In response to customer comments we are making some changes on 14 September 2008. We hope that you will find these changes helpful. Comments and suggestions are always appreciated. Please write to the address below, email us at customerservices@gonortheast.co.uk or telephone us on 0845 60 60 260.
- Our brand new service, ‘Ten’, is bound to score top marks with passengers
- Service 69/69A
- X67 Park and Ride
- Blaydon Racers off to a gallop
- Derwent Ranger 47
- Team Valley Clipper 91
- Highwayman 97, 98, X98 and N97
Our brand new service, 'Ten', is bound to score top marks with passengers.
From 14 September, our great new 'Ten' buses will run every ten minutes between Newcastle, MetroCentre, Blaydon, Ryton and Crawcrook on Monday to Saturday daytime, and every 20 minutes to Rockwood Hill.
The 'Ten' takes just ten minutes to travel between Newcastle city centre and MetroCentre so you can just turn up and go, spending more time doing the things you want and less time getting there.
The 'Ten' stops at Eldon Square Bus Station and Central Station as well as in Gallowgate and Westgate Road travelling from Newcastle; and in Clayton Street and at St Andrew's Church going to Newcastle.
Using Centrelink's dedicated bus route in the morning peak times makes sure you get a fast, frequent and reliable service into the City Centre.
And if that's impressive, you'll also love travelling on some of the most modern buses around. The stylish, silver Mercedes-Benz have air conditioned interiors, CCTV security, low floors and powered ramps for easy access – even screens which bring you the latest news, weather and sports bulletins!
With great value fare offers from the minute the 'Ten' starts its new service on September 14, bus travel doesn't get any better.
We've invested £1.5m in brand new buses which offer the highest levels of passenger comfort while still managing to be kind to the environment – their Euro 5 engines make sure emissions are kept to a minimum.
Our silver 'Ten' buses also come with our unique gold standard service which promises unbeatable reliability and punctuality - so you know you'll get to your destination on time.
In partnership with Nexus one bus each hour on service 69 will run from Blaydon via Ryton, Crawcrook, Woodside, Greenside, High Spen and Chopwell to Blackhall Mill, providing new links to Whickham, QE Hospital and Team Valley.
Service 69 will run continue to run hourly to Winlaton.
After operating this service for over a year, disappointing passenger numbers mean we are unable to continue with the dedicated Park and Ride service between MetroCentre and Newcastle. However, our valued customers will be able to use our brand new, Mercedes ‘Ten’ which will have a much better frequency, running every 15 minutes at peak morning times and leaving from the same stop used by the X67 at MetroCentre Coach Park to Newcastle.
The ‘Ten’ will serve new stops at the Copthorne Hotel on Forth Banks and at Central Station. Passengers can return to MetroCentre Transport Interchange using the ‘Ten’ which runs up to every 10 minutes throughout the day.
We're listening - many of the changes have been made as a result of information gathered from our passengers when we held our consultation on services in West Gateshead.
Blaydon Racers off to a gallop - services 31 and 32
Passengers asked if we could speed up journeys on our Blaydon Racers so, from September 14, routes will be changed on services 31 and 32 to provide quicker journeys between Newcastle and Winlaton.
Services 31 and 32 will continue to run every 30 minutes during the day, but will combine between Newcastle and Blaydon to give a consistent service every 15 minutes via Newcastle Business Park.
Together with the X11, services 31 and 32 will provide a 7-8 minute frequency between Blaydon and Newcastle Business Park in morning peak times.
As well as better journey times, we've also introduced a new journey on service 31 at 23.30 in response to requests from passengers, which will take you from Newcastle to Winlaton via Blaydon and MetroCentre
In addition, all evening and Sundays journeys on services 31 and 32 will run via MetroCentre instead of Newcastle Business Park.
Services 48 and 49
Services 48, 49 and 49A will become branded, Blaydon Racer buses with their distinctive bright yellow livery – easy to spot, easy to catch.
Services 49 and 49A will provide a service every 15 minutes from Gateshead Interchange to Winlaton, travelling via MetroCentre and Blaydon. Service 49 will then continue on its normal route, providing a 30 minute frequency via Black Lane while the 49A will run via Gibside View every 30 minutes. This will replace service 31 and provide Gibside View with a direct bus to MetroCentre and Gateshead.
X11
We've improved these services to give a more consistent, 15-minute frequency in morning peak times when the buses are at their busiest.
With the introduction of our new 'Ten' service, passengers travelling between Greenside Road in Crawcrook and Newcastle, via Ryton, Blaydon and Newcastle Business Park will have a super-frequent service every 7-8 minutes using X11, 'Ten' and Blaydon Racers 31 and 32.
Afternoon peak X11 services will run every 30 minutes. All X11 journeys will serve Eldon Square.
Derwent Ranger 47
Minor timetable changes have been made to improve reliability. On Saturday night, the 22.45 and 23.05 journeys from Newcastle have been combined and the last bus will now leave Newcastle at 23.00.
Team Valley Clipper 91
Peak time services remain unchanged, running approximately every 15 minutes. However, off-peak journeys between 09.00 and 16.00 have been withdrawn due to low passenger numbers. The Loop 93/94 continue to provide a regular service from Gateshead Interchange throughout the day.
Highwayman 97, 98, X98 and N97
These buses all stop at Teams Club slip road, replacing Blaydon Racers services 10 and 11.