(25 Jul 2026, 7:49 pm)Malarkey wrote I'd also pull Throckley as it's over bussed and I would also after West Road (Denton Burn) have it turn left onto Silver Lonnen then onto the A167 Stamfordham Road and coming into Newcastle the same way the X47 etc come in rather than going up the West Road operating Non-Stop. 

Alternatively have it turn right and go along Denton Road/Scotswood Road so that you could then observe stops at Central Station opening up better connectivity for people travelling into Newcastle City Centre.

I hope that when franchising comes in they’ll consider pulling the Throckley and Heddon off of the 685 and possibly extending the X82 to Heddon. Would lose the Heddon/Throckley-Horsley link though, can imagine a good few of the 8 residents of Horsley complaining about that unfortunately.

Some peak time journeys that run down the Scotswood road limited stop serving Newburn Riverside Park, Newcastle Business park and the colleges could be really useful, particularly considering the X85 still offers a fast bus into Newcastle in the peaks. Someone I know from college gets the bus all the way from Bellingham everyday, so I think people from the Hexam area trying to get to college might make good use of this particularly considering they’re less likely to be paying an arm and a leg for the train everyday. 

I think that deckers are more suited to the 685 as they’re a bit shorter and the capacity is much needed at peak times.

(25 Jul 2026, 7:49 pm)Malarkey wrote I'd also pull Throckley as it's over bussed and I would also after West Road (Denton Burn) have it turn left onto Silver Lonnen then onto the A167 Stamfordham Road and coming into Newcastle the same way the X47 etc come in rather than going up the West Road operating Non-Stop. 

Alternatively have it turn right and go along Denton Road/Scotswood Road so that you could then observe stops at Central Station opening up better connectivity for people travelling into Newcastle City Centre.

Aye agreed with that, I'd probably say the Scotswood Road way though for like you said you get Central Station but more importantly you miss Cowgate which is a pain in the arse. 

(25 Jul 2026, 8:27 pm)Arlo400H wrote I hope that when franchising comes in they’ll consider pulling the Throckley and Heddon off of the 685 and possibly extending the X82 to Heddon. Would lose the Heddon/Throckley-Horsley link though, can imagine a good few of the 8 residents of Horsley complaining about that unfortunately.

Personally i'd just rejoin the 685 at Heddon rather than skipping it outright. There's no real need for an outright express from Hexham, the train exists for that. It's not that much of a diversion tbh.

Sorry, this may be for another thread but some people on here really are not getting it and it’s tiresome,

Public ownership means being overbussed is good. Profit is a side bar. You all keep banging on about changing this and that. Franchising is about unprofitable glorious public transport. It’s about opening up economic and social opportunities. It’s about that link. So what if the tax payer pays more, we waste more elsewhere.

It’s not about Dave on a forum thinking the west road has too many buses, it’s..how do we give more and connect more buses. It’s glorious…

Why is some busway buses in busway livery and south shield livery to on buses time Why hartlepool got one hartlepool livery and cleveland transit livery to?

My question is why stockton depot lost cleveland transit livery when anniversary why busway livery and south shields and Sunderland have one to in livery be stockton depot? All I see buses one?

(25 Jul 2026, 11:01 pm)Ambassador wrote So what if the tax payer pays more, we waste more elsewhere.

Where's the money coming from? Unless Kim McGuiness has a magic money tree it's coming from somewhere. 

We just going to close libraries, cut social care, reduce local funding to culture...?

It's all good saying you can fund an unprofitable system but if the Tories or even worse Reform get into power and they go onto Austerity round 2 you can guarantee this will be top of the list. 

It's not like Nexus has a good record as it is as the Metro is a complete mess and has been for 20 year.

(Btw I generally agree 100% but let's not kid ourselves it won't be all about profit or keeping to a specific budget before long and the cuts will return aka what's happening with TFL right now)

(26 Jul 2026, 1:27 am)Glen1974 wrote My question is why stockton depot lost cleveland transit livery when  anniversary why busway livery and south shields and Sunderland have one to in livery be stockton depot? All I see buses one?

The Sunderland one has gone too. Only the Newcastle and South Shields ones are still in heritage livery.

(25 Jul 2026, 11:01 pm)Ambassador wrote Sorry, this may be for another thread but some people on here really are not getting it and it’s tiresome,

Public ownership means being overbussed is good. Profit is a side bar. You all keep banging on about changing this and that. Franchising is about unprofitable glorious public transport. It’s about opening up economic and social opportunities. It’s about that link. So what if the tax payer pays more, we waste more elsewhere.

It’s not about Dave on a forum thinking the west road has too many buses, it’s..how do we give more and connect more buses. It’s glorious…

Somewhere like throckley being overbused isn’t any good for the network because people that aren’t going there would rather their bus avoid it. I’m all for a public transport system that over provides but realistically the angel network isn’t gonna have much money to play around with so spending what money they have most effectively is very important.

(25 Jul 2026, 1:52 pm)Bus Lad Roy wrote 73163 parked against the fence at Stockton and has been for a few days. Does anyone know why?

Awaiting parts from Yutong

(26 Jul 2026, 8:59 am)Arlo400H wrote Somewhere like throckley being overbused isn’t any good for the network because people that aren’t going there would rather their bus avoid it. I’m all for a public transport system that over provides but realistically the angel network isn’t gonna have much money to play around with so spending what money they have most effectively is very important.

Would they? The 685 has gone via Heddon, Throckley, Walbottle and Blucher for as long as it has existed, which is well over half a century. As always on this forum, the same people are inventing a problem for a fantasy solution. There’s a reason GNE’s hourly more direct X85 didn’t last all that long.

(26 Jul 2026, 6:08 am)Storx wrote Where's the money coming from? Unless Kim McGuiness has a magic money tree it's coming from somewhere. 

We just going to close libraries, cut social care, reduce local funding to culture...?

It's all good saying you can fund an unprofitable system but if the Tories or even worse Reform get into power and they go onto Austerity round 2 you can guarantee this will be top of the list. 

It's not like Nexus has a good record as it is as the Metro is a complete mess and has been for 20 year.

(Btw I generally agree 100% but let's not kid ourselves it won't be all about profit or keeping to a specific budget before long and the cuts will return aka what's happening with TFL right now)

Because rather than Go North East taking the massive profits from the 21 and giving it directly to it's owners, it'll be reinvested in the bus network to pay for the smaller routes. Copy and Paste for the other operators and their profit making routes, especially Stagecoach's in Newcastle and Sunderland.

(26 Jul 2026, 1:37 pm)deanmachine wrote Because rather than Go North East taking the massive profits from the 21 and giving it directly to it's owners, it'll be reinvested in the bus network to pay for the smaller routes. Copy and Paste for the other operators and their profit making routes, especially Stagecoach's in Newcastle and Sunderland.

In theory, except they will just factor their profit into their tenders.  Private opcos shareholders will still cream off profit, just via a slightly different mechanism (contract value rather than revenue).  The financial savings, if there are any, are likely to come from improved integration, including removing duplicated services/routes.  Whether a franchised network run by NEMSA and Nexus will be more efficient than the current offering from private operators remains to be seen.

(26 Jul 2026, 11:28 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote In theory, except they will just factor their profit into their tenders.  Private opcos shareholders will still cream off profit, just via a slightly different mechanism (contract value rather than revenue).  The financial savings, if there are any, are likely to come from improved integration, including removing duplicated services/routes.  Whether a franchised network run by NEMSA and Nexus will be more efficient than the current offering from private operators remains to be seen.

Yeah, but not the outsized profit certain routes have. Because if they try and take too much cream off the top they'll end up losing a depot to a different operator.

I'm not a fan of franchising over pushing out the big groups out entirely, but to say it's a waste of money is just silly. People screamed that Manchester would be just as bad, and you don't hear a peep out of them now. Magic money tree was always a Tory lie, as it is now, it's an excuse for privatisation.

(26 Jul 2026, 11:36 pm)deanmachine wrote Yeah, but not the outsized profit certain routes have. Because if they try and take too much cream off the top they'll end up losing a depot to a different operator.

I'm not a fan of franchising over pushing out the big groups out entirely, but to say it's a waste of money is just silly. People screamed that Manchester would be just as bad, and you don't hear a peep out of them now. Magic money tree was always a Tory lie, as it is now, it's an excuse for privatisation.

Totally agree. How anyone can support the current model is beyond me. Routes and services are slashed year on year; there is no competition ( I remember when there was , 1986 to 1996). Perhaps if Aldi and Lidl ran a bus company, SNE , GNE , ANE would be awoken from their complacency.

(26 Jul 2026, 1:37 pm)deanmachine wrote Because rather than Go North East taking the massive profits from the 21 and giving it directly to it's owners, it'll be reinvested in the bus network to pay for the smaller routes. Copy and Paste for the other operators and their profit making routes, especially Stagecoach's in Newcastle and Sunderland.

Oh no arguments there, the comments were in relation to specifically if it costs the tax payer more then who cares. 

I agree privatisation doesn't work tbh. Personally I'd argue that franchising is still privatisation though but that's another debate, the post below yours sums that up though to not echo chamber.

(26 Jul 2026, 1:37 pm)deanmachine wrote Because rather than Go North East taking the massive profits from the 21 and giving it directly to it's owners, it'll be reinvested in the bus network to pay for the smaller routes. Copy and Paste for the other operators and their profit making routes, especially Stagecoach's in Newcastle and Sunderland.

Operators already cross-subsidise services. They just don't (can't) tell anybody.

According to a nexus researcher, there is an emergency meeting between Gateshead Council, Stagecoach and Nexus tomorrow about pulling X24 & X34 from Gateshead High Street and using the Interchange until Park Lane flyover work is done. Must admit they have desperately struggled past couple of days

(29 Jul 2026, 7:23 pm)Ian1254 wrote According to a nexus researcher, there is an emergency meeting between Gateshead Council, Stagecoach and Nexus tomorrow about pulling X24 & X34 from Gateshead High Street and using the Interchange until Park Lane flyover work is done. Must admit they have desperately struggled past couple of days

I got on the X24 from Sunderland this afternoon and two came together onto Fawcett Street, one was 30 Minutes Later and the latter that went straight back to the Depot was over 60 Minutes Late.

It's not just Gateshead High Street congestion due to Park Lane Roundabout being closed. There are temporary traffic lights in place on Burdon Road next to the Old Civic Centre/Winter Gardens along with some on Chester Road for the junction at Sunderland Royal Hospital for Kayll Road/Osmonde Street. 

Definitely a wise move to have the X24/X34 serve Gateshead Interchange in both directions till the works are completed however both services are still going to being running late regardless of what you do.

(29 Jul 2026, 7:37 pm)Malarkey wrote I got on the X24 from Sunderland this afternoon and two came together onto Fawcett Street, one was 30 Minutes Later and the latter that went straight back to the Depot was over 60 Minutes Late.

It's not just Gateshead High Street congestion due to Park Lane Roundabout being closed. There are temporary traffic lights in place on Burdon Road next to the Old Civic Centre/Winter Gardens along with some on Chester Road for the junction at Sunderland Royal Hospital for Kayll Road/Osmonde Street. 

Definitely a wise move to have the X24/X34 serve Gateshead Interchange in both directions till the works are completed however both services are still going to being running late regardless of what you do.

Definitely wise considering there is a road sign on Gateshead HS that says “bus lane closed ahead” so definitely something is coming up that’s going to affect it. 

I waited for the X24 on Monday and two came together into Newcastle, one went out not in service and the other was rammed as there hadn’t been a bus for around 70 minutes. Quite a few people moaning but majority of them knew why they were running late. 

The amount of roadworks lately is ridiculous but honestly used the metro this morning and it was dangerously overcrowded from Heworth towards Newcastle so it definitely is providing a better option for people getting to work at the moment

(29 Jul 2026, 8:01 pm)Ian1254 wrote Definitely wise considering there is a road sign on Gateshead HS that says “bus lane closed ahead” so definitely something is coming up that’s going to affect it. 

I waited for the X24 on Monday and two came together into Newcastle, one went out not in service and the other was rammed as there hadn’t been a bus for around 70 minutes. Quite a few people moaning but majority of them knew why they were running late. 

The amount of roadworks lately is ridiculous but honestly used the metro this morning and it was dangerously overcrowded from Heworth towards Newcastle so it definitely is providing a better option for people getting to work at the moment

I respect that some people would be affected by it skipping Gateshead but imo they'd be better sending the X24/X34 in via the Tyne Tunnel and Coast Road. I know there's small traffic at peak times but it's better than the mess at Gateshead. 

For people wanting to go to Gateshead there's 10 Metro's an hour and god knows how many buses. It'd be quicker than being stuck in the mess even with the change.

(30 Jul 2026, 7:51 am)Storx wrote I respect that some people would be affected by it skipping Gateshead but imo they'd be better sending the X24/X34 in via the Tyne Tunnel and Coast Road. I know there's small traffic at peak times but it's better than the mess at Gateshead. 

For people wanting to go to Gateshead there's 10 Metro's an hour and god knows how many buses. It'd be quicker than being stuck in the mess even with the change.

According to bus times the other day (but we all know how unreliable that is) one X34 running very late towards Newcastle, was in service as far as Boldon then did go via Tyne Tunnel and on to Newcastle that way.  Unsure if bus remained in service but guessing any passengers on would not have been happy if asked to get off at Boldon and wait god knows how long for next.

Good shout for Tunnel diversion and perhaps a shuttle by Stagecoach similar to S1 from Newcastle to Gateshead, or agreement with Nexus/GNE to accept Stagecoach Passes Gateshead - Monument

(30 Jul 2026, 7:57 am)LVK 404L wrote According to bus times the other day (but we all know how unreliable that is) one X34 running very late towards Newcastle, was in service as far as Boldon then did go via Tyne Tunnel and on to Newcastle that way.  Unsure if bus remained in service but guessing any passengers on would not have been happy if asked to get off at Boldon and wait god knows how long for next.

Good shout for Tunnel diversion and perhaps a shuttle by Stagecoach similar to S1 from Newcastle to Gateshead, or agreement with Nexus/GNE to accept Stagecoach Passes Gateshead - Monument

Aye, just makes sense going that way. It's not a kick in a teeth longer anyway, even without the roadworks as it's mostly NSL.

Could make the case for the X21 doing it aswell but via the A1/Redheugh instead - why they need to serve Low Fell is a mystery to me and would give flexibility like these used to. 

It's not like any of these people can just change onto the Metro which is poor advice imo.