Wow they all run dead to Percy Main, what about the 309

The 1 is really struggling with reliability.

It should have an extra 10 mins either end

(27 Mar 2023, 12:59 pm)Aaron21 wrote Well that's a lie to start with considering I was on that service & it had 6 people on. Idk why rerouting the 307 into there would be any sort of a great idea. That just screws the coast road agreement up. It would add more journey time to the 307 (bar the time it has already to do Hadrian Park) so no. The 307 serving there wouldn't work

From Haymarket or St Mary's?

I can only recall 1x passenger on unless I'm mistaken.

Serving Wiltshire Drive during an evening only would only add an extra three minutes and the impact would be minimal.

Way better use of an existing commercial route rather than Nexus having to pay for a fully funded service effectively just to cover East Benton Rise and Holystone where usage would likely be minimal.

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(27 Mar 2023, 2:28 pm)Unber43 wrote Wow they all run dead to Percy Main, what about the 309

Evening 309s interwork with 307

If we're going down this route, imo the better thing would be to scrap the utterly ridiculous W2 that has no purpose and use that daytime resource to run an evening service on the full route of the 51 and 54.

Backworth and the North of Whitley Bay have absolutely no service beyond 8pm which is pathetic by how urban the areas are.

At the same time I'd change the 57A to run from East Hartford to Whitley Bay on a Sunday / Evenings. The Whitley Bay to North Shields extension is just pointless - other areas that have absolutely no bus service currently.

(25 Mar 2023, 9:12 pm)Michael wrote Seen this tweet by Adam Coyne

Today being the last day before service changes sees 6357 operating a X10 to Newcastle. These are all due for Riverside to upgrade the 'X-Lines X21' from 26/03/23

https://twitter.com/AdamsNEphotos/status...3121567744

Does that batch include 6359 because that has spent at least 90 minutes of this afternoon stuck in Fram with the driver looking increasingly sick of life. Such a fine upgrade.

You're acting like that doesn't happen all the time on the X21 with the junk they get on there

(27 Mar 2023, 4:18 pm)Unber43 wrote You're acting like that doesn't happen all the time on the X21 with the junk they get on there

It's a long time since I've been on one that broke down. The last time was in the Castles Express days with one of the first batch of streetdecks.

Are they still continuing tye 2 pound fare after march

(27 Mar 2023, 6:24 pm)Gonorth91 wrote Are they still continuing tye 2 pound fare after march

Yes, it's funded until the end of June, now.

Thank u been using it more with the 2 pound fare

(27 Mar 2023, 4:12 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Does that batch include 6359 because that has spent at least 90 minutes of this afternoon stuck in Fram with the driver looking increasingly sick of life. Such a fine upgrade.

Wouldn't believe the reason why either, absolutely laughable

(27 Mar 2023, 6:46 pm)NL62WVW wrote Wouldn't believe the reason why either, absolutely laughable

Whats the reason?

(27 Mar 2023, 2:59 pm)Unber43 wrote The 1 is really struggling with reliability.

It should have an extra 10 mins either end

I counted 24 schools within 5 mins walk on the length of route, and it only has a couple of extra minutes during school kick out time, and those schools will have staggered finishes.

(27 Mar 2023, 6:53 pm)DeltaMan wrote I counted 24 schools it passes on the length of route, and it only has a couple of extra minutes during school kick out time, and those schools will have staggered finishes.

Presumably each of those school kicking out times will be have been counted when building the timetable and will have been factored in to the timetables to ensure reliability?

(27 Mar 2023, 6:46 pm)NL62WVW wrote Wouldn't believe the reason why either, absolutely laughable

The reason being?

Just thought this.....but if reliability of the 1 is poor.....could the 307 not effectively become a deja vu of the old 315/316 with the 1 curtailed in North Shields?

With the 307 every 20 mins could it not be worth putting the north shields to Whitely Bay at every 10 mins (just to trial it to see what most people use it)

(27 Mar 2023, 9:28 pm)Unber43 wrote With the 307 every 20 mins could it not be worth putting the north shields to Whitely Bay at every 10 mins (just to trial it to see what most people use it)

Whole point of extending the 307 would be to improve reliability on the 1. Definitely wouldn't need a 10 minute frequency.

(27 Mar 2023, 9:51 pm)L469 YVK wrote Whole point of extending the 307 would be to improve reliability on the 1. Definitely wouldn't need a 10 minute frequency.

Yes, but what if people on the 1 between North Sheilds and Whitely Bay don't want to use the 307, offering both may get an idea of what people want.

There could be surveys advertsied on the bus on their opinion.

(27 Mar 2023, 7:37 pm)BusLoverMum wrote The reason being?

Ran out of fuel

(27 Mar 2023, 8:59 pm)L469 YVK wrote Just thought this.....but if reliability of the 1 is poor.....could the 307 not effectively become a deja vu of the old 315/316 with the 1 curtailed in North Shields?

Could just have one bus that runs from Gateshead to Whitley Bay called the 1 and another bus called the 97 that runs from Newcastle to Metro Centre either..?

Alternatively if you want to keep them together have it as the

1: Whitley Bay to Newcastle

-- 10 Minute Layover --

97: Newcastle to Metro Centre or 12 or 57

The routes too long / infrequent without a layover and it's not the North Shields to Whitley Bay bit that's the problem. If it's every 10 minutes like the 22 then they can get away with it as if a bus drops out no-one really notices.

(28 Mar 2023, 7:26 am)NL62WVW wrote Ran out of fuel

That crossed my mind then I thought no, surely that would never happen.

Do GNE still have the monitor that tracks the drivers driving style? May they should check in case he/she was bombing down the road at 55MPH then breaking, then accelerating which cause the fuel to run out prematurely?

I know nothing of the technicalities but I think this was the 2nd bishop and back run of the day and, given that it conked out at 2:50, on the back to Newcastle leg, this can't have been the final run of the day. Even if this particular driver had a lead foot, the vehicle would have had multiple other drivers before him (I doubt he was in the mood to be asked for his pronouns) over the course of the day.

(28 Mar 2023, 10:55 am)Rob44 wrote Do GNE still have the monitor that tracks the drivers driving style? May they should check in case he/she was bombing down the road at 55MPH then breaking, then accelerating which cause the fuel to run out prematurely?

It's a streetdeck, limited to 50MPH, even booting it for 10 hours between West Auckland and Newcastle it should still have at least half a tank of fuel left.

As long as the driver informed control that they are low on fuel and they've authorised them to continue, there's no comeback on the driver as they've done everything they can.

One thing I've noticed is that 6358-6360 are slightly worse on fuel than the Angel batch

(28 Mar 2023, 10:55 am)Rob44 wrote Do GNE still have the monitor that tracks the drivers driving style?  May they should check in case he/she was bombing down the road at 55MPH then breaking, then accelerating which cause the fuel to run out prematurely?

Yes, but apparently they don't care for it and it's only fitted to get insurance costs down (black box and all that). Tbh it's more likely the bus was pressed into service with not enough in the tank to begin with.

With these March Changes just taken place could we see 680-83 end up in venture and an expansion of the Tynedale Links PVR? Or will most of them end up corporate.

(28 Mar 2023, 11:54 am)NL62WVW wrote One thing I've noticed is that 6358-6360 are slightly worse on fuel than the Angel batch

Unless ECU's & gearing were initially set up for the hills approaching Derwentside?

(28 Mar 2023, 11:54 am)NL62WVW wrote It's a streetdeck, limited to 50MPH, even booting it for 10 hours between West Auckland and Newcastle it should still have at least half a tank of fuel left.

As long as the driver informed control that they are low on fuel and they've authorised them to continue, there's no comeback on the driver as they've done everything they can.

One thing I've noticed is that 6358-6360 are slightly worse on fuel than the Angel batch

That’s assuming the gauges are working or course.  I once had a scania start to run rough on me coming into Newcastle And then it conked out on me coming into Eldon square, would have probably made it down to the drop off stand if the bus in front didn’t have to stop because someone walked out in front of him.   as it was it stopped just before the m&s drop off point, the nexus guys tried to get me to roll it down.  Knew it wouldn’t work but they insisted, so I ended up halfway across the mini roundabout in rush hour - joyful!

(28 Mar 2023, 4:26 pm)xpm wrote That’s assuming the gauges are working or course.  I once had a scania start to run rough on me coming into Newcastle And then it conked out on me coming into Eldon square, would have probably made it down to the drop off stand if the bus in front didn’t have to stop because someone walked out in front of him.   as it was it stopped just before the m&s drop off point, the nexus guys tried to get me to roll it down.  Knew it wouldn’t work but they insisted, so I ended up halfway across the mini roundabout in rush hour - joyful!

The gauges on the newer stuff are normally quite reliable, its normally versas and the solos that were a bit dodgy. Completly agree with the nexus staff, once had a Omnidecker that would select all gears apart from reverse on the stand in Eldon Square, nexus bloke came down and asked if a few of them could push it off the stand lol. Asked control and they just laughed