(04 Nov 2020, 11:24 pm)streetdeckfan wrote I think it's the fact that the name is, pardon my French, shite.

It sounds like a half arsed attempt at making it something different, and it just doesn't sound right when you say it out loud. I can't even imagine how bad it's going to sound coming over the NSA.

Quaycity is actually more restrictive than Quaylink as it implies it only links the quay and the city together, of which Great Park is in neither.

Plus, Quaylink is perhaps one of the best route brands GNE have in terms of describing what the route actually does, it links places to the Quay.

Sure, the Q3 was perhaps stretching the brand a little, but QuayCity is no better at all, if anything I'd say it's worse.

You like pink, I like purple.

These things are always going to divide opinion. Doesn’t detract from the reasoning that in a normal world, the focus of the route (rightly or wrongly) has moved away from that Quayside to the City Centre itself.

Great Park, in a normal world, is used as a Park and Ride site for commuters into the City Centre. It/when the world recovers, there will need to be a big push on getting those commuters back. It’s going to be an uphill battle as a lot of businesses continue to tell their staff to work from home. If they’ve managed to do it for twelve months (or more), many won’t return.

There’s a growing leisure and hospitality sector in the City Centre itself - again, in a normal world. Sure there’s still some demand for the more classy/upmarket bars on the Quayside, but the people in these bars are likely to be the people who don’t use buses.

The Q2 as it was is no more, the Q3 serves an entirely different purpose nowadays and the whilst it’s a pity the traditional name hasn’t been upheld - I get that and I agree - I don’t agree with the comment that Quaylink is better for the Q3. When the growing focus of the route is away from the Quayside, why name your brand entirely around the small section of route with the fewest passengers?


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GNE website updated with article about Crusader (#torchgate), however also mentions DD for the 93 and 94 will receive NSA

(05 Nov 2020, 6:40 am)Dan wrote You like pink, I like purple.

These things are always going to divide opinion. Doesn’t detract from the reasoning that in a normal world, the focus of the route (rightly or wrongly) has moved away from that Quayside to the City Centre itself.

Great Park, in a normal world, is used as a Park and Ride site for commuters into the City Centre. It/when the world recovers, there will need to be a big push on getting those commuters back. It’s going to be an uphill battle as a lot of businesses continue to tell their staff to work from home. If they’ve managed to do it for twelve months (or more), many won’t return.

There’s a growing leisure and hospitality sector in the City Centre itself - again, in a normal world. Sure there’s still some demand for the more classy/upmarket bars on the Quayside, but the people in these bars are likely to be the people who don’t use buses.

The Q2 as it was is no more, the Q3 serves an entirely different purpose nowadays and the whilst it’s a pity the traditional name hasn’t been upheld - I get that and I agree - I don’t agree with the comment that Quaylink is better for the Q3. When the growing focus of the route is away from the Quayside, why name your brand entirely around the small section of route with the fewest passengers?


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Then why keep the Quay in the name if it's not the focus of the route? Surely it'd make more sense to brand the route something different entirely?
I think, for me the main issue (other than the fact it's just, in general, a bad name) is it's too similar to Quaylink, like I said it sounds like a half arsed attempt at making it sound different.

(05 Nov 2020, 10:43 am)streetdeckfan wrote Then why keep the Quay in the name if it's not the focus of the route? Surely it'd make more sense to brand the route something different entirely?
I think, for me the main issue (other than the fact it's just, in general, a bad name) is it's too similar to Quaylink, like I said it sounds like a half arsed attempt at making it sound different.

In homage to the fact that the route has been branded as Quaylink for 15 years?

It's one of the region's longest-serving brand identities, and whilst there's good reason for the change of name in line with how the route has adapted since its inception, Go North East would be mad to break away from the iconic yellow livery with 'Quay' name. It has ties to tourism, now links with the Toon Tour service, etc. The challenge is refreshing the livery to be more modern and eye-catching, whilst retaining enough of its former identity.

(05 Nov 2020, 10:56 am)Dan wrote In homage to the fact that the route has been branded as Quaylink for 15 years?

It's one of the region's longest-serving brand identities, and whilst there's good reason for the change of name in line with how the route has adapted since its inception, Go North East would be mad to break away from the iconic yellow livery with 'Quay' name. It has ties to tourism, now links with the Toon Tour service, etc. The challenge is refreshing the livery to be more modern and eye-catching, whilst retaining enough of its former identity.

Not sure I fully understand the logic behind that? Other strong brands within the NE (Tyne Tees Xpress, Red Kites, Red Arrows) have been rebranded with next to no reference to their prior brandings. 

It feels like one of those instances where the full branding really isn't needed at all now, and what would be more suitable is the corporate livery with an incorporation of QuayLink yellow and route branding along the cant rails. Something along the lines of this:

 Another pair arrive ((11109/15) by Prisma Aberdeen, on Flickr

(05 Nov 2020, 10:56 am)Dan wrote In homage to the fact that the route has been branded as Quaylink for 15 years?

It's one of the region's longest-serving brand identities, and whilst there's good reason for the change of name in line with how the route has adapted since its inception, Go North East would be mad to break away from the iconic yellow livery with 'Quay' name. It has ties to tourism, now links with the Toon Tour service, etc. The challenge is refreshing the livery to be more modern and eye-catching, whilst retaining enough of its former identity.

to me, "quaycity" sounds like it has a descriptor missing e.g. connect, link, line, 

Modern and eye catching should surely be yellow in "house style" - or has "house style" changed already?

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(04 Nov 2020, 10:57 pm)Dan wrote A name is a name, and most people on this forum have suggested in the past that route branding doesn’t work, so not sure what all the hype is about Quaycity?

Really don’t get the issue.

The refurbishment itself is the right thing to do regardless - a 10 year-old Versa which has never been refurbished is hardly the most attractive option to try and get people back on bus as the industry recovers from Coronavirus. A 7 year-old Versa which looks a bit less tatty inside and out, after repaint and refurbishment, stands more of a chance with a bit of targeted marketing... surely?!


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I might have missed this, but what's going on the 58 if the 7-year old Versa are going on quaycity?

Must admit this seems to be much ado about nothing. To my mind, the route is mainly within Newcastle and it links Great Park and Wallsend with the City Centre (and Quayside) so to me it does what it says on the tin. Whether you like the name or not is a matter of personal opinion obviously but I think it's a good concept, and it keeps the overall heritage of the brand which has to be one of the most recognisable sights in the City Centre.

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(05 Nov 2020, 9:34 pm)6049 wrote Must admit this seems to be much ado about nothing. To my mind, the route is mainly within Newcastle and it links Great Park and Wallsend with the City Centre (and Quayside) so to me it does what it says on the tin. Whether you like the name or not is a matter of personal opinion obviously but I think it's a good concept, and it keeps the overall heritage of the brand which has to be one of the most recognisable sights in the City Centre.

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Should've been named City & Quay if a rebrand was needed, but Quaylink was fine! Even more so when the Q1/Q2 is staying as Quaylink!

(05 Nov 2020, 8:45 am)JP6004 wrote GNE website updated with article about Crusader (#torchgate), however also mentions DD for the 93 and 94 will receive NSA

Wonder where the ToonLink deckers will go?

(06 Nov 2020, 6:49 pm)Michael wrote Wonder where the ToonLink deckers will go?

For repaint lmao

(06 Nov 2020, 7:41 pm)JP6004 wrote For repaint lmao

Well maybe... hasn't been confirmed... they could just put the "Toonlink" brand on another service.

(06 Nov 2020, 7:52 pm)Michael wrote Well maybe... hasn't been confirmed... they could just put the "Toonlink" brand on another service.

Didn’t they mention they’d get rid of the Toonlink brand, thank god?

(06 Nov 2020, 7:59 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Didn’t they mention they’d get rid of the Toonlink brand, thank god?

I liked it

Picking up the QuayLink conversation, I have to agree the rebrand to QuayCity seems a bit random. I’m yet to see the justification for it, although I agree the city centre and commuters could and perhaps should be an important part of the livery moving forward. But isn’t that like everything - ‘Coaster’ hardly represents my journey from the Metrocentre to Newcastle while the Coast & Country 8 on a journey from Waterview Park to Chester-Le-Street when it’s nor coastline or countryside. Both brands I quite like might I add, but the point being it’s hard to find a brand that links everything a route has to offer.

Is there confirmed plans for the Q1 & Q2? Surely they are the ones that really needs rebranding, considering the amount of the route that is actually a Gateshead suburban circular. I wonder if the route will become split once more? QuayCity for the Newcastle-Quayside-Gateshead stretch with a new brand or corporate brand for the Gateshead loop.

(07 Nov 2020, 12:13 am)Drifter60 wrote Picking up the QuayLink conversation, I have to agree the rebrand to QuayCity seems a bit random. I’m yet to see the justification for it, although I agree the city centre and commuters could and perhaps should be an important part of the livery moving forward. But isn’t that like everything - ‘Coaster’ hardly represents my journey from the Metrocentre to Newcastle while the Coast & Country 8 on a journey from Waterview Park to Chester-Le-Street when it’s nor coastline or countryside. Both brands I quite like might I add, but the point being it’s hard to find a brand that links everything a route has to offer.

Is there confirmed plans for the Q1 & Q2? Surely they are the ones that really needs rebranding, considering the amount of the route that is actually a Gateshead suburban circular. I wonder if the route will become split once more? QuayCity for the Newcastle-Quayside-Gateshead stretch with a new brand or corporate brand for the Gateshead loop.

I just don't understand why they wouldn't just go for something completely new instead of creating possibly one of the worst brand names ever, to me it's pretty much on par with Fab Fifty Six!

Sure, the 'Quaylink' brand has a history, but so did Red Kites and Red Arrows, but they still ditched those so that argument is pretty much invalid as far as I'm concerned.

According to the fleet update on the GNE site, 5384 has been took out of service for repaint at Blackburn and to be fitted with new seats and USB at Saltmeadows.

Im still surprised they ditched the loop brand,i thought that was a pretty well established brand

(07 Nov 2020, 7:13 pm)V514DFT wrote Im still surprised they ditched the loop brand,i thought that was a pretty well established brand

Its because they changed the timetable a few years ago so its no longer a loop really. You used to be able to stay on the bus at Gateshead if you were travelling from lets say the College to Bensham. But after the change the bus that pulls in doesn't necessarily go out on the same number route again, I.e. a 93 will come in to Gateshead and leave as a 94. Its more of a horseshoe now

So it basically became a split loop, it would do 1 lap of the 93,then do 1 lap of the 94, then go back out as a 93

(08 Nov 2020, 2:48 pm)V514DFT wrote So it basically became a split loop, it would do 1 lap of the 93,then do 1 lap of the 94, then go back out as a 93

Yeah pretty much, it used to be ideal in winter, that you could stay on the bus in relative warmth but you can't do that anymore. If they reverted the service back to a loop then the argument could be made but don't think it'll happen

(08 Nov 2020, 3:00 pm)MattRut21 wrote Yeah pretty much, it used to be ideal in winter, that you could stay on the bus in relative warmth but you can't do that anymore. If they reverted the service back to a loop then the argument could be made but don't think it'll happen

Inter-peak, the 93/94 services don't interwork any more.

It's only at peak-times where they'll swap round, given the extra running time required to operate the services then.

I assume the Quaycity livery will be similar in style to Voltra, creating a branding style dedicated to Newcastle and Gateshead local services?

In response to people calling for homogeneity, in reality, it doesn't work when you want something to stand out and not blend into a corporate identity. X-lines (albeit has reversed road lines) and Voltra are the same.

(08 Nov 2020, 5:14 pm)omnicity4659 wrote I assume the Quaycity livery will be similar in style to Voltra, creating a branding style dedicated to Newcastle and Gateshead local services?

In response to people calling for homogeneity, in reality, it doesn't work when you want something to stand out and not blend into a corporate identity. X-lines (albeit has reversed road lines) and Voltra are the same.

But wasn't the whole point of the X-lines design to make it similar enough to corporate so passengers can tell it's GNE, but different enough to stand out?

With QuayCity and Voltra, the swoopiness looks more like Stagecoach or Arriva than GNE!

(08 Nov 2020, 5:44 pm)streetdeckfan wrote But wasn't the whole point of the X-lines design to make it similar enough to corporate so passengers can tell it's GNE, but different enough to stand out?

With QuayCity and Voltra, the swoopiness looks more like Stagecoach or Arriva than GNE!

I thought you said in an earlier post, Best Impressions just was a copy and paste company - now something different with Quaycity and Voltra and you still twisting.... nee pleasing some folk 

(08 Nov 2020, 5:49 pm)citaro5284 wrote I thought you said in an earlier post, Best Impressions just was a copy and paste company - now something different with Quaycity and Voltra and you still twisting.... nee pleasing some folk 

Actually, I said a copy and paste factory, referring to the fact that every operator that uses Best Impressions has basically the same livery with the diagonal lines in a different place!

My issue is the fact when they brought out the new corporate style, they went on about the fact it was to bring everything together under one corporate image, and now they seem to have scrapped that idea!

Every designer has their own "style", it's the same in all industries and not just public transport.

Best Impressions, despite parts of their work repeating itself (creative block perhaps?), do pay attention to a lot of finer details which previous agencies have overlooked.

(08 Nov 2020, 5:52 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Actually, I said a copy and paste factory, referring to the fact that every operator that uses Best Impressions has basically the same livery with the diagonal lines in a different place!

My issue is the fact when they brought out the new corporate style, they went on about the fact it was to bring everything together under one corporate image, and now they seem to have scrapped that idea!

I wouldn't say they've scrapped the idea. What I would say is that given GNE will be the only operator in the NE who are using electric buses, they'd be mad not to make a song and dance about it. I think they can be excused for deciding to do break the mould slightly on this one.

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(08 Nov 2020, 6:03 pm)6049 wrote I wouldn't say they've scrapped the idea. What I would say is that given GNE will be the only operator in the NE who are using electric buses, they'd be mad not to make a song and dance about it. I think they can be excused for deciding to do break the mould slightly on this one.

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Id understand if it was just Voltra, but Quaycity seems to be the same style, and they're not going electric

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(08 Nov 2020, 6:00 pm)omnicity4659 wrote Every designer has their own "style", it's the same in all industries and not just public transport.

Best Impressions, despite parts of their work repeating itself (creative block perhaps?), do pay attention to a lot of finer details which previous agencies have overlooked.

Don't get me wrong, I like Best Impressions style, but you can spot their work a mile away

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(08 Nov 2020, 6:03 pm)6049 wrote I wouldn't say they've scrapped the idea. What I would say is that given GNE will be the only operator in the NE who are using electric buses, they'd be mad not to make a song and dance about it. I think they can be excused for deciding to do break the mould slightly on this one.

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I agree other than excusing the change of style for VOLTRA & QuayCity - surely if GNE want to scream from the rooftops about their electric buses they’d make them very clearly a GNE bus which happens to be electric, rather than the ambiguous electric bus? In my opinion, VOLTRA has  potential to go much beyond Saltwell Park in it’s marketing. However it’s looked at, they’re very striking vehicles, the general public could see a VOLTRA in Newcastle and begin to reassess bus travel if their last experience on the bus was a rattlebox Solar/Dart/Trident etc. If VOLTRA is clearly a GNE bus the potential new passenger, who probably won’t know or care what the 53/4 are, may be swayed to get back on their own local GNE route. 

It’s the same as how X-Lines has raised the profile of GNE as a whole, specifically because X-Lines are clearly associated with GNE local routes.

6087 is at Bus & Coach World Blackburn - https://www.flickr.com/photos/126644399@N06/50657803446