(26 Mar 2023, 10:53 pm)Drifter60 wrote At the same time though I’m not sure having one huge Sunderland district brand would work either. If we go to what was included at first that’s the 2/2A, 61, 55, 33, 38, 39 it was just a lump of routes with no synergy really. Some common corridors but in the main all separate routes and serving different areas and purposes. The latter three I’d say are all across town or into-city Centre services whereby the first three are more longer distance routes really; the 61/55 in particularly aren’t really local routes in Sunderland, they only exist/existed to get communities at their southern terminus and along the way into Sunderland. So I don’t know if one big brand covering lots of different services really does anything more than just simply ‘Go North East’ does?
What I would say is that I think the mini bus networks have worked slightly more effectively as at least it meant that those buses were identified as the ‘local buses’ the ones serving estates etc. In East Durham, I think everyone knew the little pink buses (indigo) were the ones taking your around the local area, the 202, 208, 209 etc. Whereas the other bigger buses such as the 60/55 were going out of town. I’d argue even that policy has lost its way at times though, when things like the 265 got included and now the X6 as a Peterlee purples solo. Perhaps the 33/38/39 may have worked in a similar concept as a common brand for inner Sunderland Town services?
As for ‘Northern’, I was in my late teens when GNE just started slapping ‘Northern’ on the side of all the spare red buses so that name just reminds me and a few people my age of rattling old SPDs and various other older spare vehicles. So I’m not sure that name is great either now!
Aye I see what I mean, see it was more just about giving the areas something more personalised rather than having any real purpose to replace the GoNorthEast which to fair right now is painted on all the crap, similar to what your saying about Northern there.
It also has an awful reputation so it's a bit like saying, look it's a new start we've seriously upped our game.
Btw my idea was it to be more depot based so it would be more like
Deptford: Sunderland Brand (Big Buses) / East Durham Brand (Minibuses)
Washington: Sunderland Brand (Big Buses) / Washington Brand (Minibuses)
Riverside / Percy Main: Tyneside Brand
Hexham: Hexham Brand
Consett: Consett Brand
4
10
8/78
20
21
27
45/47
56
X1
X10
X21
60/61
Keep they're unique brands as they're 'cross zone' and longer / more popular (frequent) routes and most have brand recognition.
It should do what your saying pretty much - remember the likes of Hetton, Washington and Houghton are all part of Sunderland.