(19 Apr 2025, 1:44 pm)LVK 404L wrote Ive said similar about the 3 moving forwards.  If they keep E200s on, its gping to have manu issues.  They need to look at E300s as dedicated vehicles perhaps

Is it even that busy? The core of the route is still 8 BPH seems more than enough to me from an outsider.

I can see them ditching the 12 next, they'd probably mess with the 3/4 again to cover it or maybe even the 516 if they intend to keep that

(19 Apr 2025, 2:33 pm)Storx wrote Is it even that busy? The core of the route is still 8 BPH seems more than enough to me from an outsider.

From Whiteleas and Biidck Hall it will be yes.  As an outsider you arent seeing this on a daily basis all day everyday.   But as a local, beleive me,  this will be getting tough.  

People from Whiteleas will not walk to get the 4 from far end of Whiteleas especially those at the back of Whiteleas, ie Landseer Gardens and co.

From Biddick Hall its like teaching your granny to suck eggs,  for decades passengers have always got the 3, or the old 5 after deregulation or the 501 prior to deregulation down Standhope Road into Shields, no one ever opted for 4 or its previous (502) as they 'go the long way' around the nook and westoe.  Albeit its only a few extra minutes, amd now the 3 will be adding time going via Whiteleas, its going to take a while to get people to change habit of a lifetime.

I do agree that the numbers should have been revised,  3, 4 should have become 9,19, i think it was you mentioned that a while back. By doing so, that would have forced passengers to change pattern, but not at present.

(19 Apr 2025, 2:41 pm)LVK 404L wrote From Whiteleas and Biidck Hall it will be yes.  As an outsider you arent seeing this on a daily basis all day everyday.   But as a local, beleive me,  this will be getting tough.  

People from Whiteleas will not walk to get the 4 from far end of Whiteleas especially those at the back of Whiteleas, ie Landseer Gardens and co.

From Biddick Hall its like teaching your granny to suck eggs,  for decades passengers have always got the 3, or the old 5 after deregulation or the 501 prior to deregulation down Standhope Road into Shields, no one ever opted for 4 or its previous (502) as they 'go the long way' around the nook and westoe.  Albeit its only a few extra minutes, amd now the 3 will be adding time going via Whiteleas, its going to take a while to get people to change habit of a lifetime.

I do agree that the numbers should have been revised,  3, 4 should have become 9,19, i think it was you mentioned that a while back. By doing so, that would have forced passengers to change pattern, but not at present.

Aye some fair points was genuinely curious. Btw I was thinking more the 18 more so than the 4 there actually forgot they were both serving Biddick tbh. Wasn't too sure how many used it that point of the route tbh. 

I think they've got the timetable so the 3/18 are every 7.5 minutes apart from West Harton to Chichester.

I know right now checking timetables that the 3/18 shadow each other so guessing that's their real reason for it. Yeah it was me who mentioned the numbers though to confuse people (intentionally) so they notice the changes. Confusing having the same number but doing totally different things imo.

what is the obsession of changing bus service number as it goes a different route and merging services.

all this does is confuse the public especially the ones who dont use buses often and they do not know what bus to get.

I heard someone one day asking if the 311 still ran or the 310

If we look at services say in South Shields
look at the GNE service from Sunderland to South Shields it has been numbered 35 20 now its 24

(20 Apr 2025, 6:21 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote what is the obsession of changing bus service number as it goes a different route  and merging services.

all this does is confuse the public especially the ones who dont use buses often and they do  not know what bus to get.

I heard someone one day asking if the 311 still ran or the 310

If we look at services say in South Shields
look at the GNE service from Sunderland to South Shields it has been numbered 35 20 now 

For these because they're completely different services. It's more confusing for someone by not changing them as you'll now have incidents like someone jumping on the 4 in Biddick to go to Lidl and ending up in the Nook etc since they're effectively renumbering the 3 to the 4 and the 4 to the 3. 

imo for these it's not a bad thing to let's say intentionally confuse people as it makes people aware that they're actually changing and quite substantially aswell so the same person who never uses the bus isn't totally oblivious to it.

Not to mention having the 18/19 combined advertised the 7.5 minute service on the common section rather than 3/18 which are irrelevant to each other.

It's different to GNE renumbering services for the sake of remembering services like the 35 to 32 or 25 to 22 which has no benefit for anyone.

Just thought I'd post some Shields Ideas given the recent changes.

13: Horsley Hill - Harton Nook - District Hospital - Boldon Lane - Tyne Dock - Jarrow.
14: Shields - Laygate - Tyne Dock - Low Simonside - Edinburgh Road - Inverness Road.
16: Shields - Chichester - District Hospital - Whiteleas - Boldon ASDA.

I was going to post these on the GNE suggestions page as the old 522, 526 & 533 but i think there better here.

(27 Apr 2025, 10:40 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Just thought I'd post some Shields Ideas given the recent changes.

13: Horsley Hill - Harton Nook - District Hospital - Boldon Lane - Tyne Dock - Jarrow.
14: Shields - Laygate - Tyne Dock - Low Simonside - Edinburgh Road - Inverness Road.
16: Shields - Chichester - District Hospital - Whiteleas - Boldon ASDA.

I was going to post these on the GNE suggestions page as the old 522, 526 & 533 but i think there better here.

Maybe the 14 should be 19 then 18/19 to serve Inverness Rd and maybe change to 18 to Shields and vice versa

(27 Apr 2025, 10:40 pm)ASX_Terranova wrote Just thought I'd post some Shields Ideas given the recent changes.

13: Horsley Hill - Harton Nook - District Hospital - Boldon Lane - Tyne Dock - Jarrow.
14: Shields - Laygate - Tyne Dock - Low Simonside - Edinburgh Road - Inverness Road.
16: Shields - Chichester - District Hospital - Whiteleas - Boldon ASDA.

I was going to post these on the GNE suggestions page as the old 522, 526 & 533 but i think there better here.

More route info for your suggestions needed, they're a bit vague at present
I'd also extend the 13 to Lukes Lane and the 14 to Heworth

Quite a drastic suggestion, although if Hartlepool Depot was ever to close, this would be an ideal way to retain a good level of service for Hartlepool, even though it would more or less double the amount of buses going to & from Stockton and Middlesbrough, it would however try and ensure it is operated in the most cost effective way.

1: Service will continue to operate to it's current form, although short journeys to Seaton Carew will be slightly altered, in order to allow buses to cover a short run to & from Seaton Carew, before running back to Middlesbrough from Throston Grange. In effect the pattern would be:

(Middlesbrough - Throston Grange)
(Throston Grange - Seaton Carew)
(Seaton Carew - Throston Grange)
(Throston Grange - Middlesbrough)

3/3A: Service withdrawn & replaced by service 40. The peak journeys to Clavering are withdrawn.

6: Service will be completely withdrawn, with most sections of route replaced by service 36.

7: Service will be completely withdrawn, with most sections of route replaced by services 34/35.

34: Service extended to Hartlepool & The Headland with an increase in daytime frequency to every 20 minutes & improved evening frequency of every 60 minutes & Sunday daytime frequency of every 30 minutes, although during the day will combine with service 35 to offer five buses per hour to the Headland.

(Middlesbrough | Portrack Bridge | Billingham Grange Avenue | Billingham Shops | Low Grange | The Merlin | A689 | Wynyard Amazon (Peak Times only) | Newton Bewley | The Fens | Owton Manor | Social Club | Rossmere Way | Foggy Furze | York Road | Marina | The Headland)

This service will no longer serve High Grange, with links available to Middlesbrough from the main road on service 36, or indeed the provision of service 35, which will be revised to serve High Grange.

35: Service extended to Hartlepool, although will retain current frequency, combining with service 34 to offer five daytime buses per hour to the Headland.

Journeys towards Hartlepool will serve Wolviston Court before Billingham & journeys towards Stockton will serve Wolviston Court after Billingham. Journeys will no longer serve Kingsway, and will instead service High Grange after Billingham for journeys towards Hartlepool & before Billingham for journeys towards Stockton.

(Stockton High Street | Norton Kennedy Grove | Wolviston Court | Billingham Shops | High Grange | The Merlin | A689 | Newton Bewley | The Fens | Owton Manor | Social Club | Rossmere Way | Foggy Furze | York Road | Marina | The Headland)

36: This service will be returned flagship service it had been with a daytime frequency of every 15 minutes, and will no longer serve Teesside Park.

The service will extend to Clavering after York Road via West View & Hart Station, acting as a replacement for service 6 on this section of route, in addition to the Owton Manor to Hartlepool corridor. The service will continue to stick to the main roads in Owton Manor, with buses into the estates available on service 34/35 & 40.

36A: Service withdrawn & replaced by peak time journeys on service 34 operating into Wynyard Amazon.

37/38: Services revised to no longer serve Teesside Park, and will revert to original route.

39: Service extended to North Tees Hospital, combining & replacing the 59 in full, with journeys revised to operate via Teesside Park.

40: New service that will replace service 3/3A/X40/X41. This service will operate to a Mon - Sat daytime frequency of every 60 minutes.

(Stockton | Norton | Billingham Green | Billingham | Wynyard Village | Wynyard Business Park | Wynyard Amazon | Newton Bewley | A689 | The Fens | Owton Manor | Rifthouse | Catcote Road | York Road | Dyke House | Throston Grange)

59: This service will be renumbered 39 & revised to serve Teesside Park, in order to improve reliability, punctuality & efficiency, aswell as extending onto Park End.

(Yesterday, 9:07 pm)S830OFT wrote Quite a drastic suggestion, although if Hartlepool Depot was ever to close, this would be an ideal way to retain a good level of service for Hartlepool, even though it would more or less double the amount of buses going to & from Stockton and Middlesbrough, it would however try and ensure it is operated in the most cost effective way.

1: Service will continue to operate to it's current form, although short journeys to Seaton Carew will be slightly altered, in order to allow buses to cover a short run to & from Seaton Carew, before running back to Middlesbrough from Throston Grange. In effect the pattern would be:

(Middlesbrough - Throston Grange)
(Throston Grange - Seaton Carew)
(Seaton Carew - Throston Grange)
(Throston Grange - Middlesbrough)

3/3A: Service withdrawn & replaced by service 40. The peak journeys to Clavering are withdrawn.

6: Service will be completely withdrawn, with most sections of route replaced by service 36.

7: Service will be completely withdrawn, with most sections of route replaced by services 34/35.

34: Service extended to Hartlepool & The Headland with an increase in daytime frequency to every 20 minutes & improved evening frequency of every 60 minutes & Sunday daytime frequency of every 30 minutes, although during the day will combine with service 35 to offer five buses per hour to the Headland.

(Middlesbrough | Portrack Bridge | Billingham Grange Avenue | Billingham Shops | Low Grange | The Merlin | A689 | Wynyard Amazon (Peak Times only) | Newton Bewley | The Fens | Owton Manor | Social Club | Rossmere Way | Foggy Furze | York Road | Marina | The Headland)

This service will no longer serve High Grange, with links available to Middlesbrough from the main road on service 36, or indeed the provision of service 35, which will be revised to serve High Grange.

35: Service extended to Hartlepool, although will retain current frequency, combining with service 34 to offer five daytime buses per hour to the Headland.

Journeys towards Hartlepool will serve Wolviston Court before Billingham & journeys towards Stockton will serve Wolviston Court after Billingham. Journeys will no longer serve Kingsway, and will instead service High Grange after Billingham for journeys towards Hartlepool & before Billingham for journeys towards Stockton.

(Stockton High Street | Norton Kennedy Grove | Wolviston Court | Billingham Shops | High Grange | The Merlin | A689 | Newton Bewley | The Fens | Owton Manor | Social Club | Rossmere Way | Foggy Furze | York Road | Marina | The Headland)

36: This service will be returned flagship service it had been with a daytime frequency of every 15 minutes, and will no longer serve Teesside Park.

The service will extend to Clavering after York Road via West View & Hart Station, acting as a replacement for service 6 on this section of route, in addition to the Owton Manor to Hartlepool corridor. The service will continue to stick to the main roads in Owton Manor, with buses into the estates available on service 34/35 & 40.

36A: Service withdrawn & replaced by peak time journeys on service 34 operating into Wynyard Amazon.

37/38: Services revised to no longer serve Teesside Park, and will revert to original route.

39: Service extended to North Tees Hospital, combining & replacing the 59 in full, with journeys revised to operate via Teesside Park.

40: New service that will replace service 3/3A/X40/X41. This service will operate to a Mon - Sat daytime frequency of every 60 minutes.

(Stockton | Norton | Billingham Green | Billingham | Wynyard Village | Wynyard Business Park | Wynyard Amazon | Newton Bewley | A689 | The Fens | Owton Manor | Rifthouse | Catcote Road | York Road | Dyke House | Throston Grange)

59: This service will be renumbered 39 & revised to serve Teesside Park, in order to improve reliability, punctuality & efficiency, aswell as extending onto Park End.

Personally, I can't see Hartlepool ever being closed outright as it would cause all sorts of problems.

If they were every going to do changes, I could see it becoming an outstation only though with electric chargers fitted and the whole fleet also upgraded to electric and a small depot space for immediate fixes, ie replacing a tyre. For major maintenance you'd just swap buses out on the 1 and 36 during the day and let it be done at Stockton.

Wouldn't be surprised if long term, something similar didn't happen with Arriva Stockton / Redcar / Whitby but that would need a rebuild since Stockton can't take deckers.