(19 May 2019, 9:27 am)Dan wrote The X-lines brand is designed to provide passengers with a more premium experience against the norm, so required the use of six of the newer Optare Solo SR with a same-specification spare, which have high-back seats, Wi-Fi and USB charging points.
In order to achieve this, either the fleet at Percy Main or Washington had to be 'downgraded', where the majority of passengers undertake short-hop journeys. With the rest of the North Tyneside services being re-branded, it made sense to use this as an opportunity to re-brand the North Tyneside minibus network of services too. Aside from this, the indiGo services in North Tyneside were already operated by a mixed fleet (625, 627, 631 and 632 along with the newer examples), although very regularly the Whitley Bay 'W' services were also allocated indiGo Solos with fleet livery examples being allocated to the 40/41/42.
The aligning of the Solo fleets puts the business in a better position going forwards, and ensures that customers consistently receive the specification advertised by Go North East.
At Deptford;
- services 33/33A are allocated 718 - 720 (which have Wi-Fi, Next Stop Announcements and high-back seats, as they did when 681, 689 and 690 were allocated).
- service 238 is allocated two from the batch of 649 - 651
672 is a dedicated spare for the X-lines X6/X7 and X20, and one of the batch from 649 - 651 is also a spare.
Thanks, glad they've decided to sort all the solo's out, and try to put them in some sort of order, i would imagine a Streetlite would be used if the spare Solo isn't available (just to keep same spec)
Hopefully this happens with the Omnicities when they become the next set of buses to be put in the spare role.
After repaint, where will the Blue Arrow Omnicities end up?, Riverside?