(16 Jun 2017, 4:47 pm)peter wrote Does the 28 justify a vehicle bigger than a Deptford Versa, could the Versa's at Deptford go onto the Quaylink displacing the bigger, former Citylink Versa's for the 28??

Like the coastal services, I believe the 28/A is very much weather dependent. The only time I've caught a full one when the weather is bad is when it's been so bad that people CBA to wait for a 56 in the wind/rain/snow, so it was empty again by Wrekenton.

Wasn't aware of changes to the Washington network any for sunderland michael

(19 Jun 2017, 9:25 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Like the coastal services, I believe the 28/A is very much weather dependent. The only time I've caught a full one when the weather is bad is when it's been so bad that people CBA to wait for a 56 in the wind/rain/snow, so it was empty again by Wrekenton.

Doesn't it get people going to beamish from newcastle?

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(19 Jun 2017, 10:54 pm)Jamie M wrote Doesn't it get people going to beamish from newcastle?

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Hence the weather dependence.

(19 Jun 2017, 10:54 pm)Jamie M wrote Doesn't it get people going to beamish from newcastle?

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Gets heavier usage getting people from Villages to Chester to connect to other services. Equally important hospital links for Birtley (Bensham and QE) and school links to Jospeh Swan and Cardinal Hume which sees heavy use.

The peak ones into and out of Newcastle are pretty much always full. Off peak, not so much. 

It's a lot more than just a Beamish bus tho, very hard to judge due to its extremely long route.

(19 Jun 2017, 10:26 pm)Acky81 wrote Wasn't aware of changes to the Washington network any for sunderland michael

Going by VOSA only change in Sunderland is the X36 withdrawn, might be a few timetable changes.

Here are the Washington changes, although these are only brief as they are from VOSA:



PB0003954/774 Registered
GO NORTH EAST LIMITED
Route: Durham Rd, Harrogate Terrace, Birtley to Galleries Bus StationWashington via Portobello, Barley Mow, Rickleton, Ayton, Lambton
Service number: 81,82
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 23 Jul 2017
PB0003954/773 Registered

GO NORTH EAST LIMITED
Route: Galleries Bus Station, Washington to Heworth Interchange via Biddick, Barmston Court, Barmston, Concord, Usworth
Service number: 83,84
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 23 Jul 2017

PB0003954/772 Registered
GO NORTH EAST LIMITED
Route: Concord to Brady Square/Waterview Park, Mandarin Way
Service number: 85 (86)
Service type: Normal Stopping
Effective date: 23 Jul 2017

Washington network changes

Go North East (GNE) has indicated that it wishes to revise its network of commercial services in the Washington area and this revision will affect services 2A, 82, 82A, 85 and 86. The amendments to routes will mean that service 82 and 82A will divert to operate via Washington Village and Barmston Court respectively and service 86 will operate from Concord to Washington Galleries only, omitting Glebe, Washington Village and Barmston Court . On Sundays both services 85 and 86 will operate Concord to Washington Galleries only, and service 2A will divert to operate the section between Fatfield Road and Brady Square. The 82 and 82A service group will be renumbered 81 to 84 and will terminate at the Galleries with through fares available.

The new service group will be as follows:

81 Washington Galleries-Lambton-Rickleton – Birtley (Sundays only)

82 Washington Galleries-Lambton-Portmeads-Birtley

83 Washington Galleries-Biddick-Barmston Court-Barmston Waskerley Road-Hertburn Industrial Estate-Concord

84 Washington Galleries-Glebe-Washington Village-Barmston Village-Spout Lane-Concord - Heworth

85 Brady Square(not Sundays) – Biddick (not Sundays) – Washington Galleries – Blackfell - Concord

86 Washington Galleries – Blackfell - Concord

The impact of these changes will be that some new direct links will be made available in Washington, some existing direct links will be lost and one bus stop on Emmerson Terrace will be left without a service. Residents of Washington Village and Barmston Court will no longer have a direct link to Blackfell, Albany or Armstrong, though they will have a new direct daytime link to Heworth and Birtley. Residents of parts of Fatfield Road will see a small reduction in the number of bus services and they will also lose direct links to Birtley and Washington West.

Residents of Biddick will see a small reduction in the number of buses but significant direct links will be maintained, whilst residents of Brady Square will normally experience the same service as now but on Sunday daytime direct links to Blackfell, Albany and Armstrong will be lost. They will however gain a direct link to Penshaw and Sunderland on Sundays only via service 2A.

As in other instances where operators have made commercial changes there will be an impact on secured services and in order to preserve the integrity of the network and to minimise passenger confusion Nexus intends to mirror the changes to the daytime network with its secured services.

It is thus intended that Nexus operates evening services 81 to 84 in the same pattern as the Sunday daytime 81-84 (see above). The current service 86 would be revised and withdrawn between the Galleries and Barmston Court because the eastern portion of the route would be served by the revised 83 and 84. Service 85 would operate the daytime route from Concord to Brady Square via the Galleries. Frequencies to the north and west of the Galleries and to Brady Square would be maintained.

Service 83 and 84 will no longer serve Sainsburys car park on an evening though it will be served by the 85 and the revised 86. The Drive will not be served by evening service 85, though it will continue to be served by service 56. On Monday to Saturday evenings a revised service 86 is proposed to operate from Concord to Teal Farm via Blackfell and the Galleries (Concord to Galleries via Blackfell on Sunday evenings). Service 81 is proposed serve Rickleton on evenings affording additional links to Birtley.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/notes/washingto...498035762/

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(21 Jun 2017, 5:15 am)Adrian wrote Washington network changes


Source: https://www.facebook.com/notes/washingto...498035762/

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*shakes head in bewilderment*

It may be because the thunder woke me up early and I am tired, but I can't see any logical sense in those changes from a passenger perspective.

I can't see the logic in the changes too, sounds worse, yes they'll be all timed to arrive at the galleries so they can connect but most of the time, that won't happen.


So what's the 2A change?

(21 Jun 2017, 1:37 pm)Michael wrote I can't see the logic in the changes too, sounds worse, yes they'll be all timed to arrive at the galleries so they can connect but most of the time, that won't happen.

When I was living in Denmark, the bus routes were all radial from the central square of the city.
All buses arrived within minutes of each other and waited for ten minutes before all leaving in sequence.
Tickets were valid for one hour after you got off the first bus, so you had time to travel from one side of the city to the other for a flat fare.
Alternatively you could travel into the city centre, do some shopping and then return home.

(21 Jun 2017, 1:37 pm)Michael wrote I can't see the logic in the changes too, sounds worse, yes they'll be all timed to arrive at the galleries so they can connect but most of the time, that won't happen.


So what's the 2A change?

It's partially filling a gap left due to the withdrawal of part of the 85 on a Sunday

service 2A will divert to operate the section between Fatfield Road and Brady Square.

(21 Jun 2017, 2:07 pm)Andreos1 wrote It's partially filling a gap left due to the withdrawal of part of the 85 on a Sunday

Ah right cheers,

New timetables are now online for the changes on the 23rd July.

No link for full details and the new timetables are set out in Black and White (expect for the 81/82/83/84)

(22 Jun 2017, 5:50 pm)Michael wrote New timetables are now online for the changes on the 23rd July.

No link for full details and the new timetables are set out in Black and White (expect for the 81/82/83/84)

So the Washington service changes aren't as bad as they seemed!

(22 Jun 2017, 6:30 pm)Tom wrote So the Washington service changes aren't as bad as they seemed!

Na they aren't, the Tynedale Links changes look decent too, but can't work out the new PVR for the Hexham services, due to the interworking etc but i would think it would allow them to remove the MPD's from Hexham.

X66 reduced to operate every 10 minutes Sunday to Friday (7/8 minutes on Saturdays) with a bus doing a loop around the Metrocentre every 20 minutes (every 15 minutes on Saturdays).

I imagine that this would have been done to retain the current PVR of 4/5.

(22 Jun 2017, 6:34 pm)S813 FVK wrote X66 reduced to operate every 10 minutes Sunday to Friday (7/8 minutes on Saturdays) with a bus doing a loop around the Metrocentre every 20 minutes (every 15 minutes on Saturdays).

I imagine that this would have been done to retain the current PVR of 4/5.

Not surprised the loop section is reduced.

(22 Jun 2017, 5:50 pm)Michael wrote New timetables are now online for the changes on the 23rd July.

No link for full details and the new timetables are set out in Black and White (expect for the 81/82/83/84)

Yes finally a direct link between Heworth and Birtley without having change buses.

(22 Jun 2017, 6:43 pm)Michael wrote Not surprised the loop section is reduced.

It will be interesting if they keep the £1 flat fare on the circular route - I don't see why they would not be able to.

Think the Hexham PVR will be reduced by 1.

Noticed GNE have re-timed the X85 to run in front of the 685 now too.

(22 Jun 2017, 7:05 pm)Tom wrote Think the Hexham PVR will be reduced by 1.

In case you haven't included it, could that 1 bus be redeployed on the 689 if what has said previously is correct?

(22 Jun 2017, 7:13 pm)S813 FVK wrote In case you haven't included it, could that 1 bus be redeployed on the 689 if what has said previously is correct?

Yeah I forgot about the 689 so it could be the same

(22 Jun 2017, 6:30 pm)Tom wrote So the Washington service changes aren't as bad as they seemed!

You'd have to train the average punter to be able to decipher the timetable first... I appreciate that they've done it to try and illustrate the through services, but clumping it altogether, it is blooming confusing!

For example -
81 from Rickleton to the Galleries -> 84 from the Galleries to Heworth
82 from Birtley to the Galleries -> 83 from the Galleries to Concord

But on the way back it changes as follows - 
83 from Concord to the Galleries -> 81 from the Galleries to Rickleton
84 from Heworth to the Galleries -> 82 from the Galleries to Birtley

So you can get from Rickleton to Heworth direct for example, but you can't get back? Same from Biddick to Rickleton, Rickleton to the Village, for example. 

Also noted that the last bus either direction through Sainsburys car park seems to be around 10 to 6 on an evening. The 85/86 look to still run, but not much use for those needing an 81/82/83/84. There is no access through the Galleries from about 8pm, so those finishing work at Sainsburys etc will need to walk right round the perimeter to the bus station.

Looks like the non-serving of Savacentre/Sainsburys car park on a Sunday continues too, which I've found a bit strange. Beats me why you wouldn't serve a huge supermarket on a Sunday, for the sake of an extra minute or so.

(22 Jun 2017, 7:13 pm)S813 FVK wrote In case you haven't included it, could that 1 bus be redeployed on the 689 if what has said previously is correct?

689 allocation will indeed move to Hexham, this bus also does the 836 tanfield to crookgate, and a run on the 12 & 90, so there's possibly less dead mileage from Hexham as I 1st thought.

(22 Jun 2017, 6:58 pm)Ds1197 wrote Yes finally a direct link between Heworth and Birtley without having change buses.

You don't have to change buses now....

(22 Jun 2017, 5:50 pm)Michael wrote New timetables are now online for the changes on the 23rd July.

No link for full details and the new timetables are set out in Black and White (expect for the 81/82/83/84)

Sorry I can't find where the info is for these changes. I've looked on the Go North East website and facebook page, nexus and done a google search and can't find anything. I don't suppose you have a link please? Thanks

(22 Jun 2017, 11:05 pm)Washingtonian wrote Sorry I can't find where the info is for these changes. I've looked on the Go North East website and facebook page, nexus and done a google search and can't find anything. I don't suppose you have a link please? Thanks

It's in the actual timetable bit of the website

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(22 Jun 2017, 11:02 pm)Ambassador wrote

You don't have to change buses now....

Towards Birtley the service runs though from heworth but on return you can only get as far as concord most of the time apart from one early morning during the week and a few on a Saturday morning

(22 Jun 2017, 11:05 pm)Washingtonian wrote Sorry I can't find where the info is for these changes. I've looked on the Go North East website and facebook page, nexus and done a google search and can't find anything. I don't suppose you have a link please? Thanks

(22 Jun 2017, 11:19 pm)Ds1197 wrote It's in the actual timetable bit of the website

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Ah right, I see it now. Thanks a lot

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Dear me! While there are some good changes to the services in Washington, it is bloomin confusing! I can see the elderley people getting confused here. They should go back to the old W1-6 and be done with it. These services were often very reliable and very well used. Since they extended the routes to Birtley and Heworth, there has been nothing but chaos!

WRT Hexham changes, I have heard that ALDI is going to lose some connections. 

Oh and John the depot manager is leaving. 

Retiming the X85 to run ahead of Arriva's 685 was a no-brainer.

Just got an email from Go North East about the changes:

http://newsroom.gonortheast.co.uk/news/s...017-248135