Repainting of MAX X93 branded buses into Sapphire livery

Please stop all this fantasy. Unless something significant has changed, the monopolies & mergers lot (or whatever they're called this week) simply wouldn't allow ANE to be sold as a whole (or cherry picked depot by depot) to the likes of GNE or Stagecoach. It would need to be someone without a conflict of interest to buy it which probably explains why it hasn't already been sold.

I can well imagine that GNE and Stagecoach would love to buy certain parts of Arrivaland but it just won't happen! (Like I say, unless something significant has changed).

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There was an (major) operator in the south-west somewhere who attempted to sell operations to the big rival in the area.  Monopolies & Mergers got involved and refused the sale, so operator A just started cancelling routes while operator B added some routes very similar to those cancelled.  The transfer from one to the other was finished in less than a year.

There was an (major) operator in the south-west somewhere who attempted to sell operations to the big rival in the area.  Monopolies & Mergers got involved and refused the sale, so operator A just started cancelling routes while operator B added some routes very similar to those cancelled.  The transfer from one to the other was finished in less than a year.

I think you mean when First were about to sell their remaining Barnstaple operation to Stagecoach, before closing the network and enabling Stagecoach to expand there anyway.

I think you mean when First were about to sell their remaining Barnstaple operation to Stagecoach, before closing the network and enabling Stagecoach to expand there anyway.

That sounds familiar, yes.

The point being that there are ways round the M&M Commission blocking a sale.  Not that that's necessarily what will happen in the North-east, but the Arriva situation is certainly an intriguing one to be watching from outside the organisation.

Turns out that the X93/X94 isn't getting branded as Sapphire after all.

Quite a tacky looking livery on the B9TLs in my opinion.

Turns out that the X93/X94 isn't getting branded as Sapphire after all.

Quite a tacky looking livery on the B9TLs in my opinion.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/193021185@...265831912/
Agreed but it’s branding Whitby and advertising the service which says more than Sapphire does although it’s still in Sapphire clothes. I wonder if there will be a split of vehicles with Middlesborough and Scarborough on in addition to the Whitby vehicle. (Photo credit arriva northeast)

Edit Just seen the other side has Scarborough on it

7401/7406 are both branded/being branded. Also good to see the last Max vinyl off them.

Overall I think it's smart, clean, and not OTT, which may not be to the taste of some people who prefer their liveries a bit more out there. Folk can see at a glance where it goes, and how often it goes there, and it almost entices them on with the "discover... onboard". 

That said, I'm surprised they didn't at least advertise the USB charging, WiFi, and NSAs under the "every 30 minutes", looks a tad bare in that area. 

For what is essentially sub route branding slapped onto a corporate livery, which is the way most of the big groups are going (looking at you Stagecoach), I think they've done a good job. Now to find out where Vorkshire is...

Looks smart, hopefully we can see some more brands like that in the future. (Maybe the coastliner branding for the 308/306 like on the E400s & ALXs)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/193021185@...265831912/
Agreed but it’s branding Whitby and advertising the service which says more than Sapphire does although it’s still in Sapphire clothes. I wonder if there will be a split of vehicles with Middlesborough and Scarborough on in addition to the Whitby vehicle. (Photo credit arriva northeast)

Edit Just seen the other side has Scarborough on it

7401/7406 are both branded/being branded. Also good to see the last Max vinyl off them.

Christ, that looks bloody horrendous!

It looks like someone has been let loose with WordArt!

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Christ, that looks bloody horrendous!

It looks like someone has been let loose with WordArt!

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If anyone can find something worse, please post it somewhere.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/193021185@...265831912/
Agreed but it’s branding Whitby and advertising the service which says more than Sapphire does although it’s still in Sapphire clothes. I wonder if there will be a split of vehicles with Middlesborough and Scarborough on in addition to the Whitby vehicle. (Photo credit arriva northeast)

Edit Just seen the other side has Scarborough on it

7401/7406 are both branded/being branded. Also good to see the last Max vinyl off them.

Bigun has just sent me a pic of this that he found on Flickr, pointing out that the tagline appears to say "discover the vorkshire coast"

In comparison to then x3/4 sapphire livery these has to be said look more presentable. The streetlites, pulsars and the remaining temsa are looking sorry for themselves often damaged and paint chipped away

In comparison to then x3/4 sapphire livery these has to be said look more presentable. The streetlites, pulsars and the remaining temsa  are looking sorry for themselves often damaged and paint chipped away

That's the state of much of the Durham fleet, too.

[quote="L469 YVK" pid="251723" dateline="1609156087"]
But the whole point of Sapphire is about it being "Premium". It would be like GNE deciding keep 6118-21 and repaint them into X-Lines despite being miles off.

Arriva if they did things properly would have a good image & network to go with it. 

IMO, if some money appeared to facilitate an upgrade for the X18 & X93, they should launch ArrivaX and do the following:

- 11x New ADL E400MMC or OM936 StreetDeck for X18 & X93 + 1x spare at each depot
- 7529-7531 refurbished and allocated to the X14
- 7532-33 refurbished and allocated to X16
- 7553-56 refurbished and allocated to X15
- 7401-04 refurbished and allocated to X20
- 7405/06 refurbished and assigned as NE to spare
 Streetdeck wouldn't handle the X93 there trailed one a few years ago and it failed

But the whole point of Sapphire is about it being "Premium". It would be like GNE deciding keep 6118-21 and repaint them into X-Lines despite being miles off.

I wish GNE had kept 6118-6121 they should have re-trimmed the seats, added tables & wireless chargers and that could have been for the X84/85 or Euro 6 Spares for Consett & CLS.

Turns out that the X93/X94 isn't getting branded as Sapphire after all.

Quite a tacky looking livery on the B9TLs in my opinion.

Actually the seats have sapphire on them 

Yup, but it's not Sapphire specification bar the headrests that say it.

They've also used the 'Premium' livery on the exterior but have opted out of the Premium (or Sapphire in the UK) brand, which the guidelines allows them to do based on localised needs.