LOL, as if I'd use the X12, I'd rather bloody walk!

You wouldn't though would you. 

It's brings us on briefly to Arriva's X12 ? Why it carries that operating number beats me? 2 and half hours of misery riding on a Pulsar or worse. Perhaps time for an upgrade there as well?

As has been said, it's express for a couple of sections of the route. Don't see how some people find it impossible to grasp that an express route doesn't need to be 60mph "THRASHHH" running from start to finish.

Couldn't be anymore torturous than what's been happening for years ! The route has never been properly promoted or managed. Half hearted attempts with inevitably inappropriate vehicles being flogged relentlessly. Little wonder people go by train.

I'm sorry but, while I think the B5TLs were a horrendously shortsighted decision, you cannot accuse GNE of not properly promoting the X9/X10. The liveries alone, over the years, have been some of the best we've ever seen from the company. 

Equally, I don't believe that the B9TLs when new were inappropriate for the route. Were it viable to (or at this point possible to!), then a new batch of B9TLs for the TTX every 3-4 years would likely be all it needed. Unfortunately 6043-8 were probably kept on for a year or so too long, and by that time were struggling.

Aren't the StreetDecks on the 21 the most reliable in the fleet? The ones for the X21 are a bit iffy, but not horrendous

Hardly a ringing endorsement. Like least rattliest Streetlite

Hardly a ringing endorsement. Like least rattliest Streetlite

Or the most comfortable Citaro, or the least creaky E200/E400.

Seriously though, the StreetDecks rarely seem to be off the road.

I wonder if GNE would ever release the reliability stats of each vehicle type

Or the most comfortable Citaro, or the least creaky E200/E400.

Seriously though, the StreetDecks rarely seem to be off the road.

I wonder if GNE would ever release the reliability stats of each vehicle type

Probably not. GNE are more “enthusiast-friendly” than other operators but I don’t think they’d ever release this data.

That said, enthusiasts would be taken aback - their perception of how “unreliable” some buses are would be proven wrong.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Given the excitement caused by the introduction of these coaches on the X9/10, is it likely to be the case that in the first few weeks of use the service will be swamped by enthusiasts getting rather carried away with excitement and making endless YouTube videos?

I hope they'll be wearing face masks and social distancing. Please try not shout words such as thrash and machine too loud as this may scare the other passengers ?.

Charles

I was a little harsh in criticising GNE in regard to the X9/10. As an operator they have done just about everything they can within the bounds of sustainability and operation within the commercial constraints of such a route.
The one thing that could be missing is a "direct" service between the two points, Middlesbrough and Stockton, aka back in the day when, if I remember correctly Arriva ran it and it took just an hour between the two points. Wouldn't work these days though, would it ??

Given the excitement caused by the introduction of these coaches on the X9/10, is it likely to be the case that in the first few weeks of use the service will be swamped by enthusiasts getting rather carried away with excitement and making endless YouTube videos?

I hope they'll be wearing face masks and social distancing. Please try not shout words such as thrash and machine too loud as this may scare the other passengers ?.

Charles

Hope not Charles, hopefully we're out of the pandemic by September though.


I want to go back to work, 15 weeks I've been off now =(

Hope not Charles, hopefully we're out of the pandemic by September though.


I want to go back to work, 15 weeks I've been off now =(

You have too much faith in the enthusiasts! It's the same group of people that went out for a play when they found out vehicle allocations were all over the place even after multiple warnings, of course they're going to go out on the X9/X10!

My guess is that by September things will be mostly back to normal, I mean, we're still waiting for those second peaks that were definitely going to happen when everyone went to the beach!

As someone who has been working throughout, I want my 15 weeks off, preferably post-COVID!

Hope not Charles, hopefully we're out of the pandemic by September though.


I want to go back to work, 15 weeks I've been off now =(

A bit optimistic there, I can see this pandemic lasting a few years yet, if ya bored go for a ride out on the bus [emoji1787] but only for essential though [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Got a few questions. Firstly how disabled friendly are these coaches ?  Secondly would it possible to still stop near Eldon Square because yes some people coming though for a day out do actually connect at Eldon Square and if you do not know Newcastle that well it would be a pain trying to find the bus stops.   

Be interesting to see how well the coaches work

Got a few questions. Firstly how disabled friendly are these coaches ?  Secondly would it possible to still stop near Eldon Square because yes some people coming though for a day out do actually connect at Eldon Square and if you do not know Newcastle that well it would be a pain trying to find the bus stops.   

Be interesting to see how well the coaches work

There is a wheelchair bay in the low floor section next to the driver. (I wonder how that works with distancing at present?). 95% of the passenger seats are upstairs on these Interdecks.

There is a wheelchair bay in the low floor section next to the driver. (I wonder how that works with distancing at present?). 95% of the passenger seats are upstairs on these Interdecks.

I'd imagine it'd be the same with these as the National Express coaches, the drivers will be provided with a proper fitted mask

I'd imagine it'd be the same with these as the National Express coaches, the drivers will be provided with a proper fitted mask

Can the interdecks not be fitted with cab doors & bandit screens?

Can the interdecks not be fitted with cab doors & bandit screens?

They don't really have a cab though, unless the Oxford ones are different. The downstairs area is all open like a coach (at least from images I've seen)

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

Can the interdecks not be fitted with cab doors & bandit screens?

They don't really have a cab though, unless the Oxford ones are different. The downstairs area is all open like a coach (at least from images I've seen)

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

They can now:
https://twitter.com/Plaxtoncoach/status/...9055563776

This was posted on Instagram in a chat and shows what the livery will look like


Sent from my iPhone XS using Tapatalk

I really like that, suits the coach perfect.

Have u got the link to Instagram?

They can now:
https://twitter.com/Plaxtoncoach/status/...9055563776

Will GNE be getting them installed?

This was posted on Instagram in a chat and shows what the livery will look like


Sent from my iPhone XS using Tapatalk

Is that official? Looks like I was pretty close if it is. Although once again they've cut the tip of the 'road stripe' off into the wheel arch!

I really like that, suits the coach perfect.

Have u got the link to Instagram?

 Guessing someone got into a bit of trouble for sharing it since it's been deleted!?

Looks good.

Are they euro 6 already?

Looks good.

Are they euro 6 already?

Looks like since 2014 the B11R has been Euro 6 only so one would assume they are

I understand the point of X Lines etc, but I really think branding the X9/X10 now it's got coaches apart of it is really a lost opportunity. It's really not the same standard as a Solo which is on the X20 and imo it should be reflected in the brand. It's one of the few proper express bus services in the North East and imo branding with routes such as the X1/X45/X46, the majority of which runs trundling through villages kinda lowers the quality of the route. At the end of the day it's got it's own special ticketing it should be a more premium service that anything else GNE operates and the branding should reflect that with it's own special brand promoting the fact it's a coach service, X-lines you can't do that since there's other lower quality buses on the routes.

The only other buses which are real expresses in the North East in the sense of the X9 and X10 are the X14, X15 and X93 (All Arriva) imo in terms that it's about connecting large settlements and not a lot inbetween. I delibrately left out the X21.

I understand the point of X Lines etc, but I really think branding the X9/X10 now it's got coaches apart of it is really a lost opportunity. It's really not the same standard as a Solo which is on the X20 and imo it should be reflected in the brand. It's one of the few proper express bus services in the North East and imo branding with routes such as the X1/X45/X46, the majority of which runs trundling through villages kinda lowers the quality of the route. At the end of the day it's got it's own special ticketing it should be a more premium service that anything else GNE operates and the branding should reflect that with it's own special brand promoting the fact it's a coach service, X-lines you can't do that since there's other lower quality buses on the routes.

The only other buses which are real expresses in the North East in the sense of the X9 and X10 are the X14, X15 and X93 (All Arriva) imo in terms that it's about connecting large settlements and not a lot inbetween. I delibrately left out the X21.

I agree with you on this one. If ADL Scania E400MMC N250UDs or Wright StreetDeck OM936s were ordered, then X-Lines would be suited.

But with the X9 & X10 becoming coach operated, a separate brand (but tied in with the X-Lines network) would be better. Even a re-launch of the Tyne-Tees Xpress brand but promoting the luxury benefits of a coach operated service.

I agree with you on this one. If ADL Scania E400MMC N250UDs or Wright StreetDeck OM936s were ordered, then X-Lines would be suited.

But with the X9 & X10 becoming coach operated, a separate brand (but tied in with the X-Lines network) would be better. Even a re-launch of the Tyne-Tees Xpress brand but promoting the luxury benefits of a coach operated service.

I suppose it depends how you look at it, from one point of view, it makes sense to have it separate, for exactly the reason you say.

But on the other hand, the whole point of the X-Lines network was to have the express services (even if some are controversial!) under one brand.

I would also argue that the benefits of the X9/X10 are less to do with the vehicle running on it, but the route itself. The main benefit of the route is the relatively short travel time between the destinations, if they had a double deck that could handle the motorway the way the coaches can, would that make it any worse of an experience? I personally don't think so.

If I used the route regularly, I personally would have preferred a double decker, basically 6337 but with an engine that could handle the motorway. I always pick a table seat if I can because it doesn't feel like you're being packed in like sardines, which is what pretty much every coach feels like to me, especially with the actually high-back chairs blocking the view forwards (not like the V3 or Keil seats they have on the other vehicles which don't even reach my head!)

I suppose it depends how you look at it, from one point of view, it makes sense to have it separate, for exactly the reason you say.

But on the other hand, the whole point of the X-Lines network was to have the express services (even if some are controversial!) under one brand.

I would also argue that the benefits of the X9/X10 are less to do with the vehicle running on it, but the route itself. The main benefit of the route is the relatively short travel time between the destinations, if they had a double deck that could handle the motorway the way the coaches can, would that make it any worse of an experience? I personally don't think so.

If I used the route regularly, I personally would have preferred a double decker, basically 6337 but with an engine that could handle the motorway. I always pick a table seat if I can because it doesn't feel like you're being packed in like sardines, which is what pretty much every coach feels like to me, especially with the actually high-back chairs blocking the view forwards (not like the V3 or Keil seats they have on the other vehicles which don't even reach my head!)

I have to disagree, its not all about the power of the vehicle. The suspension of the Coach will no doubt improve the passenger experience. When those coaches roll out I suspect more people won't want to use the train, it's just far more comfortable. The Volvo B11R, which is what I think the Interdecks are bolted on to, is such a comfortable ride it's unreal. The ride quality alone will raise the bar by itself.

I have to disagree, its not all about the power of the vehicle. The suspension of the Coach will no doubt improve the passenger experience. When those coaches roll out I suspect more people won't want to use the train, it's just far more comfortable. The Volvo B11R, which is what I think the Interdecks are bolted on to, is such a comfortable ride it's unreal. The ride quality alone will raise the bar by itself.

That goes without saying, I was talking more about the experience though, I always find coaches to feel very cramped compared to a double decker.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

They don't really have a cab though, unless the Oxford ones are different. The downstairs area is all open like a coach (at least from images I've seen)

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

Stagecoach have had cab doors (without vandal screens) on their ones in Aberdeen since new.

Food for thought here but in the future, could standard ADL E400MMCs not handle the X9 & X10?

Arriva at present use 15 reg classic ADL E400s on the X15 all the way to Berwick. The only thing there is that the X15 stops off at several villages en route and it's often difficult to get above 50mph on most single carriageway sections of the A1.

Obviously the X9 & X10 are different as most time on the A19 is a constant 62mph stint.

Food for thought here but in the future, could standard ADL E400MMCs not handle the X9 & X10?

Arriva at present use 15 reg classic ADL E400s on the X15 all the way to Berwick. The only thing there is that the X15 stops off at several villages en route and it's often difficult to get above 50mph on most single carriageway sections of the A1.

Obviously the X9 & X10 are different as most time on the A19 is a constant 62mph stint.

Let’s get the coaches here and in service first before we think about what comes next after that!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Stagecoach have had cab doors (without vandal screens) on their ones in Aberdeen since new.

And now also have perspex attached due to the current situation! 

If I recall correctly, the wheelchair space is about a metre away from the drivers seat anyway so that would never be an issue.

Seen this on Dan's Twitter this morning.... when someone mentioned about the B5's going on the X84/X85..

I wonder whats been allocated?

From what I've heard fleet standardisation seems to be the name of the game. Probably best for a new thread though. Good to see name badges being added to personalise what is an upgraded set of interurban services. We were meant to get similar at Arriva when Sapphire started but it didn't last long.