6315 is being used for a promotional event in Durham today.


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8321 looking forlorn at Woodstone Village a few moments ago.
Passengers transferred to another branded vehicle. Unsure if it was the 17.45 (approx) that failed and a replacement was sent or the 17.15 (approx) that's waited half an hour for the next scheduled bus to appear.

In deep (?!) thought about the Merc's at the moment. Keep your eyes peeled for another thought provoking post!
Two in a week? First questioning the logic of running off the 20A early from Shields and now a potential post about the Merc's!

(08 Mar 2018, 6:20 pm)Andreos1 wrote 8321 looking forlorn at Woodstone Village a few moments ago.
Passengers transferred to another branded vehicle. Unsure if it was the 17.45 (approx) that failed and a replacement was sent or the 17.15 (approx) that's waited half an hour for the next scheduled bus to appear.

In deep (?!) thought about the Merc's at the moment. Keep your eyes peeled for another thought provoking post!
Two in a week? First questioning the logic of running off the 20A early from Shields and now a potential post about the Merc's!

Which Mercs are you talking about?

(08 Mar 2018, 6:20 pm)Andreos1 wrote 8321 looking forlorn at Woodstone Village a few moments ago.
Passengers transferred to another branded vehicle. Unsure if it was the 17.45 (approx) that failed and a replacement was sent or the 17.15 (approx) that's waited half an hour for the next scheduled bus to appear.

In deep (?!) thought about the Merc's at the moment. Keep your eyes peeled for another thought provoking post!
Two in a week? First questioning the logic of running off the 20A early from Shields and now a potential post about the Merc's!

GNE's Mercedes Citaro's.

I like them. In the age of the soulless characterless, plastic lightweight bus - they seem to hold the last vestiges of quality.

They also hold an accolade of appearing boosting numbers to such an extent on the X1, Coast Road and Tyne Valley services, that brand new deckers needed to be purchased a few years later.
However, their allocation from new to Deptford based routes, didn't see the same success.
It got me thinking about the pricing structure and competition along the Coast Road and through the Tyne Valley and comparing/contrasting to that on the routes initially operated by Mercs from by Deptford and Washington.

The three succesful corridors which have seen further upgrades to deckers are totally different to the likes of the 2 series and 35 series.
All three succesful corridors (apart from operating direct and not around the doors like the 2 and 35 series), also operate in to and out of Newcastle.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but given the chance to do it again and see sustained growth on three corridors, would GNE have allocated the 27 Mercs from new? Could the 1 have benefited? Would the Bensham Bank/Whickham Highway services be operated by deckers now?
If they were so successful on the three corridors mentioned, why did GNE hold back with future purchases and restrict any other purchases to the 4 a few years after the three original batches?

Or, was it down the fact that deckers operated for a significant period along the Coast Road, along the Tyne Valley and from the Coalfields to Newcastle via Washington and the demand was always there?

Appreciate we won't see them on an open forum like this, but to compare and contrast further, I would love to see how numbers have improved/declined once cascades started and Merc's appeared on the various other Riverside, Deptford and then Stanley services.
To see cheaper, lighweight vehicles appear on the Stanley and Deptford routes would indicate to me that the 'Merc factor' has worn off. 
However, I think that would be too easy an assumption to make. Particularly in the fuel saving, BSOG obsessed, penny pinching era we are living in now.

(08 Mar 2018, 7:51 pm)Andreos1 wrote GNE's Mercedes Citaro's.

Appreciate we won't see them on an open forum like this, but to compare and contrast further, I would love to see how numbers have improved/declined once cascades started and Merc's appeared on the various other Riverside, Deptford and then Stanley services.
To see cheaper, lighweight vehicles appear on the Stanley and Deptford routes would indicate to me that the 'Merc factor' has worn off. 
However, I think that would be too easy an assumption to make. Particularly in the fuel saving, BSOG obsessed, penny pinching era we are living in now.

When they first appeared on the scene, and bear in mind I was only about 10 at the time so my memory is a bit hazy, I seem to recall there was a big push into the fact that these were Mercedes, both for driver recruitment and service advertisement. I don't remember any similar publicity when they were cascaded. 

Mercedes to the general public screams premium quality and reliability.

For example, at the time, Arriva Northumbria were still operating a strong fleet of Scania single decks. We know that they were ridiculously good vehicles, yet if you offered the 'average' customer a ride home in a Merc or a Scania, there'd only ever be one winner.

(08 Mar 2018, 9:32 pm)mb134 wrote When they first appeared on the scene, and bear in mind I was only about 10 at the time so my memory is a bit hazy, I seem to recall there was a big push into the fact that these were Mercedes, both for driver recruitment and service advertisement. I don't remember any similar publicity when they were cascaded. 

Mercedes to the general public screams premium quality and reliability.

For example, at the time, Arriva Northumbria were still operating a strong fleet of Scania single decks. We know that they were ridiculously good vehicles, yet if you offered the 'average' customer a ride home in a Merc or a Scania, there'd only ever be one winner.

I remember when the Mercs and the Scanias were both used on the 309/310 I used to wait for a Merc if possible not only because they were nicer buses but mostly because the heating actually worked in the Mercs, and having recently used the toonlink service 10 years on I see the heating still doesn't work in the Omnicities!

(08 Mar 2018, 9:32 pm)mb134 wrote When they first appeared on the scene, and bear in mind I was only about 10 at the time so my memory is a bit hazy, I seem to recall there was a big push into the fact that these were Mercedes, both for driver recruitment and service advertisement. I don't remember any similar publicity when they were cascaded. 

Mercedes to the general public screams premium quality and reliability.

For example, at the time, Arriva Northumbria were still operating a strong fleet of Scania single decks. We know that they were ridiculously good vehicles, yet if you offered the 'average' customer a ride home in a Merc or a Scania, there'd only ever be one winner.

The marketing comments are interesting.
I can't remember anything too specific, other than the Washington examples having a tagline on the rear of the vehicles about 'using the Merc to work' (or something similar).

I can't remember any marketing (on-board or off) with the Deptford examples.
It was almost as if the Silver Arrow was less important than its red cousins.
Ditto the 35, that seemed to push its cross-city connections more than it did the actual quality of the vehicle.

Well I'm on the last 35a of the day and it's a scania. Disappointing and uncomfortable.

(31 Jan 2018, 7:27 pm)Citaro5326 wrote looks good but answer this, all the ticket machines are contactless and how is everyone meant to know without having the stickers like 5292 , how's people suppose to know ? would help if they had stickers alot better

A delayed response, but Go North East are clearly looking at ways in which to promote contactless payments.

As well as the promotional livery carried by 6332, there is a cycle of regular posts on Social Media advertising the ability to pay by contactless, there tends to be leaflets on buses with an advert for contactless payments on the back, any Next Stop Announcement TFT monitors updated going forward will have a cycle of advertising slides (one of which is for contactless), the front of the Angel and Castles Express buses have had wording added near the destination display to promote contactless, and the latest form of making customers aware is by a new vinyl added to the first nearside window close by the doors, which aims to make customers aware of the alternative payment method as they board (the idea is that the customer would stop hunting for change, which would potentially delay the journey, and instead pay by card).

The new vinyl is depicted below.

Go North East: 6153 / LJ62KLC by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

(09 Mar 2018, 6:32 am)Dan wrote A delayed response, but Go North East are clearly looking at ways in which to promote contactless payments.

As well as the promotional livery carried by 6332, there is a cycle of regular posts on Social Media advertising the ability to pay by contactless, there tends to be leaflets on buses with an advert for contactless payments on the back, any Next Stop Announcement TFT monitors updated going forward will have a cycle of advertising slides (one of which is for contactless), the front of the Angel and Castles Express buses have had wording added near the destination display to promote contactless, and the latest form of making customers aware is by a new vinyl added to the first nearside window close by the doors, which aims to make customers aware of the alternative payment method as they board (the idea is that the customer would stop hunting for change, which would potentially delay the journey, and instead pay by card).

The new vinyl is depicted below.

Go North East: 6153 / LJ62KLC by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

How many B9's are here now?

(09 Mar 2018, 7:08 am)Michael wrote How many B9's are here now?

I counted 5 6149,6153,6157,6160&6161 all on Routes apart from 6153

(09 Mar 2018, 7:31 am)NewcastleOne wrote I counted 5 6149,6153,6157,6160&6161 all on Routes apart from 6153

Thanks, wasn't sure!

9083 is out today its in North Shields on a Newcastle bound 310 service

(09 Mar 2018, 8:03 am)Michael wrote Thanks, wasn't sure! x

Here’s one of 6152 I just found https://www.flickr.com/photos/98641142@N08/39812377055/

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5266 has been repainted into the Go North East Livery And also 5273 have been repainted into Blue Arrow Livery seen them both recently.

Ok now i get what mean about Citaros. Personally I don't like them because being on 3 corridor's they horrible to look at on day by day basics.

Also since South Tyneside changes they are full or empty which I can see it being loss in profits.

The H1 needs to sorted out no one uses it.

I travelled on a Tynedale Express Citaro yesterday which had vinyl decals advertising NSAs - but no NSAs.

(09 Mar 2018, 7:47 pm)Panasonic44 wrote Ok now i get what mean about Citaros. Personally I don't like them because being on 3 corridor's they horrible to look at on day by day basics.

Also since South Tyneside changes they are full or empty which I can see it being loss in profits.

The H1 needs to sorted out no one uses it.

I've never seen the 26 with more than a handful of people on. Admittedly that was outside the peaks, so I can't comment on how theyre doing  then.

As for the H1. I thought it was doomed from day 1. With observations seemingly backing that view up.
The focus seems to be on saving the hospital at the moment, so I think GNE have been fortunate with regard to the lack of comment/column inches, specifically about the difficulties accessing the place, since the last lot of changes.

Has 4937 left Deptford yet?

The Citaro’s are a very good product and very high quality since their introduction. I don’t believe the newer lightweight and plastic will last longer anything good about them is cosmetic. It’s a shame GoAhead switched away from them. I think the reason that Arriva and Stagecoach kept away from them was because of their cost. Now Go Ahead too. Will the streetlites still be going in strong in 10 years.

As to their current routes I feel they are wasted on them. I think they should be on routes like the Loop, Green Arrow front line services not sidelined for older vehicles..

(10 Mar 2018, 10:33 am)Michael wrote Has 4937 left Deptford yet?

No its out on the X5 today 

Anyone seen 699 lately? it doesn't seem to have been allocated to the 238s for the past few weeks

(10 Mar 2018, 12:55 pm)Dans_bus_photos wrote No its out on the X5 today 

Anyone seen 699 lately? it doesn't seem to have been allocated to the 238s for the past few weeks

Been VOR for the past 13 days - it's waiting for a part, which should have been delivered yesterday all being well.

(10 Mar 2018, 12:55 pm)Dans_bus_photos wrote No its out on the X5 today 

Anyone seen 699 lately? it doesn't seem to have been allocated to the 238s for the past few weeks

So much for the spare citaro's for the X5 then...

(10 Mar 2018, 1:03 pm)Michael wrote So much for the spare citaro's for the X5 then...

5292 is off the road at the moment, and 5337/38 are both allocated to service 9 today.

As well as 5292 being off the road; there are three branded Citaros off the road today (two branded for The 9, hence 5337/38 covering them, as well as a Wear Xpress branded example). Nothing Deptford can really do, but allocate another vehicle type to one of the services.

In terms of customer experience, it'd have been better to allocate a Streetlite rather than 4937, admittedly.

6160 is going round with 6138s ticket machine

Deleted (question was answered in another thread)


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(10 Mar 2018, 10:33 am)Michael wrote Has 4937 left Deptford yet?

Might be very soon, just got towed back to Deptford about an hour ago by Ian Bradley.

Os 8306   back in service ?

What's replacing 635/636 at Peterlee when the AD122 starts at end of the month?

With all the complaints about the app are GNE going to anything about it?

(11 Mar 2018, 4:38 pm)Michael wrote What's replacing 635/636 at Peterlee when the AD122 starts at end of the month?

I was wondering that aswell


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