(02 Apr 2022, 12:03 am)6049 wrote Can Arriva afford to price match GNE? You're talking a bus every half hour at most and as has already been mentioned, limited operating hours.

The 21 is a reliable service, you know for a fine fact that you go to a bus stop and one will rock up within roughly 10mins. Fair enough, you may get customers rocking up at the stop who "get lucky" and catch an X12 which will save them 50p but in all likelihood, they'll end up catching a 21 back the other way.

I'd argue that you're not paying for the branding with that extra 50p, you're paying for the frequency. I know nothing is guaranteed in the current climate but the 21 has to be the most reliable service going - between Chester and Newcastle - you'll very rarely wait more than 15-20mins for a bus even up midnight and then you have the hourly night bus if you're out for a few sociable ones.

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(04 Apr 2022, 11:31 am)Andreos1 wrote At the risk of seeing things I didn't want to see (see MurdnunoCs euphemism comments), I Googled it.
Apparently a purple emperor is a butterfly. 
Quite why a rare butterfly would flit in and out of Peterlee is anyone's guess to be honest.

(26 Apr 2022, 8:02 am)Ancelljb wrote I know this isn’t GNE, but does add to the conversation of if branding should stay or go. Alex Hornby has just posted the results of the March customer feedback at Transdev on Twitter and 66% of respondents say that having a name for their route helps them identify it.

Link here to the tweet with the full results: https://twitter.com/alextransdev/status/1518847795167469568?s=21&t=N_j1j9dO8jVne624cGfeYw

(26 Apr 2022, 8:02 am)Ancelljb wrote I know this isn’t GNE, but does add to the conversation of if branding should stay or go. Alex Hornby has just posted the results of the March customer feedback at Transdev on Twitter and 66% of respondents say that having a name for their route helps them identify it.

Link here to the tweet with the full results: https://twitter.com/alextransdev/status/1518847795167469568?s=21&t=N_j1j9dO8jVne624cGfeYw

(26 Apr 2022, 8:14 am)Unber43 wrote I think that is a major factor - it doesn't help if you see a 93/94 on the 27 for example.

Also 91% saying USB and Wifi are good, I would say probs the same would say the same thing about tables. However you look at the Consett Network, they have had millions of pounds of investment over the last two years roughly and if you aren't using the bus in consett now will you ever. For Consett I feel like the market had been reached.

(26 Apr 2022, 8:02 am)Ancelljb wrote I know this isn’t GNE, but does add to the conversation of if branding should stay or go. Alex Hornby has just posted the results of the March customer feedback at Transdev on Twitter and 66% of respondents say that having a name for their route helps them identify it.

Link here to the tweet with the full results: https://twitter.com/alextransdev/status/1518847795167469568?s=21&t=N_j1j9dO8jVne624cGfeYw

(26 Apr 2022, 8:39 am)Andreos1 wrote Conversely, 34% disagree and there's a huge number of people who think the blinds are clear.
Not sure it needs to be one or the other, but it's interesting.

I also think recognising a bus is totally different to the idea that branding increases loyalty or grows numbers - which is what is used by the marketeers when pushing their branding agenda.

There was a famous conversation on here a while back with the long gone eazypeazy. Eazypeazy was lauding a survey which had been carried out in the Harlow Green area regarding the 1 & 24 and the never ending cycle of changes between the two.

I can't remember numbers, but the sample size was very small and it was those small respondents feedback that huge operational changes were apparently built on.
Apparently members of the forum knew nothing about surveys, research or much else.
Ironically, I'd been reading some studies that very day around surveys and quoted names, statistics and much more from those books. It appeared quite a few others had some great knowledge too.
He/she went quiet on that subject from there on in.

Even more irony... I was doing some work with a major university just last week on a similar subject.

Edit: https://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=931 great discussion on sampling techniques

(26 Apr 2022, 9:43 am)Rob44 wrote Edit: https://northeastbuses.co.uk/forum/showt...hp?tid=931 great discussion on sampling techniques

Enjoyed that. some great pooints made even though it was back in 2014.  I noticed a couple of name changes too that confused me a bit!

(26 Apr 2022, 11:06 am)Storx wrote They're a bit dodgy worded. 66% is very low imo. Like I'd probably say yes. The catch-22 is if it wasn't branded I'd also still be able to recognise the bus so doesn't really answer anything at all as there's no alternatives.

The USB one is even worse. Do you think USB's are a good idea? Why would anyone say no to that. That's like saying do you think having comfier seats is a good idea? You'd be pretty strange to say no, even if you think the seats are comfy anyway.

Sounds like a bunch of questions to give them a pat on the back for their ideas and criticise dirty bus stops and traffic problems.

Also surely you should ask people who aren't using the bus not bus users. If you asked 100 Morrison's customers if they liked Morrisons there's a very big chance they'll like Morrison's weirdly. Ask 100 ASDA customers you'd get a very different answer.

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Reminds me of a very dodgy questionaire on the Arriva 57/57A changes awhile back about serving the new hospital by asking people on the whole route whether they'd like a bus to serve the new hospital as a rationale to cut it down to hourly in Seghill. Obviously most people said yes as most the route isn't in Seghill but it totally messed over the people who actually used the bus daily for Gill in Ashington who never did or never will use the 57 to new hospital.

Horribly worded thing, obviously due to 'high customer feedback' it went through, ironically no-one barely ever gets on there and just happened to fit around a timetable with it being pretty useless for people living in Seghill like all hourly services are.

(07 May 2022, 8:43 pm)omnicity4659 wrote Never had a 15 min frequency on evenings and Sundays, during the QuayCity brand at least. Used to be every 20 mins until end of service (every 10 on Friday and Saturday) back in the original QuayLink days.

Screenshot_20220507-224704_Gallery.jpg (Size 47.01 KB | Downloads 24)

(07 May 2022, 9:52 pm)Jimmi wrote The positioning of 'up to every 15 mins' with 'all day - every day' could probs have been done better as it looks as if could be interpreted as running 15 mins literally all day as opposed to running at least 15 mins in frequency at the highest points of the day.

They also need to take Wallsend off of the branding above the windows

(07 May 2022, 10:04 pm)Dan wrote Perhaps Wallsend has been intentionally left on.


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(08 May 2022, 10:06 am)peter wrote Is this hinting that the service will return to Wallsend in the future? 

(09 May 2022, 2:40 pm)ne14ne1 wrote https://flic.kr/p/2njvdmi

Did 6434 lose its branding?
No description on the image at the moment but the photo info says it was taken today.

(08 May 2022, 11:40 pm)Thomas12 wrote I wouldn’t be surprised if it did return. You could run a half-hourly extension to Wallsend with one bus, and that would also help with driver changeovers from Percy Main.

(20 May 2022, 9:35 pm)mb134 wrote I've just had a chance to go through the entire set of proposed service changes for July, and it's alarming just how many recently rebranded services are either being completely withdrawn or reduced in some way. I may have missed some, and omitted some where other services are being increased to complement (e.g the 4 with the 58) but as far as I can tell:

X-Lines X5/X15: Rebranded late 2020 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed.
X-Lines X10: Rebranded early 2021 - Sunday frequency down to every 2 hours (after already cancelling the X9 altogether).
X-Lines X20: Rebranded 2019 with vehicle upgrade 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed alongside shortened route on Sundays.
MetroCentre Express X22: Branded summer 2021 - complete cancellation proposed.
X-Lines X30/31: Rebranded 2019 - frequency reductions outside of the peak, alongside reductions in early morning, evening, and Sunday journeys.
X-Lines X45/46: Rebranded 2020 - X46 completely withdrawn, with early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions also proposed for X45.
X-Lines X70/1/2: Rebranded 2020 - X70 completely withdrawn, alongside early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions.
Sunderland District Berries 2/21: Rebranded 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed.
Country Ranger 8: Rebranded 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed, and evening/Sunday route curtailment.
Tyne Valley 10/A/B: Rebranded 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed. 
Durham Diamond 16/A: Rebranded 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed.
Crusader 27: Rebranded 2020 -  early morning, evening (down to hourly from half hourly), and Sunday reductions proposed.
Sunderland District Blonde 38/A/C: Rebranded 2022 (?) - completely withdrawn.
Sunderland District Graphite 39/A: Rebranded 2021 - evening frequency down to hourly.
East Gateshead Orbit 51/52: Rebranded 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed.
Voltra 53/54: Rebranded 2020 - evening frequency down to every 40 minutes, coupled with early morning and Sunday reductions, and route adjustment (not serving Sage).
Sunderland District Violet 55: Rebranded 2021 - completely withdrawn.
Peterlee Purples 62/62A: Rebranded 2021 - completely withdrawn.
East Durham Explorer 65: Rebranded 2021 - late evening journeys withdrawn and Sunday frequency cut.

19 sets of services there that have been given complete rebrands within the last two years that are now facing complete cancellation, or cuts to journeys which branding is arguably aimed to help (early morning, evening, and Sundays). Is it that branding is not as effective as advocates would have us believe, certainly the Sunderland District brand seems to be in tatters, or are the company setting unrealistic expectations for how quickly the branding should have the desired (no pun intended) impact?

(20 May 2022, 9:53 pm)wibblejunior wrote Yeah, tbh I don't see the point on any of the Sunderland District branding either. Having all of the Sunderland District routes under the Black Cats brand  was much more reasonable than the fruit salad and hair colours we have now.

Imo the only routes from Deptford that should be branded are the 20/X20, 56 and 60.

(21 May 2022, 7:47 am)ne14ne1 wrote Surely if/when the above goes ahead and vehicles need repainting AGAIN, they’ll be put into Corporate livery so they can be more flexible and moved about in future quickly and without further cost.

(20 May 2022, 9:35 pm)mb134 wrote I've just had a chance to go through the entire set of proposed service changes for July, and it's alarming just how many recently rebranded services are either being completely withdrawn or reduced in some way. I may have missed some, and omitted some where other services are being increased to complement (e.g the 4 with the 58) but as far as I can tell:

X-Lines X5/X15: Rebranded late 2020 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed.
X-Lines X10: Rebranded early 2021 - Sunday frequency down to every 2 hours (after already cancelling the X9 altogether).
X-Lines X20: Rebranded 2019 with vehicle upgrade 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed alongside shortened route on Sundays.
MetroCentre Express X22: Branded summer 2021 - complete cancellation proposed.
X-Lines X30/31: Rebranded 2019 - frequency reductions outside of the peak, alongside reductions in early morning, evening, and Sunday journeys.
X-Lines X45/46: Rebranded 2020 - X46 completely withdrawn, with early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions also proposed for X45.
X-Lines X70/1/2: Rebranded 2020 - X70 completely withdrawn, alongside early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions.
Sunderland District Berries 2/21: Rebranded 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed.
Country Ranger 8: Rebranded 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed, and evening/Sunday route curtailment.
Tyne Valley 10/A/B: Rebranded 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed. 
Durham Diamond 16/A: Rebranded 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed.
Crusader 27: Rebranded 2020 -  early morning, evening (down to hourly from half hourly), and Sunday reductions proposed.
Sunderland District Blonde 38/A/C: Rebranded 2022 (?) - completely withdrawn.
Sunderland District Graphite 39/A: Rebranded 2021 - evening frequency down to hourly.
East Gateshead Orbit 51/52: Rebranded 2021 - early morning, evening, and Sunday reductions proposed.
Voltra 53/54: Rebranded 2020 - evening frequency down to every 40 minutes, coupled with early morning and Sunday reductions, and route adjustment (not serving Sage).
Sunderland District Violet 55: Rebranded 2021 - completely withdrawn.
Peterlee Purples 62/62A: Rebranded 2021 - completely withdrawn.
East Durham Explorer 65: Rebranded 2021 - late evening journeys withdrawn and Sunday frequency cut.

19 sets of services there that have been given complete rebrands within the last two years that are now facing complete cancellation, or cuts to journeys which branding is arguably aimed to help (early morning, evening, and Sundays). Is it that branding is not as effective as advocates would have us believe, certainly the Sunderland District brand seems to be in tatters, or are the company setting unrealistic expectations for how quickly the branding should have the desired (no pun intended) impact?

(20 May 2022, 9:53 pm)wibblejunior wrote Yeah, tbh I don't see the point on any of the Sunderland District branding either. Having all of the Sunderland District routes under the Black Cats brand  was much more reasonable than the fruit salad and hair colours we have now.

Imo the only routes from Deptford that should be branded are the 20/X20, 56 and 60.

(21 May 2022, 10:05 am)Unber43 wrote X5/X15 have already had 2 repaints in two years, same with X10, X22 (what a mess). 

Who is running GNE they clearly don't have a clue.

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I don't really think anyone can argue with you there. 

the 60 still hasn't had anything done to it in nearly a decade - maybe time for new buses tbh. 

Although many could argue this new 24 could do with some branding.

(21 May 2022, 10:41 am)Michael wrote Oh god, hope not.. it'll be named "Sunderland District red" or something daft like that.

Really hope, they start to drop some of the brands and just make most of the services "Fleet livery"

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Were already down to be losing:


Sunderland District Violet
Sunderland District Blonde


Looks like the new 24 PVR will be 5.. with the 20 having a PVR of 8

to me it seems pointless splitting them