Looks to be that there is some form of TTRO on barrack road on the 12.I’m assuming that it affects the rest of the buses that go via barrack road including the 39/40.Is there some sort of road works coming up or something like that?

Stagecoach are to introduce a new service in South Shields to compliment the existing service 12 that was cut from every 30 minutes to hourly in May.
The new service will be numbered 13 and will run from the Town Centre to Cleadon Park(The Lonnen) via the coast, possibly similar to the 516 if not instead of.
Watch this space....

(15 Jul 2025, 4:07 pm)Retro Nero wrote Stagecoach are to introduce a new service in South Shields to compliment the existing service 12 that was cut from every 30 minutes to hourly in May.
The new service will be numbered 13 and will run from the Town Centre to Cleadon Park(The Lonnen) via the coast, possibly similar to the 516 if not instead of.
Watch this space....

Used to be both the 512 and 513 to The Lonnen, back in the day..   God, arent I old?

(15 Jul 2025, 6:56 pm)LVK 404L wrote Used to be both the 512 and 513 to The Lonnen, back in the day..   God, arent I old?

No not really, I remember the 43,& 44, 
I think the 43 was Pier Head to Watson Avenue and the 44 was The Lonnen,... Yes two separate services up Quarry Lane, and I think one went up Larch Avenue from Prince Edward Rd, ( you will have to Google Maps)..,so I think I'm bloody old

(15 Jul 2025, 4:07 pm)Retro Nero wrote Stagecoach are to introduce a new service in South Shields to compliment the existing service 12 that was cut from every 30 minutes to hourly in May.
The new service will be numbered 13 and will run from the Town Centre to Cleadon Park(The Lonnen) via the coast, possibly similar to the 516 if not instead of.
Watch this space....

Chronicle article has a quote from Stagecoach: "A Stagecoach spokesperson said: 'We have developed a proposal in collaboration with Nexus which could provide a half-hourly bus link to Cleadon Park. This would be delivered through a combination of two bus routes, services 12 and 13 (each running hourly).'"

So they've cut the service, resisted the uproar it's created locally, and then just been handed public money to provide an additional service to make up the half hour frequency? Has this even gone through a competitive tender exercise?

(16 Jul 2025, 3:01 pm)Adrian wrote Chronicle article has a quote from Stagecoach: "A Stagecoach spokesperson said: 'We have developed a proposal in collaboration with Nexus which could provide a half-hourly bus link to Cleadon Park. This would be delivered through a combination of two bus routes, services 12 and 13 (each running hourly).'"

So they've cut the service, resisted the uproar it's created locally, and then just been handed public money to provide an additional service to make up the half hour frequency? Has this even gone through a competitive tender exercise? 

Nothing ever changes does it?

(16 Jul 2025, 6:53 pm)Andreos1 wrote Nothing ever changes does it?

Well the 13 route does seem similar to the 516, a service drawn from the subsidised one?

(16 Jul 2025, 3:01 pm)Adrian wrote Chronicle article has a quote from Stagecoach: "A Stagecoach spokesperson said: 'We have developed a proposal in collaboration with Nexus which could provide a half-hourly bus link to Cleadon Park. This would be delivered through a combination of two bus routes, services 12 and 13 (each running hourly).'"

So they've cut the service, resisted the uproar it's created locally, and then just been handed public money to provide an additional service to make up the half hour frequency? Has this even gone through a competitive tender exercise?

To be fair isn't this the point of the partnership though? If it does involve the 516, then it's a good move imo. There's plenty other contracts around which don't go up for tender, especially evening and Sunday services.

It's certainly better than the other operator who just drops everything and then wins the contracts back on routes they ditched. To make it even worse, then when they lose the same contract, miraculously the bus is commercially viable again like the 67 and 69. 

Personally I wish we seen more stuff like this, a partnership has to work both ways imo. 

Mind that said, if it does go in that direction, I don't really understand why it's not being ran as a loop rather than two buses terminating in the middle of nowhere. The links to the seafront, could be popular from areas it serves.

The 12 and the new 13 will both be hourly loop services departing what I'll can twice an hour and serving The Lonnen every 30 minutes

The 12/13 will essentially replace the 516 between Century Avenue (Harton Nook) and the interchange.

The half half of the loop will be more or less the current 12 route

(17 Jul 2025, 8:30 pm)Ds1197 wrote The 12 and the new 13 will both be hourly loop services departing what I'll can twice an hour and serving The Lonnen every 30 minutes

The 12/13 will essentially replace the 516 between Century Avenue (Harton Nook) and the interchange.

The half half of the loop will be more or less the current 12 route

Does the 516 continue?

(17 Jul 2025, 10:38 pm)Economic505 wrote Does the 516 continue?

No it's getting replaced by the 12/13

Half the route will be comically operated the other half secured by Nexus

(17 Jul 2025, 10:38 pm)Economic505 wrote Does the 516 continue?

Confirmed on VOSA now.



PB0002404/400
Cancellation BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 516 South Shields Interchange South Tyneside District Hospital

--------

PB0002404/3
Variation BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 12 Two Ball Lonnen Walker or Wallsend

PB0002404/8
Variation BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 39 (40) Chapel House or Dumpling Hall Wallsend or Walker

PB0002404/40
Variation BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 87 (72A, 71, 72) Grainger Street North Walbottle, Chapel House or Newbiggin Hall

PB0002404/9
Variation BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 63 (62) Killingworth Throckley, North Walbottle or Middle Callerton

PB0002404/385
Variation BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 18 Benton Estate or Quorum Walker

PB0002404/2
Variation BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 11 (10) Chapel House or West Denton Park North Kenton

PB0002404/29
Variation BUSWAYS TRAVEL SERVICES LTD 12 (13) South Shields Town Centre South Shields The Lonnen

(16 Jul 2025, 8:28 pm)Storx wrote It's certainly better than the other operator who just drops everything and then wins the contracts back on routes they ditched.

You're still talking about Stagecoach, right? 

(See Services 13 & 35 in Stockton and 3 in Hartlepool. TLDR - Stagecoach told TVCA they will cancel them, TVCA fully tender them, Stagecoach win them.)

Really the question should be, where is the scrutiny on allowing BSIP funds to be used in this way?

(18 Jul 2025, 4:03 pm)Superman wrote You're still talking about Stagecoach, right? 

(See Services 13 & 35 in Stockton and 3 in Hartlepool. TLDR - Stagecoach told TVCA they will cancel them, TVCA fully tender them, Stagecoach win them.)

Really the question should be, where is the scrutiny on allowing BSIP funds to be used in this way?

Even so, Stagecoach are far from being the worst offender

(18 Jul 2025, 4:03 pm)Superman wrote You're still talking about Stagecoach, right? 

(See Services 13 & 35 in Stockton and 3 in Hartlepool. TLDR - Stagecoach told TVCA they will cancel them, TVCA fully tender them, Stagecoach win them.)

Really the question should be, where is the scrutiny on allowing BSIP funds to be used in this way?

The Hartlepool service 3 isn’t subsidised. It’s a commercial operation. Check VOSA.

(18 Jul 2025, 5:18 pm)Economic505 wrote The Hartlepool service 3 isn’t subsidised. It’s a commercial operation. Check VOSA.

As mentioned here it was proposed to be cut and is becoming subsidised via TVCA BSIP https://teesvalley-ca.gov.uk/travel/service-updates/

(18 Jul 2025, 4:03 pm)Superman wrote You're still talking about Stagecoach, right? 

(See Services 13 & 35 in Stockton and 3 in Hartlepool. TLDR - Stagecoach told TVCA they will cancel them, TVCA fully tender them, Stagecoach win them.)

Really the question should be, where is the scrutiny on allowing BSIP funds to be used in this way?

I don’t think they were tendered, just an emergency contract to keep them running. Everything is up for tender in April though…!

(18 Jul 2025, 10:27 pm)tyresmoke wrote I don’t think they were tendered, just an emergency contract to keep them running. Everything is up for tender in April though…!

Emergency contact initially yes, but they have just been competitively retendered until the end of March, so my point still applies. 

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/N...32301-2025

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/N...32122-2025

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/N...32118-2025

Stagecoach have retained them all, but with a nice big cheque behind them.

---

(18 Jul 2025, 5:18 pm)Economic505 wrote The Hartlepool service 3 isn’t subsidised. It’s a commercial operation. Check VOSA.

I love how you can be so confidently wrong.

(19 Jul 2025, 9:45 am)Superman wrote Emergency contact initially yes, but they have just been competitively retendered until the end of March, so my point still applies. 

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/N...32301-2025

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/N...32122-2025

https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/N...32118-2025

Stagecoach have retained them all, but with a nice big cheque behind them.

---

I love how you can be so confidently wrong.

Sorry Superman aka Clark Kent. I defer to your Daily Planet knowledge . Still, I wouldn’t bash SNE , they are the least worst offenders.

(18 Jul 2025, 4:03 pm)Superman wrote You're still talking about Stagecoach, right? 

(See Services 13 & 35 in Stockton and 3 in Hartlepool. TLDR - Stagecoach told TVCA they will cancel them, TVCA fully tender them, Stagecoach win them.)

Really the question should be, where is the scrutiny on allowing BSIP funds to be used in this way?

Truthfully forgot about those, if I was being honest. Ironic speaking of the 35, there's that, the 18 and the 32/32A in the Newcastle area tbf which I also forgot about. 

Agreed on the BSIP funds being used like that though, it's just not what it should be used for as it was meant to be about growing the network and spending it on existing services doesn't do that imo.

The 1/30/31/36(SNE), 21/56(GoNorthEast) and X16(Arriva) is the worst of the worst for it though, least stuff like this new 12/13 in South Shields is opening new links and improving an existing tendered route which might one day become commercially viable. It shouldn't be used to increase existing frequent corridors when there's streets a few streets across without an evening bus service to Newcastle (reference to Portobello in Birtley here), it's just so wrong imo.

I'm not a betting man but I'd be fairly confident that someone isn't using the 1 or 21 because it was every 10 minutes instead of 7.5 minutes. It's neglible.

Was it the 13/14 that used to go down Centenary Avenue in the 90s/early 00s, in the Mercedes minibuses? I remember making my Nanna getting one from the Market because I knew it stopped close to my house, and she was furious with me at how long it took to get to the Nook.

(20 Jul 2025, 12:17 am)deanmachine wrote Was it the 13/14 that used to go down Centenary Avenue in the 90s/early 00s, in the Mercedes minibuses? I remember making my Nanna getting one from the Market because I knew it stopped close to my house, and she was furious with me at how long it took to get to the Nook.

Could have been any of 10/10A/11/11A/13/13A/14/14A. They did that many variations at the time.

Also the 9 went down Centenary during its short lived time.

(20 Jul 2025, 6:22 am)LVK 404L wrote Could have been any of 10/10A/11/11A/13/13A/14/14A. They did that many variations at the time.

Also the 9 went down Centenary during its short lived time.

I remember the 10/10A and 11/11A running during the week and 13A/14A evening & Sundays.
In the mid 90s I seem to recall the 10 serving Beach Road, Bamburgh Avenue, Lincoln Road and Marsden, and the 10A serving the sea front, Westcott Avenue & Centenary Avenue before arriving at the Nook. They then served Harton Moor Estate and the Hospital, then Whiteleas, Biddick Hall (10 via Masefield Drive), Simonside, the Hospital again, then back to the Market via Chichester and Laygate. 11/11A in opposite direction. Total running time for all variants about 55 minutes.