Department for Transport being given the red carpet treatment today?

Also reported on BBC News pages:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51234115

More towns and cities to get air-filtering buses

The buses have three fans on the roof that suck particles into a filter
Buses that filter pollution from the atmosphere are to be introduced to six more towns and cities after a trial.

Go-Ahead's buses have fans on the roof that suck particles into filters.

The technology was trialled on the company's Bluestar buses in Southampton and resulted in 65g of pollutants - the weight of a tennis ball - removed from the air in a 100-day period.

The buses will be rolled out in Oxford, Plymouth, Newcastle, Manchester, Crawley and Brighton from the summer.

A further five buses are also due to be brought into service in Southampton next month.

Go-Ahead chief executive David Brown said: "Our air-filtering system has exceeded all expectations in how it can benefit the environment.

"We believe the air-filtering bus provides a quick win for councils as they explore initiatives such as clean air zones to tackle toxic pollution."

We're only getting one up here for now, according to MG on Twitter anyway.
My guess is that it's being retrofitted to one of the Quaylinks

New timetables confirm 'The 49' brand is dead. Same with the 'Toonlink', 'Blaydon Racer', 'Metrocentre Mini', New timetable shows corporate Streetlite

I'm not at all a fan of the new timetable style, I think it looks much worse with an actual photo rather than the 'drawing'

(24 Jan 2020, 5:39 pm)streetdeckfan wrote New timetables confirm 'The 49' brand is dead. Same with the 'Toonlink', 'Blaydon Racer', 'Metrocentre Mini', New timetable shows corporate Streetlite

I'm not at all a fan of the new timetable style, I think it looks much worse with an actual photo rather than the 'drawing'

Think it’s just a generic photo as it’s also down as a streetlite on the 30/31/32 and that’s on the Consett minibus network. Also the 6/12/12a are down as a streetlite instead of the mercs.

(24 Jan 2020, 5:47 pm)Stanleyone wrote Think it’s just a generic photo as it’s also down as a streetlite on the 30/31/32 and that’s on the Consett minibus network. Also the 6/12/12a are down as a streetlite instead of the mercs.

I think that is the case that it's a generic photo, although if they were sticking with the brands, I would think they'd have shown a branded vehicle like they have with the Citylink 57, or at the very least kept the brand name on the timetable

(24 Jan 2020, 5:39 pm)streetdeckfan wrote New timetables confirm 'The 49' brand is dead. Same with the 'Toonlink', 'Blaydon Racer', 'Metrocentre Mini', New timetable shows corporate Streetlite

I'm not at all a fan of the new timetable style, I think it looks much worse with an actual photo rather than the 'drawing'

Not a fan of something.....I cannot quite believe that

(24 Jan 2020, 6:03 pm)citaro5284 wrote Not a fan of something.....I cannot quite believe that

Hey! If my name is anything to go by I am a fan of some things!

I really like the design of the X-Lines timetables, although the Sunday section not having the stop names does make it quite difficult to read

Also, I've just noticed something I can't unsee. On the 21 and 57 timetable the registration plate on the front has been completely photoshopped off instead of just making it white like with the Streetlite

(15 Jan 2020, 10:29 pm)Jimmi wrote "Best Impressions is the leading company when it comes to bus design with much new and innovation in the pipeline which is why we always go to them..." same guff used over and over again when anybody takes the mick of them.

Oh and that First Omnicity linked above, pretty much the same here with the split in a different place: https://flic.kr/p/PeJcuH - new Go North West livery is pretty similar too: https://flic.kr/p/2hZMfW1

And then in the same area there's this Cross Pennine style livery: https://flic.kr/p/2i3trMm - when I made said comparison someone popped up and stated BI are innovative etc

Yes I’m not a fan of the changes being made with GNE.

The extensive branding and the designs used were unique to GNE, there was nothing quite like it anywhere else.

Now half the brands are being discontinued, and the other half including X Lines are turning into a carbon copy Best Impressions style that is used up and down the country, much less brash and fun like GNE always was, and more corporate looking. This includes the new style of timetables. It all looks near identical to Transdev Blazefield for one.

Ultimately it’s going to be like many operators where a few corridors are branded and everything else is in standard livery.

(24 Jan 2020, 8:10 pm)Wybus wrote Yes I’m not a fan of the changes being made with GNE.

The extensive branding and the designs used were unique to GNE, there was nothing quite like it anywhere else.

Now half the brands are being discontinued, and the other half including X Lines are turning into a carbon copy Best Impressions style that is used up and down the country, much less brash and fun like GNE always was, and more corporate looking. This includes the new style of timetables. It all looks near identical to Transdev Blazefield for one.

Ultimately it’s going to be like many operators where a few corridors are branded and everything else is in standard livery.

Some will argue that a constant look is good for visitors to the region. Knowing who their ticket is valid with etc. And with some branded services now being combined (cost savings on break locations) it would seem logical for some brands to disappear. Red kites on the X31 is a good example.

(24 Jan 2020, 5:39 pm)streetdeckfan wrote New timetables confirm 'The 49' brand is dead. Same with the 'Toonlink', 'Blaydon Racer', 'Metrocentre Mini', New timetable shows corporate Streetlite

I'm not at all a fan of the new timetable style, I think it looks much worse with an actual photo rather than the 'drawing'

The maps on these timetables are shambolic, 49A now serving Blaydon, 6A not serving Annfield Plain, Catchgate, Dipton, Flint Hill or Kingsway in Sunniside. M7 serving full length of Fellside Road, despite the fact that it turns onto Broadway once it enters Whickham, Tanfield Village has been relocated to East Stanley too. I would like to see the map that the commercial department/Best Impressions have been looking at when designing these maps...

(24 Jan 2020, 8:26 pm)pbjd wrote The maps on these timetables are shambolic, 49A now serving Blaydon, 6A not serving Annfield Plain, Catchgate, Dipton or Kingsway in Sunniside. M7 serving full length of Fellside Road, despite the fact that it turns onto Broadway once it enter Whickham, Tanfield Village has been relocated to East Stanley too. I would like to see the map that the commercial department/Best Impressions have been looking at when designing these maps...

Got there before me!

The size of some of the route numbers on the front covers are poor too. It's not something I really noticed until I viewed the 21 timetable... seemed to have managed with the 97 though.

Overall, not a good start.

New timetables are absolutely dreadful. I can safely say I'm disgusted.

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(24 Jan 2020, 8:10 pm)Wybus wrote Yes I’m not a fan of the changes being made with GNE.

The extensive branding and the designs used were unique to GNE, there was nothing quite like it anywhere else.

Now half the brands are being discontinued, and the other half including X Lines are turning into a carbon copy Best Impressions style that is used up and down the country, much less brash and fun like GNE always was, and more corporate looking. This includes the new style of timetables. It all looks near identical to Transdev Blazefield for one.

Ultimately it’s going to be like many operators where a few corridors are branded and everything else is in standard livery.

I completely agree; they're going downhill and I'm absolutely gutted.

Its 2020, not 2006 (when branding was launched on a full scale), people move on, but in this case, its a bus company which has moved on.

Glad they've got rid of half of the brands, half of them were either stupid or pointless, hope they continue to drop brands.

(24 Jan 2020, 9:34 pm)Michael wrote Its 2020, not 2006 (when branding was launched on a full scale), people move on, but in this case, its a bus company which has moved on.

Glad they've got rid of half of the brands, half of them were either stupid or pointless, hope they continue to drop brands.

Bet you're fun at parties.

(24 Jan 2020, 10:01 pm)BeachBoy99 wrote Bet you're fun at parties.

....my point still stands.


All people do on this forum is moan about GNE, (maybe i do sometimes) but some people just do it for the sake of it.

(24 Jan 2020, 10:09 pm)Michael wrote ....my point still stands.


All people do on this forum is moan about GNE,  (maybe i do sometimes) but some people just do it for the sake of it.

Actually I don't moan about them, but these changes are dreadful with the timetables looking like a kid has Photoshopped them. And the decline of brands just makes GNE as rubbish as many of the other bus operators in the country.

(24 Jan 2020, 10:12 pm)BeachBoy99 wrote Actually I don't moan about them, but these changes are dreadful with the timetables looking like a kid has Photoshopped them. And the decline of brands just makes GNE as rubbish as many of the other bus operators in the country.

They're a company they don't have to make enthusiasts happy. Their job is to move people about not to make bus spotters happy.....

(24 Jan 2020, 10:17 pm)Michael wrote They're a company they don't have to make enthusiasts happy. Their job is to move people about not to make bus spotters happy.....

And with brands, it makes them a more diverse and attractive company that customers want to see.

Agree with Michael. Couldn't ever help but smile at whey aye five-O but it's time to move on.

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(24 Jan 2020, 10:09 pm)Michael wrote ....my point still stands.


All people do on this forum is moan about GNE,  (maybe i do sometimes) but some people just do it for the sake of it.

A bus company is only rubbish if it doesn't reliably transport people from A to B.

Edit. Somehow ended up quoting the wrong post.

(24 Jan 2020, 10:43 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Agree with Michael. Couldn't ever help but smile at whey aye five-O but it's time to move on.

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A bus company is only rubbish if it doesn't reliably transport people from A to B.

Edit. Somehow ended up quoting the wrong post.

I respect your opinions. I think what GNE have done with the likes of Green Arrow and Cobalt & Coast is fantastic, but it's just a shame it's becoming a fleet of red, yellow and blue again.

(24 Jan 2020, 9:34 pm)Michael wrote Its 2020, not 2006 (when branding was launched on a full scale), people move on, but in this case, its a bus company which has moved on.

Glad they've got rid of half of the brands, half of them were either stupid or pointless, hope they continue to drop brands.

Out of interest, on what basis?

Like yourself, I'm not a fan of every single brand, but there must have been a point behind branding some routes and not others, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered branding any routes at all.

(24 Jan 2020, 10:48 pm)BeachBoy99 wrote I respect your opinions. I think what GNE have done with the likes of Green Arrow and Cobalt & Coast is fantastic, but it's just a shame it's becoming a fleet of red, yellow and blue again.

I agree with you, the Cobalt & Coast, Green Arrow, X-Lines are all great brands.

I'm kinda glad, they've gone back to a proper livery though.

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(24 Jan 2020, 10:58 pm)S813 FVK wrote Out of interest, on what basis?

Like yourself, I'm not a fan of every single brand, but there must have been a point behind branding some routes and not others, otherwise they wouldn't have bothered branding any routes at all.

That's true, some do have meaning, like the Blaydon Racers, Crusader but the likes of Magic Roundabout, Kingfisher, The 9/49, Pulse, Loop were just some of the pointless brands used but thats just off top of my head atm

I have no idea what Pulse was about! The 9/The 49 is just desperation in creating a 'brand'. Even Fab 56 is a bit odd! The Loop is an old brand, and the service loops around Gateshead, so does have some logic to it! I like The Loop, The Crusader, Cobalt & Coast, Coaster, Little Coasters and Tynedale Links as brands, and would like to see The Orbit make a comeback! X-lines is a good express brand!

Stagecoach Express Connect would be a good brand for Stagecoach's expresses (X24, X34, X47, X77, X78, X79, X82, X87, X88 and 100).

I think City-link will stay if the 56 is getting Cross City Link branding will it still be orange

And fab 57 was really chessey

(25 Jan 2020, 12:40 am)Ds1197 wrote I think City-link will stay if the 56 is getting Cross City Link branding will it still be orange

And fab 57 was really chessey

The 57 and 58 are being removed from the CityLink brand once the 56 is put under it – most likely they'll be corporate routes judging by what's happened with ToonLink and The Blaydon Racer.

To be honest, CityLink is a brand that currently makes no sense given that neither the 57 nor 58 cross two different cities. The 58's variant is exactly the same as the old Tynedale Express, so it was probably just a quick attempt at creating a new brand out of something already done and then changing it blue when the 57 was put under it.

Since the 56 links two actual cities, the route will suit the name better. It's a nice livery, too. 

Don’t know why members on here are surprised that certain branded routes are going, as it was announced awhile back that some branded routes were going in favour of more own corporate colours and identity.


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In regards to the timetable designs, the 97 timetable is a Best Impressions one, the rest are Beacon Creative.

I know that GNE have a long history with Beacon, but their work is getting rather tired and amateurish. When are GNE going to stop keeping them happy?!

(25 Jan 2020, 9:17 am)omnicity4659 wrote In regards to the timetable designs, the 97 timetable is a Best Impressions one, the rest are Beacon Creative.

I know that GNE have a long history with Beacon, but their work is getting rather tired and amateurish. When are GNE going to stop keeping them happy?!

Are you sure about that?

Go North East haven’t done any work with Beacon Creative for a good few months now, so wondering what ground there is for the statement that their work is “rather tired and amateurish”.

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I'm not sure if anyone from GNE actually looks for feedback on here but a timetable is a timetable to most people.

However I wish the lines would be ditched for different coloured backgrounds across the rows like the 53/54 timetable - https://assets.goaheadbus.com/media/cms_...54_WEB.pdf. It's just much easier to read when your in a rush whereas a full table especially when it's long it's hard to keep a track on which row your meant to be looking at.

The 57 one is particular bad for it especially with the red - https://assets.goaheadbus.com/media/cms_...4/57_1.pdf. It looks better aswell imo.