Did I mention how delighted I am this loss making business has moved on from enthusiast pleasing paint jobs that make absolutely no difference to passengers on a route that needs absolutely no support and if you put an Arriva bus on would still fill up?

(23 Jan 2024, 9:34 am)Ambassador wrote Did I mention how delighted I am this loss making business has moved on from enthusiast pleasing paint jobs that make absolutely no difference to passengers on a route that needs absolutely no support and if you put an Arriva bus on would still fill up?

I'm guessing the reveal of this super secret E200 which is being painted super secretly at Saltmeadows in the old Supershuttle livery won't be your cup of tea then?

Sent from my SM-A526B using Tapatalk

(23 Jan 2024, 9:34 am)Ambassador wrote Did I mention how delighted I am this loss making business has moved on from enthusiast pleasing paint jobs that make absolutely no difference to passengers on a route that needs absolutely no support and if you put an Arriva bus on would still fill up?

I can't wait to see how a new lick of paint and a blast back to the 90s, completely changes the fortunes of this company. Because they've never tried that in the last 20 years.

(23 Jan 2024, 12:44 pm)Adrian wrote I can't wait to see how a new lick of paint and a blast back to the 90s, completely changes the fortunes of this company. Because they've never tried that in the last 20 years.

Wasn’t a new lick of paint due anyway, with the demise of Green Arrow and the return from Bee Network?
X66 has been branded for years, only latterly not branded as the last branded buses were commandeered for Go North West.

(23 Jan 2024, 2:19 pm)busmanT wrote Wasn’t a new lick of paint due anyway, with the demise of Green Arrow and the return from Bee Network?
X66 has been branded for years, only latterly not branded as the last branded buses were commandeered for Go North West.

Perhaps.

But wouldn't it be more productive and cost-effective to paint it into corporate livery? That way, you save £2k+ when the company inevitably gets bored and the bus finds its way onto anything and everything bar the X66 (which is neither 'super' nor a 'shuttle' anymore).

Sent from my SM-A526B using Tapatalk

(23 Jan 2024, 2:19 pm)busmanT wrote Wasn’t a new lick of paint due anyway, with the demise of Green Arrow and the return from Bee Network?
X66 has been branded for years, only latterly not branded as the last branded buses were commandeered for Go North West.

That's my point, though. Maybe not specifically about the X66, but continuing to do the same repetitive nonsense over and over, expecting a different result.

If this is indeed a new X66 livery, it's the 6th that I can count in the past 12 years. In that time, we've seen it lose it's shuttle status, rerouted to serve additional stops, reduce in capacity and reduce in frequency. But hey, let's try it again, I'm sure it'll be better next time.

Well it's here. Nice to see the metro logo has been added

https://flic.kr/p/2pu7vjP (front)
https://flic.kr/p/2pu69ve (back)

You know, if it wasn't for that awkward bit of yellow dipping down on the front, I'd say that looked rather smart!

(23 Jan 2024, 5:06 pm)Aaron21 wrote Well it's here. Nice to see the metro logo has been added

https://flic.kr/p/2pu7vjP (front)
https://flic.kr/p/2pu69ve (back)

Actually looks good.

(23 Jan 2024, 3:11 pm)Adrian wrote That's my point, though. Maybe not specifically about the X66, but continuing to do the same repetitive nonsense over and over, expecting a different result.

If this is indeed a new X66 livery, it's the 6th that I can count in the past 12 years. In that time, we've seen it lose it's shuttle status, rerouted to serve additional stops, reduce in capacity and reduce in frequency. But hey, let's try it again, I'm sure it'll be better next time.

It's more ironic that they've just put a ZEBRA 2 bid in, which if they win, then this will last 3 years max.

(23 Jan 2024, 6:16 pm)Storx wrote It's more ironic that they've just put a ZEBRA 2 bid in, which if they win, then this will last 3 years max.

3 years is a long time in bus operation …….

And no guarantee that the ZEBRA2 bid will be accepted.

(23 Jan 2024, 6:32 pm)busmanT wrote 3 years is a long time in bus operation …….

And no guarantee that the ZEBRA2 bid will be accepted.

You could've just painted it into corporate and stuck some vinyls on doing the exact same thing... Most people really don't care, hence Stagecoach isn't going bust and Arriva Northumbria are doing well on the X21/X22 where they ditched branding completely.

It's just another brand to add to the other 100 brands and bizarrely is missing all the information that actually matters; fares, frequency, route number, it's express etc.

Im sure it’s nice for whoever is involved to get to play designer but this is a total waste of resource by a company we’re told has no money. It’s taken up someone’s time and effort and all to get some likes on a Facebook group for a livery that is utterly meaningless to anyone that isn’t an enthusiast.

Navel gazing nonsense…any chance we can get some adults in charge?

Looks nice and it’s good that the X66 is getting branded again considering it has pretty much always been branded

Isn’t this thing where some people have to moan and complain about everything getting a bit boring now?

Why have they bothered doing that?
Is the company being ran by bus spotters rather than business people?

(23 Jan 2024, 6:47 pm)Wybus wrote Looks nice and it’s good that the X66 is getting branded again considering it has pretty much always been branded

Isn’t this thing where some people have to moan and complain about everything getting a bit boring now?

It’s not just moaning or complaining for the sake of it. It’s more of an example of why the business is failing completely. 

We should absolutely not be celebrating a route that doesn’t need branding being branded by a company that has no money and constantly has its begging bowl out (publically so during the industrial dispute) 

Are we saying the X66 has suffered so badly by not having branded buses?

Look forward to these appearing on a multitude of random routes

(23 Jan 2024, 6:47 pm)Wybus wrote Looks nice and it’s good that the X66 is getting branded again considering it has pretty much always been branded

Isn’t this thing where some people have to moan and complain about everything getting a bit boring now?

Isn't it a bit boring when everyone just agrees on everything?

It may look nice, and I agree it does, but Ambassador has hit the nail on the head in this post.

(23 Jan 2024, 6:46 pm)Ambassador wrote Im sure it’s nice for whoever is involved to get to play designer but this is a total waste of resource by a company we’re told has no money. It’s taken up someone’s time and effort and all to get some likes on a Facebook group for a livery that is utterly meaningless to anyone that isn’t an enthusiast.

Navel gazing nonsense…any chance we can get some adults in charge?

It's mental, almost like no lessons have been learnt from the past few years. 

We've heard how "a new lick of paint [was] due anyway", which is being used as the excuse for yet another pretty average brand. They're hell-bent on spending all of their time and money on gimmicks rather than improving service delivery. 

I've asked before, but what is the actual priority of the company? Is it pleasing enthusiasts, or delivering for the people who pay their salaries? I struggle to think of a single decision in recent times which indicates the priority is the latter.

Unless the 'SuperShuttle' base livery will be the new corporate base livery going forward? Actually looks pretty smart, simple and could absorb up most brands. Keeping some form of a 'sub-brand' whilst retaining a recognisable corporate livery.

(23 Jan 2024, 6:47 pm)Wybus wrote Looks nice and it’s good that the X66 is getting branded again considering it has pretty much always been branded

Isn’t this thing where some people have to moan and complain about everything getting a bit boring now?

Heritage liveries have a place when it's one bus per depot as a "throwback". But when the depot has multiple brands, it just dilutes what's there. For what it's worth it does actually look nice. 

I'd also point out that yes, they've repainted the outside of some MMCs to corporate livery, but they STILL have Green Arrow branding inside. Maybe an internal messaging refresh on these vehicles would be a better use of time. It's pet peeve of mine when the outside of the Bus does not match the inside. It's FirstBus levels of laziness

(23 Jan 2024, 7:54 pm)L469 YVK wrote Unless the 'SuperShuttle' base livery will be the new corporate base livery going forward? Actually looks pretty smart, simple and could absorb up most brands. Keeping some form of a 'sub-brand' whilst retaining a recognisable corporate livery.

No it’s not. Where you getting this from?

---

It gets worse:

https://x.com/garyhunter91/status/1749847481590915077?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw

Why would you paint up 3 modern buses to look old.
Surely we want to attract passengers to bus travel and chance perceptions.

There’s already a B9 knocking around in some old fashioned heritage livery. Do they really need 4 retro liveries?
Simply to excite a handful of spotters?

(23 Jan 2024, 9:35 pm)ne14ne1 wrote No it’s not. Where you getting this from?

It wasn't a statement.

(23 Jan 2024, 9:35 pm)ne14ne1 wrote It gets worse:

https://x.com/garyhunter91/status/1749847481590915077?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw

Why would you paint up 3 modern buses to look old.
Surely we want to attract passengers to bus travel and chance perceptions.

There’s already a B9 knocking around in some old fashioned heritage livery. Do they really need 4 retro liveries?
Simply to excite a handful of spotters?

Is there seriously a message on the back saying, go to the Metrocentre for 'boutique shops'. It couldn't be anything further from it and do they really need to tell people what's at the Metrocentre anyway? Unless you live in a box, like whoever wrote that, is there anyone who really doesn't know whats there. Now you could put something like Upto Every 10 Minutes, Direct - that might just be errm useful... or the brand, at least?

What's next? Shop at ASDA, they sell food.

(23 Jan 2024, 9:35 pm)ne14ne1 wrote No it’s not. Where you getting this from?

---

It gets worse:

https://x.com/garyhunter91/status/1749847481590915077?s=46&t=tPuGEygnn6BhKgNFiA4yAw

Why would you paint up 3 modern buses to look old.
Surely we want to attract passengers to bus travel and chance perceptions.

There’s already a B9 knocking around in some old fashioned heritage livery. Do they really need 4 retro liveries?
Simply to excite a handful of spotters?

As a base livery though.....it would work well with careful sub-branding compared to the current corporate livery when GNE tried the '49'

Crikey, this repaint has shown the worst habits of this forum.

A bus that needed a repaint regardless has had so in an on-brand and cost effective manor. In doing so, a core route with a legacy of branding has been returned to the status-quo as per the past almost 40 years.

Yes, Go North East has suffered an almighty fall from grace by its own actions, but this specific thing really seems like a job well done.

Arriva has a schizophrenic corporate identity with multiple brands in tatters, often wrongly defended as ‘defunct’ by those who haven’t grasped that word’s meaning. Stagecoach at their best has a new livery which is washed out and anonymous within weeks and at their worst operate MANviros in Hartlepool and elsewhere which appear to have been dragged out from a field.

Innovation in the bus industry is near enough dead, bar perhaps electric propulsion heavily subsidised. By the end of the decade most metropolitan areas will have franchising systems well under way and we’ll miss these hayclon days of creativity, though at least we might have a better service to console us.

(23 Jan 2024, 10:24 pm)James101 wrote Crikey, this repaint has shown the worst habits of this forum.

A bus that needed a repaint regardless has had so in an on-brand and cost effective manor. In doing so, a core route with a legacy of branding has been returned to the status-quo as per the past almost 40 years.

Yes, Go North East has suffered an almighty fall from grace by its own actions, but this specific thing really seems like a job well done.

Arriva has a schizophrenic corporate identity with multiple brands in tatters, often wrongly defended as ‘defunct’ by those who haven’t grasped that word’s meaning. Stagecoach at their best has a new livery which is washed out and anonymous within weeks and at their worst operate MANviros in Hartlepool and elsewhere which appear to have been dragged out from a field.

Innovation in the bus industry is near enough dead, bar perhaps electric propulsion heavily subsidised. By the end of the decade most metropolitan areas will have franchising systems well under way and we’ll miss these hayclon days of creativity, though at least we might have a better service to console us.

The repaint isn't in the recent "roadstripe" style so I'm struggling to see how it is on-brand. In terms of being cost effective, given someone will have been paid to design it then it is quite literally not as cost effective as simply painting it into the 2019 livery - for 99.9% of users they simply could not care less about it being branded. 

In terms of your Arriva and Stagecoach points, does every critical discussion surrounding GNE turn into whataboutery? 

On your last point, can a rehash of an old livery really be termed "innovation"? Looking to the continent across the cities where I've used buses there is no route branding, simply an easy to understand system with frequent services and good value fares. To me, innovation in the bus industry would be to deliver services which the general public see as reliable and useful, or to deliver better integration between different modes of public transport. 

During the peak of MG-era GNE branding, a few folk on here (rightly) questioned the approach of the company. Other people on here told them they were wrong, and pointed to stats from years ago that suggested branding had a positive impact on passenger numbers. Ultimately the world has changed and so new approaches are needed to grow public transport usage, we can't just carry on repeating old ideas when they quite clearly do not work anymore.

Could someone, with knowledge of the subject, please explain how it's more cost-effective to paint a bus in 3 or 4 colours versus 1 colour?

I've seen at least three posters mention this now, but my limited knowledge tells me that's incorrect? Is it not a process/re-masking per colour, given you can't paint on top of or alongside wet paint?

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

(24 Jan 2024, 12:28 am)Adrian wrote Could someone, with knowledge of the subject, please explain how it's more cost-effective to paint a bus in 3 or 4 colours versus 1 colour?

I've seen at least three posters mention this now, but my limited knowledge tells me that's incorrect? Is it not a process/re-masking per colour, given you can't paint on top of or alongside wet paint?

Sent from my SM-S916B using Tapatalk

I can only qualify my own post, but my reference to cost effective was in comparison to other branding exercises GNE have been guilty of, perhaps some of the X-lines Streetdecks which rattled through paint jobs. 

 If we’re agreed fleet livery would require two colours and vinyls and Super Shuttle needs 3(?) colours and vinyls then the marginal cost of this appearing to be designed and executed in-house is really not a big expense. I’m surprised you needed this interpretation explaining.

(23 Jan 2024, 11:46 pm)mb134 wrote The repaint isn't in the recent "roadstripe" style so I'm struggling to see how it is on-brand. In terms of being cost effective, given someone will have been paid to design it then it is quite literally not as cost effective as simply painting it into the 2019 livery - for 99.9% of users they simply could not care less about it being branded. 

In terms of your Arriva and Stagecoach points, does every critical discussion surrounding GNE turn into whataboutery? 

On your last point, can a rehash of an old livery really be termed "innovation"? Looking to the continent across the cities where I've used buses there is no route branding, simply an easy to understand system with frequent services and good value fares. To me, innovation in the bus industry would be to deliver services which the general public see as reliable and useful, or to deliver better integration between different modes of public transport. 

During the peak of MG-era GNE branding, a few folk on here (rightly) questioned the approach of the company. Other people on here told them they were wrong, and pointed to stats from years ago that suggested branding had a positive impact on passenger numbers. Ultimately the world has changed and so new approaches are needed to grow public transport usage, we can't just carry on repeating old ideas when they quite clearly do not work anymore.

A branding exercise which hints back at a previous strong identity is a proven technique. Burger King, McDonald’s, Iron Bru and LNER come straight to mind in the past year or so. RYB is the strongest GNE legacy in its recent history (it’s been constantly weakened since) and Gateshead is its heartland. I’ve already added detail above as to my interpretation of cost effectiveness.

I didn’t intended my comparison to other operators to be interpreted as whataboutery but fair comment, I think it’s still a valid observation in
isolation. 

You mention your ideals for service provision as on the continent - a frequent, low fare service linking modes of transport is quite literally the X66, they’ve even stuck a Metro logo on the front of it. It’s a valid concern for other parts of the network but I really don’t think that criticism fits here. 

Don’t misinterpret my praise for this specific project as linked to some of the particularly barmy kite flying of the 2020-21 period, I’m totally on that page with you there. I’d just add that while yes the world has changed and new ideas are needed, buses still to be operated and maintained until the answer for the future drops out of the sky and this will involve occasional repaints.

(23 Jan 2024, 5:45 pm)streetdeckfan wrote You know, if it wasn't for that awkward bit of yellow dipping down on the front, I'd say that looked rather smart!

It was really bugging me, so I broke out ye old Photoshop (Well, Affinity Photo because F Adobe) and 'fixed' it.