Changes are available

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/...r-march-24

43 on Sundays & Bank Holiday that finshed at Cramlington will now extend to the Hospital

Want to point out. The bustimes.org registration says Revised timetable for 43 and revised route for 306/308 yet the 43 got the revised route and the 306 got the revised timetable

(27 Feb 2024, 11:44 am)Kuyoyo wrote The 415 and 460 are Saturday-only services - and due to the nature of the roads, will be allocated Solos.

Thanks for confirming.

(20 Feb 2024, 10:58 pm)peter wrote Full Darlington service changes confirmed: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/...march-2024

On top of these, there will now be further timetable changes to services 5, 7, 8/8A & ED5 from March 31st owing to a road closure on the A167 at Aycliffe Interchange - junction 59 for the A1(M), which requires buses departing Darlington towards Aycliffe to divert down the A1(M) to junction 58 to turn round and head back along to J59 to rejoin the route on the other side of the closed bridge: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/...8a-and-ed5

An extra 8 mins is required to complete these journeys, and service 7 will drop to a 20 min frequency on weekdays during these weeks (along with Saturdays, which is already the case).

(24 Mar 2024, 1:19 am)Jimmi wrote On top of these, there will now be further timetable changes to services 5, 7, 8/8A & ED5 from March 31st owing to a road closure on the A167 at Aycliffe Interchange - junction 59 for the A1(M), which requires buses departing Darlington towards Aycliffe to divert down the A1(M) to junction 58 to turn round and head back along to J59 to rejoin the route on the other side of the closed bridge: https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/...8a-and-ed5

An extra 8 mins is required to complete these journeys, and service 7 will drop to a 20 min frequency on weekdays during these weeks (along with Saturdays, which is already the case).

It's a shame someone couldn't use their brain and make Brafferton Lane, one way towards Aycliffe so there wouldn't be any time penalty at all...

No doubt everyone else, will be rat running along there regardless.

(24 Mar 2024, 12:07 pm)Storx wrote It's a shame someone couldn't use their brain and make Brafferton Lane, one way towards Aycliffe so there wouldn't be any time penalty at all...

No doubt everyone else, will be rat running along there regardless.

No doubt that will happen, be a nightmare trying to get round there as parts of that route ain't the widest either.

Buses aside, anyone with a brain and knowledge of the area would take alternative routes anyway to completely dodge it although this has been suddenly sprung on us with little to no communication, despite the bridge being coned off down to one lane for about 2 years now.

(24 Mar 2024, 1:21 pm)Jimmi wrote No doubt that will happen, be a nightmare trying to get round there as parts of that route ain't the widest either.

Buses aside, anyone with a brain and knowledge of the area would take alternative routes anyway to completely dodge it although this has been suddenly sprung on us with little to no communication, despite the bridge being coned off down to one lane for about 2 years now.

Yeah you're right there mind, I haven't seen it mentioned it anywhere and it's quite a big closure aswell considering it's the main route out of Darlington North and also to large parts of Teesside aswell without using the Sadberge / Great Stainton rat run.

(24 Mar 2024, 2:17 pm)Storx wrote Yeah you're right there mind, I haven't seen it mentioned it anywhere and it's quite a big closure aswell considering it's the main route out of Darlington North and also to large parts of Teesside aswell without using the Sadberge / Great Stainton rat run.

Brafferton was considered as a diversion but the residents and Darlington borough council didn't want buses and hgvs going through especially if u meet on the little bridge then your stuck

(24 Mar 2024, 6:01 pm)ross13 wrote Brafferton was considered as a diversion but the residents and Darlington borough council didn't want buses and hgvs going through especially if u meet on the little bridge then your stuck

Aye it's a shame they couldn't have made it one way tbh and banned HGV's along it or even everyone 'except for access' like they've done in other areas so the Brafferton lot can still get along.

It's going to be a nightmare because, let's be honest, anyone local will be going along it anyway tbh.

https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/...1711360896

More on the new Saturday services

(25 Mar 2024, 5:57 pm)Andreos1 wrote https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/...1711360896

More on the new Saturday services

Dropping countless runs per day on all their other services but can find the staff for this. Should be stripped of all recent contract awards given they can't run any of them without decimating their other services.

Quote from Head of Commercial Richard McGowan just over a year ago: "We are not going to try and achieve something we know we cannot do, we have learned our lessons from that." (https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/tran...es-3986555).  Evidently they have not learned their lessons.

(25 Mar 2024, 6:43 pm)mb134 wrote Dropping countless runs per day on all their other services but can find the staff for this. Should be stripped of all recent contract awards given they can't run any of them without decimating their other services.

Thing is, if they're running all the contracted services, but dumping the commercial stuff to do it, the folks overseeing the contracts will have nothing to complain about, as the work is being correctly done.  The "passengers" on the commercial routes are well stuffed, but nothing's going to happen about that unless the Traffic Commissioner gets involved, which could take some time.

(26 Mar 2024, 7:39 am)Ianthegoon wrote Thing is, if they're running all the contracted services, but dumping the commercial stuff to do it, the folks overseeing the contracts will have nothing to complain about, as the work is being correctly done.  The "passengers" on the commercial routes are well stuffed, but nothing's going to happen about that unless the Traffic Commissioner gets involved, which could take some time.

The worst part is they're not even running all of the contracted services. Countless Morpeth 43 extensions (BSIP funded) and 57A extensions (BSIP funded) have been dropped over the past few weeks.

(26 Mar 2024, 9:19 am)mb134 wrote The worst part is they're not even running all of the contracted services. Countless Morpeth 43 extensions (BSIP funded) and 57A extensions (BSIP funded) have been dropped over the past few weeks.

Happy to be corrected but apart from a breakdown the other week, I don't believe there's been any cancellations on the 57A. Some of the buses, especially 1538, are just a bit dodgy on the tracking.

It's a bit of a mess today with multiple buses tracking on multiple routes, namely 1538 and 1574 plus two spare machines.

(26 Mar 2024, 9:27 am)Storx wrote Happy to be corrected but apart from a breakdown the other week, I don't believe there's been any cancellations on the 57A. Some of the buses, especially 1538, are just a bit dodgy on the tracking.

It's a bit of a mess today with multiple buses tracking on multiple routes, namely 1538 and 1574 plus two spare machines.

From memory the other Saturday was particularly bad on the 57/A, with multiple 2 hour gaps. It's certainly nowhere near as bad as the 43s, which got to the point that the same evening (contracted) trip was cancelled virtually daily. Agreed that it's not been as bad recently, but they certainly have dropped them.

(26 Mar 2024, 9:49 am)mb134 wrote From memory the other Saturday was particularly bad on the 57/A, with multiple 2 hour gaps. It's certainly nowhere near as bad as the 43s, which got to the point that the same evening (contracted) trip was cancelled virtually daily. Agreed that it's not been as bad recently, but they certainly have dropped them.

Must've missed that day, I know it's generally been alright, which can't be said about the X7, the alternative round here. Seen there's an 90 minute gap at rush hour, again, tonight.

The 43 is a bit of a mess though mind, like everything else to be honest.

Arriva are consulting on a route change to the X12, which would see it serve Fishburn but omit Teesside Park.

Quote of the Facebook post, and a link to the survey, below:

"Proposed changes to Service X12 in the Sedgefield/Fishburn Area.

We are proposing to make changes to the X12 that subject to feedback may come into effect from October this year.

? For full info and to provide feedback on the proposed changes visit bit.ly/3QJAD5E"

(13 May 2024, 1:54 pm)mb134 wrote Arriva are consulting on a route change to the X12, which would see it serve Fishburn but omit Teesside Park.

Quote of the Facebook post, and a link to the survey, below:

"Proposed changes to Service X12 in the Sedgefield/Fishburn Area.

We are proposing to make changes to the X12 that subject to feedback may come into effect from October this year.

? For full info and to provide feedback on the proposed changes visit bit.ly/3QJAD5E"

That's an interesting one. 
Bit of a gamble too, assuming there is a greater demand for travel to/from Fisburn, than there is people inconvenienced travelling to/from Teesside Park or the extended journey for Sedgefield punters.

(13 May 2024, 3:40 pm)Andreos1 wrote That's an interesting one. 
Bit of a gamble too, assuming there is a greater demand for travel to/from Fisburn, than there is people inconvenienced travelling to/from Teesside Park or the extended journey for Sedgefield punters.

This is wild speculation, but it seems like they're covering the X22, in areas without a service. Future withdrawal coming soon or more cutting it short somewhere, ie Peterlee to Trimdon only and working with the 22B/23? It seems to be struggling as an understatement with the recent cuts.

(13 May 2024, 6:19 pm)Storx wrote This is wild speculation, but it seems like they're covering the X22, in areas without a service. Future withdrawal coming soon or more cutting it short somewhere, ie Peterlee to Trimdon only and working with the 22B/23? It seems to be struggling as an understatement with the recent cuts.

Seeing that plan for the X12 did raise the cynicism in me to think X22 could be getting scaled back, hourly Peterlee to Trimdon Village running off 22B is certainly plausible, I would say it would almost entirely eliminate a direct bus from Trimdons towards Sedgefield but doubt that bothers Arriva too much.

Unsure if there's ang contractual requirements on any portion of the X22 in the daytime? Evenings are, so could wind up like the 35A which serves areas which doesn't even have a daytime service/links.

(13 May 2024, 7:37 pm)Jimmi wrote Seeing that plan for the X12 did raise the cynicism in me to think X22 could be getting scaled back, hourly Peterlee to Trimdon Village running off 22B is certainly plausible, I would say it would almost entirely eliminate a direct bus from Trimdons towards Sedgefield but doubt that bothers Arriva too much.

Unsure if there's ang contractual requirements on any portion of the X22 in the daytime? Evenings are, so could wind up like the 35A which serves areas which doesn't even have a daytime service/links.

Yeah that was my thoughts aswell, mind I was more thinking they'd keep it fully 30 minutes, didn't realise the 22B was standalone so maybe it could be:

22B -> X22 -> X22 -> X22 -> X22 -> 22B. Would still a bus off the PVR if I worked it out right ie.

22B, 11:53 DUR -> 12:45 PTL
X22: 12:50 PTL -> 13:32 SDG
X22: 13:33 SDG -> 14:15 PTL
X22: 14:20 PTL -> 15:02 SDG
X22: 15:03 SDG -> 15:45 PTL
22B: 15:55 PTL -> 16:45 DUR

Nice hours for a driver shift and there's no timetable changes either as the 22B / X22 connect anyway.

quite tight timing

(13 May 2024, 8:45 pm)Unber43 wrote quite tight timing

Aye I made a mistake, fixed it now. I didn't change any times there though, it's basically just the current timetable with the Stockton X22 curtailed.

Apart from the Trimdons to Stockton, there's not really any lost links, well and the villages between Sedgefield and Stockton being unserved but I'd doubt they'd care about them.

They could quite easily withdraw the northern route of the X12 past Durham.

It’s so lightly loaded aside a match day or if GNE has one of its 21 melt downs

That would help timings

(13 May 2024, 11:36 pm)Ambassador wrote They could quite easily withdraw the northern route of the X12 past Durham.

It’s so lightly loaded aside a match day or if GNE has one of its 21 melt downs

That would help timings

It's always been fairly busy when I've used it, even yesterday, when it sailed through Chester le Street because the X21 and 21s had already cleared the stands.

(13 May 2024, 11:36 pm)Ambassador wrote They could quite easily withdraw the northern route of the X12 past Durham.

It’s so lightly loaded aside a match day or if GNE has one of its 21 melt downs

That would help timings

It would do absolutely zero to help the timings, given the Northbound and Southbound X12's are in Durham at pretty much the exact same time.

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/...ion-may-24

306 change from tomorrow

(14 May 2024, 10:57 pm)Aaron21 wrote https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/...ion-may-24

306 change from tomorrow

When I saw the above post and before I clicked on the link, I had hoped that Arriva would be giving up the 306 and allowing a more reliable company to take over. Wishful thinking!!

(15 May 2024, 9:51 am)Ex-conductor wrote When I saw the above post and before I clicked on the link, I had hoped that Arriva would be giving up the 306 and allowing a more reliable company to take over. Wishful thinking!!

I'd say 308 to Stagecoach and run the 306 standalone

(15 May 2024, 9:51 am)Ex-conductor wrote When I saw the above post and before I clicked on the link, I had hoped that Arriva would be giving up the 306 and allowing a more reliable company to take over. Wishful thinking!!

First bus?

Lothian?