North East Buses

(11 Dec 2020, 7:54 am)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]https://www.gonortheast.co.uk/hexham-new...north-east

Travellers can also sit back and relax as these state-of-the-art buses come with all the latest mod-cons, including free Wi-Fi, USB and wireless charging, seat back phone holders, next-stop audio-visual announcements, including live rail connection times, and tables on the upper-deck.

Nice additional feature GNE 

Launch video:

(11 Dec 2020, 5:16 pm)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]Launch video:

As someone who dabbles in video production, I both really like and really hate that video!
I can only imagine how long someone spent in After Effects tracking and animating that text, but at the same time I felt it was a bit too fast paced and didn't really give the viewer a chance to take anything in, which is what you want when you're showing something off

Wonder where the Tynedale express Citaro's will end up now, since the E400's have entered service.

Starting to get the impression that the offside route number is going to become the new standard for all displays that allow it. Guess it'll just be branded as a 'trial' for now but whatever they trial these days seems to be successful enough to keep on a more permanent basis. https://flic.kr/p/2kg2Agy

(12 Dec 2020, 11:54 am)Michael wrote [ -> ]Wonder where the Tynedale express Citaro's will end up now, since the E400's have entered service.

Withdrawn and sold I would guess

(12 Dec 2020, 11:54 am)Michael wrote [ -> ]Wonder where the Tynedale express Citaro's will end up now, since the E400's have entered service.

They're off to GoNorthWest if their trial down there goes well, I believe.

(12 Dec 2020, 12:12 pm)S813 FVK wrote [ -> ]Starting to get the impression that the offside route number is going to become the new standard for all displays that allow it. Guess it'll just be branded as a 'trial' for now but whatever they trial these days seems to be successful enough to keep on a more permanent basis. https://flic.kr/p/2kg2Agy

Really don't like this move away from what is considered best practice. There was the excuse given about the Streetdecks display layout making it hard for N/S numbers being hard to read, then the huge green LED being the reasoning why its okay on the Yutongs, but I cannot think of a single reason why its beneficial on the E400s. 

There are benefits to having it on the N/S (seeing the route number in traffic being the main one arguably), but I can't think of a single reason behind why you'd want it on the O/S in this instance. It screams of a Best Impressions thing given that its something that's seen in a number of companies they do work for.

(12 Dec 2020, 6:38 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]Really don't like this move away from what is considered best practice. There was the excuse given about the Streetdecks display layout making it hard for N/S numbers being hard to read, then the huge green LED being the reasoning why its okay on the Yutongs, but I cannot think of a single reason why its beneficial on the E400s. 

There are benefits to having it on the N/S (seeing the route number in traffic being the main one arguably), but I can't think of a single reason behind why you'd want it on the O/S in this instance. It screams of a Best Impressions thing given that its something that's seen in a number of companies they do work for.

I'm sure if there was passenger complaints about them not being able to see the route number they'd quickly change them back.

(12 Dec 2020, 6:38 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]Really don't like this move away from what is considered best practice. There was the excuse given about the Streetdecks display layout making it hard for N/S numbers being hard to read, then the huge green LED being the reasoning why its okay on the Yutongs, but I cannot think of a single reason why its beneficial on the E400s. 

There are benefits to having it on the N/S (seeing the route number in traffic being the main one arguably), but I can't think of a single reason behind why you'd want it on the O/S in this instance. It screams of a Best Impressions thing given that its something that's seen in a number of companies they do work for.

Personally I quite like the number on the offside it looks quite nice.

Doesn't bother me which side the number is on, if you aren't paying attention to see if your bus is approaching (because you are too busy playing with your mobile) and you miss it or it goes straight past, then thats your own stupid fault. And as for buses stuck in traffic, while the bus will be moving slowly, so it ain't going to exactly speed past because of other vehicles in front of it. Plus if it's loads of cars, then whats the worry, the destination blind isn't located on the front bumper, it's set above the bloody windscreen. In addition, if a bus is stuck in traffic or not, I'm sure any professional bus driver would be keeping an eye out for intending passengers regardless of the stop location and give them a chance to hail the bus down. If it goes past because you are reading the latest moaning on the forum or looking at someones dinner on faceache, again thats your own daft fault.

(12 Dec 2020, 6:38 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]Really don't like this move away from what is considered best practice. There was the excuse given about the Streetdecks display layout making it hard for N/S numbers being hard to read, then the huge green LED being the reasoning why its okay on the Yutongs, but I cannot think of a single reason why its beneficial on the E400s. 

There are benefits to having it on the N/S (seeing the route number in traffic being the main one arguably), but I can't think of a single reason behind why you'd want it on the O/S in this instance. It screams of a Best Impressions thing given that its something that's seen in a number of companies they do work for.

Nothing to do with Best Impressions.


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(12 Dec 2020, 10:53 pm)Rapidsnap wrote [ -> ]Doesn't bother me which side the number is on, if you aren't paying attention to see if your bus is approaching (because you are too busy playing with your mobile) and you miss it or it goes straight past, then thats your own stupid fault. And as for buses stuck in traffic, while the bus will be moving slowly, so it ain't going to exactly speed past because of other vehicles in front of it. Plus if it's loads of cars, then whats the worry, the destination blind isn't located on the front bumper, it's set above the bloody windscreen. In addition, if a bus is stuck in traffic or not, I'm sure any professional bus driver would be keeping an eye out for intending passengers regardless of the stop location and give them a chance to hail the bus down. If it goes past because you are reading the latest moaning on the forum or looking at someones dinner on faceache, again thats your own daft fault.

I disagree with this as there's certain corridors where it's actually a problem. One being on the Coast Road where buses can quite often get delayed and often stack with each other following each other 100 metres apart or the GNE bus being stuck behind an Arriva bus. It's hard enough to hail down a bus that's following stupidly close to the bus in front to now to have to try and guess which one you want because you can't see what number it is until to the last minute.

It's all good saying that when there's 2 buses an hour but when there's 27 buses an hour in the case of Cradlewell, heavy traffic at peak times, buses already blocking the bus stop so you can barely see what's coming and buses stacked up coming out of Newcastle it's not so easy regardless to whether your on faceache or moaning on here. Having the route number on the far side makes it even more difficult.

That said though stuff like the Voltra and X84/X85 doesn't really apply here since one has illuminous green lights on and the other is pretty much the only bus for most of it or it's a totally different brand to every other bus so it's not really an issue there but it can be a problem in certain places.

I would rather see destination information presented in a consistent, uniformed format as much as possible regardless of whether the buses have fancy lights on the front or if it's the intending passenger's fault for not reading the display.

I know the offside works for some operators (Transdev, First Leeds etc) but while GNE still have such a large number of Colour Route Number displays in the fleet preventing such uniformity, I personally think they should stick with the kerb side for the time being, for all my opinion is worth.

(13 Dec 2020, 11:24 am)S813 FVK wrote [ -> ]I would rather see destination information presented in a consistent, uniformed format as much as possible regardless of whether the buses have fancy lights on the front or if it's the intending passenger's fault for not reading the display.

I know the offside works for some operators (Transdev, First Leeds etc) but while GNE still have such a large number of Colour Route Number displays in the fleet preventing such uniformity, I personally think they should stick with the kerb side for the time being, for all my opinion is worth.

If they did it as just an X-Lines thing, I'd have no issue with it, but the Consett E400s still have it on the 'proper' side, as do the X21 B5s
If it was just a StreetDeck thing, I'd have no issue with it, but the Angels still have it on the 'proper' side

Looks like it is becoming an across the board thing for those that allow it.

Passed a couple of 78s and a 16 this morning and all 3 had the number on the offside.

Anyone know why 6353 isn't in service yet?

(14 Dec 2020, 1:35 pm)reymyster9 wrote [ -> ]Anyone know why 6353 isn't in service yet?

It is now

6353 should be due in Eldon Sq about 1430 on the X85. Currently on it !

(14 Dec 2020, 8:29 am)S813 FVK wrote [ -> ]Looks like it is becoming an across the board thing for those that allow it.

Passed a couple of 78s and a 16 this morning and all 3 had the number on the offside.

And Q3: https://flic.kr/p/2kgUxBV

(14 Dec 2020, 3:46 pm)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]And Q3: https://flic.kr/p/2kgUxBV

That's strange. In GNE's official photos, the route number is still on the nearside. Or is the route number changed around when the system on the bus is reprogrammed one bus at a time?
https://twitter.com/MartijnGNE/status/13...65/photo/1

(14 Dec 2020, 4:43 pm)Adtrainsam wrote [ -> ]That's strange. In GNE's official photos, the route number is still on the nearside. Or is the route number changed around when the system on the bus is reprogrammed one bus at a time?
https://twitter.com/MartijnGNE/status/13...65/photo/1

The launch photos will have been taken before today. Seems like the rollout of switching sides began last night?

(14 Dec 2020, 5:01 pm)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]The launch photos will have been taken before today. Seems like the rollout of switching sides began last night?

The one for the launch photo was out today without the update

Go North East 5384 by Stuart  Robert Barber, on Flickr

Disappointing, but expected, to see it roll out to what seems like the whole fleet based on the reports above. 

I'm aware that either way it generally doesn't matter, and for the most part people can see an O/S number just as well as they can see a N/S number. It's the small percentage of cases where a N/S number is massively more visible which is the issue I have. There's no clear benefit to having it above the driver, yet having it N/S makes it far easier to see when the bus is closely following another bus or the destination is obscured in traffic.

Just today I was waiting in a shelter for a bus while it was pouring down, there were two deckers coming along and the second of which was the one everyone in that stop wanted (the first one didn't serve that stop). First person in the queue peeked their head out, saw it was our bus, came back in and waited until it was a bit closer before going back to stop it. If that number was above the driver, that person is either getting soaked as they have to stand outside until the bus is closer to make sure, or missing their bus if they wait in the shelter and assume the driver will just stop. 

I absolutely get also that most people catch buses from somewhere there's unlikely to be that much traffic, or from a bus station - these aren't really issues. It becomes an issue in high traffic volume areas, city centres and high streets for example (Gosforth High Street and the Q3 immediately springs to mind with the amount of Arriva stuff running in bunches along there, its hard to stop the one you want even when you can see the number clearly).

(14 Dec 2020, 5:44 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]Disappointing, but expected, to see it roll out to what seems like the whole fleet based on the reports above. 

I'm aware that either way it generally doesn't matter, and for the most part people can see an O/S number just as well as they can see a N/S number. It's the small percentage of cases where a N/S number is massively more visible which is the issue I have. There's no clear benefit to having it above the driver, yet having it N/S makes it far easier to see when the bus is closely following another bus or the destination is obscured in traffic.

Just today I was waiting in a shelter for a bus while it was pouring down, there were two deckers coming along and the second of which was the one everyone in that stop wanted (the first one didn't serve that stop). First person in the queue peeked their head out, saw it was our bus, came back in and waited until it was a bit closer before going back to stop it. If that number was above the driver, that person is either getting soaked as they have to stand outside until the bus is closer to make sure, or missing their bus if they wait in the shelter and assume the driver will just stop. 

I absolutely get also that most people catch buses from somewhere there's unlikely to be that much traffic, or from a bus station - these aren't really issues. It becomes an issue in high traffic volume areas, city centres and high streets for example (Gosforth High Street and the Q3 immediately springs to mind with the amount of Arriva stuff running in bunches along there, its hard to stop the one you want even when you can see the number clearly).

Funny how half the GNE fleet have the coloured nearside blind too so none of them buses will be able to have it on the offside. Just to confuse things for everyone.

(14 Dec 2020, 2:00 pm)JP6004 wrote [ -> ]It is now

Go North East X-lines 6353 / YX70 OKN by kieron mathews, on Flickr


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(14 Dec 2020, 5:53 pm)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]Funny how half the GNE fleet have the coloured nearside blind too so none of them buses will be able to have it on the offside. Just to confuse things for everyone.

Nowt like a bit of consistency is there? :wink:

It's all just copycat behaviour as far as I'm concerned(seeing as other operators have done it recently) You just know GNE will apply it across the fleet eventually and then Arriva and Stagecoach will eventually copy in the near future also and have their numbers on the offside of the bus. I just dont see any benefit to it and its just changing for the sake of change.

I'm not sure what the big deal is about the numbers moving?

It's how it was when I was growing up, the Metroriders and Metrobuses had it, the OK buses had it like that as did the Nationals.

We all coped back then and it worked better - as it will now - the way people are going you'd think it was a massively radical never bee done before change.

As far as I'm concerned they are just putting things right again

(15 Dec 2020, 4:40 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]I'm not sure what the big deal is about the numbers moving?

It's how it was when I was growing up, the Metroriders and Metrobuses had it, the OK buses had it like that as did the Nationals.

We all coped back then and it worked better - as it will now - the way people are going you'd think it was a massively radical never bee done before change.

As far as I'm concerned they are just putting things right again

It's the lack of consistency that bothers me, pick one way and stick to it.

(15 Dec 2020, 3:42 pm)Bus_User wrote [ -> ]It's all just copycat behaviour as far as I'm concerned(seeing as other operators have done it recently) You just know GNE will apply it across the fleet eventually and then Arriva and Stagecoach will eventually copy in the near future also and have their numbers on the offside of the bus. I just dont see any benefit to it and its just changing for the sake of change.

Why would Arriva or Stagecoach copy GNE? Arriva have the best destination displays out of the 3 imo and have always been that way around since 1996. Don't see why they'd suddenly change now just because GNE have done it, they rarely copy them infact I can't think of anything at all they copied off GNE. The only company that copies stuff around here is GNE and whatever Transdev have done lately.