(09 Dec 2024, 5:48 pm)morritt89 wrote Don't understand why so many buses to Pennywell. Whenever I did the 39, the Pennywell end was noticeably quieter (probably due to the fact you normally followed a Stagecoach 20 round most of the way).

Yet the 20 is often quite busy, especially around school times. Granted, I don't do it particularly often, but it always seems busy whenever I do.

(09 Dec 2024, 4:18 pm)logidoodah wrote From what I can see these changes are pretty detrimental to GNE passengers. 

61 - Improved connections to Royal Hospital, but still poor service and pointless doubling back in Murton to get to Peterlee
62/62A - just a renumbered 39A/B however twice the amount of buses to Pennywell, (9 bph combined with the Stagecoach 20 - just overkill)
63 - Ryhope's (and therefore connections from 22/60/61) are lost to Doxford park. People have to now connect at Grangetown. Also loss of connections to Leechmere ASDA)

25 - Even worse connections, my gf lives in Boldon and says that the current timetabling puts the 5/50 leapfrogging eachother. So was this intentional to make the 5 less viable? How can this be if the buses are always rammed (especially at peaks)...
26 - West of Jarrow to South Shields/South Tyneside Hospital is unforgivable. Again buses are usually rammed at peaks. Right now there are 4 (GNE) bph to ST Hospital from around South Shields, this will reduce to 2!
35 - This should have happened a long time ago but with the 30 mins frequency for just the 35. Gives lots of little connections and people who want Sunderland quickly can get the metro. So does this mean the nexus funded section from Town End Farm - Boldon is commercial now? 
36 - How many attempts have they had with this route? So the only way they can make this work is to butcher the 35 so the passengers are shared out. One thing I hated when the 9 went to Lukes Lane was the 2 minute walk from York Road to Lukes Lane but the 30 minute journey on the bus. So if someone who lives in Lukes Lane misses their bus to Sunderland they can walk to York Avenue and catch the bus before the one they aimed for and get there 30 mins earlier... Pure pointless nonsense.

32 - Even longer journey for those in Low Moorsley to Sunderland (by doing the 35A route all day), no benefits of this at all, as well as losing the cross city connections from south of East Herrington). 

So they have done this to tidy up the numbering system yet forgot about the 34? So the services in sunderland are now the 32/33/35/36 (seems really stupid) if they can change the 25 to the 22 then they can change the 34 t0 the 23.

62/62A will both serve Leechmere ASDA and Hollycarrside just as the 2A does now
The 32 will operate by the current 35 service between sunderland and low moorsley
The 33 will operate hourly on evenings and sundays as the 32 will not be operating through Silksworth at any time

(09 Dec 2024, 5:48 pm)morritt89 wrote The 63 (old 42/142) and 33 (133), going back to Magic Roundabout changes.

Don't understand why so many buses to Pennywell. Whenever I did the 39, the Pennywell end was noticeably quieter (probably due to the fact you normally followed a Stagecoach 20 round most of the way).

The 35 (as it currently is) was, in my opinion a very long route and splitting it is a good idea.

It's cheaper than the running the thing to Washington. They've basically upped the frequency on Chester Road (9 buses now vs 8) at the Cost of Washington losing a bus.

The 61/62 are more the 2/2A really bar they're terminating short at Pennywell and going to Murton / Peterlee / Doxford Park instead of Silksworth.

This might be a dodgy opinion but if the numbers aren't there travelling from Washington to Chester Road, then they'd be better dropping the 2 down to every 30 minutes imo, with a new short 2A only running from Shiney Row to Sunderland doing a loop, every 30 minutes. Least then you'd have a clean 7.5 minute service combined with the 61/62 above imo.

You could also interwork the 2/8 out of Washington and Sunderland to give a 15 minute service for those travelling end to end and maybe run the 78 limited stop, hospital and university only from Grindon Mill to Sunderland so people travelling far from the likes of Chester Le Street etc get a faster service into town. 8 buses an hour, is more than enough.

Bulldoze it, and start again, keep the services that work, so the likes of the 10,21,56, then start again, some cases GNE are trying to polish a turd, it's nearly 2025, adapt or die a death and I mean that with respect, no aggression

the 55 should be brought back as the 37 and the 202 should be brough back as the 64.

And the 61 should be every 20 mins to Murton

(09 Dec 2024, 11:15 pm)Unber43 wrote the 55 should be brought back as the 37 and the 202 should be brough back as the 64.

And the 61 should be every 20 mins to Murton

I mean the 61 pretty much is the 202 now, albeit going a different way. Trouble is the 202 complimented the 60, 61 and X35, whereas the 61 now is the only Sunderland bus for a lot of people.

(09 Dec 2024, 11:32 pm)F114TML wrote I mean the 61 pretty much is the 202 now, albeit going a different way. Trouble is the 202 complimented the 60, 61 and X35, whereas the 61 now is the only Sunderland bus for a lot of people.

Couple of things change the 202, Have it go through Ashbrooke and QA Road then Leechmere Asda then along seafront Seaham, Dalton Park, Easington Lane Shotton Peterlee.

New Connection to Dalton Park for people that live in Sunderland, and to ResQ at Seaham for people from Shotton too

(09 Dec 2024, 11:32 pm)F114TML wrote I mean the 61 pretty much is the 202 now, albeit going a different way. Trouble is the 202 complimented the 60, 61 and X35, whereas the 61 now is the only Sunderland bus for a lot of people.

The 61 is one of those awkward buses that just sits along other buses really. Hopefully when franchising comes in it can be dealt with and merged with the 22/23/24, or whatever ones go to Sunderland nowadays and offer a 15 minute service to Dalton Park direct.

Also ideally run them limited stop after Seaham Grange aswell since they don't pick anyone up barely anyway and give people from Peterlee, Murton and beyond a faster service to Sunderland who don't want to go for a tour around Ryhope etc.

(09 Dec 2024, 11:35 pm)Unber43 wrote Couple of things change the 202, Have it go through Ashbrooke and QA Road then Leechmere Asda then along seafront Seaham, Dalton Park, Easington Lane Shotton Peterlee.

New Connection to Dalton Park for people that live in Sunderland, and to ResQ at Seaham for people from Shotton too

Just brainstorming rn will work out what would be feasable later;
2/2A: Washington - Sunderland only
24: Extend via Chester Road, Ormonde Street, Durham Road, Farringdon, Doxford International, then 55 route to Peterlee (Perhaps alternate journeys terminate at Grasmere Terrace).
X60: As 60 all stops Parkside - Seaham Grange, then limited stop; Ryhope Green, Toll Bar, Ocean Road, Winter Gardens, Holmeside, Park Lane.
X61: As murton trips on 61 (skipping matthews road), same stopping pattern as X60. All journeys terminate in Murton.
62/62A: 39 loop round Pennywell, then as 2/2A respectively. Contines from Silksworth to Doxford Morrisons or Doxford International.
63/63A: 39 loop round Pennywell, then 39 to Ryhope Green. 63 as 39 to Doxford International; 63A via Ryhope Hospitals and Burdon Road to Doxford International
64: Doxford International - Doxford Park - Tunstall Bank Estate - Esdale Estate - Hollycarrside - Leechmere ASDA - Ryhope Road - Winter Gardens - Holmeside - Park Lane
65: As now but serves Matthews Road in Murton.
66: Peterlee Bus Station - Moorcock via College - Easington - South Hetton - Murton - Matthews Road - Dawdon - Seaham Harbour - Ryhope Green - Ocean Road - Queen Alexandra Road - Chester Road - Park Lane

(09 Dec 2024, 11:41 pm)Storx wrote The 61 is one of those awkward buses that just sits along other buses really. Hopefully when franchising comes in it can be dealt with and merged with the 22/23/24, or whatever ones go to Sunderland nowadays and offer a 15 minute service to Dalton Park direct.

Also ideally run them limited stop after Seaham Grange aswell since they don't pick anyone up barely anyway and give people from Peterlee, Murton and beyond a faster service to Sunderland who don't want to go for a tour around Ryhope etc.

I think the people of Murton would disagree with you that the 61 is awkward and needs to be dealt with.

(10 Dec 2024, 6:45 pm)deanmachine wrote I think the people of Murton would disagree with you that the 61 is awkward and needs to be dealt with.

I agree, it's a pretty straight forward bus service actually, as it stands, discounting the Peterlee extension. Circular route around Murton, Dalton Park, then pretty much the direct route to Sunderland.

I notice the website states 'several new links across the area'. However some links also seem to be lost as a result.

Is there no longer a bus between Silksworth and East Herrington? This route had 10 buses per hour in the mid 90s. I know there probably isn't a lot of passengers making this journey, but I thought the large health centre in Silksworth would generate usage here. The Silksworth to Washington link is also lost.

I also don't understand the 61 running to Peterlee once an hour. This should be a separate route number, and run straight through Murton along the main road without serving the estates. I imagine this confuses passengers. The Penywell section should also have a different number.

(10 Dec 2024, 6:57 pm)MurdnunoC wrote I agree, it's a pretty straight forward bus service actually, as it stands, discounting the Peterlee extension. Circular route around Murton, Dalton Park, then pretty much the direct route to Sunderland.

It looks a bit confusing on a map to someone who isn't too familiar with the area, but it's realistically straight forward beyond that especially if you're local, which you'll most likely will be if using it to/from Murton given it loops in much the same fashion regardless if it's a short or heading to Peterlee/Sunderland.

There is likely ways to make things more simple and have a more attractive offering to passengers, but can't see owt better being provided any time soon, given the Peterlee extension is supported and likely necessitates the need to serve the estates of Murton, extending the 61 likely being the most effective use of resources.

(10 Dec 2024, 6:45 pm)deanmachine wrote I think the people of Murton would disagree with you that the 61 is awkward and needs to be dealt with.

Aye no arguments there but the rest of the route probably couldn't give a toss if it didn't exist and use something else instead. 

Ideally the 22/60/61 need to interwork really but it's not possible when you have 2 operators. 

On the Murton to Peterlee, surely it would be cheaper to extend whatever the minibus (forgot number) that runs upto Easington.

It's more than enough capacity wise really.

Personally I would reroute the 61 to do the old 62 route between dalton park and peterlee going straight through murton and have a 61A doing the normal route between pennywell and murton but doing the loop around murton ans then going back and have them at either every 40 minutes combined 20 or every 30 combined 15. That way people wanting their only bus to easington lane, south hetton, etc don’t have to spend an extra 10 or 20 minutes trundling around murtons estates to pick up two people who were probably standing on the through roads anyway.  The network in east durham and in general tbh really needs sorting out and this isn’t the way to do it.

(11 Dec 2024, 5:07 am)ALavery wrote Personally I would reroute the 61 to do the old 62 route between dalton park and peterlee going straight through murton and have a 61A doing the normal route between pennywell and murton but doing the loop around murton ans then going back and have them at either every 40 minutes combined 20 or every 30 combined 15. That way people wanting their only bus to easington lane, south hetton, etc don’t have to spend an extra 10 or 20 minutes trundling around murtons estates to pick up two people who were probably standing on the through roads anyway.  The network in east durham and in general tbh really needs sorting out and this isn’t the way to do it.

See I think it should be a service from the South extended up personally 
Something like the 23 or X22 and run it direct to Dalton Park from Peterlee and then do a loop of Murton after rather than terminating there. 

There's always going to be a few people from the likes of Hartlepool, Wingate, Sedgefield etc who might want to go there and more fast buses from Peterlee to the place could never go amiss as the X6 is always slammed with something on the 55 line to restore the South Hetton to Sunderland links as the 35 is ridiculously slow from Hetton etc. 50 minutes, believe it is now, is unacceptably slow.

(10 Dec 2024, 1:19 am)F114TML wrote Just brainstorming rn will work out what would be feasable later;
2/2A: Washington - Sunderland only
24: Extend via Chester Road, Ormonde Street, Durham Road, Farringdon, Doxford International, then 55 route to Peterlee (Perhaps alternate journeys terminate at Grasmere Terrace).
X60: As 60 all stops Parkside - Seaham Grange, then limited stop; Ryhope Green, Toll Bar, Ocean Road, Winter Gardens, Holmeside, Park Lane.
X61: As murton trips on 61 (skipping matthews road), same stopping pattern as X60. All journeys terminate in Murton.
62/62A: 39 loop round Pennywell, then as 2/2A respectively. Contines from Silksworth to Doxford Morrisons or Doxford International.
63/63A: 39 loop round Pennywell, then 39 to Ryhope Green. 63 as 39 to Doxford International; 63A via Ryhope Hospitals and Burdon Road to Doxford International
64: Doxford International - Doxford Park - Tunstall Bank Estate - Esdale Estate - Hollycarrside - Leechmere ASDA - Ryhope Road - Winter Gardens - Holmeside - Park Lane
65: As now but serves Matthews Road in Murton.
66: Peterlee Bus Station - Moorcock via College - Easington - South Hetton - Murton - Matthews Road - Dawdon - Seaham Harbour - Ryhope Green - Ocean Road - Queen Alexandra Road - Chester Road - Park Lane

(11 Dec 2024, 12:19 am)Storx wrote Aye no arguments there but the rest of the route probably couldn't give a toss if it didn't exist and use something else instead. 

Ideally the 22/60/61 need to interwork really but it's not possible when you have 2 operators. 

On the Murton to Peterlee, surely it would be cheaper to extend whatever the minibus (forgot number) that runs upto Easington.

It's more than enough capacity wise really.

208? Problems with that are: it takes 27 minutes just to reach Easington from Peterlee, plus it would likely be rather awkward to schedule/resource especially when all the 'Peterlee Purples' already have to run on/off the X6 since the outstation at Peterlee was done away with.

EDIT: just realised the 62/62A did the current 208 route between Peterlee & Easington, little wonder it ended up not being commercially viable ?

(11 Dec 2024, 5:07 am)ALavery wrote Personally I would reroute the 61 to do the old 62 route between dalton park and peterlee going straight through murton and have a 61A doing the normal route between pennywell and murton but doing the loop around murton ans then going back and have them at either every 40 minutes combined 20 or every 30 combined 15. That way people wanting their only bus to easington lane, south hetton, etc don’t have to spend an extra 10 or 20 minutes trundling around murtons estates to pick up two people who were probably standing on the through roads anyway.  The network in east durham and in general tbh really needs sorting out and this isn’t the way to do it.

Most parts of County Durham out of the towns and Durham itself have declined massively over the last 20 or so years, East Durham in particular has been badly hit, doesn't help that East Durham is now an operational "black hole" meaning everything has to run on complicated interworking patterns from depots far away from the area.

(11 Dec 2024, 8:50 pm)Jimmi wrote 208? Problems with that are: it takes 27 minutes just to reach Easington from Peterlee, plus it would likely be rather awkward to schedule/resource especially when all the 'Peterlee Purples' already have to run on/off the X6 since the outstation at Peterlee was done away with.

Aye that's true, mind could maybe interwork it with the 79 and make a long route from Peterlee through to Barnwell? The 79 works atm so it's not off the track.

Something like - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/54.75934...?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTIwOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

It would be PVR neutral if I'm right as you should be able to get from Easington to Houghton in less than 30 minutes surely.

I know you'd lose the South Hetton to Murton link but not sure that's really needed and would open links to Dalton Park from both ends which might pick up a few punters here and there since there's no links to Dalton Park from Houghton etc.

Obviously it's slightly longer than now but let's be honest there's probably not a million people from Murton going to Peterlee anyway, not sure why the hell anyone would want to go there. Links to Houghton is probably a fair compromise with the Tesco etc.

(11 Dec 2024, 8:50 pm)Jimmi wrote 208? Problems with that are: it takes 27 minutes just to reach Easington from Peterlee, plus it would likely be rather awkward to schedule/resource especially when all the 'Peterlee Purples' already have to run on/off the X6 since the outstation at Peterlee was done away with.

EDIT: just realised the 62/62A did the current 208 route between Peterlee & Easington, little wonder it ended up not being commercially viable ?

The 62 was the 208 route but it didn't go into the estates round Easington. Was still a drag considering it was my only direct bus to Peterlee. 62A was just the 208.

Looks like the Sunderland changes page has been updated with the information what was missing before, such as the 2A been withdrawn.

(11 Dec 2024, 5:16 pm)F114TML wrote

the images are not working...

Ah feck. Gimme a few mins.

---

(15 Dec 2024, 12:50 am)logidoodah wrote the images are not working...

Should be fine now. If they break again I'll need to find somewhere else to put them. Clearly Discord's changed something.

New timetables are now being uploaded for the service changes in January 2025 although in a black and white format atm.


The 60 is shown as a fleet livery service now - https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/services/GNE/60

61/62/62A also shown as fleet livery - https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/services/GNE/61

(19 Dec 2024, 10:48 am)Michael wrote New timetables are now being uploaded for the service changes in January 2025 although in a black and white format atm.


The 60 is shown as a fleet livery service now - https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/services/GNE/60

61/62/62A also shown as fleet livery - https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/services/GNE/61

X10 looks to still be every 60 minutes with minor timetable changes.

Surely the demand warrants at least a 30 minute service NCL > Peterlee?

GNE still can't get the X10 & X21 right in terms of demands, timekeeping or vehicle allocations.

Quite annoying that:
- Unsuitable vehicles (or not enough suitable vehicles / spares) are being used on the X10 & X21.

- Frequency on the X10 is still below what's needed....basically because of point above.

- Inefficient working patterns on Derwentside, when clearly more efficient interworking patterns (with most  Monday to Saturday reliefs at Consett) could significantly reduce the need for low height deckers and also release vehicles which would massively improve things at Riverside. Not forgetting that one of the BSIP links (Stanley > Gateshead) would be more frequent too rather than hourly.

- High spec B5TLs (whilst not perfect) are being used on a service which can't even sustain a full evening & Sunday service!


Surely Stagecoach and Arriva could come up with some sort of competition with the advantage of having depots in County Durham & Tessside. But GNE need to pull their socks up and take the X10 & X21 seriously 

(19 Dec 2024, 11:18 am)L469 YVK wrote
X10 looks to still be every 60 minutes with minor timetable changes.

Surely the demand warrants at least a 30 minute service NCL > Peterlee?

GNE still can't get the X10 & X21 right in terms of demands, timekeeping or vehicle allocations.

Quite annoying that:
- Unsuitable vehicles (or not enough suitable vehicles / spares) are being used on the X10 & X21.

- Frequency on the X10 is still below what's needed....basically because of point above.

- Inefficient working patterns on Derwentside, when clearly more efficient interworking patterns (with most  Monday to Saturday reliefs at Consett) could significantly reduce the need for low height deckers and also release vehicles which would massively improve things at Riverside. Not forgetting that one of the BSIP links (Stanley > Gateshead) would be more frequent too rather than hourly.

- High spec B5TLs (whilst not perfect) are being used on a service which can't even sustain a full evening & Sunday service!


Surely Stagecoach and Arriva could come up with some sort of competition with the advantage of having depots in County Durham & Tessside. But GNE need to pull their socks up and take the X10 & X21 seriously 

20 is the same, minor timetable changes - yet not mentioned on the changes

X10 isn't even mentioned either.

(19 Dec 2024, 11:25 am)Michael wrote 20 is the same, minor timetable changes - yet not mentioned on the changes

X10 isn't even mentioned either.

GNE should be referring to X10 on their website as there is a change to the stopping locations. Journeys to Middlesbrough will no longer stop on the southbound A19 slip road but will instead stop at the Moorcock pub on Burnhope Way.

(19 Dec 2024, 11:54 am)XQ Zero wrote GNE should be referring to X10 on their website as there is a change to the stopping locations. Journeys to Middlesbrough will no longer stop on the southbound A19 slip road but will instead stop at the Moorcock pub on Burnhope Way.

Should be but aren't.

Unless there's more changes in the Gatehead area but I doubt as they would of been online now and on VOSA.

(19 Dec 2024, 12:00 pm)Michael wrote Should be but aren't.

Unless there's more changes in the Gatehead area but I doubt as they would of been online now and on VOSA.

The whole page is a mess. They haven't worded it very well especially regarding the changes to the 5 and 25.

(19 Dec 2024, 10:48 am)DrMichael wrote New timetables are now being uploaded for the service changes in January 2025 although in a black and white format atm.


The 60 is shown as a fleet livery service now - https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/services/GNE/60

61/62/62A also shown as fleet livery - https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/services/GNE/61

Drifters are going corporate livery in the new year.