(27 Mar 2022, 6:40 pm)cbma06 wrote The 204/204A and 59 supposed to be operated by a corporate solo either 665 or 666, but as usually there’s a good Percentage there’s a Peterlee purple solo on, wasn’t it mentioned awhile ago that 2 services were going to Chester

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With the transfer of the Peterlee operations to Deptford (excluding service 204), I'd imagine service 59 should consistently be allocated a fleet livery Solo moving forwards - they have 665, 666 and 672 allocated.

Clearly with everything moving around today, today was always going to be a bit different.

(27 Mar 2022, 6:40 pm)cbma06 wrote The 204/204A and 59 supposed to be operated by a corporate solo either 665 or 666, but as usually there’s a good Percentage there’s a Peterlee purple solo on, wasn’t it mentioned awhile ago that 2 services were going to Chester


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Which depot does the cathedral buses?


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I believe it used to be Consett, and now its CLS

(27 Mar 2022, 6:46 pm)Dan wrote With the transfer of the Peterlee operations to Deptford (excluding service 204), I'd imagine service 59 should consistently be allocated a fleet livery Solo moving forwards - they have 665, 666 and 672 allocated.

Clearly with everything moving around today, today was always going to be a bit different.

Do you happen to have a list of all the movements today? From what I can tell it's all of Peterlee's buses to Deptford, 6304/5/7 to Washington, 8341-46 to Percy Main, 5380-5388 to Percy Main but was wondering if there's any other's I've missed? I see the Omnicities have all been withdrawn from BusTimes as well, was wondering if they've been withdrawn or if someone's got carried away!

(27 Mar 2022, 7:23 pm)peter wrote Do you happen to have a list of all the movements today? From what I can tell it's all of Peterlee's buses to Deptford, 6304/5/7 to Washington, 8341-46 to Percy Main, 5380-5388 to Percy Main but was wondering if there's any other's I've missed? I see the Omnicities have all been withdrawn from BusTimes as well, was wondering if they've been withdrawn or if someone's got carried away!

All OmniCities have been withdrawn except 5272 or 5257.

(27 Mar 2022, 7:43 pm)Unber43 wrote All OmniCities have been withdrawn except 5272 or 5257.

Seems odd to remove all the Omnicities from service - when they're euro 6.. unless its because of the electric buses arriving, which would allow the fleet movements to withdraw them anyway.

Any idea how long the last one in service has?

(27 Mar 2022, 5:38 pm)Unber43 wrote And it shouldn't be a Peterlee Purples Branded vehicle.

I don't think it was intended to be under the Peterlee Purples brand (it was never listed as so on the Website), it just happened to be because Peterlee's Solos were all in Purples livery.

Made more sense when it was called 'East Durham' (when it actually was under the brand) and 'indiGo'.

(27 Mar 2022, 7:43 pm)Unber43 wrote All OmniCities have been withdrawn except 5272 or 5257.

Dan on twitter:


Only one left in service now should be 5257 (on service 29), pending results of contracts out to tender currently.

https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/15081...oDepFvCYPw&s=19

Wil miss the Omnicities

Not everybodies cup of tea, but spent alot of time on them when they were on the Red Kite, and later the Toonlink X30/X31. Always felt the power when sitting at the back on the way to work.

(28 Mar 2022, 8:43 am)Arcticrossy92 wrote Wil miss the Omnicities

Not everybodies cup of tea, but spent alot of time on them when they were on the Red Kite, and later the Toonlink X30/X31. Always felt the power when sitting at the back on the way to work.

Didn't get to ride them enough to be honest. Never allocated permanently to the routes I used the most.
Whenever I did ride them, always enjoyed them.

I've never been a massive fan of them the couple of times I rode them, although I think that's mainly because I'm quite tall and found the seats far too close together to be comfortable (noticeably more so than other types) - however I can see why others like them.

(28 Mar 2022, 8:43 am)Arcticrossy92 wrote Wil miss the Omnicities

Not everybodies cup of tea, but spent alot of time on them when they were on the Red Kite, and later the Toonlink X30/X31. Always felt the power when sitting at the back on the way to work.

I enjoyed them.

When they were first delivered they were randomly allocated to the 728/709 routes before moving onto their home as West Durham Swifts and they seemed luxury and revolutionary compared to previous allocations. The allocation to the X1 then 21 did temper my dislike for them a little.

Article in the Northern Echo about Peterlee closure:

A COUNTY Durham bus depot has closed for good after bosses were forced to make a "difficult decision" to leave the site after a number of years.

The Go North East "outstation depot" in Peterlee officially closed on Saturday (March 26) just over two weeks after staff across the company were first told.

In an internal memo to drivers, the company said consultations with Unite the Union had begun as it said staff and services had been transferred to neighbouring depots.

The company said the decision to close the depot had been due to a change in landlord and from storm damage to a building it occupied as an office.

Following the closure, the company said the majority of services had been transferred to its depot in Sunderland, while the remainder had been moved to Chester-le-Street.

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2...lee-depot/


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(27 Mar 2022, 6:28 pm)Jimmi wrote There's about a 1-2 mile difference between the two to reach Wheatley Hill/Thornley (Arnison Centre is irrelevant as there's no dead running from that end), also most of the Peterlee drivers who will likely already know the route will most likely be at Deptford now, CLS drivers would most likely need route learning to do it properly (or risk drivers just winging it)

And I've seen what happens when drivers wing it on that Quarrington Hill loop!

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(28 Mar 2022, 8:43 am)Arcticrossy92 wrote Wil miss the Omnicities

Not everybodies cup of tea, but spent alot of time on them when they were on the Red Kite, and later the Toonlink X30/X31. Always felt the power when sitting at the back on the way to work.

Yes, they were a nice ride. Like the citaros, I find the rumble more soothing than the whine of some other vehicles. The seats were grotty but comfortable (unlike the citaros!) and they felt sturdy.

(27 Mar 2022, 7:23 pm)peter wrote Do you happen to have a list of all the movements today? From what I can tell it's all of Peterlee's buses to Deptford, 6304/5/7 to Washington, 8341-46 to Percy Main, 5380-5388 to Percy Main but was wondering if there's any other's I've missed? I see the Omnicities have all been withdrawn from BusTimes as well, was wondering if they've been withdrawn or if someone's got carried away!

649 from Deptford and 650-2 from Percy Main all to CLS. Not sure what the last three have replaced, but 709/22/4/5 all out of use today.

The return of the normal timetable on the X1 doesn't seem to be working out too well judging by the essay listed under short notice cancellations for the service today and yesterday. Hopefully there's no 9-5 workers in Peterlee relying on the service since after the 1653 departure the next three in a row are cancelled, meaning a wait until 1900. Hopefully some journeys will be reinstated of course but as it stands, not too an appealing an offer!

(29 Mar 2022, 12:11 am)stagecoachbusdepot wrote The return of the normal timetable on the X1 doesn't seem to be working out too well judging by the essay listed under short notice cancellations for the service today and yesterday.  Hopefully there's no 9-5 workers in Peterlee relying on the service since after the 1653 departure the next three in a row are cancelled, meaning a wait until 1900.  Hopefully some journeys will be reinstated of course but as it stands, not too an appealing an offer!

I notice the only journey from Peterlee which is now cancelled is the 18:00, and the 15:20 commencing from Washington Galleries at 16:09.

Is the X11 coming back this year?

(02 Apr 2022, 9:00 am)Michael wrote Is the X11 coming back this year?

I'm surprised it wasn't announced alongside Toontour. Same with the B1

(02 Apr 2022, 9:48 am)Train8261 wrote I'm surprised it wasn't announced alongside Toontour. Same with the B1

I doubt the B1 will be back

What's changing on the X85 on Monday?

(02 Apr 2022, 3:11 pm)OrangeArrow49 wrote What's changing on the X85 on Monday?

The afternoon journey seemingly withdrawn if the timetable on Nexus is to be believed. Presumably because the morning journey can fit in with interworking with the AD122 (one turn doesn't start until 09:10) whereas the afternoon journey can't.

Surely any Riverside school board could run the afternoon X85?

I'd imagine that X85 journey is commerically viable aswell

(02 Apr 2022, 3:58 pm)peter wrote The afternoon journey seemingly withdrawn if the timetable on Nexus is to be believed. Presumably because the morning journey can fit in with interworking with the AD122 (one turn doesn't start until 09:10) whereas the afternoon journey can't.

GNE site still showing it as operating assuming you are referring to the 1720 one?

(02 Apr 2022, 10:53 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote GNE site still showing it as operating assuming you are referring to the 1720 one?

Yep, shown missing on the Nexus timetable here: https://www.nexus.org.uk/sites/default/f...040422.pdf - could just be a mistake of course!

Tell you what the evening runs of the 82/84/84A are a joke, noticed last night whilst getting a few photos that you have a 84/84A at xx:58/xx:28 to Rickleton then you have an 82 to Birtley at xx:06/xx:36 which runs off the 85, where is the justification in having two "minibus" services within 6 minutes of each other, following this you then have the 2 at xx13 to Silksworth then the 50 to Chester-Le-Street at xx:16. So you have 4 buses within 18 minutes of each other to Lambton/Ayton & Harraton with a then 12 minute gap till the next 82/84/84A cycle followed by a 30 minute gap where you'd then repeat the same cycle again.

I can't understand why Go North East could not have the 2 or the 82 additionally serve Harraton and Rickleton on an Evening covering this section of the 84/84A as I can remember going back to the days of the 638 that used to do this on an Evening, Alternatively you could have 84/84A extend from Rickleton to Birtley covering this section of the 82.

Any changes would require a change in interworking pattern as currently they interwork at Washington Galleries to them instead interwork at Concord so the driver would do the following:

84/84A - Birtley to Concord / 85 - Concord to Washington Galleries / 85 - Washington Galleries to Concord / 84/84A - Concord to Birtley

Either way you'd reduce resource required to operate the services. I did also note a few drivers were being supervised last night as they'd not done these routes before.

(03 Apr 2022, 3:53 pm)Malarkey wrote Tell you what the evening runs of the 82/84/84A are a joke, noticed last night whilst getting a few photos that you have a 84/84A at xx:58/xx:28 to Rickleton then you have an 82 to Birtley at xx:06/xx:36 which runs off the 85, where is the justification in having two "minibus" services within 6 minutes of each other, following this you then have the 2 at xx13 to Silksworth then the 50 to Chester-Le-Street at xx:16. So you have 4 buses within 18 minutes of each other to Lambton/Ayton & Harraton with a then 12 minute gap till the next 82/84/84A cycle followed by a 30 minute gap where you'd then repeat the same cycle again.

I can't understand why Go North East could not have the 2 or the 82 additionally serve Harraton and Rickleton on an Evening covering this section of the 84/84A as I can remember going back to the days of the 638 that used to do this on an Evening, Alternatively you could have 84/84A extend from Rickleton to Birtley covering this section of the 82.

Any changes would require a change in interworking pattern as currently they interwork at Washington Galleries to them instead interwork at Concord so the driver would do the following:

84/84A - Birtley to Concord / 85 - Concord to Washington Galleries / 85 - Washington Galleries to Concord / 84/84A - Concord to Birtley

Either way you'd reduce resource required to operate the services. I did also note a few drivers were being supervised last night as they'd not done these routes before.

Also 2 & 8 leave for Sunderland/Silksworth within like 10 mins of each other

Evening 50s from Chester-le-Street to Washington (and beyond) are timed at xx.45 and the 8 to Washington (and on to Sunderland) is xx.49

Being a cynic, I'd suggest we'll sooner or later see one of the two axed 'due to low use', despite them having more of a fighting chance if more evenly spread across the clock-face.

(03 Apr 2022, 7:45 pm)Adrian wrote Evening 50s from Chester-le-Street to Washington (and beyond) are timed at xx.45 and the 8 to Washington (and on to Sunderland) is xx.49

Being a cynic, I'd suggest we'll sooner or later see one of the two axed 'due to low use', despite them having more of a fighting chance if more evenly spread across the clock-face.

I think we’re proving here that there are services which cross multiple corridors - and not all can be given an even headway.

Something like the 50 probably aims to provide an even headway between Durham and Chester-le-Street with the 21, Chester-le-Street and Washington with the 8, Concord and Nissan on the 56, and Boldon to South Shields with the 5.

Truth be told it’s impossible to have them all coordinated, especially as evening timetables are formed from daytime schedules which are largely driven by stand availability in congested bus stations.


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(03 Apr 2022, 7:45 pm)Adrian wrote Evening 50s from Chester-le-Street to Washington (and beyond) are timed at xx.45 and the 8 to Washington (and on to Sunderland) is xx.49

Being a cynic, I'd suggest we'll sooner or later see one of the two axed 'due to low use', despite them having more of a fighting chance if more evenly spread across the clock-face.

You cannot inter-time services with uneven round trip times unless you are prepared to have a load of inefficiency.

The round trip running times from Chester to South Shields and Chester to Sunderland means you cannot coordinate them between Washington and Chester unless you have one of the buses sitting at either Sunderland or South Shields for half an hour.