(26 Nov 2016, 12:59 pm)Michael wrote Has 699 entered service yet?, if so, which MPD's have Deptford lost?

No - its MOT has expired so won't enter service until tested.

No MPDs officially withdrawn as a result of 698 and 700 entering service yet, though 562 and 573 are presently VOR and unlikely to be repaired.

(26 Nov 2016, 1:06 pm)Dan wrote No - its MOT has expired so won't enter service until tested.

No MPDs officially withdrawn as a result of 698 and 700 entering service yet, though 562 and 573 are presently VOR and unlikely to be repaired.

Ah right, thanks for answering my questions. 

Any idea when it will be tested?, it also means Deptford only have 4 MPD's now (as 562 and 573 are off the road).

I'm getting 9098 provided it is on the X9 journey leaving Heworth for Newcastle at 15:02

Our expresses are operating non stop from Gateshead to Eldon Square to speed up journeys into the City.

(26 Nov 2016, 1:03 am)BJ10VUS wrote Never mind the 34 and 34A - what about the S1? 

Nothing can be as tedious and boring as the 1/1A,11,and 40/41, used the 41 on Thursday night cus as usual missed the 40 cus the 42 was late,only got as far as Holy Cross before i thought f**k this and got off

(26 Nov 2016, 1:41 pm)Michael wrote Our expresses are operating non stop from Gateshead to Eldon Square to speed up journeys into the City.

I wish Arriva had told my X12 to do that...

(26 Nov 2016, 1:48 pm)Ambassador wrote I wish Arriva had told my X12 to do that...

They'd have a difficult time doing that, unplanned, without a working radio in each bus!

Services in Newcastle & Metrocentre suffering delays due to heavy traffic. We have extra buses on the road to try and minimize disruption.

The demo or one of the Gemini's?

https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/8...8370513920

(26 Nov 2016, 2:17 pm)Andreos1 wrote The demo or one of the Gemini's?

https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/8...8370513920

Gemini. Demo is on X10 scheduled 90 minutes behind.

(26 Nov 2016, 2:19 pm)Jimmi wrote Gemini. Demo is on X10 scheduled 90 minutes behind.

(26 Nov 2016, 5:05 pm)James M wrote

i was on the demo heading south from Peterlee, saw the gemini broken down 

can see why we need new buses 

Ye, let's hope we don't start to see a repeat of the B7's, hopefully new buses next year.

Last few years new buses have started to arrive in March.

(26 Nov 2016, 1:56 pm)Dan wrote They'd have a difficult time doing that, unplanned, without a working radio in each bus!

I doubt it would have mad enough much difference in the end. A colleague was on an X1 which got stuck for ages at St Mary's Place

Angels still run horribly out of time despite radios....

Blackett St is a huge issue as is Wellington St. 

They really need to review routes into Newcastle for match days and basically....anytime it gets busy.

(26 Nov 2016, 7:42 pm)Ambassador wrote I doubt it would have mad enough much difference in the end. A colleague was on an X1 which got stuck for ages at St Mary's Place

Angels still run horribly out of time despite radios....

Blackett St is a huge issue as is Wellington St. 

They really need to review routes into Newcastle for match days and basically....anytime it gets busy.

So nearly everyday?, which route would they go?

(26 Nov 2016, 7:42 pm)Ambassador wrote I doubt it would have mad enough much difference in the end. A colleague was on an X1 which got stuck for ages at St Mary's Place

Angels still run horribly out of time despite radios....

Blackett St is a huge issue as is Wellington St. 

They really need to review routes into Newcastle for match days and basically....anytime it gets busy.

3 Angels at Eldon Square this afternoon, 2 at the stands side by side and another waiting to pull in the Stand


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(26 Nov 2016, 7:52 pm)Michael wrote So nearly everyday?, which route would they go?

Redheugh,  Boulevard, Gallowgate etc...

There's options. The post above shows how badly the 21 performs.

(26 Nov 2016, 8:09 pm)Ambassador wrote Redheugh,  Boulevard, Gallowgate etc...

There's options. The post above shows how badly the 21 performs.

So you think running the 21 into Newcastle via St James Boulevard on a matchday would help it run on time?!

Match day causes a grid lock of newcastle. There is no clear way through, even central motorway up and down thru haymarket lands at a bottleneck.

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Getting rid of 3 bus stations ( Marlborough crescent , Warwick street and Newgate street ) and expecting all these services to cram into 1 bus station was always asking for trouble. Add into that fact the bottlenecks at John Dobson street / new bridge street, Blackett street, the gate and central station / centre for life, Newcastle is going to be a complete headache for years to come and I for one would hate to have to try and reroute buses around these problem areas.

It all goes to show that Newcastle and Tyne & Wear generally need better bus priority measures. I find the "chicanes" and uncontrolled pedestrian crossings in the city centre and "No Car" rather than "Buses Only" lanes particularly unacceptable and detrimental to buses.

Don't want to stray onto suggestions here but could the following not happen subject to orders:

- X21 increased to every 20 minutes.
- 21 changed to Chester - Newcastle
only running every 10 minutes with increased running / recovery time.

(25 Nov 2016, 11:26 am)Andreos1 wrote Pulled in to Heworth at 1100 heading south. 

On a different note, an Optare bus in Saltmeadows seemed to be getting a shade of paint applied that looks like it belongs on the 28. Didn't get to have a proper look unfortunately.

having not read beyond this post, yet, that would be a "Wear Express"

Picked up a timetable for the new X5, this afternoon (did the full X35, with nowt better to do). Big'un noticed that it's a merc on the front.

(25 Nov 2016, 6:13 pm)Michael wrote I was surprised to see the X5 too.

It's not like they won't have a monopoly

(26 Nov 2016, 1:06 am)South Tyne Lad wrote Shift pattern goes as follows

Driver Changeover at Concord in Shields direction
50 to Shields
5 to Jarrow
5 to Shields
50 to Durham
50 to Shields ( Shieft ends at Concord )     Quick estimation is around 4.5 to 5 hours per shift.

Id happily do the 5/50 for that amount of time though, The S1 is one I really feel for drivers for driving it.

That's a long time without a wee! I feel bad enough for the drivers o the Arriva Sapphire 22/24 who do 3 hour round trips.

Hi All,

On Friday I was able to get out and catch up with the ADL Enviro400 City demonstrator and thanks to the awful Black Friday traffic and the other general delays on its return to Gateshead it was running about 45 late. But in the end I was rewarded with the following photo opportunity which I was hoping for but never expecting to happen. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpbsp/31117742992/

(26 Nov 2016, 1:56 pm)Dan wrote They'd have a difficult time doing that, unplanned, without a working radio in each bus!

I've noticed that arriva have started to fit phone mounts into their vehicles - by the offside frontmost window. Noticed this when drivers ended up muttering to nothing in particular about delays. Might jus t be for vehicles running the gamut of Durham delays, mind (which would include the X12, of course!)

(26 Nov 2016, 2:17 pm)Andreos1 wrote The demo or one of the Gemini's?

https://twitter.com/gonortheast/status/8...8370513920

That might explain why we saw a X10 leaving Peterlee, Newcastle bound by the X9 route at about 14:20

Glad we completely avoided Newcastle, this afternoon. Had been tempted to walk along and catch the X34 after a charmander hunt around Cleadon park, but the insoles of my boots were giving me grief, so we headed back South, instead.

(26 Nov 2016, 11:49 pm)L469 YVK wrote Don't want to stray onto suggestions here but could the following not happen subject to orders:

- X21 increased to every 20 minutes.
- 21 changed to Chester - Newcastle
only running every 10 minutes with increased running / recovery time.

When the 21 goes wrong, it goes very wrong, so increased recovery time owuldn't odo much about services that need to be regulated

(26 Nov 2016, 11:49 pm)L469 YVK wrote Don't want to stray onto suggestions here but could the following not happen subject to orders:

- X21 increased to every 20 minutes.
- 21 changed to Chester - Newcastle
only running every 10 minutes with increased running / recovery time.

Problem with this idea is if you change the 21 to no longer run between Durham and Chester-le-Street, you would lose the link to Durham from parts of Chester-le-Street, Barley Mow, Birtley and Low Fell (excluding the Cannon stop) admittedly Barley Mow and Birtley would still have a limited service to/from Durham on service X22 but it's still not ideal, also you would have to probably arrange it so it serves all stops between Durham and Chester-le-Street in place of the 21.

In regards to the timekeeping on the 21, it is just one of those services where it's difficult to schedule and keep to time, it takes very little for things to go askew to affect the timekeeping, sometimes hitting traffic lights on red or taking ages to get out of junctions can Knock it all to hell and this is when it starts running in twos.

(27 Nov 2016, 12:04 am)Ray wrote Hi All,

On Friday I was able to get out and catch up with the ADL Enviro400 City demonstrator and thanks to the awful Black Friday traffic and the other general delays on its return to Gateshead it was running about 45 late. But in the end I was rewarded with the following photo opportunity which I was hoping for but never expecting to happen. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpbsp/31117742992/

oh lord that is practically heaven