North East Buses

Came with some livery concepts for the Angel Network using ChatGPT, quite impressed with these. 

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(01 May 2026, 4:59 pm)Malarkey wrote [ -> ]Came with some livery concepts for the Angel Network using ChatGPT, quite impressed with these. 

I like the green version.

(01 May 2026, 4:59 pm)Malarkey wrote [ -> ]Came with some livery concepts for the Angel Network using ChatGPT, quite impressed with these. 

I do like the green one, but I suspect it would be expensive to roll out fleetwide, due to the heavy reliance on vinyl. Plus, as we've seen with GNE and Arriva in the past, it's never a priority to get the vinyl back on and it ends up looking like a patchwork.

I'd hope they'd do some kind of public consultation on the livery, because I do have concerns that 'Angel Network' is a bit too Tyneside focused already, without slapping the Angel of the North all over it too. There's a lot of pride in this region about where people are from, so I suspect they either need slight variants for different parts of the region, or they need to do something that incorporates all parts.

TfGM linked their all yellow livery to their yellow and grey Metrolink trams. If they want to do the same here, it's possible we could get a modern take on the old Tyne and Wear PTE livery.

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(02 May 2026, 11:38 am)Adrian wrote [ -> ]I do like the green one, but I suspect it would be expensive to roll out fleetwide, due to the heavy reliance on vinyl. Plus, as we've seen with GNE and Arriva in the past, it's never a priority to get the vinyl back on and it ends up looking like a patchwork.

I'd hope they'd do some kind of public consultation on the livery, because I do have concerns that 'Angel Network' is a bit too Tyneside focused already, without slapping the Angel of the North all over it too. There's a lot of pride in this region about where people are from, so I suspect they either need slight variants for different parts of the region, or they need to do something that incorporates all parts.

TfGM linked their all yellow livery to their yellow and grey Metrolink trams. If they want to do the same here, it's possible we could get a modern take on the old Tyne and Wear PTE livery.

Is there really a need for it tp be named and branded at all, especially if they're running it as a public service? What's wrong with the current branding as used by Nexus?

As for livery, I thought they were going to just use or adapt the livery on the new Metros.

(02 May 2026, 12:26 pm)F114TML wrote [ -> ]Is there really a need for it tp be named and branded at all, especially if they're running it as a public service? What's wrong with the current branding as used by Nexus?

As for livery, I thought they were going to just use or adapt the livery on the new Metros.

They're going to have to repaint anything anyway, as when we do see the draft FSA, I don't think it'll be a major shock to anyone that they want a single uniform brand/livery. As for name, the Angel Network was the commitment in the Mayor's manifesto. I guess that's the concept she had in mind, and what appears to be in the works.  

Nexus don't have a livery/brand, other than the 'B' buses logo. The one that GCT seemed to roll out to their fleet, hasn't actually been required in contract specifications for well over 10 years. And whilst I think it's far from being the most important decision to be made, I think the region can do better than having buses running around in battleship grey.

Maybe a red and grey in the style of the 555s to match the buses logo, I'm saying a lot more red than grey like the metros. Red for buses, yellow for metro, blue for the ferry, just like the logos.

(02 May 2026, 1:04 pm)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]Maybe a red and grey in the style of the 555s to match the buses logo, I'm saying a lot more red than grey like the metros. Red for buses, yellow for metro, blue for the ferry, just like the logos.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Update the current/recent, and it'll make bus and metro appear more integrated, rather than separate.

Very quick prompt generated examples, but I like the idea of a silhouette like that to represent every corner of the region.

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(02 May 2026, 1:35 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]Very quick prompt generated examples, but I like the idea of a silhouette like that to represent every corner of the region.

Don't agree with branding there personally. That space should be for advertising. They need to make as much money as they can to reinvest and wasting potential money on putting some landmarks, over complicated vinyl's and so on is just pointless.

It's not going to make any difference whether someone does/doesn't use the bus. The advertising money might be the difference between a Sunday service somewhere though.

Plain red, with Calvert B logos.
Smart, clean, bold, easy to paint/repaint.

(02 May 2026, 1:35 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]Very quick prompt generated examples, but I like the idea of a silhouette like that to represent every corner of the region.

Personally was thinking more like this:
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Grey is awful, try black.

I do think when "Angel Network" actually happens. They'll most likely just follow Bee Network, SW Yorkshire & London of just the plain colour. Could imagine us being Red with the Angel Logo and the Network Name. I don't think they'll go a Liverpool like design with multiple colours but I could wrong.

Only livery in my mind would involve yellow like the new Metro livery. It should be across all modes to show it’s a network.
Angel Network sounds ok but not sure if Angel is appropriate for a network stretching from south Durham, west in Hexham direction and North Northumberland.

(03 May 2026, 7:39 pm)RMF1254 wrote [ -> ]Only livery in my mind would involve yellow like the new Metro livery. It should be across all modes to show it’s a network.
Angel Network sounds ok but not sure if Angel is appropriate for a network stretching from south Durham, west in Hexham direction and North Northumberland.

That was one of my first thoughts when it came to this name. You don't want a Sunderland Bus to have Newcastle based branding.
I do hope it does get a more appropriate name/more fitting name. As great as it does sound. I think bringing back the "Northern" name would be most suitable or even if it was the North East Network to be so basic.

(03 May 2026, 8:27 pm)X919 WGR wrote [ -> ] You don't want a Sunderland Bus to have Newcastle based branding.

People in Gateshead want a word with you ...

My 5p: I think it is not appropriate to use a religious image as a brand. It's both disrespectful to those who have religious beliefs, and imposing a religious image on those without beliefs (who are the vast majority, per the census).

At least the GNE 21 branding is for a route past the thing.

(03 May 2026, 8:27 pm)X919 WGR wrote [ -> ]That was one of my first thoughts when it came to this name. You don't want a Sunderland Bus to have Newcastle based branding.
I do hope it does get a more appropriate name/more fitting name. As great as it does sound. I think bringing back the "Northern" name would be most suitable or even if it was the North East Network to be so basic.

Hear me out, but perhaps the answer lies in the late 80’s. Have a Tyne and Wear Company handling the urban routes in that area, perhaps branded “Busways”. Have services in the Northumberland region branded “Northumbria” and buses in the Durham region branded “Northern” Have TNE oversee all the operations and have a dedicated colour for each sector under the same styling, with Busways being Blue and White, Northumbria being Red and Yellow, Northern being Blur and Yellow to match the flags of the respective counties. Attached is a very rough idea of what I’m meaning

Not only do they look awful but it replicates the issue we have now, three separate (looking) bus operators making the overall bus network feel & look fragmented, and why, just to please some spotters or make a few people who can remember those names feel slightly nostalgic?
The public wants a simple, easy identifiable and consistent bus system across the full region.
The public purse will be affected more than it is already and so a plain single colour livery will be the most cost-effective to apply and maintain, and allow for vehicles to be swapped between routes without causing visual inconsistencies and confusion.

We in this forum are bound to be interested in the paint schemes and branding, etc, but in my view they are pretty minor factors, and will in themselves make very little impact on the public - it's the substance that counts. 

The key point of a publicly contolled future for the bus inductry is that decisions on the quality, scale and nature of the services and fares regime are all public policy decisions, with the relevant public bodies and leaders ultimately accountable. (The key decisions starting with how much public funding to put into buses etc as against spending on other things, and related levels of taxation...).


I'm absolutely sure that the public will very quickly understand the system is now publicly controlled and the basic message that buses are now one world for fares and information etc. Even if buses were in 3 different colours for 3 different parts of the region (!), the vast majority of bus passengers would only experience the local variety anyway.

And this is the problem with the North East summed up - it's far too parochial

Stockport knows its place in Greater Manchester, Ashton knows its place etc etc - they aren't obsessing over 'Manchester' buses being in 'Oldham' etc - they recognise what works and that's why that region is together and growing whereas the North East remains like 2 bald men fighting over a comb focusing on branding and who gets what