North East Buses

1416: https://flic.kr/p/qNauaC

The Pulsars do look good in MAX livery

(17 Jan 2015, 3:40 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]I rode 1443 on the X2 yesterday and quite enjoyed the ride and looked smart inside, although will they receive the MAX interior branding like on the Darlington Omnicitys.

The new branding was causing some confusion though some people thinking it was a Go North East bus and tried to get on with key cards.

All the work, investment, time, effort etc put into branding by the two operators to make their services unique, build loyalty and punters can't tell the difference...


For all the anti-branding posts that people have made, I think the experience you witnessed is better than anything we have contributed.

A bus is a bus and passengers can't tell who runs what.

If we did the same as Wales' Max by putting Arriva logos on the front, side etc. no confusion would have happened.

Is there any particular reason why the driver of the 1445 5A from Darlington decided to miss out the Clarence Chare, Shafto Way, Central Avenue (Tesco) section of the route and drove straight down St. Cuthbert's Way?

I have been stood at Tesco waiting for the 5A on a Sunday before and no bus has turned up so I don't think this has been a one off either.

Ridiculous.

Also is there any reason why the two 21's I saw were operated by unbranded EcoCitys instead of the 21/X21 Whoosh branded examples.

https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/77351420@N04/16303419192/

RIP - Arriva's 7482 and 7483.

Hope this doesnt happen very often when its launched as MAX:

(18 Jan 2015, 8:38 pm)Robert wrote [ -> ]Hope this doesnt happen very often when its launched as MAX:

Absolutely ridiculous!
How the hell can a bus be 75 minutes late on a Sunday, at 20:30?

(18 Jan 2015, 8:38 pm)Robert wrote [ -> ]Hope this doesnt happen very often when its launched as MAX:

Which route is this, the picture is not showing clearly on Tapatalk.

@Jimmi - X93

(18 Jan 2015, 9:00 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]@Jimmi - X93

Had a feeling it would be the X93.

I'm guessing snow, it is usually quite bad on the X93 route, especially on the Whitby - Scarborough section of the route.

I'm slightly worried about going to the launch on Wednesday because of the risk of snow causing serious delays to the service or dropped service.

(18 Jan 2015, 8:58 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Which route is this, the picture is not showing clearly on Tapatalk.

X93 - was the 18:45 Scarborough to Whitby running 75 minutes late.

(18 Jan 2015, 8:53 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Absolutely ridiculous!
How the hell can a bus be 75 minutes late on a Sunday, at 20:30?

This bus couldn't get up Ormsby bank and forced the police to close the road. The snow was horrendous I didn't get up it in the car never mind a bus! 

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(18 Jan 2015, 9:00 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]@Jimmi - X93

It got stuck going up Ormesby bank police were forced to close the road till a plough and gritter got to the scene

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(18 Jan 2015, 9:00 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]@Jimmi - X93

It got stuck going up Ormesby bank police were forced to close the road till a plough and gritter got to the scene

(18 Jan 2015, 8:53 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Absolutely ridiculous!
How the hell can a bus be 75 minutes late on a Sunday, at 20:30?

When there's been accidents and road closures along the route!

The last Middlesbrough to Scarborough X93 (depart 1620) was stuck on Ormesby Bank along with all 3 5s at 1800 as the bank was that bad the police closed the road until the snowplough got there. As a result, the 1615 5 out of Middlesbrough returned light, the 1715 5 ran late up but was presumably on-time back in while the 1815 5 arrived in Middlesbrough 67 minutes late and went out 25 minutes down but was presumably on-time by Skelton judging by the timings on the live app earlier.

(18 Jan 2015, 9:26 pm)Kuyoyo wrote [ -> ]When there's been accidents and road closures along the route!

The last Middlesbrough to Scarborough X93 (depart 1620) was stuck on Ormesby Bank along with all 3 5s at 1800 as the bank was that bad the police closed the road until the snowplough got there. As a result, the 1615 5 out of Middlesbrough returned light, the 1715 5 ran late up but was presumably on-time back in while the 1815 5 arrived in Middlesbrough 67 minutes late and went out 25 minutes down but was presumably on-time by Skelton judging by the timings on the live app earlier.

God dont bite his head off. At the time of the posts being made, Tom (or me for that matter) werent aware of any of these accidents and road closures along the route which affected the schedule...

@Kuyoyo - How bad is the snow down that way? It's very light up here, but certainly settling, so was surprised to read it was bad enough for a plough to be out.

It came down quite bad in parts of Middlesbrough - it's fine in the town centre and on most main routes but Ormesby Bank has always been a bad spot. Mostly the estates that are poor.

Yes the snow came down in a few heavy showers yesterday, most of the main roads were alright once they had been cleared but the estates were still very treacherous late on during the day. Attached is my Pulsar in Marton' Cypress Road estate which I nearly got stuck trying to get back out of. There was a gritter with snowplough round there trying to sort it out when I went round.

Yes the snow came down in a few heavy showers yesterday, most of the main roads were alright once they had been cleared but the estates were still very treacherous late on during the day. Attached is my Pulsar in Marton' Cypress Road estate which I nearly got stuck trying to get back out of. There was a gritter with snowplough round there trying to sort it out when I went round.

Abandon the Pulsar - and take a photo - that's the spirit!!!!

1646 has replaced 1761 on the 57.

1646 was supposed to be on the Mecca Bingo bus run tonight, but as it has been put on the 57, I'm assuming that there will be an ALX400 allocated tonight.

(Bingo bus - Amble to Blyth and return)

The new X93 'MAX' timetables are now available in the Travel Office in Middlesbrough Bus Station and confirms the branding is to the same style as that applied to 7529-33 for the X18 using a coastline with the major destinations - with the tagline 'along the glorious Yorkshire Coast'.

(18 Jan 2015, 9:04 pm)Jimmi wrote [ -> ]Had a feeling it would be the X93.

I'm guessing snow, it is usually quite bad on the X93 route, especially on the Whitby - Scarborough section of the route.

I'm slightly worried about going to the launch on Wednesday because of the risk of snow causing serious delays to the service or dropped service.

Don't think thats the biggest problem for the launch to be on time. The biggest problem, is that only 7405 has had a digital tacho fitted, Picked it up myself from Volvo to go to Jesmond. Volvo don't think they will be ready for wednesday.

@gne_4993 - I thought all of them stopped off at Jesmond a few weeks ago to have the tachographs fitted? The X93 launch is hardly going to compare to previous MAX launches if there's only one bus present...

The X66 launch only used 1 bus.

(19 Jan 2015, 9:53 pm)John_R wrote [ -> ]The X66 launch only used 1 bus.

Quite right.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127079988@...767658689/

I believe the Morpeth launch only used one bus too.

Also the fact that a B9TL was spotted in Redcar Depot earlier today all branded up might suggest there's more than 1 already tachograph-fitted......