(12 Jan 2022, 10:10 am)streetdeckfan wrote I love how there's absolutely no mention of the huge downgrade in vehicles on the X84, sorry 684

It'd be an odd thing to shout about...

The customers on that route will already know - they've been on Versas now for weeks - and it's more or less the same specification offered by the Arriva-operated journeys on the 685.

(12 Jan 2022, 10:10 am)streetdeckfan wrote I love how there's absolutely no mention of the huge downgrade in vehicles on the X84, sorry 684

I love the fact people power has apparently forced change on the X10 vehicle allocation.
If there's enough people wanting the Interdecks back...

(12 Jan 2022, 10:14 am)Dan wrote It'd be an odd thing to shout about...

The customers on that route will already know - they've been on Versas now for weeks - and it's more or less the same specification offered by the Arriva-operated journeys on the 685.

Surely a simple "Due to low passenger numbers, this service will now be operated by single decker vehicles" wouldn't have caused too much trouble.

And saying they're more or less the same spec as Arriva doesn't exactly inspire much confidence in the vehicles on the route!

(12 Jan 2022, 10:27 am)streetdeckfan wrote Surely a simple "Due to low passenger numbers, this service will now be operated by single decker vehicles" wouldn't have caused too much trouble.

And saying they're more or less the same spec as Arriva doesn't exactly inspire much confidence in the vehicles on the route!

It wouldn't have caused too much trouble, but equally, do people really need confirmation that their service has been downgraded? I don't think so. The X10 vehicle allocation can be argued as a downgrade but a positive spin has been put on this. There's not much of a positive spin going from nearly new E400s to Versas.

The important things (improved service to those that use the 682, a more co-ordinated timetable with the 685) have been highlighted. That's the main thing that people will care about.

(12 Jan 2022, 10:24 am)Andreos1 wrote I love the fact people power has apparently forced change on the X10 vehicle allocation.
If there's enough people wanting the Interdecks back...

I notice RNIB had declared this a 'campaign win' last week, before GNE's news story went out today:
https://twitter.com/RNIB_campaigns/statu...1688252426

(12 Jan 2022, 10:34 am)Dan wrote It wouldn't have caused too much trouble, but equally, do people really need confirmation that their service has been downgraded? I don't think so. The X10 vehicle allocation can be argued as a downgrade but a positive spin has been put on this. There's not much of a positive spin going from nearly new E400s to Versas.

The important things (improved service to those that use the 682, a more co-ordinated timetable with the 685) have been highlighted. That's the main thing that people will care about.

Do the versas have the same features that passengers are accustomed to? Do they have USB ports, working NSA?

It's not about it having a positive spin, it's about informing the customer of the changes!

What about the people who are temporarily working from home, they'll read that announcement and just think the number has been changed, only to rock up when restrictions have eased to find a Versa rather than their usual E400!

Yet another Solo on the X85 noticed today, 636 toddled along Percy Street just after 2pm.

Looks like the X1 is now staying every 15 minutes between Newcastle and Easington.

(12 Jan 2022, 10:41 am)Dan wrote I notice RNIB had declared this a 'campaign win' last week, before GNE's news story went out today:
https://twitter.com/RNIB_campaigns/statu...1688252426

So the RNIB are claiming it as a campaign win and GNE are saying passenger power won? 

Didn't realise either were unhappy to be honest!

(12 Jan 2022, 8:06 pm)Andreos1 wrote So the RNIB are claiming it as a campaign win and GNE are saying passenger power won? 

Didn't realise either were unhappy to be honest!

I like other people to have long, less luxurious journeys up and down the A19 so I think I'll claim I was victorious too.

Has the X1 really seen such a reduction in passenger numbers, or is this another case where they need buses elsewhere so have been forced to reduce the frequency. In my experience it’s never what you might call quiet.

Today I travelled on 6 buses, three of them were Versas (6, 12A and X85) for journeys Whickham to Metrocentre, Blaydon to Newcastle and Newcastle to Denton Burn. I like Versas. For Whickham I got the X31 and the journey was much better. As usual the 74 was an Optare Solo, and Solos are not the best.

Hopefully the 684 will get upgraded in the future.

One bus per hour is not a good level of service.

It’s not but probably all it merits. The network has lost a generation of passengers who have either been at home, use cars or just don’t see buses as reliable (not even taking into account a generation of school kids who’ve missed whole years of school and those early days of freedom)

Parents won’t put their nearest and dearest on a bus, commuters can’t rely on them and those that stick in aren’t rewarded, leisure travellers are turning to taxis, OAPs are staying local and ticketing is still restrictive and poor value…all added in with budget cuts and a government that doesn’t care about buses all that much. It’s much like the rail industry but minus the bonus of rail which has seen a switch from mid week commuter peaks to weekend peaks

More to come…

I enjoyed my journeys today, but was disappointed to miss the 49 to Blaydon due to getting the 6 from Whickham, and subsequently learning the 49A doesn't serve Blaydon (then finding out it does, but a different bit of it!) and I didn't get to ride the 643 from Whickham to Metrocentre due to its hourly timetable (only missed it by about 5 minutes or so, I'd like to go on that soon). My 10B to Blaydon from the Metrocentre was an older bus I think and not branded for the service, but was a good journey regardless.

Definitely think it's time for the 74 to get new buses, even if remaining a minibus operation. Be interesting to see if the 74 can survive much longer.

(12 Jan 2022, 9:27 pm)Wybus wrote Has the X1 really seen such a reduction in passenger numbers, or is this another case where they need buses elsewhere so have been forced to reduce the frequency. In my experience it’s never what you might call quiet.

Its gets really busy, so i think its probably just resource management. An alternative service even just to Washington would help, but at the moment its just pdfs in the suggestions thread.

I'm confused why the 684 falls under Tynedale Links branding on the website. Like are the Versas going into Tynedale Links

Crikey, nearly 2 hours from Middlesbrough to Newcastle on the X10, not an attractive prospect. Hopefully the passengers saved from serving both are greater than those put off by the convoluted journey around Teesside.

(29 Dec 2021, 9:59 am)Dan wrote The X9 and the X85 are all ‘recent’ developments and built upon the existing foundations to deliver growth.

Referring to a service introduced 13 years ago as ‘recent’ may be where people get the impression the bus industry is a bit stale.

(12 Jan 2022, 10:10 am)streetdeckfan wrote I love how there's absolutely no mention of the huge downgrade in vehicles on the X84, sorry 684

It's all about positive language, isn't it?

"From 30 January, we will be implementing some service changes to better match service capacity to long-term demand expectations, and continuing our work to adjust schedules in response to new traffic congestion issues." is a lot of waffle for saying "we're cutting some services because no one is using them"

I thought that the long-term demand expectation was 10% growth on the 2019 baseline by March 2024, with a further 10% growth on the 2019 baseline by March 2025? Or at least that is the target in the BSIP, unless something revised is going to be communicated. There's little point of having a target if you're conceding to it before it's even started.

On the X9/X10 bit, I wonder if 'high-specification nearly new double-deck buses' are an upgrade or downgrade on 'luxury coaches'?

(13 Jan 2022, 8:35 am)Adrian wrote It's all about positive language, isn't it?

On the X9/X10 bit, I wonder if 'high-specification nearly new double-deck buses' are an upgrade or downgrade on 'luxury coaches'?

Nearly new gives me ebay outlet or car dealer vibes.

I'd doubt they need the marketing but the downgrades and route amends on the X9/10 and X84/5 are ideal for Northern trains.

The whole Go North East social pages at the moment are utterly depressing, service amends, daily short notice cancellations updates - I know they have to do these things as good communication but imagine as a leisure passenger/potential passenger looking on that page - you'd be horrified

(13 Jan 2022, 8:35 am)Adrian wrote It's all about positive language, isn't it?

"From 30 January, we will be implementing some service changes to better match service capacity to long-term demand expectations, and continuing our work to adjust schedules in response to new traffic congestion issues." is a lot of waffle for saying "we're cutting some services because no one is using them"

I thought that the long-term demand expectation was 10% growth on the 2019 baseline by March 2024, with a further 10% growth on the 2019 baseline by March 2025? Or at least that is the target in the BSIP, unless something revised is going to be communicated. There's little point of having a target if you're conceding to it before it's even started.

On the X9/X10 bit, I wonder if 'high-specification nearly new double-deck buses' are an upgrade or downgrade on 'luxury coaches'?

Unless they're going to let you have a shit in the bins, I think it's probably a downgrade

(11 Jan 2022, 10:40 pm)peter wrote New timetables now up on the GNE site

-Hexham interworkings aren't immediately obvious - looks like the 680/684/688 will interwork in a roundabout sort of way, as well as the 686/687/689.
-The 55/X20 are now equally spaced from Sunderland, while on the X1 the :19 journeys will extend to Dalton Park and the :49 journeys to Peterlee.
-Looks like the 10/10A/10B will all interwork as opposed to the 10 being standalone
-Overall looks to be nothing that we didn't already know about

BIB: Having looked at the 10 timetable closely, it appears the 10A will be standalone while the 10/10B will interwork - the 10 depart Newcastle at xx00 and xx30 and arriving in at xx01 and xx31, with the 10Bs departing at xx10 and xx40 and arrive at xx21 and xx51. Meanwhile, the 10A to Blackhall Mill departs at 20 minutes past the hour and arrive at 11 minutes past while the Rockwood Hill trips departs at 50 minutes past and arrives at 41 minutes past. So, looking at things the 10A will be a PVR of 5 (3 on Blackhall Mill journeys and 2 on Rockwood Hill runs) while I think the 10/10B cycle will be a PVR of 11 (worked out by judging what time a bus leaving Hexham would get back to Hexham for its next trip from there) - so if I'm not much mistaken that means a combined PVR of 16 from these changes.

(13 Jan 2022, 10:14 am)streetdeckfan wrote Unless they're going to let you have a shit in the bins, I think it's probably a downgrade

Not like they let you have a shit anyway, toilet is either locked out of use or there's no toilet roll.

Theres a lot of GNE changes on VOSA I assume most of its to do with the reintroduction of a full saturday timetable. 

But why does the 25 only say Langley Park to Chester-Le-Street.

With the 311 being dropped, will GNE take a BSIP approach by moving the evening 309 journeys ex Newcastle back to xx:45 / xx:50 to keep some sort of a combined frequency with the 308 also running at xx:12? I know the 20/40 interworking pattern with the 310 gives more breathing room but could be do-able with both 309 trips with a running time of 59 mins ex Blyth and 58 mins ex Newcastle.

309 Ex Blyth: 18:35 (1hr 5 mins), 19:40 (1hr), 20:46 (59 mins), 21:46 (59 mins), 22:51 (New York only)

309 Ex Newcastle: 19:45, 20:45, 21:50, 22:50

310 Ex North Shields (46 mins): 19:29, 20:29, 21:29, 22:29, 23:09 (Norham Road only)

310 Ex Newcastle (46 mins): 20:20, 21:20, 22:20, 23:25 (Verne Road only)

Any idea when the changes will be announced?

From Monday 14 March, following customer feedback, we will be making minor changes to the capacity and times of services X85 and 687.

Service 687
Weekday journeys from Hexham at 5.50am, 6.50am and 7.50am will be retimed to run 10 minutes earlier.

Weekday journeys from Newbrough at 6.12am, 7.12am and 8.12am will also be retimed to run 10 minutes earlier.


Service X85
The morning journey on service X85 will be retimed to run around 9 minutes earlier than it does currently, and will additionally serve Hellpool Lane and Whetstone Bridge Road.

These changes allow us to provide a larger vehicle on the X85, following customer requests, as well as making the 7.02am journey from Newbrough the same bus as the X85 for passengers travelling through from Newbrough to Newcastle.

*new timetables are on GNE's website

(03 Mar 2022, 5:33 pm)Jimmi wrote From Monday 14 March, following customer feedback, we will be making minor changes to the capacity and times of services X85 and 687.

Service 687
Weekday journeys from Hexham at 5.50am, 6.50am and 7.50am will be retimed to run 10 minutes earlier.

Weekday journeys from Newbrough at 6.12am, 7.12am and 8.12am will also be retimed to run 10 minutes earlier.


Service X85
The morning journey on service X85 will be retimed to run around 9 minutes earlier than it does currently, and will additionally serve Hellpool Lane and Whetstone Bridge Road.

These changes allow us to provide a larger vehicle on the X85, following customer requests, as well as making the 7.02am journey from Newbrough the same bus as the X85 for passengers travelling through from Newbrough to Newcastle.

Wonder if it i'll be a double decker or not.

March service changes now live: https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-ch...e-27-march

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

In the spirit of partnership and co-operation and all that, one would hope GNE would update that article with links to timetables to the services they currently but will no longer operate, once available.

PVR of 19 and 41/41A will both be 3, Q3 looks to drop down to 8. Perhaps the Q3 will get the new electrics after all?