(28 Dec 2020, 3:41 pm)Storx wrote tbf though Arriva aren't GNE or Transdev and their marketing has never been corney like that.

The X7/X8/X9/X10/X11/308 all need to be one brand and the X14/X15/X16/X18 should all be one brand then it means you can switch the buses around in the case of the Blyth routes which works and keeps things on time (rather than curtailing like GNE) and for the Ashington bunch you can regularly swap them between routes to give them a longer lifespan plus to promote the common section between Newcastle and Morpeth. I'd leave the X20 and 35 as Arriva normal livery.

But the corney marketing has worked wonders for GNE & Transdev.

The 308 is not an express. Yes if they decided to run a parallel X38 to the 308 but "X" and premium all stopping services should get a distinct identity.

For Blyth, a decent spare vehicle ratio would be a good start.

X15/X16/X18 yes but I'd keep the X14 a separate sub brand.

X20 I'd 100% brand too. I'd even go as far as cannibalising the Ashington - Newbiggin section of the X21 to hourly and introducing a sister X19 service to the X20. A half hourly fast service between Ashington and Newcastle with clean, comfy and reliable buses would be something to shout from the rooftops.

Arriva need to lose the dreary image and make their core services really stand out. Make an effort to stand out and show that bus travel is the way forward.

They've got a good set of routes at hand but going forward, Arriva need to be shouting from the rooftops and really selling themselves.