(22 Sep 2023, 8:24 am)ne14ne1 wrote “Look out for our distinctive purple buses”

https://flic.kr/p/2p4uyoo

Same bus operating service 354 this morning.
On the first day of operation of the 354 I rode it from Shields to Killingworth and back. Corporate liveried-buses on both journeys, and little evidence of purple buses on other routes (353, 359) during my journeys.
I really don't see the point.

(23 Sep 2023, 11:26 am)Ex-conductor wrote Same bus operating service 354 this morning.
On the first day of operation of the 354 I rode it from Shields to Killingworth and back. Corporate liveried-buses on both journeys, and little evidence of purple buses on other routes (353, 359) during my journeys.
I really don't see the point.

There was a purple one on my 351 this morning. Good to see the bus almost full as it joined the Coast Road. It would be nice for  them all to be the same but who cares we’ve still got a bus service.

Can anyone think of a brand name for the 61 - East Durham Explorer doesnt really fit considering it just goes into it

I've thought of a few

CityLink
CitySwift

but they just seem to have no link to the route

(01 Nov 2023, 10:55 pm)Unber43 wrote Can anyone think of a brand name for the 61 - East Durham Explorer doesnt really fit considering it just goes into it

I've thought of a few

CityLink
CitySwift

but they just seem to have no link to the route

Drifter.

Then at the same time up it to every 15 minutes between Dalton Park and Sunderland with an extra 2 PVR and run it as every 7.5 minutes combined between Dalton Heights and Sunderland rather than the 61 just sitting there aimlessly. Should help with the supposed capacity issues on the 60 aswell.

(01 Nov 2023, 11:32 pm)Storx wrote Drifter.

Then at the same time up it to every 15 minutes between Dalton Park and Sunderland with an extra 2 PVR and run it as every 7.5 minutes combined between Eastlea and Sunderland rather than the 61 just sitting there aimlessly. Should help with the supposed capacity issues on the 60 aswell.

Or up the 60 to 12 mins and the 61 to 20 mins. Cut the Peterlee Leg, bring back the 202 and possibly extend that upto Parkside to add a link to Dalton Park back to Dawdon. 

But I think for people it literally is which ever one comes first, its always been that way, only the 22/23 they let past, whether thats going to continue who knows. 

Same what they used to do with the 42/61/60 when they used to leapfrog between Grangetown and Sunderland.

(01 Nov 2023, 11:38 pm)Unber43 wrote Or up the 60 to 12 mins and the 61 to 20 mins. Cut the Peterlee Leg, bring back the 202 and possibly extend that upto Parkside to add a link to Dalton Park back to Dawdon. 

But I think for people it literally is which ever one comes first, its always been that way, only the 22/23 they let past, whether thats going to continue who knows. 

Same what they used to do with the 42/61/60 when they used to leapfrog between Grangetown and Sunderland.

Wouldn't really work 20 and 12 as they'd bounce all over the place. Need even services really to do it. 

That corridor is a mess though so many brands and they all virtually do the same route especially the 2/2A/39/39A/39B/60/61 South of Sunderland and also 2/2A/39/39A/78 along Chester Road.

Get arid of them all imo and renumber the routes tidily and advertise it as 14 buses an hour or whatever it is nowadays and upto every 5 minutes.

(01 Nov 2023, 11:51 pm)Storx wrote Wouldn't really work 20 and 12 as they'd bounce all over the place. Need even services really to do it. 

That corridor is a mess though so many brands and they all virtually do the same route especially the 2/2A/39/39A/39B/60/61 South of Sunderland and also 2/2A/39/39A/78 along Chester Road.

Get arid of them all imo and renumber the routes tidily and advertise it as 14 buses an hour or whatever it is nowadays and upto every 5 minutes.

Imo, all Sunderland services which go around central sunderland 

GNE - 33/2/2A/39/A/B/35/35A
SCNE - 3/4/16/20 etc

Should be renamed in the 30-42 number system imo.

(01 Nov 2023, 11:59 pm)Unber43 wrote Imo, all Sunderland services which go around central sunderland 

GNE - 33/2/2A/39/A/B/35/35A
SCNE - 3/4/16/20 etc

Should be renamed in the 30-42 number system imo.

See I'd be tempted to finally split the 39 in half at Sunderland, not much sense it being connected now and then do something like

2/2A -> 6/6A
78 -> 7
39B (Washington side) -> 7A

60 -> 60
61/61A -> 61/61A
39/39A/39B (South side) -> 62/63/64

Then you can advertise it as catch the 6 and 7 every 7.5 minutes along Chester Road
or
Catch the 6's to Grangetown upto every 5 minutes.

Just easier for someone who doesn't know the buses.

(01 Nov 2023, 10:55 pm)Unber43 wrote Can anyone think of a brand name for the 61 - East Durham Explorer doesnt really fit considering it just goes into it

I've thought of a few

CityLink
CitySwift

but they just seem to have no link to the route

I've no ideas
https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielgrah...802876061/

2/2A- The Villager
60/61/61A- The Wearsider
62(39)/63(39A)/39B(64)- Connections
77(8)/78/78A(8A)- Wearside Wanderer

(02 Nov 2023, 1:27 pm)V514DFT wrote 2/2A- The Villager
60/61/61A- The Wearsider
62(39)/63(39A)/39B(64)- Connections
77(8)/78/78A(8A)- Wearside Wanderer

60 spends most of its time in county durham.

Personally Ive always loved the Doxford Clipper Branding.

8/78 I quite like Coast and Country, would be better if they spent more time at the coast tho.

Or minimal branding with the following..........

- Go North East Corporate - all services not mentioned below
- CityLink (21, 56)
- NE-Xpress (X10, X21, X30/X31)*
- Connecting Newcastle & Gateshead (Q3, 53, 54)
- COASTLINE (306, 307, 308, 309)

For NE-Xpress:
- All E400MMC move to Riverside Depot including Riverside operating the X30/X31.
- Volvo B5TL and or StreetDecks to Consett to replace E400MMCs on X45 and X71/X72.
- Consett in turn get the 12 which interworks with the 6.
- X31 extended to Lanchester in place of the hourly 6 extension. Remote reliefs for X30/X31 at Eldon Square or Dunston.

(02 Nov 2023, 1:57 pm)Unber43 wrote 60 spends most of its time in county durham.

Personally Ive always loved the Doxford Clipper Branding.

8/78 I quite like Coast and Country, would be better if they spent more time at the coast tho.

Yeah, extend them to Seaburn, make them actually Coast and Country for the summer at least.

Wasn't actually being serious

(02 Nov 2023, 2:56 pm)V514DFT wrote Wasn't actually being serious

Honestly, I think a summer service to Seaburn is something GNE is missing right now. The 50 is apparently quite popular on Sundays to Marsden.

In all seriousness, the only routes that should be branded are:

21, X10, X21

306/307/308/309 - Joint GNE & Arriva brand for Coast Road services

Everything else GNE corporate with the priority being a stable and robust network that doesn't chop & change constantly!

(02 Nov 2023, 8:50 pm)L469 YVK wrote In all seriousness, the only routes that should be branded are:

21, X10, X21

306/307/308/309 - Joint GNE & Arriva brand for Coast Road services

Everything else GNE corporate with the priority being a stable and robust network that doesn't chop & change constantly!

Brand the stable routes....

There loads

Really couldn’t care less what it says! them punters don’t read nowt anyway

Was a bit bored this afternoon so I thought I would come up with a new corporate livery, inspiration came from the new South Vectis Livery on there new E400MMC's.

(30 Dec 2023, 7:58 pm)Malarkey wrote Was a bit bored this afternoon so I thought I would come up with a new corporate livery, inspiration came from the new South Vectis Livery on there new E400MMC's.

That's giving me flashbacks to the X50 Solars.

(31 Dec 2023, 1:26 pm)deanmachine wrote That's giving me flashbacks to the X50 Solars.

Yeah it does have those 2005 vibes also, I'd say it looks better than the current corporate livery.

(30 Dec 2023, 7:58 pm)Malarkey wrote Was a bit bored this afternoon so I thought I would come up with a new corporate livery, inspiration came from the new South Vectis Livery on there new E400MMC's.

Looks too much like stagecoach


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Do those in strong support of the X66 receiving three different retro liveried vehicles believe patronage fell through the floor while the service has been running corporate/non-route branded vehicles, and believe that this latest tactic will increase loads?

(24 Jan 2024, 7:24 am)ne14ne1 wrote Do those in strong support of the X66 receiving three different retro liveried vehicles believe patronage fell through the floor while the service has been running corporate/non-route branded vehicles, and believe that this latest tactic will increase loads?

They must do. 

There was some conversation on here a while back, relating to the 2/2a and how the livery on there had got people talking. So must be working.

Except there's a world of difference between people talking and people actually using a bus because it fulfils their requirements.

when i used to bus it back to the rigg from wrecka punters never stopped talking about the original branding of the FAB 56 and 57 - about how " UNFAB and shite it was!!!!!"

https://www.facebook.com/share/mktPFPZyLUYnAD4w/

This came up on my fb reels. 

It took me a while to realise the copy and paste generator had been creating desire in London and this wasn't actually a part of Bensham that I didn't recognise.

(08 Feb 2024, 10:48 am)Andreos1 wrote https://www.facebook.com/share/mktPFPZyLUYnAD4w/

This came up on my fb reels. 

It took me a while to realise the copy and paste generator had been creating desire in London and this wasn't actually a part of Bensham that I didn't recognise.

“Stolen with pride”, as they say!

Not designed by the copy and paste generator.


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Owned by Passenger Plus, Tadworth who specialise in Corporate Contracts and Rail Replacement.

They have four of them all entering service in September 2023.
YD73FRV
YD73FRX
YD73FRU
YD73FRZ

They seem to be very elusive to cameras, and probably running a closed door contract or even operating somewhere that isn't publically accessible. Chances of that one in the reel might have been heading to or from the depot.

There is a photo of one on their website - https://www.passengerplus.co.uk/our-fleet.htm

(08 Feb 2024, 11:15 am)Dan wrote “Stolen with pride”, as they say!

Not designed by the copy and paste generator.


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You're telling us that the copy and paste generator has had his ideas erm, copy and pasted by someone else? 

The irony is delicious!

Surely given it's a blatant copy GNE would be well within their rights to go after them for copyright infringement on the design?

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