July 2023 changes

[Michael]

8th July:


PB0003954/1079
Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED X6 (X6) Peterlee Sunderland


PB0003954/1289
Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED 208 Easington Village Peterlee

[Unber43]

well isn't that convenient

[Iamtheone8483748]

Will this be an increase or decrease in service?

[cbma06]

well isn't that convenient

The 208 is dcc contract, so will be a retiming issue between Peterlee and Easington to coincide with Arriva 22/23 bus changes


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[Unber43]

Will this be an increase or decrease in service?

X6 I assume increase

[cbma06]

X6 I assume increase

Can’t see that to be quite honest really, increasing the x6 to half hourly will cost GNE use of another bus , plus at least 2 more drivers wages etc… , if the x6 needed more capacity then it would be more of putting a single decker on than a solo.


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[F114TML]

Probably just retiming a couple journeys to make them fit with the 208 changes.

[Unber43]

Can’t see that to be quite honest really, increasing the x6 to half hourly will cost GNE use of another bus , plus at least 2 more drivers wages etc… , if the x6 needed more capacity then it would be more of putting a single decker on than a solo.


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Why not GNE already do remote change overs for the 208/206 afaik, only the 201/209/210 interwork with the X6 currently, if they timed it right they could all interwork.

[Storx]

Why not GNE already do remote change overs for the 208/206 afaik, only the 201/209/210 interwork with the X6 currently, if they timed it right they could all interwork.

Those 5 routes are all contract routes so they'll make money regardless. The X6 isn't. They're losing money left right and centre, they won't be expanding on corridors where another operator is dropping buses as no-one uses it imo.

The pensioner pass farce down there won't help either. It might being the opposite and it becoming peak only runs to get the bus to Peterlee and vice versa (I don't know though) but that would leave no service between Seaham and Peterlee at all.

[Jimmi]

Those 5 routes are all contract routes so they'll make money regardless. The X6 isn't. They're losing money left right and centre, they won't be expanding on corridors where another operator is dropping buses as no-one uses it imo.

The pensioner pass farce down there won't help either. It might being the opposite and it becoming peak only runs to get the bus to Peterlee and vice versa (I don't know though) but that would leave no service between Seaham and Peterlee at all.

Surely, if the demand was there for 2 direct GNE buses an hour between Peterlee and Sunderland then you would've thought that the X7 wouldn't have been withdrawn?

Part of the proposals for the 22/23 did suggest at looking to revise the times of the 208 to better align up with the new 22/23 times, the changes also suggested that there would be 4 direct buses left overall between Peterlee and Sunderland although I think that's counting the 61.

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[Storx]

Surely, if the demand was there for 2 direct GNE buses an hour between Peterlee and Sunderland then you would've thought that the X7 wouldn't have been withdrawn?

Part of the proposals for the 22/23 did suggest at looking to revise the times of the 208 to better align up with the new 22/23 times, the changes also suggested that there would be 4 direct buses left overall between Peterlee and Sunderland although I think that's counting the 61.

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Yeah totally agreed, it's just one of those corridors where people just don't seem to travel and I'm not really surprised there's not exactly anything at either end to seriously commute without doubling back to where the jobs actually are ie. Doxford Park which are car orientated, similar to the offices at Peterlee.

I'm surprised the 22/23 is around at all, I've seen it a couple times now with around 4 people on at rush hour. Never a sign of a successful route. I have a feeling it's more a political move to avoid the, 'Arriva is based in Sunderland and don't serve the city,' type of criticism.

[Drifter60]

Surely, if the demand was there for 2 direct GNE buses an hour between Peterlee and Sunderland then you would've thought that the X7 wouldn't have been withdrawn?

Part of the proposals for the 22/23 did suggest at looking to revise the times of the 208 to better align up with the new 22/23 times, the changes also suggested that there would be 4 direct buses left overall between Peterlee and Sunderland although I think that's counting the 61.

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Hardly surprised to see the 22/23 cutback on the Sunderland end of the routes, as people have said they’re rarely carrying huge numbers. I think my overall opinion is that the bus network is a mess. Really the suggestion that the X6 go half hourly isn’t too crazy, although I can’t see it happening in the current climate, as you’re left with Arriva offering 2 buses per hour taking 45 minutes whereas GNE’s X6 does it 10 minutes quicker. And really counting the 61 which takes over an hour to get from point to point, is rather stretching it a bit. But this is where I think bus networks fall down now, as competition is all but dead. Arriva and GNE could compete on a roughly similar corridor with Arriva having a longer journey time, but serving the villages and GNE having a quicker journey that serves less areas but does go via the key travel areas. But they don’t do that, too risky…

[Unber43]

THe only reason I think the X6 could be improved frequency wise is the fact that it is always busy both ways. But aswell 208 is standalone.

X6 could be timed to leave 10 mins before the 22/23 leaves

[Jimmi]

In an ideal world, this is where all this partnership stuff would come in handy, especially with mutual ticket acceptance, you could now roughly time it so there's a 15 minute frequency between Dalton Park and Sunderland between the 22/23 & 61 and have the 60 slot in between to offer a 7/8 minute frequency between Westlea and Sunderland.

The way things are now, competition is pretty much dead and think the only way forward is some joined up thinking and more partnerships like what has been done along the Coast Road with the 306-309.

[Unber43]

But the thing is, thats two difference companies fighting for profitablity, really the only reason 306-309 thing was done was because GNE/ANE never wanted to give up any compeition it wasn't done for passengers it was done to save their pocket, as they didn't need GNE/ANE at every 3 mins along the coast road. (presumable the 306/308 where every 15 mins each)

Where as Arriva has already slashed competition. I wonder whether the 61 could see an increase and do a loop around Easington, Dalton Park, Sunderland. but I doubt that would happen unless ANE totally pulled out of Sunderland

[purplesolo]

THe only reason I think the X6 could be improved frequency wise is the fact that it is always busy both ways. But aswell 208 is standalone.

X6 could be timed to leave 10 mins before the 22/23 leaves

The X6 is never ‘always’ busy both ways. Busiest journey is the 8am from Park Lane as we get all the office workers from Spectrum, rest of the time we don’t get close to filling a solo. Not unusual to leave Peterlee empty either.

[Unber43]

Tbf we must be seeing different loads as when I see them its always busy going in and out of Sunderland, also both ways doesn't necessarily mean From Peterlee to Sunderland the entire way

[Michael]

8th July:


PB0003954/1079
Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED X6 (X6) Peterlee Sunderland


PB0003954/1289
Variation GO NORTH EAST LIMITED 208 Easington Village Peterlee

Both down as a timetable change - according to the CSV on VOSA.

[Unber43]

Both down as a timetable change - according to the CSV on VOSA.

If it was a frequency increase, would that show up seperately?

[Michael]

If it was a frequency increase, would that show up seperately?

Honestly not sure, I think it depends how the company submits them to VOSA.