All this new branding it's very Peter Huntley meets Reading Buses-esque

At what point does it reach the days of old when we're sitting there thinking....ummm Stanley Shuttle

If we’re talking about branding for branding sake, then I think the recent exercise in Sunderland is a prime example of that. I think some on this forum got a blindsided by the fact “Sunderland District” had a historical context to a previous company, which while I can appreciate that, it means nothing to most passengers. But if we’re talking about what means more to passengers “Stanley Shuttle” probably says a lot more than what “Sunderland District Blonde” does. I can see the logic in branding services the way they have in Sunderland, but I’m not sure on the execution or the names chosen, “East Gateshead” is a much better example - Orbit, Rider, Loop.

As for East Durham explorer, I actually like it so far. Colours I think do work better when I’ve seen with some of the vinyls. I think it’s a decent brand.

If we’re talking about branding for branding sake, then I think the recent exercise in Sunderland is a prime example of that. I think some on this forum got a blindsided by the fact “Sunderland District” had a historical context to a previous company, which while I can appreciate that, it means nothing to most passengers. But if we’re talking about what means more to passengers “Stanley Shuttle” probably says a lot more than what “Sunderland District Blonde” does. I can see the logic in branding services the way they have in Sunderland, but I’m not sure on the execution or the names chosen, “East Gateshead” is a much better example - Orbit, Rider, Loop.

With Sunderland they should have either, like you said, gone with better names like Orbit, Rider and Loop, or just stuck with plain colour names

After seeing the 65's livery with branding applied,im 50/50 on it tbh

Go North East 5393 / NK15 ENC by kieron mathews, on Flickr

5393 has re-entered service in its new East Durham Explorer livery.


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Any photos of any East Gateshead Orbits from today showing their correct route numbers?

Go North East: 5442 NK66EVB Wright StreetLite by emdjt42, on Flickr

Here you go


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Go North East 5393 / NK15 ENC by kieron mathews, on Flickr

5393 has re-entered service in its new East Durham Explorer livery.


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Very smart.  Nice empty timetable rack for first day of a new service.

Go North East 5393 / NK15 ENC by kieron mathews, on Flickr

5393 has re-entered service in its new East Durham Explorer livery.


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Go North East: 5442 NK66EVB Wright StreetLite by emdjt42, on Flickr

Here you go


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They look stunning,thanks for posting

Very smart.  Nice empty timetable rack for first day of a new service.

*roll eyes emoji*...

The 65 is one of the ones that hasn't come back from print yet. Should be by the end of next week.

*roll eyes emoji*...

The 65 is one of the ones that hasn't come back from print yet. Should be by the end of next week.

Unfortunately the cynical roll eyes attitude pretty much sums up GNE's approach to providing printed customer information relating to these changes.  Heck, someone even wrote a blog about it.  Apart from yourself, I dont think anyone has reported finding new timetables on board any services as yet - certainly Adrian tried 10 different vehicles and came up empty by all accounts, as have I on countless journeys.  Accepting the delays at the printers (which as others have said should arguably have been pre-empted and printing sorted sooner, or changes not planned for the end of a peak holiday period with known staffing issues already affecting multiple sectors) the fact printed media are next to impossible to locate for the 50% of services that leaflets are reportedly available for is very odd.

Unfortunately the cynical roll eyes attitude pretty much sums up GNE's approach to providing printed customer information relating to these changes.  Heck, someone even wrote a blog about it.  Apart from yourself, I dont think anyone has reported finding new timetables on board any services as yet - certainly Adrian tried 10 different vehicles and came up empty by all accounts, as have I on countless journeys.  Accepting the delays at the printers (which as others have said should arguably have been pre-empted and printing sorted sooner, or changes not planned for the end of a peak holiday period with known staffing issues already affecting multiple sectors) the fact printed media are next to impossible to locate for the 50% of services that leaflets are reportedly available for is very odd.

The cynical roll eyes attitude is because your posts are sadly becoming oh too predictable!

I used to enjoy reading this forum, and have had many a debate over the years, but the same points are being made time and time again about certain things, which are not really provoking any other discussion. Adrian's blog post was well-written, and despite pointing out the flaws, was balanced and informed. Your reaction to it was to make a sarcastic remark referencing one of my previous posts, suggesting that he too had been 'unlucky'.

I was in a bus depot yesterday and checked a few vehicles, and they all had paper timetable leaflets. Maybe I was the lucky one? Maybe staff on the ground ensured everything was as it should be, because I was coming? Who knows, but let's have some mature discussion again, please.

Unfortunately the cynical roll eyes attitude pretty much sums up GNE's approach to providing printed customer information relating to these changes.  Heck, someone even wrote a blog about it.  Apart from yourself, I dont think anyone has reported finding new timetables on board any services as yet - certainly Adrian tried 10 different vehicles and came up empty by all accounts, as have I on countless journeys.  Accepting the delays at the printers (which as others have said should arguably have been pre-empted and printing sorted sooner, or changes not planned for the end of a peak holiday period with known staffing issues already affecting multiple sectors) the fact printed media are next to impossible to locate for the 50% of services that leaflets are reportedly available for is very odd.

Can't really complain since I haven't seen a timetable om any bus lately. Not stagecoach nor arriva so you can't pin stuff like that on GNE since when was the last time you saw a timetable by arriva on a bus or stagecoach for that matter 
It's day one. At least give them a chance

Unfortunately the cynical roll eyes attitude pretty much sums up GNE's approach to providing printed customer information relating to these changes.  Heck, someone even wrote a blog about it.  Apart from yourself, I dont think anyone has reported finding new timetables on board any services as yet - certainly Adrian tried 10 different vehicles and came up empty by all accounts, as have I on countless journeys.  Accepting the delays at the printers (which as others have said should arguably have been pre-empted and printing sorted sooner, or changes not planned for the end of a peak holiday period with known staffing issues already affecting multiple sectors) the fact printed media are next to impossible to locate for the 50% of services that leaflets are reportedly available for is very odd.

Wheres the other companies timetables?

I've seen none of those on the Stagecoach buses, and Arriva have had service changes and have service changes coming up - are those timetables on the buses?

No but everyones banging on about how GNE haven't got them on the buses, when people are forgetting none of the other "big" companies have them either.

Feels like people are banging on about the same rubbish all the time on the forum atm

Wheres the other companies timetables?

I've seen none of those on the Stagecoach buses, and  Arriva have had service changes and have service changes coming up - are those timetables on the buses?

No but everyones banging on about how GNE haven't got them on the buses, when people are forgetting none of the other "big" companies have them either.

Feels like people are banging on about the same rubbish all the time on the forum atm

GCT have the youngest fleet in the North East though. Never see anyone banging on about that.

Wheres the other companies timetables?

I've seen none of those on the Stagecoach buses, and  Arriva have had service changes and have service changes coming up - are those timetables on the buses?

No but everyones banging on about how GNE haven't got them on the buses, when people are forgetting none of the other "big" companies have them either.

Feels like people are banging on about the same rubbish all the time on the forum atm

Naturally because Go North East shout about what they do well, people are more inclined to point out when things aren't as great as they're being made out to be. Arriva and Stagecoach haven't shouted about their printed literature, or indeed very much else recently, so I suspect nobody jumps on them because the expectation is that it isn't there. Go North East have, so folk are pointing out when it isn't there.

All that said; as the person responsible for the production of these paper timetable leaflets (leaving myself wide open here to get a load of criticism), I am slightly concerned that neither Adrian nor stagecoachbusdepot have seen any yet, but they are definitely in circulation with more and more following day by day. There was supposed to be a delivery of timetables into depots on Thursday which I understand was cancelled by the distribution company due to short-term staff sickness, and has been re-arranged for Monday and Tuesday.

I'm in agreement with your sentiments of some topics becoming tiresome, and not adding to any further discussion nor debate. In this instance it has just caused unnecessary conflict, but that's mainly down to the way in which it has been said.

GCT have the youngest fleet in the North East though. Never see anyone banging on about that.

They tend not to put their buses in service 

GCT have the youngest fleet in the North East though. Never see anyone banging on about that.

Aye they do, well done to them.

They tend not to put their buses in service 

Their new 71-plate Merc was out on the Rs yesterday afternoon.

GCT have the youngest fleet in the North East though. Never see anyone banging on about that.

Winner for the most obvious statement of the month.

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Naturally because Go North East shout about what they do well, people are more inclined to point out when things aren't as great as they're being made out to be. Arriva and Stagecoach haven't shouted about their printed literature, or indeed very much else recently, so I suspect nobody jumps on them because the expectation is that it isn't there. Go North East have, so folk are pointing out when it isn't there.

All that said; as the person responsible for the production of these paper timetable leaflets (leaving myself wide open here to get a load of criticism), I am slightly concerned that neither Adrian nor stagecoachbusdepot have seen any yet, but they are definitely in circulation with more and more following day by day. There was supposed to be a delivery of timetables into depots on Thursday which I understand was cancelled by the distribution company due to short-term staff sickness, and has been re-arranged for Monday and Tuesday.

I'm in agreement with your sentiments of some topics becoming tiresome, and not adding to any further discussion nor debate. In this instance it has just caused unnecessary conflict, but that's mainly down to the way in which it has been said.

I must say I have been on 4 different X20's, 4 20's, 3 8's. 2 55's, 1 60, 1 X6. And I saw no leaflets.

Edit - This is not a go at GNE, I am just saying to correspond with Adrian's point I haven't seen any, I understand its not GNE but atleast GNE do something to inform passengers who may not know about this and go out of there way to print timetables. I can say from what I have seen from SC & arriva I haven't seen a leaflet on there buses in years.

Winner for the most obvious statement of the month.

Thanks. What do I win?

Well Keeiajs it might be that the cancelled leaflet delivery for Thursday contained the timetables for those services that you used. They cannot be put on the buses if the depot doesn't have them. To be fair, the fault is down to the company that makes and distributes the leaflets to the depots, they aren't printed in house by Go North East. The staff are hard pressed as they are with all the changes, they can only do so much.

Well Keeiajs it might be that the cancelled leaflet delivery for Thursday contained the timetables for those services that you used. They cannot be put on the buses if the depot doesn't have them. To be fair, the fault is down to the company that makes and distributes the leaflets to the depots, they aren't printed in house by Go North East. The staff are hard pressed as they are with all the changes, they can only do so much.

Yeh, I understand, I did make a edit but didn't save it. It was meant to say like, I don't blame GNE but I am just saying I have been on these services and havent seen any. Wasn't really a issue or a moan just saying.

I have seen leaflets on buses whilst out and about.

I must be one of the chosen few.

I must also say I wasn't a fan of the new livery for the 65, but now with the decals I have to say it is one of my favourite in the fleet with the Connections 4.

What is ur favourite livery.

I must also say I wasn't a fan of the new livery for the 65, but now with the decals I have to say it is one of my favourite in the fleet with the Connections 4.

What is ur favourite livery.

(de)livery usually.

I have seen leaflets on buses whilst out and about.

I must be one of the chosen few.

Guess I must be too, seen leaflets for X30/X31, X70/71/72 and 16/16a.

This leaflet crack is dragging a bit mind. I don't know anyone who uses them anymore and that includes all the pensioners who I know. It's not exactly the end of the world imo, it's not like the majority of people can't go on the internet to view the times and those who can't ring or text someone who can look for them then learn bus every 07 and 37 to town. Every 04 and 34 home. Easy. What time it comes at every other stop is a bit irrelevant.

No doubt there's numerous bus stops in the North East with missing timetables or wrong information as usual the place where times arguably should be especially wrong information which is confusing.

Now a better idea would be someone could go into a travelshop ask what bus stop they're based at and they can get a printed A4 piece of paper giving all the buses which serve that stop which arguably would be more useful - oh wait they shut. Either way they'd be handy information from GNE and more useful as you can't get it online atm unless it's a Nexus bus stop but it's rather difficult to get.

East Durham Explorer 5392putting a full shift in on 65s yesterday

5392 NK15EMX | Wright Streetlite Max DF Micro-Hybrid 5392 tr… | Flickr

Last of the four East Durham Explorer repaints put to bed yesterday, the twice repainted 5391 at the ninth time of asking in a very lucky patch. 

5391 NK15EMV | Wright Streetlite Max DF Micro-Hybrid 5391 tr… | Flickr

It’s a shame there’s not a later journey on the 65 from Seaham, particularly for Friday and Saturday nights. Last bus being 22:25 is probably just a tad early. There’s a bus from Durham arriving in Seaham at 23:12, so a journey even just as far as Hetton or Moorsley that left at around 23:15.

It’s a shame there’s not a later journey on the 65 from Seaham, particularly for Friday and Saturday nights. Last bus being 22:25 is probably just a tad early. There’s a bus from Durham arriving in Seaham at 23:12, so a journey even just as far as Hetton or Moorsley that left at around 23:15.

Driving time is a big factor too remember, pretty sure the driver who comes in on that 23:12 65 doesn't have enough time to do much more than go back to the depot, so another run would be harder to do than just send the bus back to Hetton.

Wonder if these i'll get USB's