shields on Metro, then the 9 from North Shields > West Boldon, whilst you may hate using Metro, it is part of the fastest way between the places you're travelling to!

If there was more bus integration into the Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel, and better bus connections at Metro stations such as Jarrow, East Boldon and Fellgate, then it would be a lot easier too.