Recent content by NorthOxonian

Though pretty much everyone I know over the age of about 50 hears the words "integrated transport" and shudders. My mum (from Gateshead but went to school in the north of Newcastle) is a good example - she was secondary school age in 1981 and her journey to school went from a direct bus to two...

I think this is broadly my view. I travel to Washington reasonably often and the three main places I tend to go are either Concord, the Galleries, or Washington Village. For journeys to specifically those places, this scheme doesn't offer much. But there are residential areas closer to the line...

Yes - the only edge case would be if there are any local journeys where HITRANS and SPT meet, but the boundary between them is very sparse (Helensburgh & Lomond is in SPT, so local journeys between Dumbarton/Balloch etc into Helensburgh should be £2). Looking at where appears to come under each...

The X4 along the coast from Middlesbrough to Whitby might also be worth an honorable mention? There aren't the same fast runs as you'd get on (say) the X10 but there are multiple steep banks, and while I don't think necessary what the question is getting at, a certain level of driver skill is...

Yes - if you'd had a little more time you might have had the chance to experience some of the EVs currently up in Northumberland (which run mostly on the more local services such as the stopping routes through Gosforth) but I have found them fantastic. I did see a "Northumbria Electrics"...

Always interesting to read one of these in what is very much "home turf"... a few assorted thoughts: Yeah, I think the introduction of the TNE day ticket made a massive dent in the Explorer's sales. For travel solely involving Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and the Durham County Council area...

It's a shame as the boundary on the moors is rather ill defined (I think it's near Scaling Dam?) while on the coast it means there's not an easy connection to the likes of Saltburn which get a fair few visitors. Staithes is at least (just!) within North Yorkshire proper but if they were...

I believe the same is the true of the new open top Go North East 300 service between Tynemouth and Whitley Bay. It turns around in the holiday park grounds but I think technically that's after the final outbound stop and before the first inbound one (though both times I've used it, many...

A very new change, but one that might be worth noting - the 682 (Go North East) which runs three times per day will extend to Otterburn (on the current X74 route) from next week onwards. There aren't a huge number of good connection opportunities, but there will be some, so it might be worth...

It is, but it doesn't dominate demand in the way a city centre does. If you look at (say) Newcastle, demand for travel to city centre workplaces, leisure, study, retail, civic centre/appointment, and onward rail links (and even to an extent hospital) will all be going to essentially the same...

I actually managed to get one yesterday on the 43 - making a relatively short journey between Bedlington and Cramlington. They look quite boxy from the outside, but the interiors are pretty plush. With temperatures in the mid 20s even here, the air conditioning worked a treat! Also, a minor...

I believe they are largely due to serve the 43/44/45 corridor. So anything going from Haymarket towards Seaton Burn/Wideopen nominally should have an electric bus on - roughly every 7-8 mins up the Great North Road to Gosforth and beyond. Cramlington gets four an hour and two continue to Morpeth...

I don't think Switzerland is a particularly good example here - their approach to fares seems to largely consist of thinking of a reasonable fare and doubling it (though they do offer a Halbtax - 50% discount - at a cost roughly equivalent to £180 per year). The quality of the network is of...

The only slight wrinkle might be that on Sundays there is a direct service to York (but I would agree to you on a normal service day).

Notably, with the exception of the Whitby based services (P1, P2, 95), these all have one end of the route at Middlesbrough - notably even the 81 (which had been Guisborough - Redcar/Marske) was merged into a Middlesbrough based route recently. From the Stockton depot to Middlesbrough bus...