(15 Oct 2016, 12:30 pm)beefcake wrote As far as I'm aware, only 5211 got fully repainted, minus the route vinyls along the top. One of the others (5204 I think) only has a couple of pawprint vinyls near side and a couple have bits of orange paint visible

(15 Oct 2016, 12:33 pm)S813 FVK wrote 5204 was also repainted from Prince Bishops. I think 5206 is the solar you are on about.

(15 Oct 2016, 1:09 pm)cbma06 wrote there was some solars got painted into prince bishop livery when the service got extended to shields, and then shortly after the streetlites arrived.

(15 Oct 2016, 1:16 pm)Andreos1 wrote Yeah, sure there was more than one ex-purple Solar that ended up black.

It just seems two minutes since those Solar's went black. 
I think the Solar's that were painted purple for the Shields extension were that colour for about a year.

(15 Oct 2016, 12:17 pm)Michael wrote With recent changes to the Sunderland area appearing on VOSA, some amends to my predication's:

As we know: Streetlites are RUMORED for Blaydon Racers...

Blaydon Racers Citaro's to be allocated to the X5/X6 along with the current ones remaining on the X7, X5/X6 will also offer WIFI.(we don't know the frequancy of each route so i can't say how many Citaro's will be allocated to X5/X6/X7.


Scania's from the X5 (Current X35) will replace the B10's and some older Scania's in the fleet

(15 Oct 2016, 7:29 pm)ifm001 wrote Has the X35 been officially confirmed as renumbered to X5. Don't think so...

(15 Oct 2016, 7:29 pm)ifm001 wrote Has the X35 been officially confirmed as renumbered to X5. Don't think so...

(15 Oct 2016, 7:29 pm)ifm001 wrote Has the X35 been officially confirmed as renumbered to X5. Don't think so...

(15 Oct 2016, 7:32 pm)Michael wrote Looks to be the exact same route, sorry for speculating...

(16 Oct 2016, 9:43 am)RobinHood wrote X5 is the X35 renumbered.
X6 and X7 are hourly, combining into every 30 minutes to Seaham. X6 via Dalton Park and A19, Burnhope Way. X7 via route as now, Essington Way.

X6 via Arriva 23 route to Hartlepool, but to the Marina instead of Victoria Rd.
X7 terminates on a loop of Pennine Drive and Oakerside

(16 Oct 2016, 11:51 am)RobinHood wrote X6 and X7 interwork in Sunderland

(16 Oct 2016, 12:07 pm)S813 FVK wrote At a guess i'd say:

X5: Fast Cats solars
X6/X7: ex-WTX Citaros plus one of the Seeit Doit Citaros with the PVR now being 14 with 15 branded vehicles

That would match your PVR guesses you made earlier

(16 Oct 2016, 12:09 pm)Tom wrote Use 5332 from Riverside so they are all 10 reg? And if needs be transfer one of the See it do it Citaros to Riverside.

Hopefully the X6 will do well, has the potential to!

(16 Oct 2016, 12:07 pm)S813 FVK wrote At a guess i'd say:

X5: Fast Cats solars
X6/X7: ex-WTX Citaros plus one of the Seeit Doit Citaros with the PVR now being 14 with 15 branded vehicles

That would match your PVR guesses you made earlier

(16 Oct 2016, 12:13 pm)Michael wrote That was just a guess though, could be completely wrong!

(16 Oct 2016, 12:03 pm)Michael wrote Do u know what buses the X5/X6/X7 will use?

(16 Oct 2016, 12:09 pm)Tom wrote Use 5332 from Riverside so they are all 10 reg? And if needs be transfer one of the See it do it Citaros to Riverside.

Hopefully the X6 will do well, has the potential to!

(16 Oct 2016, 12:26 pm)Andreos1 wrote My initial thoughts went to the outstanding ex-Thames Solo's (sure there's still some to come - lost track of what's arrived and what hasn't). However, I wonder if some of them are for Peterlee and say the extension of the 202.

I would have thought that the three routes would have a common vehicle type (tying in with a joint relaunch and brand), but I don't think this is possible.

I'm happy to be proven wrong, but I'm not convinced.
The northern section has some good links, but I think the demand for the southern section will be it's downfall. As well as competing with the new X5 between Peterlee and Hartlepool, it has the Arriva routes too. I don't think there is enough demand down there.
I use the Durham Coast Line quite a bit and the demand on the train always seems to be between Newcastle and Hartlepool - not Sunderland and Hartlepool. I appreciate the express GNE had between Newcastle and Hartlepool failed, but is there a big enough frequency, a quick enough connection and attractive enough pricing to attract punters away from the train - ultimately the sorts of numbers that could make or break the service.

I'm also wondering what impact the X6 will have with the 202 regarding those loyal to GNE on that common section.

(16 Oct 2016, 12:30 pm)Tom wrote Yeah the X6 will be a lot quicker than the 202 though - the 202 takes forever between Dalton Park and peterlee

(16 Oct 2016, 12:37 pm)Andreos1 wrote Exactly.
The 202 is going to have passengers who travel locally and those who travel between Peterlee and Dalton Park. 
If passengers who fall in to the latter category chose the quicker X6, it is obvious numbers (and revenues) however small, will drop on the 202.

(16 Oct 2016, 12:26 pm)Andreos1 wrote My initial thoughts went to the outstanding ex-Thames Solo's (sure there's still some to come - lost track of what's arrived and what hasn't). However, I wonder if some of them are for Peterlee and say the extension of the 202.

I would have thought that the three routes would have a common vehicle type (tying in with a joint relaunch and brand), but I don't think this is possible.

I'm happy to be proven wrong, but I'm not convinced.
The northern section has some good links, but I think the demand for the southern section will be it's downfall. As well as competing with the new X5 between Peterlee and Hartlepool, it has the Arriva routes too. I don't think there is enough demand down there.
I use the Durham Coast Line quite a bit and the demand on the train always seems to be between Newcastle and Hartlepool - not Sunderland and Hartlepool. I appreciate the express GNE had between Newcastle and Hartlepool failed, but is there a big enough frequency, a quick enough connection and attractive enough pricing to attract punters away from the train - ultimately the sorts of numbers that could make or break the service.

I'm also wondering what impact the X6 will have with the 202 regarding those loyal to GNE on that common section.

(16 Oct 2016, 12:42 pm)Michael wrote It could be though, not just straight away, wonder if all of them would be branded "Fast Cats", i would like to see Ciatro's on all of the routes with WIFI. 

GNE might of took a massive risk and got new buses for the routes but that's unlikely although the X35 is a busy route.

(16 Oct 2016, 12:52 pm)cbma06 wrote Wouldn't be surprised if the PVR for the X5 be reduced, can't see having two X5's and a X6 per hour, 30 minute service between peterlee and Hartlepool is enough, so if GNE sorts the timings out for X5,X6 and X7 then the X5 will be half hourly between peterlee and Sunderland and then the X6 can provide a 30 minute service with X5 between peterlee and Hartlepool. GNE needs wifi on the peterlee corridor to compete against Arriva wifi buses.


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(16 Oct 2016, 1:09 pm)Andreos1 wrote Indigo Express! 
But they would have to paint the vehicles an indigo colour though

If they did that with the X5, I would hope it maintained it's 30min frequency between Sunderland and Peterlee.

(16 Oct 2016, 12:52 pm)cbma06 wrote Wouldn't be surprised if the PVR for the X5 be reduced, can't see having two X5's and a X6 per hour, 30 minute service between peterlee and Hartlepool is enough, so if GNE sorts the timings out for X5,X6 and X7 then the X5 will be half hourly between peterlee and Sunderland and then the X6 can provide a 30 minute service with X5 between peterlee and Hartlepool. GNE needs wifi on the peterlee corridor to compete against Arriva wifi buses.


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(17 Oct 2016, 5:58 pm)cbma06 wrote Does anyone know when the streetlites are supposed to arrive for the blaydon racers?.


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