Stumbled upon this late last night because I had been contemplating walking to work instead of the Metro.

These tunnels are closing sometime in the near future for 12 months to allow refurbishment and the public will be given one month notice. There will be a free shuttle bus service operating up to every 20 minutes. I immediately assumed that the cycle-friendly Lime buses by Go North East would be used, but apparently a cycle trailer towed by the shuttle bus will accommodate 16 bikes at a time instead.

I'm not sure if normal public service vehicles can carry trailers? I would imagine it would be a small minibus that runs the service to save on costs.

Full details can be found here -

http://www.tynepedestrianandcyclisttunnels.co.uk/faqs/

I know this post is a bit late but.... One of the scania bendies caught fire this morning on the coast road, fortunately I was on it haha filled up with black smoke and eventually engine cut out so looks like it could be the end of the line for that bus (didn't catch fleet number)

Yes thats right, it goes 50A/22/23. To be honest the 50A does get anything from Durham depot so its not rare to see anything on it to be fair!

Hi

I today noticed an ex - Lothian Dennis Trident (Plaxton V531 LSC or something very similar) operating for Kingsleys. No idea how long they have had it but I haven't seen it before just used to the ex Stagecoach ALX 400 Tridents.

I admire Kingsleys as you can see (for a small operator) how they have evolved and got newer buses for the school journeys etc (shame though I have a big soft spot for Metrobuses).

Speaking of the Metrobuses, do Kingsleys have any left and do they still have the ex GNE Deltas?

(04 Sep 2012, 5:26 pm)Brandon wrote Coinciding with the extension of Monday to Saturday daytime service 4 buses from Downhill to Town End Farm, Stagecoach are launching a "North Estates Dayrider" for £3 from Monday until the end of October, instead of the usual Dayrider price of £3.70 for the whole of Tyne and Wear. I assume this will be for a trial period to see how it goes. The new management at Stagecoach North East are clearly being more proactive in their defence against Go North East's service 36. I'll personally be sticking with the 36 because their weekly ticket still works out cheaper than Stagecoach's Megarider, and I use it for the 99 to Hylton Castle too.

http://www.stagecoachbus.com/Northestatesdayrider.aspx

I think the extension to the 4 will have some impact on the 36. I tend to us ethe 36 with my wife who has a key card but if we just go to the town and back we use Stagecoach. Where both the 36 and the 4 fall down and if Stagecoach wanted the upper hand in Town End Farm that badly, all service 4 journeys would go to Town End not just Monday to Saturday day times.

Personally I have not much hope for the 36 now. Reliabilty has decreased (although once the Wheatsheaf is sorted it should hopefull improve) and the buses seem to rattle (they have not aged well). Also the 36 has the fare gaurantee thingy - so far I am still waiting on money refunds....

As for the North Estates Ticket, I assume that is very similar to the Sunderland Day ticket offered by GNE just for the North of Sunderland only though?

Here is the place to chat about anything you want

News about Stagecoach North East goes here.

Northumberland CC has published some details re September's changes:

http://www.northumberland.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=3972

Noticed that there's new express services via Freeman Hospital. Wonder if Stagecoach might get upset?