Since it has been 5 years since the year Go North East decided to a rebrand/New Look of most of their brands, I thought i'd post most changes that occured during this intresting period. Also a lot of re-allocations alongside it.
Would love to know what people thought of this time, what their favourite rebrand was, what their new brand was their favourite and more.
(18 Aug 2026, 10:19 pm)X919 WGR wrote [ -> ]Since it has been 5 years since the year Go North East decided to a rebrand/New Look of most of their brands, I thought i'd post most changes that occured during this intresting period. Also a lot of re-allocations alongside it.
Would love to know what people thought of this time, what their favourite rebrand was, what their new brand was their favourite and more.
X-Lines had potential but they massively overused it. Realistically it should have just been kept on the X9/10 and X20/1. Realistically there is a place for some localised route branding but Go North East made it far too complicated and as such ruined the entire premise.
(19 Aug 2026, 10:16 am)220631612 wrote [ -> ]X-Lines had potential but they massively overused it. Realistically it should have just been kept on the X9/10 and X20/1. Realistically there is a place for some localised route branding but Go North East made it far too complicated and as such ruined the entire premise.
Sunderland had it worst in 2021 when Gilbert did the SunderlandDistrict network to replace the Black Cat name.
Dunno how you come up with the names "Berries", "Cherry", "Blonde", "Violet", "Blue", "Graphite", "Silver".
As for XLines I think there was 3 Changes within the year 2021 to early 2022. Enviro 400MMCs onto the Purple X10, Gemini 2 Volvo B5LHs onto the Yellow X5/X15 and then of course the Pink X20 upgrade of the Citaros.
If I'm not mistaken these were all the brand names introduced in 2021:
Berries
Blue
Cherry
East Durham Explorer
Violet
Graphite
Silver
Blonde
East Gateshead Orbit
East Gateshead Rider
East Gateshead Loop
Red Kite Ranger
CountryRanger
Metrocentre Shuttle
Metrocentre Express
CityRider
Peterlee Purples
Little Pinks
All which are now inactive
but I'm sure Pulse was meant to make a return
One thing is for sure. For 17 brands to come and go within the space of five years, it shows that ROI modelling and cost analysis is an alien concept to the bus industry.
Looking back, can anyone think of any goals that have been achieved through that exercise?
These were largely introduced in the period when the government was heavily supporting the bus industry through the Covid crash in passengers. That essentially guaranteed a government top-up to make the operator break even on operating costs after considering all revenue and subsidy, set against all allowable operating costs. While capital investment and finance costs were not allowable costs (so no new buses), maintenance and repainting was an allowable cost. (Similar measures were taken to support the rail franchisees, except they were allowed a small profit; those arrangements still persisting, of course.)
So I suspect most of the costs of the bus branding would have been covered by the government.
While the core purpose of the government funding was to avoid the financial collapse of the whole bus (and rail) industries, it was to keep the supply chain businesses afloat too. So maybe Go Ahead were especially vigorous in giving work to its paint and vinyl suppliers ...
I have always thought the branding got completely carried away, spoiling what had seemed a decent core effort (eg the true X-lines).
(19 Aug 2026, 9:39 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]One thing is for sure. For 17 brands to come and go within the space of five years, it shows that ROI modelling and cost analysis is an alien concept to the bus industry.
Looking back, can anyone think of any goals that have been achieved through that exercise?
There is more when you add the Refreshed look brands.
and to be honest, it felt like there was nothing achieved with these new names because when they were branded it was just a repaint and retrimming of the seats (if any had the Go Moquette). Only thing it probably only achieved was swapping around vehicles in preperation of the Clean Air Zone (that was supposed to start in 2022 but started in 2023) such as the XLines 16' Plate Streetdecks being swapped by the B5LHs so the Streetdecks could become CAZ spares. Coaster became compliant. Then in 2022 GNE did the big Second Hand vehicle buyout of the 30 2012 Gemini 2s and however many Enviro 400s they got.
Other achievement I could say is that they all had the Fleet matching livery style except for the Voltra, Quaycity etc
None of those brands did any good especially now when it seems the original "Core" brands like CityRider will probably be dropped next year.
As for the Refreshed look brands:
Durham Diamond
Tyne Valley 10
Angel (better look late 2020 early 2021)
Connections 4
Few XLines switch arounds
(19 Aug 2026, 10:16 am)220631612 wrote [ -> ]X-Lines had potential but they massively overused it. Realistically it should have just been kept on the X9/10 and X20/1. Realistically there is a place for some localised route branding but Go North East made it far too complicated and as such ruined the entire premise.
imo X-Lines was the worst out the lot.
They replaced recognisable brands like the Red Arrows and Red Kite with a generic brand which meant nothing to no-one.
There was a reason why Arriva scrapped Sapphire / MAXX and Stagecoach scrapped Gold, the unique things of those brands basically came the new standard across the board and it was outdated before they even launched it.