I wonder if it was on purpose that GNE didn't bid for these or just completely missed the level everyone else was bidding at? Did they get many scholars only? I'd imagine losing the Sunderland Connect at the very least is a big loss for them.

(03 Aug 2025, 3:57 pm)deanmachine wrote I wonder if it was on purpose that GNE didn't bid for these or just completely missed the level everyone else was  bidding at? Did they get many scholars only? I'd imagine losing the Sunderland Connect at the very least is a big loss for them.

Go North East weren’t awarded any of the 20 contracts available (so lost six further buses worth of work in that tender round).

(03 Aug 2025, 3:57 pm)deanmachine wrote I wonder if it was on purpose that GNE didn't bid for these or just completely missed the level everyone else was  bidding at? Did they get many scholars only? I'd imagine losing the Sunderland Connect at the very least is a big loss for them.

Did GNE bid on any of them? To not get even 1 contract and losing the 700 and 701 is this them starting to slim down operations to commercial only in preparation for the “angel network” or is there something else going on further up the Go-Ahead Chain of Command? Do i dare say a easy sell off?

(03 Aug 2025, 4:09 pm)Theboyle92 wrote Did GNE bid on any of them? To not get even 1 contract and losing the 700 and 701 is this them starting to slim down operations to commercial only in preparation for the “angel network” or is there something else going on further up the Go-Ahead Chain of Command? Do i dare say a easy sell off?

You’re probably reading too much into it.

Counter view is GNE just have a really terrible commerical department now who can't get any bums on board....

(03 Aug 2025, 4:09 pm)Theboyle92 wrote Did GNE bid on any of them? To not get even 1 contract and losing the 700 and 701 is this them starting to slim down operations to commercial only in preparation for the “angel network” or is there something else going on further up the Go-Ahead Chain of Command? Do i dare say a easy sell off?

Having contracts, which guarantee a level of income, alongside the commercial network, would be more attractive in a potential sale position anyway.

(04 Aug 2025, 8:51 am)Ambassador wrote Counter view is GNE just have a really terrible commerical department now who can't get any bums on board....

But they’ve painted buses which explicitly tell the public to get their bum on board. That’s a sure fire way to improve passenger numbers, as seen by all the other leading operators… 

Seriously though, they’ve hired a guy as Head of Commercial who has pretty much presided over network deterioration wherever he’s been. I’m not sure what people were expecting, this was pointed out extensively at the time by individuals who have experienced this before.

(04 Aug 2025, 11:30 am)PH - BQA wrote But they’ve painted buses which explicitly tell the public to get their bum on board. That’s a sure fire way to improve passenger numbers, as seen by all the other leading operators… 

Seriously though, they’ve hired a guy as Head of Commercial who has pretty much presided over network deterioration wherever he’s been. I’m not sure what people were expecting, this was pointed out extensively at the time by individuals who have experienced this before.

To be fair, if GNE have been suffering reliability & engineering issues, at least they are taking the right steps and pulling out of these contracts to help keep their normal services on the road.

(04 Aug 2025, 6:50 pm)L469 YVK wrote To be fair, if GNE have been suffering reliability & engineering issues, at least they are taking the right steps and pulling out of these contracts to help keep their normal services on the road.

Are they pulling out of contracts, or just failing to win them? There's a large difference, and I do not believe for a second that GNE aren't bidding for many of these contracts which other operators are winning.

(04 Aug 2025, 7:24 pm)PH - BQA wrote Are they pulling out of contracts, or just failing to win them? There's a large difference, and I do not believe for a second that GNE aren't bidding for many of these contracts which other operators are winning.

They definitely bid for the 700/701 as since the value is glitched it means they have to display who the losers were (rules for tenders 'over £5m').

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/N...rchResults&p=1

Gateshead Central, Northstar and Stagecoach also bid for those interested. 

There's one loser from the Misc works but it doesn't state who it is.

(04 Aug 2025, 8:51 am)Ambassador wrote Counter view is GNE just have a really terrible commerical department now who can't get any bums on board....

They're doing this to themselves. A blind man could see that they have no aspirations for the business. 

I'm willing to bet, when they're vegetating in that open plan, they're probably more invested in monitoring and discussing the moves made by competitors (if I was being cynical, I'd suggest a preoccupation with one specific SME) than actually focusing on mounting a meaningful response to anything.

(04 Aug 2025, 8:52 pm)Storx wrote They definitely bid for the 700/701 as since the value is glitched it means they have to display who the losers were (rules for tenders 'over £5m').

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/N...rchResults&p=1

Gateshead Central, Northstar and Stagecoach also bid for those interested. 

There's one loser from the Misc works but it doesn't state who it is.

It's such a shame that Northstar didn't win them...this is the type of contract they excel at and would've improved their presence in Sunderland. Plus their livery matches the colour scheme for the Sunderland Connect livery    

Thanks heavens GCT are no where near it! 

We will see how City Transport do and whether this is a case study for if they bid for anything else in the future...

So whats actually happening with the 35*'s

PB0003954/1483
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB10 East Stanley Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

PB0003954/1473
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED 695 Killingworth North Gosforth Academy

PB0003954/1474
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB1 Blackhill Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

PB0003954/1475
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB2 Bridgehill Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

PB0003954/1477
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB4 Shotley Bridge Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

PB0003954/1478
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB5 Consett Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

PB0003954/1482
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB9 Stanley Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

PB0003954/1481
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB8 Stanley Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

PB0003954/1476
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB3 Medomsley Edge Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

PB0003954/1480
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB7 Castleside Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

PB0003954/1479
New GO NORTH EAST LIMITED SB6 Rowlands Gill Lanchester St Bede's Catholic School & Sixth Form College

(05 Aug 2025, 12:24 pm)V514DFT wrote So whats actually happening with the 35*'s

Nothing exciting. 356 will serve Quorum Business Park and 352 will have the evening journeys retimed to better serve shift patterns at Quorum. 353, 354 and 355 will all have minor retimings.

(06 Aug 2025, 10:16 am)XQ Zero wrote Nothing exciting. 356 will serve Quorum Business Park and 352 will have the evening journeys retimed to better serve shift patterns at Quorum. 353, 354 and 355 will all have minor retimings.

Another bus lost from Forest Hall! Further pushing people onto the 38!

(06 Aug 2025, 11:55 am)Coastliner700 wrote Another bus lost from Forest Hall! Further pushing people onto the 38!

I'd imagine a fair chunk of people will use the Metro, even known it involves a 15 minute walk. It's a busy station Benton so people come from somewhere.

(06 Aug 2025, 11:55 am)Coastliner700 wrote Another bus lost from Forest Hall! Further pushing people onto the 38!

Not necessarily, it could go to the Quorum, then double back on itself to resume its current route to/from Goathland Avenue, I believe Arriva tried this with the 55, must of been around 2012/2013

(06 Aug 2025, 9:48 pm)V514DFT wrote Not necessarily, it could go to the Quorum, then double back on itself to resume its current route to/from Goathland Avenue, I believe Arriva tried this with the 55, must of been around 2012/2013

Another way is for it omit Longbenton then serve Quorum then back to Goathland Avenue otherwise the 30 min frequency with 355 won’t work!

(Yesterday, 8:25 pm)Coastliner700 wrote Another way is for it omit Longbenton then serve Quorum then back to Goathland Avenue otherwise the 30 min frequency with 355 won’t work!

I'd doubt it'll go way to be honest.

It's alright Feetham has his little fun corridors back so he can piss about with them over, and over, and over, and over again like he did when he was with Arriva with some completely crazy ideas like sending the 363/364/X4/X7 (or whatever number it was then) via Gosforth High Street and X5/X8/X25/X6 (or whatever number it was) via the Freeman which was the highlight of the stupidity.

Honestly can't remember 2 changes that went down so badly as those two and were very quickly reversed.

Probably missed some but there was definitely the M55, 355, 55, 356, 56, 52, 53, 53A, 54, 343, 344, 363, 364, X25, X26, X4, X5, X6 (Twice), X7 and X8 which all existed in a space of what felt like 10 years or so, with multiple route changes in the process aswell - bonkers with what's now these GoNorthEast routes.