No buses or metro in Newcastle on New Years Day

[MKB]

We're arriving in Newcastle by rail on Jan 1 to visit family in Whitley Bay. It never even occurred to us that the bus and metro would not be operating as I've never experienced that anywhere else in England on that day, but that turns out to be the case.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get to Whitley Bay and back? Taxi is looking to be prohibitively expensive. Is anything operating?

 

[Clip]

I dont think anything has ran onn NYD in the north east for quite some time now

 

[Camden]

While truly astonishing there are no NYD metro trains (is there something incredibly Christmasy special about NYD these days??) are you sure there are no buses running?

I can't see on the Nexus website where it says this (although their journey planner does suggest a coach trip via Marble Arch or Victoria!)

Edit: Found it hidden away in a news article. Incredible.

 

[Romilly]

There's nothing showing on Traveline. Their best (?!) option involves a train or coach to London on the 1st, and then the National Express coach from Golders Green at 2325 on the 1st arriving in Whitley Bay at 0615 on the 2nd.

 

[MKB]

A family member has volunteered to come and get us by car. Which means they can't drink. Which defeats the whole point of us coming by public transport in the first place.

Absolutely shocking that the local transport providers shut down for the day when the airport is operating normally, shops are open and there's a full sporting programme.

How do they get away with this? I know it happens in Scotland but, everything else shuts down there, and this is not Scotland.

 

[#1 driver]

Absolutely shocking that the local transport providers shut down for the day

Are you working Jan 1 ?
No ?
Then why should Metro ?

 

[MKB]

Are you working Jan 1 ?
No ?
Then why should Metro ?

Not this one, but I have in the past. What's that got to do with anything?

 

[johntea]

Taxi would only be about £20 - £25 if you use Uber, and you can usually get £15 off that if you're a first time user with a voucher code

You can even use the voucher code again for the return taxi if you can get someone else you're travelling with to create an account and pay using their card too

 

[AlterEgo]

Are you working Jan 1 ?
No ?
Then why should Metro ?

Nonsensical post, please sit in the corner and think about what you've done.

OP: is there Uber in Newcastle?

 

[Llanigraham]

Nonsensical post, please sit in the corner and think about what you've done.

OP: is there Uber in Newcastle?

There is:
https://www.uber.com/en-GB/cities/newcastle-uk/

 

[noddingdonkey]

It never even occurred to us that the bus and metro would not be operating as I've never experienced that anywhere else in England on that day, but that turns out to be the case.

Not sure which parts of England you are talking of, but certainly in West Yorkshire I don't ever recall buses on Jan 1st.

 

[Agent_c]

Evidently demand is so low such that it is not worthwhile running a service. I know its hard for some to believe, but Christmas through New Years is a time of Low demand for public transport.

It is after all public transport, and not a personal chauffeur.

 

[Starmill]

Are you working Jan 1 ?
No ?
Then why should Metro ?

 

[GatwickDepress]

I am surprised that Newcastle doesn't have a token bus or Metro service on New Year's Day when Arriva, of all companies, is running a normal Sunday service here in Milton Keynes.

Then again, with the number of retail, warehouse, and healthcare workers who rely on public transport that work New Year's Day, it's perhaps expected now.

Are you working Jan 1 ?
No ?
Then why should Metro ?

I'm working January the 1st. Can I demand London Midland to run a service on the Marston Vale just for me, since as I'm working therefore they should?

 

[Failed Unit]

I will also bite. Virgin trains east coast seem to have lots of demand otherwise they wouldn't run more trains between Edinburgh and London than the normally do.

However I will use the logic.
I had to work Christmas Day and Boxing Day - so should everyone else.

I am not working New Year's Day because I worked Christmas Day. Only joking about expecting everyone else to. But I wonder if TFL cover the cost of running the service for free (well sponsored) on New Year's Day.

 

[Andyh82]

There is no Northern Rail running on New Year's Day in the North East, I believe it's a local custom.

 

[Mag_seven]

I know its hard for some to believe, but Christmas through New Years is a time of Low demand for public transport.

Really - Euston Station was heaving last night when I passed through it and I've heard that many trains from the West Country have been full and standing over the last couple of days.

 

[Failed Unit]

There is no Northern Rail running on New Year's Day in the North East, I believe it's a local custom.

It is. Not sure why compared to other cities such as Leeds.

I did think why isn't the x66 running - but the Metro centre is closed. Not sure if it is a similar story elsewhere as it is a long while since I lived up there. But if the metrocentre is closed suspect Eldon square will be as well. When I was there most things were closed. But based on experience TPE and Virgin trains will not be empty and people will leave / join at Newcastle.

 

[NorthernSpirit]

In West Yorkshire the only bus that is running is the 757 to Leeds Bradford Plane Station, other than that there's nowt.

What would be nice would be to see a limited service operate between Otley to Menston, Wetherby to Leeds, Holme Valley to Huddersfield and something around the Cleckheaton / Spen Valley area to Leeds so that they can connect with the rail network which, other than a few morning cancellations, is running as normal.

 

[Busaholic]

I'm so old I can remember when 1st January was a normal working day - phoning in sick without a doctor's note resulted in a disciplinary.

Now I see that it is necessary to make January 2nd a national holiday too, or even 3rd, when the 1st occurs at the weekend.

Perhaps Newcastle wishes to redraw the England-Scotland border to come under the saltire.

 

[Altnabreac]

I'm so old I can remember when 1st January was a normal working day - phoning in sick without a doctor's note resulted in a disciplinary.

Now I see that it is necessary to make January 2nd a national holiday too, or even 3rd, when the 1st occurs at the weekend.

Perhaps Newcastle wishes to redraw the England-Scotland border to come under the saltire.

Growing up in the North East everything was always shut on New Years Day in Newcastle. It's not a new or recent thing.

 

[Andrew1395]

Is public transport operating in Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Leeds on Sunday 1st January - after all it's not a public holiday. Not sure why Newcastle is so different to the rest of England, (but see that the Metro centre is closed) so must be a local custom. On the general point, I used to work weekends, public holidays, nights it's the nature of public transport - it tends to operate outside office hours.

 

[ChathillMan]

I am born and bred Newcastle for over 40 years. It's dead on New Years Day. Don't be fooled by the fact normal trains are running.

 

[All Line Rover]

Euston Station was heaving last night when I passed through it and I've heard that many trains from the West Country have been full and standing over the last couple of days.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/rail-users-complain-rammed-liverpool-12375060

This article is genuine. Virtually every train between Liverpool and London was full and standing according to JourneyCheck, with many of these trains delayed as a consequence.

 

[jkkne]

A family member has volunteered to come and get us by car. Which means they can't drink. Which defeats the whole point of us coming by public transport in the first place.

Absolutely shocking that the local transport providers shut down for the day when the airport is operating normally, shops are open and there's a full sporting programme.

How do they get away with this? I know it happens in Scotland but, everything else shuts down there, and this is not Scotland.

It's not just Newcastle, it's the whole North East.

They don't even run transport when Newcastle or Sunderland have played on 1st Jan.

There's no sporting programme, the Metrocentre, Sunderland Bridges and Newcastle Eldon Sq are closed. Always have been. Shops don't open up here aside the odd supermarket and the odd out of town retail park (sofa and carpet places)

If the UKs largest shopping centre deems it not worth opening, can't blame transport providers up here. Employers are used to it here and are on the whole accommodating.

It's a great day to relax, walk to the pub and smile

 

[380gk]

Not sure which parts of England you are talking of, but certainly in West Yorkshire I don't ever recall buses on Jan 1st.

Scotrail don't run on the 25th or 1st, and only run in Strathclyde on the 26th. No buses (apart from some intercity and airport buses) operate in the Glasgow area either on the 1st.
And with the 2nd also a public holiday in Scotland, usually public transport providers here run a Sunday level of service.

 

[the sniper]

They will - the problem will come for Metro when they don't come back.

Given that this isn't a new thing, with decades of increased usage having occurred despite this disgraceful lack of provision on New Years day, I don't think they need to worry too much...

 

[noddingdonkey]

Is public transport operating in Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Leeds on Sunday 1st January - after all it's not a public holiday. Not sure why Newcastle is so different to the rest of England.

There are no buses in Leeds in January 1st.

I agree it's a slightly daft situation that we have trains but a significant proportion of people can't access them because they are beyond walking distance to a station.

The arguments about football fixtures are a little bit moot when you consider that there is usually a full programme of football on Boxing Day with no public transport at all.

 

[DelayRepay]

In South Yorkshire there is no bus service, except in Sheffield where the council are funding a special service. This has been the same for a good few years.

 

[Failed Unit]

In South Yorkshire there is no bus service, except in Sheffield where the council are funding a special service. This has been the same for a good few years.

To compare like with like is the tram running? I know posters have mentioned buses but the op would have preferred the metro. Although even if it was still heavy rail it would be shut if Newcastle- Middlesbrough is.