(04 Mar 2022, 11:27 am)MVK 500R wrote March service changes now live: https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/service-ch...e-27-march

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The number of people returning to places of work and needing to travel has and continues to change because of the pandemic, affecting both the demand for our services, and where and when we see congestion on our road network.

They then go on to outline their changes which have little to no reflection about congestion on the road network. 

(04 Mar 2022, 12:49 pm)Andreos1 wrote They then go on to outline their changes which have little to no reflection about congestion on the road network. 

Yeah it's a stock copy and paste phrase no doubt signed off ages ago. Perhaps the Head of PR/Marketing was on holiday and they need to push it out, otherwise it's a bit lazy and you'd be better off going down the Arriva route of just saying 'here's some changes'

The evening 309 & 310 times have been mucked up big time.

Surely the 310 should be departing Newcastle between xx:10 and xx:30 as it historically has. Now some users will have to wait nearly an hour. Axing the later 309 journeys to Blyth too! Could've actually been a good opportunity to work with Arriva and offer a combined service at each side of the hour.

(04 Mar 2022, 12:42 pm)Chris 1 wrote 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.

Nexus expect to release their timetables and service change information on Monday, at which point the story will be updated with links to their website (and also promoted on social media).


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(04 Mar 2022, 2:37 pm)Dan wrote Nexus expect to release their timetables and service change information on Monday, at which point the story will be updated with links to their website (and also promoted on social media).


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..and, as if by magic, the story has now been updated with said timetables, as soon as they've become available!

Its a real shame GNE didn't win 317/342/46E.

(04 Mar 2022, 4:10 pm)Omega54 wrote Its a real shame GNE didn't win 317/342/46E.

I disagree.

GNE having the 317 benefits no-one it runs through Stagecoach areas and interworks with the 11/12 between North Shields and Royal Quays giving a bus every 15 minutes and Howdon works with the 22 to give passengers more destinations with their tickets. The North Shields to Whitley Bay section is a bit out of area for Stagecoach but GNE is no better, it's a dominant Arriva area now.

The 46 is a commercial route ran by Arriva additionally serving Hollywood Avenue, it's not GNE's area at all and works with the 43/44/45 services.

The 342 on paper would be best ran by Arriva but it doesn't really matter. GNE wouldn't be entitled to it though just because they used to run it. I'm glad Nexus have chosen to work with an already existing route to benefit passengers losing the Killingworth link though (52) than subsidising a second route and then have a long route benefiting more customers.

GNE are by far the worst of the big 3 North of the Tyne and as much as Arriva is hated on here because they don't paint buses pink. I'm not sure there'd be many passengers crying if they disappeared overnight with constant cuts, downgrades and reducing of services. The 309 being the latest now having a last bus at 8pm to Blyth and the 1 being hourly which is useless. Good thing the Metro/22 and 308 run in parallel for most of the route to give those people an actual useful service. Obviously it's Covid's fault though for everything.

I hate to say it but I'm glad Percy Main is losing all these routes. They just didn't care about North Tyneside

(04 Mar 2022, 4:37 pm)Storx wrote The 46 is a commercial route ran by Arriva additionally serving Hollywood Avenue, it's not GNE's area at all and works with the 43/44/45 services.

I know you're quick to defend Arriva and shoot down Go North East - but the 46A is not commercially operated, it is funded by Nexus.

(04 Mar 2022, 5:08 pm)Dan wrote I know you're quick to defend Arriva and shoot down Go North East - but the 46A is not commercially operated, it is funded by Nexus.

Don't Nexus fund the very small section between Regent Centre and Hollywood Avenue? The rest of the route is commercially operated if I'm not mistaken?

(04 Mar 2022, 4:37 pm)Storx wrote GNE are by far the worst of the big 3 North of the Tyne and as much as Arriva is hated on here because they don't paint buses pink. I'm not sure there'd be many passengers crying if they disappeared overnight with constant cuts, downgrades and reducing of services. The 309 being the latest now having a last bus at 8pm to Blyth and the 1 being hourly which is useless. Good thing the Metro/22 and 308 run in parallel for most of the route to give those people an actual useful service. Obviously it's Covid's fault though for everything.

To be honest with adjustments to running times, the 310 departures ex Newcastle could be xx:22 with the 309 at xx:52, both running standalone. That would give a reasonably even gap on the Coast Road as well as working with the 308 and even open up the potential of joint operator initatives such as ticketing.

But cutting the later evening journeys won't win over the 'casual' users who will just end up using Arriva. Even the 51 could potentially take some passengers around parts of High Farm given the more sensibly timed evening departures at xx:10 rather than xx:55 / xx:00.

(04 Mar 2022, 5:22 pm)omnicity4659 wrote Don't Nexus fund the very small section between Regent Centre and Hollywood Avenue? The rest of the route is commercially operated if I'm not mistaken?

Yes, that's correct - although the OP referenced the Hollywood Avenue section in their post.

(04 Mar 2022, 4:37 pm)Storx wrote I disagree.

GNE having the 317 benefits no-one it runs through Stagecoach areas and interworks with the 11/12 between North Shields and Royal Quays giving a bus every 15 minutes and Howdon works with the 22 to give passengers more destinations with their tickets. The North Shields to Whitley Bay section is a bit out of area for Stagecoach but GNE is no better, it's a dominant Arriva area now.

The 46 is a commercial route ran by Arriva additionally serving Hollywood Avenue, it's not GNE's area at all and works with the 43/44/45 services.

The 342 on paper would be best ran by Arriva but it doesn't really matter. GNE wouldn't be entitled to it though just because they used to run it. I'm glad Nexus have chosen to work with an already existing route to benefit passengers losing the Killingworth link though (52) than subsidising a second route and then have a long route benefiting more customers.

GNE are by far the worst of the big 3 North of the Tyne and as much as Arriva is hated on here because they don't paint buses pink. I'm not sure there'd be many passengers crying if they disappeared overnight with constant cuts, downgrades and reducing of services. The 309 being the latest now having a last bus at 8pm to Blyth and the 1 being hourly which is useless. Good thing the Metro/22 and 308 run in parallel for most of the route to give those people an actual useful service. Obviously it's Covid's fault though for everything.

Do you not mean the 10/11?

New update on GNE website says x1 is returning to 12 minute frequency from the 27th March.  2 busses an hour to Easington Lane, 2 to Peterlee and 1 to Dalton park. I've worked the PVR out as 14. Are there currently enough busses to cover this or are we going to see more repaints?

comes as no surprise on North Tyneside. In 2010 there was a major alteration of services which put too much emphasis on serving Cobalt. Several services were axed all together or merged and re routed via Cobalt. Most people since then gave up on the bus and went back to their cars. One service axed was the 44 between Newcastle and Whitley Bay replaced by short lived and useless X8/X9 which in turn was replaced by an extension of the 306 meaning to get from Marden to Newcastle takes nearly an hour heading off completely in the wrong direction towards Tynemouth and North Shields a journey which on the 44 took less than 30 Minuets.

(07 Mar 2022, 10:23 am)User2613 wrote New update on GNE website says x1 is returning to 12 minute frequency from the 27th March.  2 busses an hour to Easington Lane, 2 to Peterlee and 1 to Dalton park. I've worked the PVR out as 14. Are there currently enough busses to cover this or are we going to see more repaints?

Looking at the timetable
Peterlee journeys leave Newcastle during the day at xx11 and xx47, the Dalton Park journey departs at xx35 with the xx23 and xx59 terminating at Easington Lane.
Easington Lane terminating journeys have 14 minute layovers at Easington Lane while the Dalton Park trip and the Peterlee journeys have 5 minutes turnaround at the southern end of their route.
The last weekday journey to Dalton Park leaves Newcastle at 1632 (presently 1734) while it will be 1535 on Saturdays (presently 1719). Peterlee meanwhile goes from a last Newcastle departure of 1810 weekday (1749 Saturdays) to two later journeys at 1905 and 2230 From Dalton Park, the last trips are 1719 weekdays and 1707 on Saturdays (currently 1905 weekdays and 1836 Saturdays).
Sunday service is uplifted to every 20 minutes between Newcastle and The Galleries - from there, two an hour continue to Easington Lane from where one an hour extends to Peterlee. Sunday evening journeys remain hourly but the 2300 from Newcastle is extended to Peterlee

(07 Mar 2022, 10:23 am)User2613 wrote New update on GNE website says x1 is returning to 12 minute frequency from the 27th March.  2 busses an hour to Easington Lane, 2 to Peterlee and 1 to Dalton park. I've worked the PVR out as 14. Are there currently enough busses to cover this or are we going to see more repaints?

The PVR will be made up by two black-backed X-lines buses, 6376 and 6377, in addition to the twelve red.

Wonder if the 55 will be reduced to hourly in the may service changes now the X1 is twice hourly to peterlee

(07 Mar 2022, 11:36 am)N1cholas wrote Wonder if the 55 will be reduced to hourly in the may service changes now the X1 is twice hourly to peterlee

More likely the 55 will be withdrawn in May , the half hourly frequency of the x1 covers the 55 route between Houghton and Peterlee with better buses than the 55, and passengers can easily transfer onto the 20/x20 to Sunderland


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(07 Mar 2022, 11:22 am)Dan wrote The PVR will be made up by two black-backed X-lines buses, 6376 and 6377, in addition to the twelve red.

Does that mean we'll be back to Omnidekkas on the X21?

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(07 Mar 2022, 12:32 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Does that mean we'll be back to Omnidekkas on the X21?

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Chester-le-Street don't have any OmniDekkas, so no. They do however have a fleet livery StreetDeck as the spare bus for the X21, and Voyager branded Volvo B9s if there's more than one X-lines bus off service.

6377 was only ever at Chester-le-Street as a temporary measure to assist while the Voyager branded Volvo B9s had tachographs fitted and calibrated.

(07 Mar 2022, 1:53 pm)Dan wrote Chester-le-Street don't have any OmniDekkas, so no. They do however have a fleet livery StreetDeck as the spare bus for the X21, and Voyager branded Volvo B9s if there's more than one X-lines bus off service.

6377 was only ever at Chester-le-Street as a temporary measure to assist while the Voyager branded Volvo B9s had tachographs fitted and calibrated.

Is there a wider strategy for the 'Voyager' branded deckers? When the first couple were done, I assumed they'd be for what was the special events fleet in the past, but it seems they're just another spare vehicle when required.

I wonder if this causes any confusion for customers, as the Voyager brand doesn't mention 'Go North East' at all? Whereas I believe all other brands have a prominent GNE logo on the front, rear and each side.

(07 Mar 2022, 2:13 pm)Train8261 wrote If the Volvo B9 Voyager are not for hire. They could be used for the 25. Just a thought

The x22 branded decker was on the 25 on Saturday. least its getting a run out

(07 Mar 2022, 12:32 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Does that mean we'll be back to Omnidekkas on the X21?

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Since the X45/46 service changes, am I right in thinking there's 4 surplus streetdecks in light green backs? In theory 6331 to 6333 and one of the new batch could move. Is the reason they haven't moved due to the reliability issues with the B5 hybrids and the fact there's regularly 3-4 out of service at a time and 6045 being long term VOR for the Red Kite Ranger, meaning they are regularly used on these services.

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(07 Mar 2022, 3:53 pm)Tiger5105 wrote Since the X45/46 service changes, am I right in thinking there's 4 surplus streetdecks in light green backs? In theory 6331 to 6333 and one of the new batch could move. Is the reason they haven't moved due to the reliability issues with the B5 hybrids and the fact there's regularly 3-4 out of service at a time and 6045 being long term VOR for the Red Kite Ranger, meaning they are regularly used on these services.

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Yes, that's right - although the reason they haven't moved isn't just down to the Hybrids. There's also 4x ADL E400 off service at the moment, and no capacity within the paintshop to paint them!

(07 Mar 2022, 10:51 am)Kuyoyo wrote Looking at the timetable
Peterlee journeys leave Newcastle during the day at xx11 and xx47, the Dalton Park journey departs at xx35 with the xx23 and xx59 terminating at Easington Lane.
Easington Lane terminating journeys have 14 minute layovers at Easington Lane while the Dalton Park trip and the Peterlee journeys have 5 minutes turnaround at the southern end of their route.
The last weekday journey to Dalton Park leaves Newcastle at 1632 (presently 1734) while it will be 1535 on Saturdays (presently 1719). Peterlee meanwhile goes from a last Newcastle departure of 1810 weekday (1749 Saturdays) to two later journeys at 1905 and 2230 From Dalton Park, the last trips are 1719 weekdays and 1707 on Saturdays (currently 1905 weekdays and 1836 Saturdays).
Sunday service is uplifted to every 20 minutes between Newcastle and The Galleries - from there, two an hour continue to Easington Lane from where one an hour extends to Peterlee. Sunday evening journeys remain hourly but the 2300 from Newcastle is extended to Peterlee

Is the X1 trying to do too many things at once? The Sunday service whilst a good uplift from Newcastle to Washington, it means Washington to Easington Lane is left with two buses an hour still but now not equally split, with a 40 minute gap, arguably a lot worse than they have now.

Dalton Park link seems to have been cut a lot too, I almost wonder why they’ve bothered continue it? Looking at the timetable seems to be just operationally convenient.

I still maintain that the X1 is confusing now “X1 to Easington Lane, Dalton Park, Peterlee, Washington Galleries” you sort of need to know the exact route of each variation, just to know will this one get you home!

The 55s days seems to be numbered. The X1 offering two buses an hour means it’s not as needed on that Houghton to Peterlee corridor as much. Plus it’s been took out of Doxford International outside peak times, so is just doing exactly the same as the 20/X20 do on daytime runs. So it’s now just duplicating other routes across all sections. I wonder if once the 20 goes back to normal timetable, it’ll be a case of “the 55 is no longer needed as we’ve increased our popular X1 and 20 services across all sections of the 55 route”. Peterlee to Sunderland passengers have the X6 as the quicker option in any case.

(07 Mar 2022, 4:49 pm)Drifter60 wrote The 55s days seems to be numbered. The X1 offering two buses an hour means it’s not as needed on that Houghton to Peterlee corridor as much. Plus it’s been took out of Doxford International outside peak times, so is just doing exactly the same as the 20/X20 do on daytime runs. So it’s now just duplicating other routes across all sections. I wonder if once the 20 goes back to normal timetable, it’ll be a case of “the 55 is no longer needed as we’ve increased our popular X1 and 20 services across all sections of the 55 route”. Peterlee to Sunderland passengers have the X6 as the quicker option in any case.

Tend to agree with this. It feels like there's too much running on the A182 between Houghton and the A19. X1/55 running 4 buses an hour throughout, the 62/62A adding a further two buses an hour from Easington Lane, and then the 35 providing two buses an hour between Houghton and Hetton.

The 55 is probably the easiest to cull, given it shares most of its route with the 20/X20 and I think would only leave a section of Silksworth without. Having said that, it wouldn't be too difficult to replace it by extending the 2/2A deeper into Silksworth.

(07 Mar 2022, 10:51 am)Kuyoyo wrote Looking at the timetable
Peterlee journeys leave Newcastle during the day at xx11 and xx47, the Dalton Park journey departs at xx35 with the xx23 and xx59 terminating at Easington Lane.
Easington Lane terminating journeys have 14 minute layovers at Easington Lane while the Dalton Park trip and the Peterlee journeys have 5 minutes turnaround at the southern end of their route.
The last weekday journey to Dalton Park leaves Newcastle at 1632 (presently 1734) while it will be 1535 on Saturdays (presently 1719). Peterlee meanwhile goes from a last Newcastle departure of 1810 weekday (1749 Saturdays) to two later journeys at 1905 and 2230 From Dalton Park, the last trips are 1719 weekdays and 1707 on Saturdays (currently 1905 weekdays and 1836 Saturdays).
Sunday service is uplifted to every 20 minutes between Newcastle and The Galleries - from there, two an hour continue to Easington Lane from where one an hour extends to Peterlee. Sunday evening journeys remain hourly but the 2300 from Newcastle is extended to Peterlee

Honestly I think it would have been a better move to extend the X1 to Seaham, and the last X1's to Dalton Park being at 5-6pm is a bit crap, I think if they were extended to Seaham. But also the last departure on a Saturday being so early. And not even a service. If the X1 was extended to Seaham more people would use it, and to not even have a service on a Sunday is a bit ridiculous. I also think the X10 extension to Seaham, wouldn't do much to harm passengers as if they haven't chose to get the train a extra 10 mins isn't going to push them and get more passengers as it is roughly faster than the train, and 1/3 of the price.

(07 Mar 2022, 5:32 pm)Adrian wrote Tend to agree with this. It feels like there's too much running on the A182 between Houghton and the A19. X1/55 running 4 buses an hour throughout, the 62/62A adding a further two buses an hour from Easington Lane, and then the 35 providing two buses an hour between Houghton and Hetton.

The 55 is probably the easiest to cull, given it shares most of its route with the 20/X20 and I think would only leave a section of Silksworth without. Having said that, it wouldn't be too difficult to replace it by extending the 2/2A deeper into Silksworth.

The 55 hasn't served Silksworth since the 33 was reinstated - appreciating the 33 has been on and off more times over the years than you and I put together have had bacon sarnies!

There's no unique sections of route on the 55 other than the peak-time link to Doxford International - arguably the link to Sunderland exists with the 39, it's just towards Houghton-le-Spring where there is no alternative.