(12 Jul 2024, 10:25 pm)Ambassador wrote I’d assume if they are announcing the Q3 changes that they have worked with nexus and everyone’s favourite mildly incompetent PTE are on board

I’d say there is something needed in the Wallsend side of the Q3(St peters-wallsend) because it is horrible in terms of the timings as loads of the buses terminate at st. Peters and you can see that wallsend side is not served at all on Sundays and in the morning there is 1 bus every hour.I think gne needs to do something about that area.

And also need to increase the amount of Q3X bus services as well.

(This doesn’t link to the attachment btw its just a glitch)

Ambassador wrote
I’d assume if they are announcing the Q3 changes that they have worked with nexus and everyone’s favourite mildly incompetent PTE are on board

I would normally stick up for NEXUS but after riding the 28a from toon yesterday and at gateshead following the 82 all the way down the fell and they to the gold medal I now coming to the conclusion that something is seriously wrong with them!

The X9 should be reintroduced, it complimented the X10 nicely, and both services could omit sections as before meaning quicker journey times.

It used to be a pleasure getting the X10 from Middlesbrough to Newcastle, now it is more of a chore with crowded buses and a long journey diverting through Billingham and Peterlee.

(22 Oct 2024, 7:40 am)tvd wrote The X9 should be reintroduced, it complimented the X10 nicely, and both services could omit sections as before meaning quicker journey times.

It used to be a pleasure getting the X10 from Middlesbrough to Newcastle, now it is more of a chore with crowded buses and a long journey diverting through Billingham and Peterlee.

I don't understand the reason why the X9 needs to come back when for the past 2/3 years. Everyone has gotten used to the X10 serving both Peterlee & Dalton Park. So no it shouldn't 

X10 should be increased to every 30 minutes. I don't understand what bringing the X9 back would make a difference.

(22 Oct 2024, 7:40 am)tvd wrote The X9 should be reintroduced, it complimented the X10 nicely, and both services could omit sections as before meaning quicker journey times.

It used to be a pleasure getting the X10 from Middlesbrough to Newcastle, now it is more of a chore with crowded buses and a long journey diverting through Billingham and Peterlee.

I'm not sure it's really needed. People doing Middlesbrough to Newcastle should really be using the train imo. 

So the improvements should be there instead. 

A short X10 from Peterlee to Newcastle wouldn't be the worst idea though using 2 extra buses. It's the sort of place where BSIP should've been used, not propping stuff up like the 21.

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(21 Oct 2024, 6:23 pm)BusEnthusiast.com wrote I’d say there is something needed in the Wallsend side of the Q3(St peters-wallsend) because it is horrible in terms of the timings as loads of the buses terminate at st. Peters and you can see that wallsend side is not served at all on Sundays and in the morning there is 1 bus every hour.I think gne needs to do something about that area.

And also need to increase the amount of Q3X bus services as well.

(This doesn’t link to the attachment btw its just a glitch)

The Q3 shouldn't exist at all from St Peters to Wallsend imo. The 18 should be doing that instead.

My tax shouldn't be funding 5 buses an hour along there it's just totally stupid.

You could then fund the full 18 route on an evening and Sundays with a PVR 2 instead of the short service which exists currently.

(22 Oct 2024, 10:50 am)Storx wrote I'm not sure it's really needed. People doing Middlesbrough to Newcastle should really be using the train imo. 

So the improvements should be there instead. 

A short X10 from Peterlee to Newcastle wouldn't be the worst idea though using 2 extra buses. It's the sort of place where BSIP should've been used, not propping stuff up like the 21.

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The Q3 shouldn't exist at all from St Peters to Wallsend imo. The 18 should be doing that instead.

My tax shouldn't be funding 5 buses an hour along there it's just totally stupid.

You could then fund the full 18 route on an evening and Sundays with a PVR 2 instead of the short service which exists currently.

Phaaaaaaaaaa train to Middlesbrough to Newcastle next joke trains are always cancelled  so I'm for one the x9 needs bringing back !!!

(22 Oct 2024, 10:50 am)Storx / wrote I'm not sure it's really needed. People doing Middlesbrough to Newcastle should really be using the train imo. 

So the improvements should be there instead. 

A short X10 from Peterlee to Newcastle wouldn't be the worst idea though using 2 extra buses. It's the sort of place where BSIP should've been used, not propping stuff up like the 21.

---

The Q3 shouldn't exist at all from St Peters to Wallsend imo. The 18 should be doing that instead.

My tax shouldn't be funding 5 buses an hour along there it's just totally stupid.

You could then fund the full 18 route on an evening and Sundays with a PVR 2 instead of the short service which exists currently.

Yeah I do understand this opinion as the 18 is in desperate need of upgrading and awful as well as the Q3.I just raised the opinion because I take the q3 from regent centre and on some days I can’t take the bvus because it terminates at st peters
but I totally agree there does need to be something done about the 18.And also between St Peter’s and wallsend there isn’t actually very many people (excluding me),only 3 or 4 people on weekdays.

(22 Oct 2024, 5:52 pm)BusEnthusiast.com wrote Yeah I do understand this opinion as the 18 is in desperate need of upgrading and awful as well as the Q3.I just raised the opinion because I take the q3 from regent centre and on some days I can’t take the bvus because it terminates at st peters
but I totally agree there does need to be something done about the 18.And also between St Peter’s and wallsend there isn’t actually very many people (excluding me),only 3 or 4 people on weekdays.

Yeah personally if I had it, I'd do:

Monday - Saturday Daytimes
18: Extended to Wallsend via Q3 Route (PVR +1)
Q3: Terminate short at St Peter's (PVR -2)

Evenings / Sundays:
18: Full Route, Benton Square to Wallsend (PVR +1)

Would be pretty much PVR neutral but offer the 18 unique sections a bus route every day instead covered by the oversaturation from St Peters to Walker, in particular.

Alternatively, working with Stagecoach otherwise I'd say if you wanted to tidy things up a bit and improve services

Monday - Saturday Daytimes
6/7: Extended back to Benton Square via Dovedale Gardens (PVR +1)
18: All board run to Quorum, extended to Wallsend via Q3 Route (PVR +1)
Q3: Terminate short at St Peter's (PVR -2)

Evenings / Sundays:
18A: Full Route, Four Lane Ends to Wallsend, Extend to Benton Square instead of Quorum (PVR +1)

(22 Oct 2024, 6:29 pm)Storx wrote Yeah personally if I had it, I'd do:

Monday - Saturday Daytimes
18: Extended to Wallsend via Q3 Route (PVR +1)
Q3: Terminate short at St Peter's (PVR -2)

Evenings / Sundays:
18: Full Route, Benton Square to Wallsend (PVR +1)

Would be pretty much PVR neutral but offer the 18 unique sections a bus route every day instead covered by the oversaturation from St Peters to Walker, in particular.

Alternatively, working with Stagecoach otherwise I'd say if you wanted to tidy things up a bit and improve services

Monday - Saturday Daytimes
6/7: Extended back to Benton Square via Dovedale Gardens (PVR +1)
18: All board run to Quorum, extended to Wallsend via Q3 Route (PVR +1)
Q3: Terminate short at St Peter's (PVR -2)

Evenings / Sundays:
18A: Full Route, Four Lane Ends to Wallsend, Extend to Benton Square instead of Quorum (PVR +1)

The 18 if, of course, a route fully tendered and specified by Nexus

(22 Oct 2024, 8:52 pm)busmanT wrote The 18 if, of course, a route fully tendered and specified by Nexus

I know, the Q3 is also contracted by Nexus aswell from St Peter's to Wallsend. No reason why they can't tender that out if they thought they could get better value elsewhere.

I'm going to assume the second one is the price for it aswell since it doesn't run on a Sunday:


The Nexus 18 contract at the same date was only £850 for a PVR 3, so assuming they'd go for the same rate that would work out cheaper at around £280 aswell.

(22 Oct 2024, 3:45 pm)Mark66t wrote Phaaaaaaaaaa train to Middlesbrough to Newcastle next joke trains are always cancelled  so I'm for one the x9 needs bringing back !!!

Btw forgot to reply to this, I know. Personally I'd rather see the Newcastle - Chester Le Street - Durham - (Ferryhill) - Thornaby - Middlesbrough service that was planned before COVID kicked in. It was going to be only 50 minute from end to end so a massive speed boost and would link up Durham and Teesside which are currently unserved at all without a change.

Not sure what the real reason why it got scrapped was, believe pathing issues.

(22 Oct 2024, 6:29 pm)Storx wrote Yeah personally if I had it, I'd do:

Monday - Saturday Daytimes
18: Extended to Wallsend via Q3 Route (PVR +1)
Q3: Terminate short at St Peter's (PVR -2)

Evenings / Sundays:
18: Full Route, Benton Square to Wallsend (PVR +1)

Would be pretty much PVR neutral but offer the 18 unique sections a bus route every day instead covered by the oversaturation from St Peters to Walker, in particular.

Alternatively, working with Stagecoach otherwise I'd say if you wanted to tidy things up a bit and improve services

Monday - Saturday Daytimes
6/7: Extended back to Benton Square via Dovedale Gardens (PVR +1)
18: All board run to Quorum, extended to Wallsend via Q3 Route (PVR +1)
Q3: Terminate short at St Peter's (PVR -2)

Evenings / Sundays:
18A: Full Route, Four Lane Ends to Wallsend, Extend to Benton Square instead of Quorum (PVR +1)

Whats Benton Square, do you mean the turning circle at the end of Hailsham Avenue by the school, cus when i hear Benton Square I immediately think of the industrial estate near Palmersville

(24 Oct 2024, 3:32 pm)V514DFT wrote Whats Benton Square, do you mean the turning circle at the end of Hailsham Avenue by the school, cus when i hear Benton Square I immediately think of the industrial estate near Palmersville

Aye you're right sorry that is Benton Square. Benton Estate even. Not sure how I got them mixed up.

x21 took a strange route to newcastle last night. came off at a team vally south and went up towards low fell via the gold medal.

(25 Oct 2024, 8:45 am)Rob44 wrote x21 took a strange route to newcastle last night. came off at a team vally south and went up towards low fell via the gold medal.

Probably related to tge demolition of the old allerdene bridge.

(25 Oct 2024, 12:08 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Probably related to tge demolition of the old allerdene bridge.

Ah i forrgot about that although i though they were only working on that when the trains had finich running at midnight.  Just seemed strange seeining a x21 in that area

On a walk through Gosforth this morning I saw 5498 on the 0749 Q3X. It went past the Brunton Park stop with the 49 just behind, and neither looked to stop. As I walked past the stop 30 seconds later, there was about 8 people waiting for a bus of some description - they most certainly didn't all get there in the 30 seconds between 5498 passing and me walking past.

The 49 was terminating at Regent Centre, so I understand the logic behind not getting that, but the Q3X would have taken every single person waiting into Newcastle (which is where I assume they were going). Is there an assumption from the public that the Q3X takes the same route as the Q3, and as such they'd prefer to wait for an Arriva service to town? Does the peak-only nature of it mean that people are happy to let it pass and get an Arriva service which they can buy a return ticket on?

The decision to perform the loop in the direction that it does also means that it omits the Glamis Avenue stop, which always seems to have people waiting for a bus.

It doesn't seem like the thought process behind the Q3/Q3X changes was sanity checked by anyone with any understanding of the busy stops in the area, or what people actually want. The Q3X, in particular, seems like a waste of time when for all bar 2 stops people will be better off getting either an Arriva express or a 43/44/45.

(16 Dec 2024, 10:33 am)PH - BQA wrote On a walk through Gosforth this morning I saw 5498 on the 0749 Q3X. It went past the Brunton Park stop with the 49 just behind, and neither looked to stop. As I walked past the stop 30 seconds later, there was about 8 people waiting for a bus of some description - they most certainly didn't all get there in the 30 seconds between 5498 passing and me walking past.

The 49 was terminating at Regent Centre, so I understand the logic behind not getting that, but the Q3X would have taken every single person waiting into Newcastle (which is where I assume they were going). Is there an assumption from the public that the Q3X takes the same route as the Q3, and as such they'd prefer to wait for an Arriva service to town? Does the peak-only nature of it mean that people are happy to let it pass and get an Arriva service which they can buy a return ticket on?

The decision to perform the loop in the direction that it does also means that it omits the Glamis Avenue stop, which always seems to have people waiting for a bus.

It doesn't seem like the thought process behind the Q3/Q3X changes was sanity checked by anyone with any understanding of the busy stops in the area, or what people actually want. The Q3X, in particular, seems like a waste of time when for all bar 2 stops people will be better off getting either an Arriva express or a 43/44/45.

Let's be honest the Q3/Q3X/X46/49 shouldn't exist at all North of Gosforth and they should be consildated in 1 or 2 routes, ie a 46 to Featherstone Grove every 30 minutes and a 46A to the Great Park with the 33 restored between Hollywood Avenue to Newcastle via Jesmond.

12 buses an hour with the 43/44/45/46 is probably actually needed at times and would remove the silly duplicates.

Basically how it was in the first place, but with the Q3 removed and moved onto the 46 resources instead.

(16 Dec 2024, 11:45 am)Storx wrote Let's be honest the Q3/Q3X/X46/49 shouldn't exist at all North of Gosforth and they should be consildated in 1 or 2 routes, ie a 46 to Featherstone Grove every 30 minutes and a 46A to the Great Park with the 33 restored between Hollywood Avenue to Newcastle via Jesmond.

12 buses an hour with the 43/44/45/46 is probably actually needed at times and would remove the silly duplicates.

Basically how it was in the first place, but with the Q3 removed and moved onto the 46 resources instead.

I'd have the 46 go to Great Park and a 47 run Haymarket-Hollywood Avenue

(18 Dec 2024, 10:04 pm)V514DFT wrote I'd have the 46 go to Great Park and a 47 run Haymarket-Hollywood Avenue

Aye I was going to say the 47 tbh, but then thought it might get a bit confusing with the Stagecoach X47 going to the Great Park.

(16 Dec 2024, 10:33 am)PH - BQA wrote On a walk through Gosforth this morning I saw 5498 on the 0749 Q3X. It went past the Brunton Park stop with the 49 just behind, and neither looked to stop. As I walked past the stop 30 seconds later, there was about 8 people waiting for a bus of some description - they most certainly didn't all get there in the 30 seconds between 5498 passing and me walking past.

The 49 was terminating at Regent Centre, so I understand the logic behind not getting that, but the Q3X would have taken every single person waiting into Newcastle (which is where I assume they were going). Is there an assumption from the public that the Q3X takes the same route as the Q3, and as such they'd prefer to wait for an Arriva service to town? Does the peak-only nature of it mean that people are happy to let it pass and get an Arriva service which they can buy a return ticket on?

The decision to perform the loop in the direction that it does also means that it omits the Glamis Avenue stop, which always seems to have people waiting for a bus.

It doesn't seem like the thought process behind the Q3/Q3X changes was sanity checked by anyone with any understanding of the busy stops in the area, or what people actually want. The Q3X, in particular, seems like a waste of time when for all bar 2 stops people will be better off getting either an Arriva express or a 43/44/45.

To be honest the 49 is really confusing in the morning when the students from Gosforth academy get on and then the timings just suddenly go to every 1 hour which I see no point in actually having the 49 as even existing.But the Q3/Q3X situation is really confusing and the bus drivers at Haymarket still have to remind the passengers that it doesn’t go to Jesmond.IMO gne need to do 1 of 2 things either get rid of the jesmond part or scrap the Q3X entirely.Personally I’d rather they get rid of Jesmond as during peak time Jesmond is packed and the traffic is mad especially with waiting for the traffic lights taking ages to turn green at that junction bit and basically most of the time they are always late by 10-15 mins.I have never once seen a Q3 on time when it’s heading towards Wallsend.And then you have buses terminating at St Peter’s like an awkward one the 14:52 out of regent centre(can’t remember what time it leaves Brunton lol) just randomly terminates at St Peter’s leaving a gap between St Peter’s and Wallsend and having to wait 40 mins.Hope anyone has any comments about this stuff.Idm if u agree or disagree I just want answers lol bc it’s really confusing and frustrating.

(31 Dec 2024, 3:16 am)BusEnthusiast.com wrote To be honest the 49 is really confusing in the morning when the students from Gosforth academy get on and then the timings just suddenly go to every 1 hour which I see no point in actually having the 49 as even existing.But the Q3/Q3X situation is really confusing and the bus drivers at Haymarket still have to remind the passengers that it doesn’t go to Jesmond.IMO gne need to do 1 of 2 things either get rid of the jesmond part or scrap the Q3X entirely.Personally I’d rather they get rid of Jesmond as during peak time Jesmond is packed and the traffic is mad especially with waiting for the traffic lights taking ages to turn green at that junction bit and basically most of the time they are always late by 10-15 mins.I have never once seen a Q3 on time when it’s heading towards Wallsend.And then you have buses terminating at St Peter’s like an awkward one the 14:52 out of regent centre(can’t remember what time it leaves Brunton lol) just randomly terminates at St Peter’s leaving a gap between St Peter’s and Wallsend and having to wait 40 mins.Hope anyone has any comments about this stuff.Idm if u agree or disagree I just want answers lol bc it’s really confusing and frustrating.

If the Q3 doesn't go through Jesmond then the route should be scrapped entirely North of Newcastle it's simply not needed. The money wasted subsidising it should be used to to prop up the X46 and 49 instead preferably ran by Arriva in an ideal world and part of the 43/44/45 corridor. Both every 30 minutes? Giving 12 buses an hour on the Great North Road. The corridor deserves the capacity imo and there's way too many buses just sitting along there doing the same thing, and as mentioned above, which people avoid anyway as they're confusing.

The Q3 should be scrapped at the Eastern side aswell with the 18 doing that aswell, as I've said before the pub should not be subsidising 5 buses an hour from Walker to St Peters when there's already the commercial 12 in the area aswell.

If you want to keep the Q3 going somewhere then merge it with the 355 and up that to every 20 minutes. It probably deserves the capacity anyway, it's always well loaded whenever I see it which can't be said about the 352/354 at the Newcastle side.

(31 Dec 2024, 9:47 am)Storx wrote If the Q3 doesn't go through Jesmond then the route should be scrapped entirely North of Newcastle it's simply not needed. The money wasted subsidising it should be used to to prop up the X46 and 49 instead preferably ran by Arriva in an ideal world and part of the 43/44/45 corridor. Both every 30 minutes? Giving 12 buses an hour on the Great North Road. The corridor deserves the capacity imo and there's way too many buses just sitting along there doing the same thing, and as mentioned above, which people avoid anyway as they're confusing.

The Q3 should be scrapped at the Eastern side aswell with the 18 doing that aswell, as I've said before the pub should not be subsidising 5 buses an hour from Walker to St Peters when there's already the commercial 12 in the area aswell.

If you want to keep the Q3 going somewhere then merge it with the 355 and up that to every 20 minutes. It probably deserves the capacity anyway, it's always well loaded whenever I see it which can't be said about the 352/354 at the Newcastle side.

I disagree with this personally. The 49 and x47 have been a disaster in Greeat Park. The option of a bus from the North of the city which goes to the Ouseburn and Quayside areas is a welcome by many for leisure purposes and does get used. Having a Q3/X46 Hybrid which can merge Brunton Park/Great Park could make sense, dropping the Jesmond bit definitely makes sense, but we North Gosforth to Quayside/Ouseburn is a viable route.

(31 Dec 2024, 2:32 pm)Shrek wrote I disagree with this personally. The 49 and x47 have been a disaster in Greeat Park. The option of a bus from the North of the city which goes to the Ouseburn and Quayside areas is a welcome by many for leisure purposes and does get used. Having a Q3/X46 Hybrid which can merge Brunton Park/Great Park could make sense, dropping the Jesmond bit definitely makes sense, but we North Gosforth to Quayside/Ouseburn is a viable route.

I get what your saying but imo I'd personally rather see the Q1 and Q2 restored to how they were years ago and subsidised by NECA. 

I'd ever go further and say they should be free buses so people can get where they actually want to be in town coming in from the 3 major interchange points (Central / Gateshead / Central Station). Right now it's not the easiest to get around town and Haymarket, in particular, isn't really central either. 

It'd be a massive booster. I'd say do the same with the Cathedral buses in Durham and 700's in Sunderland city centre aswell.

(31 Dec 2024, 2:32 pm)Shrek wrote I disagree with this personally. The 49 and x47 have been a disaster in Greeat Park. 

How though. I see them as they offer a way better service than what Q3 did. Can't see how they have been described by u as "disaster"

Maybe gne would have kept the Q3 if they had of pulled it of Osborne Road. So if anyone is to blame here it's Go North East. They had since March 2024 to pull out of Osborne Road and hadn't. People in great park wanted a quicker service to Newcastle of which Stagecoach provided 2 of them

People in the Great Park just don't seem to be satisfied with anything. This 49 is provided and funded by Nexus as it isn't commercial so Stagecoach shouldn't see a reason to make it commercial cause why should they. If they did. Would they use it. Course not. Half of them walk to Brunton Park anyway and get the Q3

Still i don't see how it's been branded as a disaster by you?

I have a lot of colleagues and family in Great Park who much prefer the new arrangements.

They tend to prefer the 49 as it tends to stop less and not get caught in central motorway traffic as much. Apparently much more reliable.

The consensus on the great park Facebook group is it’s a vocal minority who continue to complain

(31 Dec 2024, 4:50 pm)Ambassador wrote I have a lot of colleagues and family  in Great Park who much prefer the new arrangements.

They tend to prefer the 49 as it tends to stop less and not get caught in central motorway traffic as much. Apparently much more reliable.

The consensus on the great park Facebook group is it’s a vocal minority who continue to complain

I don't live on Great Park, but I do visit a lot and hear a lot of moans at bus stops. Going through Kingston Park is a constant nightmare and is only going to get worse when further developments are started. I drive through Kingston Park a lot and really prefer not to, it's guaranteed gridlock.

I'm not on the Great Park groups, so don't see the comments on there. But I really don't think the changes are overly popular or working.

I do think the suggestion about the old Q1/Q2 and making them free buses would be sensible though. And a merged x46 with the Great Park service would be sensible too.

(01 Jan 2025, 6:42 pm)Shrek wrote I don't live on Great Park, but I do visit a lot and hear a lot of moans at bus stops. Going through Kingston Park is a constant nightmare and is only going to get worse when further developments are started. I drive through Kingston Park a lot and really prefer not to, it's guaranteed gridlock.

I'm not on the Great Park groups, so don't see the comments on there. But I really don't think the changes are overly popular or working.

I do think the suggestion about the old Q1/Q2 and making them free buses would be sensible though. And a merged x46 with the Great Park service would be sensible too.

I do live there, and the new arrangements are far better than the Q3. They’re far from perfect, and it’s often quicker for me to use the Arriva services to/from Brunton Lane and walk 20 minutes, but I’d take them any day over what went before.

The Q3 was very unreliable, took an absolute age because of the Jesmond diversion, and the frequency in the evening made it extremely unattractive. It was always quicker for me to catch an Arriva service and walk than it was to wait for a Q3 in Haymarket, unless a Q3 was already on stand when I arrived. The X47 is significantly better purely for having a usable half hourly evening frequency. 

There are some posts on the Facebook group from people unhappy with the service (mainly pensioners who have nothing better to do than complain that they’ve now only got an hourly bus to Gosforth), but the comments on those posts are generally always people who use the X47 to commute and note how much better it is.

(01 Jan 2025, 6:42 pm)Shrek wrote I don't live on Great Park, but I do visit a lot and hear a lot of moans at bus stops. Going through Kingston Park is a constant nightmare and is only going to get worse when further developments are started. I drive through Kingston Park a lot and really prefer not to, it's guaranteed gridlock.

I'm not on the Great Park groups, so don't see the comments on there. But I really don't think the changes are overly popular or working.

I do think the suggestion about the old Q1/Q2 and making them free buses would be sensible though. And a merged x46 with the Great Park service would be sensible too.

I suspect your one of the avid "i like Go North East and hate every other companies". The type of person who would rather have gne run certain services cause they don't like the current. I don't understand your problem with Stagecoach. Got a problem go complain to Nigel and tell him to pull the Q3 of Osborne Road and maybe it might come back. But highly doubt it.

(01 Jan 2025, 7:55 pm)Aaron21 wrote I suspect your one of the avid "i like Go North East and hate every other companies". The type of person who would rather have gne run certain services cause they don't like the current. I don't understand your problem with Stagecoach. Got a problem go complain to Nigel and tell him to pull the Q3 of Osborne Road and maybe it might come back. But highly doubt it.

Go North East are not allowed to run buses in Great Park west of the A1 on Brunton Lane as it's private land.