(01 Apr 2026, 9:38 pm)Andreos1 wrote Depending on the tide, it turned at Fatfield Bridge or went further, towards Chartershaugh - ensuring it didn't cross in to the Lambton Estate.

A quick Google search has found this link:
https://simplonpc.co.uk/WearFerry/Wear1991.pdf which confirms the Fatfield turning point.

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Thanks for sharing - couple of photos of the ferry in operation on that site too.  Such a shame nothing like this exists now, the river has to be one of the Sunderland/Washington areas must under-exploited assets and am sure something like this operating in the summer months could be a massive draw. Who knows, could even integrate it with other forms of public transport at either end if there was any!

(02 Apr 2026, 11:55 am)stagecoachbusdepot wrote Thanks for sharing - couple of photos of the ferry in operation on that site too.  Such a shame nothing like this exists now, the river has to be one of the Sunderland/Washington areas must under-exploited assets and am sure something like this operating in the summer months could be a massive draw. Who knows, could even integrate it with other forms of public transport at either end if there was any!

Living near the western end of the route at the time, I'd have loved to have been able to jump on and off and head off up the river. 
Unfortunately, the service didn't stop and I couldn't use it.

I wonder if that played a part in its demise. 

But, I do agree with you. I think a river service on the Tyne and the Wear would be beneficial. As long as the service can actually moor up somewhere convenient.

(01 Apr 2026, 9:38 pm)Andreos1 wrote Depending on the tide, it turned at Fatfield Bridge or went further, towards Chartershaugh - ensuring it didn't cross in to the Lambton Estate.

A quick Google search has found this link:
https://simplonpc.co.uk/WearFerry/Wear1991.pdf which confirms the Fatfield turning point.

That's excellent - I haven't seen that before. 

Looking at the timetable, I do vaguely remember mention of a 'ferry' service from the Wetlands Centre in Washington, so it's excellent to actually see that. 

I guess more touristy than anything, but it would be great to still have something like that in the Summer.

It will be interesting too see if NECA and the Angel Network will look at bringing back open top services in the region. A North Shields Ferry-Whitley Bay Caravan Park service would likely prove a hit as would a South Shields-Sunderland one.

Is there scope to do a "North East Express" i.e. something like the TFL Superloop. I have no idea which routes would work maybe modify exisiting expresses to be fully limited stop.

(Yesterday, 5:15 pm)220631612 wrote It will be interesting too see if NECA and the Angel Network will look at bringing back open top services in the region. A North Shields Ferry-Whitley Bay Caravan Park service would likely prove a hit as would a South Shields-Sunderland one.

Be better to extend the Whitley Bay one to Newsham if you done that, it's quite difficult to get to the coast from Ashington etc and think the open bus from South Beach could be a quite popular, even if it's a bit of a novelty of just using the train.

Mind it'd be nice to have a bus route which does the whole of the Coast ie. Blyth - Whitley Bay - Cullercoats - Tynemouth - North Shields Ferry - North Shields Metro, in the Summer, never mind open top buses.

(Yesterday, 5:48 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Is there scope to do a "North East Express" i.e. something like the TFL Superloop.  I have no idea which routes would work maybe modify exisiting expresses to be fully limited stop.

As far as regions go, we’ve already got a pretty decent express network, obviously there’s gaps and it’s nowhere near as large as it once was but take say the Cramlington-Newcastle Corridor as a prime example, it’s looking pretty good all things considered. Personally I’d like to see a faster Tyne Valley-Newcastle service reintroduced and I certainly think there would be scope for a coast-city express service for those that don’t particularly like to rely on the metro on both sides of the Tyne.

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(Yesterday, 6:31 pm)Storx wrote Be better to extend the Whitley Bay one to Newsham if you done that, it's quite difficult to get to the coast from Ashington etc and think the open bus from South Beach could be a quite popular, even if it's a bit of a novelty of just using the train.

Mind it'd be nice to have a bus route which does the whole of the Coast ie. Blyth - Whitley Bay - Cullercoats - Tynemouth - North Shields Ferry - North Shields Metro, in the Summer, never mind open top buses.

I’d agree to that especially if it deviated in Seaton Sluice to serve Collywell Bay Road, I did it back in the pandemic on an open top 309 and it was bliss. And with links to the Northumberland line too it would probably prove rather popular.

(Yesterday, 6:54 pm)220631612 wrote As far as regions go, we’ve already got a pretty decent express network, obviously there’s gaps and it’s nowhere near as large as it once was but take say the Cramlington-Newcastle Corridor as a prime example, it’s looking pretty good all things considered. Personally I’d like to see a faster Tyne Valley-Newcastle service reintroduced and I certainly think there would be scope for a coast-city express service for those that don’t particularly like to rely on the metro on both sides of the Tyne.

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I’d agree to that especially if it deviated in Seaton Sluice to serve Collywell Bay Road, I did it back in the pandemic on an open top 309 and it was bliss. And with links to the Northumberland line too it would probably prove rather popular.

I would connect a few more places to the metrocentre and maybe the airport bus other than that I agree with you? Isnt most of the superloop just a rebranding of existing services (X26, X68, X140, etc...)

(Yesterday, 6:54 pm)220631612 wrote As far as regions go, we’ve already got a pretty decent express network, obviously there’s gaps and it’s nowhere near as large as it once was but take say the Cramlington-Newcastle Corridor as a prime example, it’s looking pretty good all things considered. Personally I’d like to see a faster Tyne Valley-Newcastle service reintroduced and I certainly think there would be scope for a coast-city express service for those that don’t particularly like to rely on the metro on both sides of the Tyne.

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I’d agree to that especially if it deviated in Seaton Sluice to serve Collywell Bay Road, I did it back in the pandemic on an open top 309 and it was bliss. And with links to the Northumberland line too it would probably prove rather popular.

Have to agree with the expresses. Mind that said I've always thought we badly need a superloop type service especially South of the Tyne, between the Metrocentre / Team Valley / Birtley / Washington / Sunderland corridor without having to double back via Newcastle or change in totally inappropiate places like Low Fell. 

For the open top buses, be nice to serve Delaval Hall aswell; it's not the easiest place to get to from the South without changing again in pretty bad places and the X7 bus stops outside the hall are awful regardless, especially towards Blyth.

(Yesterday, 6:54 pm)220631612 wrote As far as regions go, we’ve already got a pretty decent express network, obviously there’s gaps and it’s nowhere near as large as it once was but take say the Cramlington-Newcastle Corridor as a prime example, it’s looking pretty good all things considered. Personally I’d like to see a faster Tyne Valley-Newcastle service reintroduced and I certainly think there would be scope for a coast-city express service for those that don’t particularly like to rely on the metro on both sides of the Tyne.

The problem with our express network, is that most of it isn't really an express network.

Take something like the X70/X71/X72 and there's 50+ stops end to end. Even the Cramlington expresses are 10+ stops, and it's hardly a great distance to cover. 

Our express services do this predominantly because the supporting services no longer exist, so it's either or. Of course, you then end up with other problems, such as the northbound morning loadings on the X1 before they reach the Galleries.

I do think there'll be some genuine opportunities to introduce express buses, particularly where it's difficult or cost prohibitive to introduce rail or Metro, but there needs to be a real analysis of the network long before that day comes.

Hopefully and I imagine there is some people within NECA currently doing some proper network planning right now, and not just pressing copy & paste on the current network.

(9 hours ago)deanmachine wrote Hopefully and I imagine there is some people within NECA currently doing some proper network planning right now, and not just pressing copy & paste on the current network.

The initial franchises will be based on the network as of 2024, I think that was what was confirmed, but I think it'll be similar to Manchester in that there's a lot of reliability problems to resolve before moving onto bigger changes.