(27 Oct 2022, 11:44 am)Kuyoyo wrote Been confirmed by GCT staff members posting on a Facebook group that those 4 examples are for the Park & Ride service in Durham. It would appear they plan to use Sprinters on the Cathedral services.
As for staff, the Park and Ride will be already staffed up - the drivers who are currently with Scarlet Band will move to GCT under TUPE, as they did when Arriva won the contract in 2009 from Scarlet Band and back to Scarlet Band when they regained it in 2014.

(28 Oct 2022, 6:49 pm)Rob44 wrote was just talking to one of my collogues. she gets the 69 home. waited over an hour and no bus so getting lift of her son. Bu she was telling me someone she works with gets the 69 in the other direction. she went out to work and waited for 69 with an elderly woman who was going to qe for appointment. no bus came so she rang GCT and they said it had broken down. Another bus was on its way but couldn't say when. She told them she was late for work and the lady was in tears cause she was going to miss her appointment. She asked them to send a taxi and they would share the cost but didn't have one for 40 minutes. She as to speak to someone higher and go the co owner who after listening to her came to collect them in his Tessler and took her to work and the lady to her appointment jus in time!

(31 Oct 2022, 1:27 pm)Retro Nero wrote Does anyone have any pics of GCT operating around Durham yet

(31 Oct 2022, 1:46 pm)BusLoverMum wrote No pics. Its a nexus E200 on the 62, though.

(05 Nov 2022, 9:41 pm)wibblejunior wrote I've worked out that  the allocations for each of the Durham routes each day this week seem to be exactly the same:

40/41 - LN20 OPO, LO70 KXA
42 - YX21 RUJ
47 - LO70 KXB
52/53 - YX21 RUO
61/62 - YX20 OCF
204 - YX21 RPV
PR1 - YX72 OKU/OKZ/OLH
PR2 - YX72 OKW, YX19 ONR

(25 Nov 2022, 6:17 pm)Andreos1 wrote Dunno if it was ever confirmed on here, but GCT do have their vehicles going back to Tyneside at the end of the shift, rather than running any outstation in the Durham area.

They can often be seen in convoy heading north on the A1 if anyone fancies an artistic nighttime shot

(26 Nov 2022, 12:57 pm)Thomas12 wrote Must admit, GCT seem to have been pretty good in the delivery of the Durham services, without having a knock on effect to the Nexus contracts. Quite surprised about that

(13 Dec 2022, 8:42 am)Jonathan93102 wrote Hello all,

Just wondering if Gateshead Centrals reliability on the Nexus contracts has dipped.

I often get the 558 which runs between Heworth and Seaburn hourly. Last week and this week it seems to be operating on a 2 hourly basis.

Does anybody have any insight into this?

I’m surprised they are getting away with this when there’s no information on the internet about services being cancelled. 2 hours is a long time to wait for a bus, if they are going to do this they should be putting it out like GNE do about cancellations.

Thanks,

Jonathan

(15 Dec 2022, 6:08 pm)Thomas12 wrote They have failed to run several 335 services each day this week.

GCT seem to go through periods of awful reliability for a few weeks, then pretty decent and repeat

(15 Dec 2022, 9:50 pm)Jonathan93102 wrote Hello, 

Thanks for the reply. 

I feel sorry for the drivers who have to operate these services because inevitably they will be the ones who get the complaints and it’s out of their hands. 

Will Nexus be aware they are not running certain services? I don’t know if they’ll get fined or not. Not sure whether the company have to inform Nexus? 

I had a family member who used to work for Redby Buses, they used to operate the 558 and they told me the company used to get fined if they didn’t operate a service. This was going back a long time to 2007/2008. 

I feel public transport up here has really gone down the tubes over the years. London and the South have some fantastic connections and good fares. 

They want more people to use public transport but with the amount of cuts seen lately it’s a bit off putting. 

I should point out the vehicles I’ve been on that GCT were using on the 558 were very smart inside, Wi-Fi and USB’s and high backed seats. 

When my relative was on the 558 with Redby, they had some nice buses to start off with but then rubbish ones started getting put on towards the end of the contract, those long Optare things that are low to the floor. I remember they used to always complain about the light bulb tubes rattling like something not right when stationary. Freezing cold in the winter too. 

Thanks, 

J

(16 Dec 2022, 1:14 am)logidoodah wrote The 558 InterWorks with the 515 and possibly the 568 (all terminating at Heworth) this may be why there's delays? Are these services also affected by the 2 hour frequency.?

(16 Dec 2022, 1:14 am)logidoodah wrote The 558 InterWorks with the 515 and possibly the 568 (all terminating at Heworth) this may be why there's delays? Are these services also affected by the 2 hour frequency.?