https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/1345738193887518720

Looks like live rail times are being introduced on the TFT screens. Seems like a great idea so far. Only question is, will they be legible enough for many people to see, as the font looks quite small?

(03 Jan 2021, 2:33 pm)Adtrainsam wrote https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/1345738193887518720

Looks like live rail times are being introduced on the TFT screens. Seems like a great idea so far. Only question is, will they be legible enough for many people to see, as the font looks quite small?

Looks like from Dan's response to a reply they're going to be making changes to the layout.

Great idea, but what about all the vehicles they specced with an LED display rather than the TFT for the past 5 years?
Is it only the brand new and really old (relatively speaking) vehicles that'll be getting this?

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(03 Jan 2021, 2:33 pm)Adtrainsam wrote https://twitter.com/Dan3942/status/1345738193887518720

Looks like live rail times are being introduced on the TFT screens. Seems like a great idea so far. Only question is, will they be legible enough for many people to see, as the font looks quite small?

A really positive move. Integration and working together to promote connections can only be a good thing. 

They just need to co-ordinate the buses with the trains now.
Ever tried to get a 71 and a train or a train and then the 71?
Did it once, transferring from the 71 during the first lockdown. Never again.
It doesn't tend to work when changing from train to bus either.

(03 Jan 2021, 2:39 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Looks like from Dan's response to a reply they're going to be making changes to the layout.

Great idea, but what about all the vehicles they specced with an LED display rather than the TFT for the past 5 years?
Is it only the brand new and really old (relatively speaking) vehicles that'll be getting this?

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Thank goodness, hopefully that makes the displays more legible and "professional" in a sense. I've heard that the Calibri font will be changed to the standard GNE font as well. Great move. Calibri seems a bit unprofessional to me on a screen!

(03 Jan 2021, 3:26 pm)Andreos1 wrote A really positive move. Integration and working together to promote connections can only be a good thing. 

They just need to co-ordinate the buses with the trains now.
Ever tried to get a 71 and a train or a train and then the 71?
Did it once, transferring from the 71 during the first lockdown. Never again.
It doesn't tend to work when changing from train to bus either.

Indeed. It's a lot easier to change the bus times to match with the trains rather than the other way round. Not too familiar with the 71, but it does seem that the bus times could easily be changed slightly to match up with train times. It's probably more difficult to change on more complex services, and not really needed on the frequent services, unless late at night. Would it be difficult to transfer bus information to arriving trains? Even better integration.

(04 Jan 2021, 12:13 pm)Adtrainsam wrote Thank goodness, hopefully that makes the displays more legible and "professional" in a sense. I've heard that the Calibri font will be changed to the standard GNE font as well. Great move. Calibri seems a bit unprofessional to me on a screen!

Yeah, reading through other responses it looks as though the layout is fairly flexible, it looks like they just rushed it out in its current format just to make sure its all working before spending time perfecting it.

Just a shame they're not going Comic Sans, best font of all time imo

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(04 Jan 2021, 12:32 pm)Adtrainsam wrote Indeed. It's a lot easier to change the bus times to match with the trains rather than the other way round. Not too familiar with the 71, but it does seem that the bus times could easily be changed slightly to match up with train times. It's probably more difficult to change on more complex services, and not really needed on the frequent services, unless late at night. Would it be difficult to transfer bus information to arriving trains? Even better integration.

The issue is if you change one bus to fit with a train, then you have to then change the times of other services that passengers connect from, which could then cause knock on effects with other services.

Scheduling is an art, and it's usually not as simple as changing the times

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Did the issue Voltra’s NSAs have at launch get rectified? Anyone know if they’re working yet?

(04 Jan 2021, 12:32 pm)Adtrainsam wrote Indeed. It's a lot easier to change the bus times to match with the trains rather than the other way round. Not too familiar with the 71, but it does seem that the bus times could easily be changed slightly to match up with train times. It's probably more difficult to change on more complex services, and not really needed on the frequent services, unless late at night. Would it be difficult to transfer bus information to arriving trains? Even better integration.

I don't think the 71 is timed to work in sync with any other service to be honest. 
There's not much of a pattern with the 78 between Chester and Woodstone Village in either direction, there's possibly some headway with the 35 around Burnside. Not aware of anything in and around Seaham. 

However with it being the only service to go anywhere near Seaham railway station, I'd have thought there was some scope to adapt or tweak to tie in with the Northern Rail services.
To promote the links with a station is all fine and well and it does have the potential to attract passengers - assuming the connection times are attractive.
In the case of the 71, there's the option of attracting quite a few passengers.

The data below is taken from the Seaham Station wiki page. There was talk elsewhere of the 21 attracting a tiny proportion of the cars travelling to/from the Arnison Centre. Yet there's a cracking example here of a chronically under-utilised resource from a wide area. 

Passengers
2015/16  137,948
2016/17  145,362
2017/18  140,894
2018/19  137,652
2019/20  138,938

 

Have the ex-London B9s often on the 93/94 had NSA systems fitted yet? Sure it was mentioned in an update a while back that they would.

Yea I've noticed that them and the toonlink deckers as well

(18 May 2021, 10:00 am)Micheal Aaron wrote Yea I've noticed that them and the toonlink deckers as well

They do?

Yea the ToonLink ones have the old Citylink 58 next stop. The 93/94 have something saying. This is the 93 circle to Gateshead or something like that

(18 May 2021, 10:08 am)Micheal Aaron wrote Yea the ToonLink ones have the old Citylink 58 next stop. The 93/94 have something saying. This is the 93 circle to Gateshead or something like that

Ah nice one, GNE.

Tbh the 58 if there gonna be toonlink deckers they should change it. This is the Toonlink 58 service to Newcastle. The citylink next stop doesn't add up to the toonlink branding

(18 May 2021, 11:11 am)Micheal Aaron wrote Tbh the 58 if there gonna be toonlink deckers they should change it. This is the Toonlink 58 service to Newcastle. The citylink next stop doesn't add up to the toonlink branding

Surely a working NSA system is better than having the incorrect brand name

Unless I’ve missed something the service is currently the ‘Citylink 58’, so the announcements saying such are correct. There just so happens to be some B9s running around in the defunct Toonlink livery. Hopefully the remaining Toonlink examples disappear, whether the B9s and Scanias are repainted or sold on.

Personally I’d have the 58 (& 57) as corporate and drop any brand names from their NSA’s.
Then again if the 58 eventually gets electric vehicles it may become Voltra. We’ll have to wait and see.

Tbh the 58 being branded ToonLink gives the ToonLink name a meaning. I never understand why they were put on the X70/X71. Tbh they suit being on the 58

(18 May 2021, 2:27 pm)Micheal Aaron wrote Tbh the 58 being branded ToonLink gives the ToonLink name a meaning. I never understand why they were put on the X70/X71. Tbh they suit being on the 58

Because ToonLink is a very generic name, and makes sense on any route that serves Newcastle. Heck, they could even shove a ToonLink on the X21 and it'd still work since it's linking Bishop to Newcastle

They could have easily made it a sub-brand like X-Lines but for the non-express routes out of Newcastle, if it wasn't such a horrific name!

Tbh some branded buses make little sense (as obviously the little coasters) others including the Citylink 57/58 as yes they connected Heworth and Wardly to Newcastle. But cutting the 58 from Hadrian Park to Newcastle was stupid then making the 57 go there. Then cut that made no sense. Making the oh so pointless 311. I hate the 311 with a passion. I cannot stress how much I hate the 311. Erm QuayCity makes sense. QuayLink not to sure yet

(18 May 2021, 2:41 pm)Victor Meldrew wrote Making the oh so pointless 311. I hate the 311 with a passion. I cannot stress how much I hate the 311.

What has the 311 done to deserve this?

(18 May 2021, 2:41 pm)Micheal Aaron wrote Making the oh so pointless 311. I hate the 311 with a passion. I cannot stress how much I hate the 311. 

Hate is such a strong word. What exactly is it that you dislike about the existence of that particular route?

Cities Link would be a good option instead of x lines imo

(18 May 2021, 2:46 pm)omnicity4659 wrote What has the 311 done to deserve this?

A lot lol

(18 May 2021, 4:52 pm)Micheal Aaron wrote A lot lol

Nothing wrong with the 311, I use it quite a lot, nice buses, frequent services.

From 18 seconds into this video you can see the next stop announcement screen flicks back and forth between the stop name screen and GNE adverts.
The adverts are barely readable in the split second they’re shown so what’s the point.
I’ve seen this numerous times now, including when approaching a rail station stop where GNE have went to the trouble of showing a feed of train departures only for it to be visible for a second at a time as it continuously flicks to adverts.
I’d vote get rid of the adverts.

(31 May 2021, 11:37 am)ne14ne1 wrote From 18 seconds into this video you can see the next stop announcement screen flicks back and forth between the stop name screen and GNE adverts.
The adverts are barely readable in the split second they’re shown so what’s the point.
I’ve seen this numerous times now, including when approaching a rail station stop where GNE have went to the trouble of showing a feed of train departures only for it to be visible for a second at a time as it continuously flicks to adverts.
I’d vote get rid of the adverts.

When I was on a bus quite recently (I haven't been on many buses in the last year or so) I noticed the adverts were on for less than a second, way too quick. Adverts on the NSA screens was something I expected, but I don't like it that much really.

I've noticed it appears to start showing train departures way earlier than it's meant to, for example on the Q1 it shows it before it's even got to Monument.

(31 May 2021, 11:37 am)ne14ne1 wrote From 18 seconds into this video you can see the next stop announcement screen flicks back and forth between the stop name screen and GNE adverts.
The adverts are barely readable in the split second they’re shown so what’s the point.
I’ve seen this numerous times now, including when approaching a rail station stop where GNE have went to the trouble of showing a feed of train departures only for it to be visible for a second at a time as it continuously flicks to adverts.
I’d vote get rid of the adverts.

Bit off-topic but good to see buses with warning lights are still going round in service, warning buzzer going off all the way through the video.

(01 Jun 2021, 4:32 pm)pbjd wrote Bit off-topic but good to see buses with warning lights are still going round in service, warning buzzer going off all the way through the video.

On a B9, that could be anything down to even the engine bay door thinking it's not latched properly. Without seeing what's on the dash, there's no way to tell why its sounding so I'd not want to speculate the cause.

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Yesterday I was on the 94 and it is now updated to say on the board

"This is your East Gateshead Loop 94 Service to Gateshead "

Can't remember if it said it on the NSA or it just said This is your 94 Service to Gateshead