(26 Jan 2022, 9:22 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Although I asked the question of why the recent and forthcoming cuts were so stark with GNE compared to the others, I think the question of why they had different starting positions is quite clear.  As others have pointed out GNE and SNE had pretty massively different portfolios of routes, with SNE still basically being confined to urban ex Corporation boundaries, whereas GNE have more diverse, more rural and by and large longer routes, with less easy profit to cream off.

That said, the fact that the performance of GNE has been consistently challenged, despite over a decade and a half of branding and gimmicks, might suggest they aren’t working.  Not the cause, but also very clearly not a solution.

I do think the stability/instability of the network has a role to play.  SNE are undeniably rigid and I think could do with refreshing or improving some services – but again variations not wholesale cuts.  The reverse is true with GNE which has for years and now worse than ever in my opinion is a complete basket-case of changes.  While SNE would do well to be a bit more imaginative, the GNE network would surely benefit from a period of stability (i.e. what the Sept cuts were meant to bring, then the Oct ‘tweaks’…) – really does seem changes are made on top of changes without enough time for travel patterns to settle.  It does seem bizarre GNE put effort into producing and updating branded material for the likes of ‘the Blue’ yet four months and two timetable changes on, there’s still no sign of an actual Blue branded bus.

It does appear, from the outside looking in, to be a maybe less resilient operation, forced to respond to the challenges of the pandemic more drastically and sooner than competitors – yet at the same time the most vocal about ‘fit for the future’ and ‘we’re better than ever’ etc.  Appreciate these slogans have been dropped of late but arguably ill-conceived in the first place as they become a hostage to fortune.


You have clearly never tried getting from A to B on the 32/32A!

Wonder if it might also have to do with the type of networks they've both pushed. GNE pushing the hub and spoke model hard whereas Arriva and SNE have long bus routes connecting two (or more) hubs but serving lots of little communities in between.

I know certain people on here like pushing that hub and spoke is the future but looking at what's going in North Tyneside it can't be anything of the opposite since GNE are now pretty cancelling all of the spokes.

Like just picking Ashington out of anywhere, it doesn't matter where you live in Ashington there will be a service direct to Newcastle nearby some quicker than others but it's a service. Similar to Newbiggin along the road with both direct links to Newcastle, Ashington and Morpeth argubly the 3 places they'd most likely want to be. Compare to that to say Washington where a very small amount of the town have a direct service to Newcastle, Sunderland or Chester Le Street. If you live in say Teal Farm and want to go anywhere you have to piss about with a minibus to a hub to then change to go anywhere which no doubt don't connect with anything.

I know which network I'd have and the fact the first isn't subsidised at all currently and second is probably says something.