(01 Oct 2017, 9:14 am)Dan wrote Go North East retained most of their existing work in County Durham, so no need for things to be re-registered.

They gained the evening operation of service 14 from Stanley Travel; the daytime Cathedral Bus 40 service; Chester-le-Street local 700 services; and evening operation of the Arriva North East 22/24 and 86 services.

They have lost the contract to operate early morning and evening journeys on service 30 (to Stanley Travel), while the evening-only 704 service has also been cancelled. The 209/210 Peterlee Local Services (also covering some journeys on service 201) were also lost to Scarlet Band.


The small number of contracts which were terminated and put out to tender again included the Chester-le-Street local 700 services, X25 Mon-Sat evening and Peterlee Local Services 209/210. The existing operators (Scarlet Band and Go North East respectively) will continue to run these services until at least January next year.

Arriva North East has since also taken on the evening operation of services 22/24 commercially, meaning that this contract has also been terminated.




This one is always going to divide opinion.

I don't think Go North East would complain about Arriva taking on the evening operation of services 22/24 commercially as it was a huge commercial risk to Arriva's daytime service by not doing so, and Go North East would have done the same if the shoe was on the other foot. They have done it in the past with the likes of service 29 in Gateshead - it gives them a competitive advantage by maintaining what is almost a monopoly on services in Gateshead.

With the recent introduction of a Sunday service by Go North East between Sunderland, Peterlee and Hartlepool, Go North East would have been providing journeys between these places early until late seven days per week, compared to Arriva whose service would have been lacking on evenings. I have no doubt that it would have resulted in a number of Arriva's customers instead purchasing a Go North East weekly/monthly ticket instead.

Although it makes a mockery of the tender process and the work which goes in from operators during the process, it represents better value to the council/local PTE if they aren't subsidising services, so they aren't going to moan too much either.