Price hikes planned in July - https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/...ZItRToazLQ

Some of them are rather steep as an understand especially in the Blyth area. 

I understand there's a new train line in town but charging 30%+ more than the quicker and faster train is completely mental. 

Usually the bus is the cheap option...

Yikes! Some are a big jump. Lots of variability suggests purposeful decision by product rather than a blanket increase which is normally the case.

You can't really compare with the train though, as it's fares are subsided along the Northumberland Line, so they aren't the real 'commercial' fare.

Maybe pushing people into the day ticket instead?

(08 Jul 2025, 10:07 am)Superman wrote Maybe pushing people into the day ticket instead?

Or, into singles? 

For many, 2 trips per day is all they need. Take the Cramlington routesaver, when increased to £26 a week it’ll be cheaper for folk to buy 10x £2.50 singles, and then I imagine Arriva will actually get more money this way through government/NECA reimbursement?

(08 Jul 2025, 10:07 am)Superman wrote Yikes! Some are a big jump. Lots of variability suggests purposeful decision by product rather than a blanket increase which is normally the case.

You can't really compare with the train though, as it's fares are subsided along the Northumberland Line, so they aren't the real 'commercial' fare.

Maybe pushing people into the day ticket instead?

Aye possibly, not sure it's a good move though - ignoring extra revenue from the government handouts.

Seems dangerous to me as if people are using singles and you do something to piss people off then they've got no commitment to keep using your service, at least if you have a weekly / monthly ticket then you're stuck with them for a few extra days / month to try and win then back. 

That said there badly needs to be need NECA/TNE/whatever it is this week weekly and monthly tickets imo as intermodal travel is still stupidly expensive in the North East right now.

(08 Jul 2025, 10:07 am)Superman wrote Yikes! Some are a big jump. Lots of variability suggests purposeful decision by product rather than a blanket increase which is normally the case.

You can't really compare with the train though, as it's fares are subsided along the Northumberland Line, so they aren't the real 'commercial' fare.

Maybe pushing people into the day ticket instead?

Or increasing their reimbursement from the Day Tickets? The North East capped fares scheme works on a 'revenue forgone' basis - it's no partnership: https://www.northeast-ca.gov.uk/download...eme-v3.pdf

How come Arriva charging £22.70 Tyne and Wear 7 day ticket  soon to be £27 while others are charging £30?

(09 Jul 2025, 9:59 am)Panasonic44 wrote How come Arriva charging £22.70 Tyne and Wear 7 day ticket  soon to be £27 while others are charging £30?

It's not a multimodal ticket and they've got nothing in Tyne and Wear nowadays really, the 306/308 being covered by their own ticket.

There's only really the 43/44/45, the X7/X8 from Burradon to Newcastle, the 57/57A from Whitley to Earsdon and the X12 from Birtley to Newcastle. No doubt I've forgot something but think that's it. It's dreadful value really.

(09 Jul 2025, 1:58 pm)Storx wrote It's not a multimodal ticket and they've got nothing in Tyne and Wear nowadays really, the 306/308 being covered by their own ticket.

There's only really the 43/44/45, the X7/X8 from Burradon to Newcastle, the 57/57A from Whitley to Earsdon and the X12 from Birtley to Newcastle. No doubt I've forgot something but think that's it. It's dreadful value really.

X14/18 etc and the X21/22, too.

(09 Jul 2025, 3:01 pm)BusLoverMum wrote X14/18 etc and the X21/22, too.

Ah buggar, aye forgot about the few stops along the Great North Road for them. Be interesting if there's many people who use them purely within Newcastle Council as I can't imagine there's much demand from the Regent Centre to Newcastle, in particular, unless you've lost the plot or hate the Metro for some bizarre reason.

(10 Jul 2025, 6:47 pm)Storx wrote Ah buggar, aye forgot about the few stops along the Great North Road for them. Be interesting if there's many people who use them purely within Newcastle Council as I can't imagine there's much demand from the Regent Centre to Newcastle, in particular, unless you've lost the plot or hate the Metro for some bizarre reason.

Why wouldn't there be?

The bus is quicker, more frequent, and cheaper than the Metro between those two points. The bus is also significantly more reliable at present - arguably between those two locations travelling on the Metro would be the questionable choice.

Once again, I implore you to actually go and look at the strength of these corridors before writing them off. As someone who sees this specific corridor on a daily basis, there is a consistently decent demand from Regent Centre to Newcastle.

(10 Jul 2025, 6:47 pm)Storx wrote Ah buggar, aye forgot about the few stops along the Great North Road for them. Be interesting if there's many people who use them purely within Newcastle Council as I can't imagine there's much demand from the Regent Centre to Newcastle, in particular, unless you've lost the plot or hate the Metro for some bizarre reason.

Why? The journey time from Regent Centre to Newcastle on the bus is pretty much the same as the Metro and a lot more frequent too.

And the fare is only £2.30 on the bus, compared to £2.90 on the Metro (or £4 if you don't have a POP card).

(09 Jul 2025, 1:58 pm)Storx wrote It's not a multimodal ticket and they've got nothing in Tyne and Wear nowadays really, the 306/308 being covered by their own ticket.

There's only really the 43/44/45, the X7/X8 from Burradon to Newcastle, the 57/57A from Whitley to Earsdon and the X12 from Birtley to Newcastle. No doubt I've forgot something but think that's it. It's dreadful value really.

So, you mean a set of services with a combined frequency that rivals the GNE 21, Stagecoach 39/40, and 62/63? 

What would you charge for a 43/44/45 weekly ticket then, given that GNE price the Angel weekly ticket at £24? Is that 'dreadful value'?

What ticket would you use for Ashington to Newcastle basically comparing bus vs Train

(10 Jul 2025, 8:18 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote What ticket would you use for Ashington to Newcastle basically comparing bus vs Train

It would be a TNE All Zone, which is £31.50 at the moment. 

More expensive than the (subsidised) train fares, but evidently people are still paying it. The X20s in particular are always rammed when I see them in and around the peaks. X21/22s don't seem massively different to before either, and obviously those routes are about far more than just Ashington to Newcastle.

(10 Jul 2025, 8:18 pm)PH - BQA wrote So, you mean a set of services with a combined frequency that rivals the GNE 21, Stagecoach 39/40, and 62/63? 

What would you charge for a 43/44/45 weekly ticket then, given that GNE price the Angel weekly ticket at £24? Is that 'dreadful value'?

Not sure the Angel is a fair comparison, considering you can get all the way to Brandon and includes the X21 between Durham and Newcastle aswell (and in fairness I've made comments on how the Angel is a rip off before anyway).

£20'ish is a fair price, and is roughly the same price as the respective Stagecoach ticket (£19), Metro A+B - similar distance (£20.30) or GoNorthEast (£21) for similar journeys. £27 is not competitive at all considering the vast majority of journeys are from Wideopen and South and £5.40 a day for the length of those journeys are not reasonable by any stretch of the imagination. £4 a day, considering connecting journeys pretty much don't exist - is a fair price imo.

(10 Jul 2025, 8:18 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote What ticket would you use for Ashington to Newcastle basically comparing bus vs Train

(Train / Pop (Inc. Metro) / Bus)

Ashington
Weekly: £24/£30/£36
Monthly: £92.20/£105/£137
Yearly: £960/£985/£1370

Blyth/Seaton Delaval
Weekly: £20/£26.90/£36
Monthly: £76.80/£98.30/£137
Yearly: £800/£904/£1370

That's the prices, the Arriva fares are just completely mental, especially at Blyth and Seaton Delaval. Also the train fares are subsidised is nonsense, as the government is subsidising the £2.50 fares aswell, not to mention the likes of BSOG and other handouts they're getting so it's much of the same really.

(10 Jul 2025, 8:33 pm)Storx wrote Not sure the Angel is a fair comparison, considering you can get all the way to Brandon and includes the X21 between Durham and Newcastle aswell (and in fairness I've made comments on how the Angel is a rip off before anyway).

£20'ish is a fair price, and is roughly the same price as the respective Stagecoach ticket (£19), Metro A+B - similar distance (£20.30) or GoNorthEast (£21) for similar journeys. £27 is not competitive at all considering the vast majority of journeys are from Wideopen and South and £5.40 a day for the length of those journeys are not reasonable by any stretch of the imagination. £4 a day, considering connecting journeys pretty much don't exist - is a fair price imo.


(Train / Pop (Inc. Metro) / Bus)

Ashington
Weekly: £24/£30/£36
Monthly: £92.20/£105/£137
Yearly: £960/£985/£1370

Blyth/Seaton Delaval
Weekly: £20/£26.90/£36
Monthly: £76.80/£98.30/£137
Yearly: £800/£904/£1370

That's the prices, the Arriva fares are just completely mental, especially at Blyth and Seaton Delaval. Also the train fares are subsidised is nonsense, as the government is subsidising the £2.50 fares aswell, not to mention the likes of BSOG and other handouts they're getting so it's much of the same really.

Your initial point though was that Arriva "have nothing" left in T&W, where in reality they operate two of the best served corridors in the region (GNR and Coast Road). Evidently they see their offering as something of that value, and the majority of people will also move to simply buying 2x singles a day (if they aren't already).

Moving onto the train pricing, quite frankly you're continuing to compare apples to oranges. I remember this discussion being had prior to the line opening, and the prediction that the Arriva Northumbria network would be decimated. Posts to the contrary indicating that the Morpeth and Cramlington corridors are two of their strongest, and compete with trains, were palmed off by yourself. Maybe they know what they're doing with their pricing more than people on the internet?

I guess Arriva just aren't seeing the impact of the Northumberland lineb on their passenger numbers, if they are happy to go with their own pricing strategy, completely ignoring the train?

Arguably, the train more likely tempted car users out of the car, rather than loads of existing bus users... Unless you live next to a station, the bus will still likely be preferred.

(10 Jul 2025, 9:20 pm)PH - BQA wrote Your initial point though was that Arriva "have nothing" left in T&W, where in reality they operate two of the best served corridors in the region (GNR and Coast Road). Evidently they see their offering as something of that value, and the majority of people will also move to simply buying 2x singles a day (if they aren't already).

Moving onto the train pricing, quite frankly you're continuing to compare apples to oranges. I remember this discussion being had prior to the line opening, and the prediction that the Arriva Northumbria network would be decimated. Posts to the contrary indicating that the Morpeth and Cramlington corridors are two of their strongest, and compete with trains, were palmed off by yourself. Maybe they know what they're doing with their pricing more than people on the internet?

3/6 of the stations aren't open yet, so I'm not sure you can make those comments as of yet, especially Bedlington which is right in the middle of the X21, which that and the X22 has already had multiple boards downgraded to single decker to benefit people in East Cleveland instead before this even opened...

Also Cramlington and Morpeth are not comparable at all, as it's an hourly service and for the case of Morpeth is miles away from the centre which is a place people actually want to go to, unlike Blyth and that's before going into the point the buses run beyond Morpeth anyway. Mind I'm still looking for that bus from Stobhill to Newcastle which doesn't take 2 weeks...

(10 Jul 2025, 9:50 pm)Storx wrote 2/5 of the stations aren't open yet, so I'm not sure you can make those comments as of yet, especially Bedlington which is right in the middle of the X21, which that and the X22 has already had multiple boards downgraded to single decker to benefit people in East Cleveland instead...

Also Cramlington and Morpeth are not comparable at all, as it's an hourly service and for the case of Morpeth is miles away from the centre which is a place people actually want to go to, unlike Blyth and that's before going into the point the buses run beyond Morpeth anyway. Mind I'm still looking for that bus from Stobhill to Newcastle which doesn't take 2 weeks...

3 of 20 X21/22 boards are single decker on paper. 

Morpeth is far more than an hourly service. The following trains today from Morpeth called at Newcastle: 0638, 0704, 0713, 0738, 0759, 0825, 0855, 0920, 0955, 1038, 1055, 1101, 1120, 1155, 1234, 1255, 1320, 1355, 1455, 1515, 1521, 1540, 1555, 1655, 1720, 1727, 1755, 1855, 1901, 1924, 1951, 2000, 2041, 2056, 2102, 2114, 2157, 2229, 2255. 

39 trains between 0638 and 2255. Roughly 2-3 per hour, in the morning peak you have 4 trains between 7 and 8am. 

If you're making the point that Morpeth station is miles away from the centre, please could you tell me how that is any different to Bedlington Station, Newsham, or Bebside. All of which are nowhere near Bedlington or Blyth town centres.

(10 Jul 2025, 10:02 pm)PH - BQA wrote 3 of 20 X21/22 boards are single decker on paper. 

Morpeth is far more than an hourly service. The following trains today from Morpeth called at Newcastle: 0638, 0704, 0713, 0738, 0759, 0825, 0855, 0920, 0955, 1038, 1055, 1101, 1120, 1155, 1234, 1255, 1320, 1355, 1455, 1515, 1521, 1540, 1555, 1655, 1720, 1727, 1755, 1855, 1901, 1924, 1951, 2000, 2041, 2056, 2102, 2114, 2157, 2229, 2255. 

39 trains between 0638 and 2255. Roughly 2-3 per hour, in the morning peak you have 4 trains between 7 and 8am. 

If you're making the point that Morpeth station is miles away from the centre, please could you tell me how that is any different to Bedlington Station, Newsham, or Bebside. All of which are nowhere near Bedlington or Blyth town centres.

No-one wants to go to Bedlington/Blyth they're both awful places with nothing at either of them, unlike Morpeth which is a destination place for people outside the local area so there is some demand for it.

There's no buses to Newcastle, anywhere near Morpeth station either, which is the same as Chester-Le-Street and most Metro stations, unless they're doing local journeys like the 22 (SNE) and 27 (GNE) which have another purpose. 

It's way too early to still be making comments either way as even if Arriva was failing, they wouldn't be butchering the network immediately, unless they really do want to kill the network. You can always just rip off passengers on the likes of the 43/44/45, who have no alternative, to cross subsidise other services by having 20% price increases overnight though... No doubt what GNE do with their Angel services aswell. 

It's a shame Stagecoach don't cover more areas as their prices are fair across the board, £22.50 from Hartlepool to Middlesbrough/Stockton for example, much better value than the £30 from Newton Aycliffe to Darlington.

(10 Jul 2025, 10:10 pm)Storx wrote There's no buses to Newcastle, anywhere near Morpeth station either.

I can’t be bothered to reply to the constant goalpost shifting, so I will leave it at this:

It is a 4 minute walk from Morpeth station to Mafeking Roundabout - a stop served by all Morpeth bus express services. 

There is constant evidence that you don’t really know what you’re talking about on this subject, yet you continue to make increasingly incorrect statements.

(10 Jul 2025, 10:32 pm)PH - BQA wrote I can’t be bothered to reply to the constant goalpost shifting, so I will leave it at this:

It is a 4 minute walk from Morpeth station to Mafeking Roundabout - a stop served by all Morpeth bus express services. 

There is constant evidence that you don’t really know what you’re talking about on this subject, yet you continue to make increasingly incorrect statements.

Edited to be more friendly as I was cranky last night because of the heat as an understatement. 

---

To be fair though, you're moving the goals posts talking about Morpeth which has been around for years so isn't really comparable and the buses are very much different because of the extensions to Alnwick, Amble and so on which are sizable communities as it is. The X20 is another, which again has extensions North and also serves the side of Ashington furthest from the train.

I see the X7, almost daily, running around with single figures at the Blyth side (beyond Seghill) yet every train is dropping off double number of passengers and there's now even a van selling coffee's in the morning and all the local groups are people commenting how much they love the train and don't have to rely on the [fit negative word here] Arriva bus. The other side is busier though, thank to the extra passengers from Quorum since the Four Lane End links have effectively been killed and the new housing estates from the Gosforth Park so to an extent there's probably parts where we're both right.

ie. for the X22, there's been 6 people lost from the Ashington area, but they've been gained from Bedlington and the new massive housing estate at the West side of Cramlington so overall there's no impact.

Also I explicitly mentioned Stobhill, so not sure where that goal post is being moved. Obviously you could be obtuse and mention the 43, but no-one sane is travelling that end to end. For the record, Morpeth station also has 500k passengers a year - so someone is using it...

(10 Jul 2025, 10:10 pm)Storx wrote No-one wants to go to Bedlington/Blyth they're both awful places with nothing at either of them, unlike Morpeth which is a destination place for people outside the local area so there is some demand for it.

There's no buses to Newcastle, anywhere near Morpeth station either, which is the same as Chester-Le-Street and most Metro stations, unless they're doing local journeys like the 22 (SNE) and 27 (GNE) which have another purpose. 

It's way too early to still be making comments either way as even if Arriva was failing, they wouldn't be butchering the network immediately, unless they really do want to kill the network. You can always just rip off passengers on the likes of the 43/44/45, who have no alternative, to cross subsidise other services by having 20% price increases overnight though... No doubt what GNE do with their Angel services aswell. 

It's a shame Stagecoach don't cover more areas as their prices are fair across the board, £22.50 from Hartlepool to Middlesbrough/Stockton for example, much better value than the £30 from Newton Aycliffe to Darlington.

Completely agree with the comments out of T/W

Arriva Teesside weekly going to £22.50
From £19 while the stagecoach ticket of the same boundary is £17.50 seems rather steep! Eliminating the X3/4 saver which is currently £18.50 a week and when I last did X3/4’s was a very very well sold ticket - replacing that with the full tees valley ticket at £32.50 is a very very hefty increase! That move WILL put people onto the train between Middlesbrough - Saltburn and a number of stations inbetween! Half hourly rail service which has been hammered with cancellations but is also much improved of late!

Mind in all of this there are some small bright shoots! The new Redcar and East Cleveland ticket is much needed and has been asked for, for a long time by passengers! Many in East Cleveland don’t actually travel out of East Cleveland but have had to pay a huge premium in the past!

Based on the 'expert' comments on here, Arriva have no idea what they are doing and we shall look forward to the North East going out of business in the next 12 months.

I do agree, on the face of it, things like Teesside increasing significantly higher than the Stagecoach Megarider makes no sense, but if you look more deeply, unless you live in central Stockton or Middlesbrough areas, where you have a real choice, you probably need to buy that ticket.

The Middlesbrough zone, which quietly sits right over the common sections of network noted above is still matching the Megarider for price. 

They know exactly what they are doing, whether we agree with it, or not.

(Yesterday, 6:27 am)Superman wrote Based on the 'expert' comments on here, Arriva have no idea what they are doing and we shall look forward to the North East going out of business in the next 12 months.

I do agree, on the face of it, things like Teesside increasing significantly higher than the Stagecoach Megarider makes no sense, but if you look more deeply, unless you live in central Stockton or Middlesbrough areas, where you have a real choice, you probably need to buy that ticket.

The Middlesbrough zone, which quietly sits right over the common sections of network noted above is still matching the Megarider for price. 

They know exactly what they are doing, whether we agree with it, or not.

To be fair no-one said they're going out of business. They could charge £50 and some people would still have to buy the tickets as they've got no choice, like you said.

Sadly one of the big negatives of privatisation and the monopoly of areas. Just thankfully there's the £2.50/£3.00 in cap in place right now as I wouldn't want to know what the price would be without it, which they're likely abusing at the same time, by removing any form of discounted tickets so they can no doubt grab more money back from the tax payer.