(05 Dec 2013, 5:01 pm)Rob wrote Erm...

• Lime
  
• X66
  
• Laser
  
• Crusader
  
• Washington Street Shuttle
  

... prehaps

X66 answers itself. New branding on Citaro artics. Crusader maybe, Lime is possible.

(12 Feb 2014, 1:00 pm)Scott wrote X66 answers itself. New branding on Citaro artics. Crusader maybe, Lime is possible.

Rob is a member of GNE management...

(12 Feb 2014, 1:07 pm)Dan wrote Rob is a member of GNE management...

Still, if the X66 is meant to be getting an upgrade it hardly seems worth them paying for vinyls which make up that complex livery for about 8 months.

(12 Feb 2014, 1:07 pm)Dan wrote Rob is a member of GNE management...

Ahh. I have to say I don't think the X66 needs an upgrade. Lime needs it though, as does the Highwayman, as both routes use fairly old Wright/Scania buses.

(12 Feb 2014, 2:13 pm)northtynelinks2 wrote Still, if the X66 is meant to be getting an upgrade it hardly seems worth them paying for vinyls which make up that complex livery for about 8 months.

The X66 connects thousands of people each day with other services at Gateshead Interchange. Brand recognition is surely worth pursuing?

(12 Feb 2014, 2:48 pm)Scott wrote Ahh. I have to say I don't think the X66 needs an upgrade. Lime needs it though, as does the Highwayman, as both routes use fairly old Wright/Scania buses.

If only those artics were efficient...

(12 Feb 2014, 4:41 pm)Rob wrote The X66 connects thousands of people each day with other services at Gateshead Interchange. Brand recognition is surely worth pursuing?


If only those artics were efficient...

The brands and many colourful liverys is the best thing about Go North East.

However, the new branding on the X66 appears to obscure much of the windows.

(14 Feb 2014, 8:42 am)Scott wrote The brands and many colourful liverys is the best thing about Go North East.

However, the new branding on the X66 appears to obscure much of the windows.

Yes, branding is good, but windows are for looking out of, so shouldn't be obscured.

As we know the Sunderland Connect 700 get rather packed throughout the Day, Meanwhile as has been well documented in recent weeks, The South Tyne 5 suffers with poor Reliability. So my Suggestion here is Simple and Straight Forward, GNE Purchase Hybrid Versas for the 700, Resulting in the Solo SR Hybrid inc 628 going onto the 5.

[attachment=5239]

(16 Feb 2014, 7:06 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote As we know the Sunderland Connect 700 get rather packed throughout the Day, Meanwhile as has been well documented in recent weeks, The South Tyne 5 suffers with poor Reliability. So my Suggestion here is Simple and Straight Forward, GNE Purchase Hybrid Versas for the 700, Resulting in the Solo SR Hybrid inc 628 going onto the 5.

Good idea, as I don't think the 5 needs anything bigger than a Solo SR. I think the 700 contract ends in June though, but hopefully Go North East will continue to operate it.

(16 Feb 2014, 7:13 pm)Tom wrote Good idea, as I don't think the 5 needs anything bigger than a Solo SR. I think the 700 contract ends in June though, but hopefully Go North East will continue to operate it.

Hopefully they do, dont know what else would run on it for a different company.. sure the contract says it has to be a hybrid.

Think its 2015 when the contract ends

Could invest in the Hybrid Versas via The Green Bus Fund Round 5 or Whatever Round it is, I also have a Feeling that we'll see The New Volvo B5LH on the 27 come the end of 2014, with the Laser having standard B5's.

(16 Feb 2014, 7:13 pm)Tom wrote Good idea, as I don't think the 5 needs anything bigger than a Solo SR. I think the 700 contract ends in June though, but hopefully Go North East will continue to operate it.

How about extending the short 9 to South Shields and merging it with the 5?

(16 Feb 2014, 7:19 pm)Michael wrote Hopefully they do, dont know what else would run on it for a different company.. sure the contract says it has to be a hybrid.

Think its 2015 when the contract ends

It's the end of August I think?

(16 Feb 2014, 7:22 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Could invest in the Hybrid Versas via The Green Bus Fund Round 5 or Whatever Round it is, I also have a Feeling that we'll see The New Volvo B5LH on the 27 come the end of 2014, with the Laser having standard B5's.

Cant see them being hybrid B5LH for the laser.
Not sure about the 27, the B5LH seem to be off the road alot for the angel.

Hopefully the Sunderland Connect get bigger buses in the future... might even go up to every 10 or 12 mins.

The current Sunderland Connect ones could be used as spares

(16 Feb 2014, 7:32 pm)Tom wrote It's the end of August I think?

Sorry Tom thats correct, thinking off a different service
Loads of contracts end in July/August

(16 Feb 2014, 7:40 pm)Michael wrote Sorry Tom thats correct, thinking off a different service
Loads of contracts end in July/August

Think your thinking of the Q1/Q2.

(16 Feb 2014, 7:42 pm)Tom wrote Think your thinking of the Q1/Q2.

Ye it was, just double checked.

Wonder what Stagecoach/Arriva and other companies will offer to use on the routes.

(16 Feb 2014, 7:35 pm)Michael wrote Cant see them being hybrid B5LH for the laser.
Not sure about the 27, the B5LH seem to be off the road alot for the angel.

Hopefully the Sunderland Connect get bigger buses in the future... might even go up to every 10 or 12 mins.

The current Sunderland Connect ones could be used as spares

I think that it'll be a Wright Streetdeck with either the Volvo B5TL engine or Integral Merc engine.

(16 Feb 2014, 10:30 pm)Davey Bowyer wrote I think that it'll be a Wright Streetdeck with either the Volvo B5TL engine or Integral Merc engine.

The Streetdeck is only being offered with the Mercedes engine I believe. Unless they want to pre-empt the upcoming Optare Integral Decker (if it does appear this year, it's been talked about for the last 10 years) and also offer it with a Cummins engine.

I think any Double Deckers ordered this year will be B5TLs with Wright Gemini 3 bodywork.

No, they'll either be offering the Streetdeck with the Merc engine or Streetdeck / Gemini 3 with B5TL/LH engine. I'd say for the 27, GNE could get away with anything in terms of reliability. With the exception of a bit of Gateshead, it's relatively flat and doesn't exceed 40. I'd say that if GNE were going to buy a Versa for another route, then I'd say that the Optare Integral with either the Merc or Cummins engine would be likely.

(16 Feb 2014, 11:25 pm)Davey Bowyer wrote No, they'll either be offering the Streetdeck with the Merc engine or Streetdeck / Gemini 3 with B5TL/LH engine. I'd say for the 27, GNE could get away with anything in terms of reliability. With the exception of a bit of Gateshead, it's relatively flat and doesn't exceed 40. I'd say that if GNE were going to buy a Versa for another route, then I'd say that the Optare Integral with either the Merc or Cummins engine would be likely.

The Streetdeck isn't being offered with a Volvo engine, only the OM934 Mercedes engine. The only Volvo option from Wrightbus is the Gemini 3-bodied Volvo B5 chassis either in diesel or Hybrid format.

This article might back up what I've been saying http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/daimler-...-growth/2/

(16 Feb 2014, 11:34 pm)Kuyoyo wrote The Streetdeck isn't being offered with a Volvo engine, only the OM934 Mercedes engine. The only Volvo option from Wrightbus is the Gemini 3-bodied Volvo B5 chassis either in diesel or Hybrid format.

This article might back up what I've been saying http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/daimler-...-growth/2/

Aw, I thought the Gemini 3 was just being referred to as a Streetdeck? Never mind . Anyway, I think that Volvo made a big mistake in dropping the Volvo B9TL engine rather than just making it compatible with Euro 6. Don't get me wrong, the B5TL will be a good engine for town and city routes as well as your long distance urban routes such as the 21, 308, 309, 10A, 10B, X1. But do Volvo honestly think that a 5 Litre engine will last 7 years being torn up and down the A19 for potentially upto 16 to 17 hours per day on the TTX or through a very rural Northumberland on the 10 X10, X11, X15, X18, X21 and X22? Don't get me wrong, the 5 Litre engine is good to an extent but some routes require alot more power. Fuel costs are important and that's why many operators chose the B5 engine over the B8 when Volvo had a consultation, but there will be many operators left in a catch 22 situation as a result.

Its being mentioned before but with new orders this year how about the

Volvo 7900H's

They seem to be decent buses and coping alright on the routes.

(20 Feb 2014, 9:44 pm)Michael wrote Its being mentioned before but with new orders this year how about the

Volvo 7900H's

They seem to be decent buses and coping alright on the routes.

Yes if GNE put them on the M2/M3

(20 Feb 2014, 9:50 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote Yes if GNE put them on the M2/M3

M2/M3 will never get new buses, only cascades.

(20 Feb 2014, 9:51 pm)Tom wrote M2/M3 will never get new buses, only cascades.

No cascades available though unless the Quaylink was to get New Buses, plus the Cadets are to Withdrawn come the end of 2014, so I would think it is likely that the M2/M3 may get New Buses.

(20 Feb 2014, 10:07 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote No cascades available though unless the Quaylink was to get New Buses, plus the Cadets are to Withdrawn come the end of 2014, so I would think it is likely that the M2/M3 may get New Buses.

Suppose it could get some new Versas, with Solos for the W5/W6?

(20 Feb 2014, 10:07 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote No cascades available though unless the Quaylink was to get New Buses, plus the Cadets are to Withdrawn come the end of 2014, so I would think it is likely that the M2/M3 may get New Buses.

Who said that the Cadets allocated to the 88 were due to be withdrawn at the end of this year? Their "shell life" may suggest this, but things don't always work out like that (just look at the B10BLEs and Olympians to prove that) - especially if there are greater priorities. All our company represenatives have said is 'early Cadets'; that in itself could be perceived differently by different people. To me it suggests that plans are still in the discussion stages and a solid plan (much like the vehicles on order this year) is no where near finalised.

I have always said that the ones allocated to the 5, as the eldest Cadets in the fleet, are due to be withdrawn at the end of the year - partly due to the reliability of the vehicles. The ones based at Washington aren't half as bad.

As things stand, which I have said many times now, services M2/M3 should receive the "QuayLink" branded Versas next year. This means that you'll have a number of Versas allocated with only a few other vehicle types - depot standardisation. Of course it would be impractical to have all Washington-based services allocated Versas (such as the X1 and the 4), but you can allocate as many Versas as possible.

Think the 1 could do with some deckers, possibly through cascades from the X9/X10 when that receives investment or even the X1.

The Omnicity I had today was full with standees too, so I defiantly think it would be worth it.

(21 Feb 2014, 5:52 pm)Tom wrote Think the 1 could do with some deckers, possibly through cascades from the X9/X10 when that receives investment or even the X1.

The Omnicity I had today was full with standees too, so I defiantly think it would be worth it.

One in front probably broke down.