(28 Feb 2014, 4:31 pm)GuyParkRoyal wrote I have just completed the latest Go North East Passenger Panel survey and they have a section asking for opinions on bus branding. The questions are based on pictures of two GNE branded buses.
It will be interesting to see what the results are from the passenger panel on branding verses corpoarate livery.

The survey is given below for others who are not a part of the Passenger Panel to view:












Excuse some of the answers I quite eagerly entered.

(28 Feb 2014, 4:36 pm)CatsFast101 wrote Oh well at least the X36 is remembered! Will the Original X35's be changed to show X36 on off side?
Not sure if it like the use if one side X35, one side X36 would of preferred basic destinations or just 'X35 - X36'

Yes, they will. Prior to 5205-09 being repainted when I suggested that they were to go black for services X35/X36, Rob confirmed that the livery was not to be changed. I believe I said then that the plan was to remove the branding from one side of the current vehicles branded "Fast Cats" to include service X36, but it has admittedly been quite some time since that discussion occurred and I'd expect people to forget.
The nearside and offside differences in branding is not new - it is achieved on the "Citylink" by advertising different frequencies to Newcastle and then to Hadrian Park.

(28 Feb 2014, 4:40 pm)Dan wrote The survey is given below for others who are not a part of the Passenger Panel to view:


Excuse some of the answers I quite eagerly entered.

Have a link, can't seem to find it?

(28 Feb 2014, 5:11 pm)Tom wrote Have a link, can't seem to find it?

Only those on the Passenger Panel are given a link to the survey via e-mail, hence why I provided the screenshots.

(28 Feb 2014, 4:40 pm)Dan wrote The survey is given below for others who are not a part of the Passenger Panel to view:


Excuse some of the answers I quite eagerly entered.

yea, just found the email just now from my email inbox, done the survey, It should of asked the question about the brands, to see if only the flagship service to be branded and then the rest into corporate livery.

The final Merc destined for Peterlee to be repainted, 5335, is now at Deptford for onward transfer to Peterlee. 5337 is now at Saltmeadows for repaint - doubt it'll go in until Monday though.

I imagine once 5207-09 are branded "Fast Cats", vinyl fitters will move onto 5333-36 and they will then enter service.

(28 Feb 2014, 5:25 pm)Dan wrote The final Merc destined for Peterlee to be repainted, 5335, is now at Deptford for onward transfer to Peterlee. 5337 is now at Saltmeadows for repaint - doubt it'll go in until Monday though.

I imagine once 5207-09 are branded "Fast Cats", vinyl fitters will move onto 5333-36 and they will then enter service.

Thanks for the update, all the Fast Cats could be done by Tuesday (if they work on them over the weekend)

(28 Feb 2014, 5:30 pm)Michael wrote Thanks for the update, all the Fast Cats could be done by Tuesday (if they work on them over the weekend)

Should be fine to do 5208 tomorrow (I will confirm tomorrow if it is getting done), but wouldn't put my money on them working a Sunday. Do 5209 on Monday, and start on the WTX Mercs on Tuesday all being well (providing they don't update the older "Fast Cats" Solars before the WTX).

(28 Feb 2014, 5:33 pm)Dan wrote Should be fine to do 5208 tomorrow (I will confirm tomorrow if it is getting done), but wouldn't put my money on them working a Sunday. Do 5209 on Monday, and start on the WTX Mercs on Tuesday all being well (providing they don't update the older "Fast Cats" Solars before the WTX).

The WTX citaro's should be done by Friday, will Deptford do these or Peterlee?

Shouldn't take long to update the older fast cats destination branding.


PB0003954/593 - GO NORTH EAST LIMITED, 117 QUEEN STREET, GATESHEAD, NE8 2UA
Cancellation Accepted by SN: Operating between BROCKLEY WHINS METRO and SOUTH HYLTON METRO given service number 901 effective from 24-Feb-2014.

PB0003954/595 - GO NORTH EAST LIMITED, 117 QUEEN STREET, GATESHEAD, NE8 2UA
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: HEWORTH INTERCHANGE
Finish Point: SOUTH HYLTON METRO
Via:
Service Number: 901
Service Type: Limited Stop
Effective Date: 02-MAR-2014
Other Details: TO RUN ON 2ND AND 9TH MARCH 2014 ONLY

(28 Feb 2014, 5:36 pm)Michael wrote The WTX citaro's should be done by Friday, will Deptford do these or Peterlee?

Shouldn't take long to update the older fast cats destination branding.

Vinyl fitters will do them at Deptford rather than Peterlee.

Shouldn't take long, but they've got to do them in daylight and it's not ideal having more than one branded vehicle off road per day - so unless Deptford were actually capable of doing a mid-day vehicle swap...

(28 Feb 2014, 5:42 pm)Dan wrote Vinyl fitters will do them at Deptford rather than Peterlee.

Shouldn't take long, but they've got to do them in daylight and it's not ideal having more than one branded vehicle off road per day - so unless Deptford were actually capable of doing a mid-day vehicle swap...

Well tbh, if they aren't gonna enter service before their branded then 2 at once could be done...

(28 Feb 2014, 5:36 pm)Michael wrote The WTX citaro's should be done by Friday, will Deptford do these or Peterlee?



PB0003954/593 - GO NORTH EAST LIMITED, 117 QUEEN STREET, GATESHEAD, NE8 2UA
Cancellation Accepted by SN: Operating between BROCKLEY WHINS Shouldn't take long to update the older fast cats destination branding.
METRO and SOUTH HYLTON METRO given service number 901 effective from 24-Feb-2014.

PB0003954/595 - GO NORTH EAST LIMITED, 117 QUEEN STREET, GATESHEAD, NE8 2UA
Registration Accepted by SN
Starting Point: HEWORTH INTERCHANGE
Finish Point: SOUTH HYLTON METRO
Via:
Service Number: 901
Service Type: Limited Stop
Effective Date: 02-MAR-2014
Other Details: TO RUN ON 2ND AND 9TH MARCH 2014 ONLY

I would of thought that the original X35 buses branding still stay the same, with only the newly painted black solars having the X36 branding along the top, as half of the buses will have the X35 destination along the side and the newly branded will have the X36 branding along the top.

(28 Feb 2014, 5:44 pm)Michael wrote Well tbh, if they aren't gonna enter service before their branded then 2 at once could be done...

I meant the "Fast Cats" Solars.

Should be able to get the Mercs done within three days (full day for the first one as the first always takes the longest, two the next day and one day for the final one).

(28 Feb 2014, 5:45 pm)cbma06 wrote I would of thought that the original X35 buses branding still stay the same, with only the newly painted black solars having the X36 branding along the top, as half of the buses will have the X35 destination along the side and the newly branded will have the X36 branding along the top.

The older Solars currently have no branding for service X36, but 5205-09 have branding for both services. As the X35/X36 interwork, it would mean that the older Solars would be appearing on the X36 with no branding for said service.

(28 Feb 2014, 5:47 pm)Dan wrote I meant the "Fast Cats" Solars.

Should be able to get the Mercs done within three days (full day for the first one as the first always takes the longest, two the next day and one day for the final one).


The older Solars currently have no branding for service X36, but 5205-09 have branding for both services. As the X35/X36 interwork, it would mean that the older Solars would be appearing on the X36 with no branding for said service.

Ah right!, though the Merc's could be done within 3 day's, entering service on Saturday

Why not have 6 buses with X35 on the doorside with the X36 on the other side and then have 5 with the X36 on the doors side with X35 on the other side.

Sure info we post on here are getting posted on a FB page.... saying no names...

(28 Feb 2014, 5:47 pm)Dan wrote 5205-09 have branding for both services. As the X35/X36 interwork, it would mean that the older Solars would be appearing on the X36 with no branding for said service.

Although I get what you're saying, I don't personally think it will matter. Look at the Simplicity network, some buses are branded for 61 and some for 42. Although its not convenient that the buses with 'every 15 mins' on the side appears on a route that is every 10 mins but...its still a 'Simplicity' branded Versa isn't it, so to save money, they could just leave them like that, have some buses branded with places served by the X35 and some with the places the X36 serves.

(28 Feb 2014, 5:47 pm)Dan wrote I meant the "Fast Cats" Solars.

Should be able to get the Mercs done within three days (full day for the first one as the first always takes the longest, two the next day and one day for the final one).


The older Solars currently have no branding for service X36, but 5205-09 have branding for both services. As the X35/X36 interwork, it would mean that the older Solars would be appearing on the X36 with no branding for said service.

I know their interwork, don't know why their cant run this as a through service for passengers at Sunderland Interchange, their got about 7 minutes standing time at Interchange going to Newcastle which can work out by passengers boarding and alighting, I know that the bus has about 20 minutes at Sunderland interchange before pulling away towards Hartlepool, ive seen the X36 pulling into St Marys Way bus stop after its time to leave Sunderland Interchange, and the X36 shouldn't be changing their destination screen to X35 while going over the Monkwearmouth Bridge to Sunderland, as passengers can still board the bus at St Marys Way. GNE shouldnt have the side route along the top of the bus and have it just in plain black as the same as in their timetable leaflet bus logo.

(28 Feb 2014, 6:00 pm)northtynelinks2 wrote Although I get what you're saying, I don't personally think it will matter. Look at the Simplicity network, some buses are branded for 61 and some for 42. Although its not convenient that the buses with 'every 15 mins' on the side appears on a route that is every 10 mins but...its still a 'Simplicity' branded Versa isn't it, so to save money, they could just leave them like that, have some buses branded with places served by the X35 and some with the places the X36 serves.

With the "SimpliCity" network, one could argue that the appearance of a vehicle branded specifically for the 42 (every 10 minutes) on the 61 (every 15 minutes) does not matter greatly because those timings could reflect the network as a whole - advertising the frequency one of the services in that network holds. I suppose you could say the same about the X35/X36, but if one set of vehicles is going to have both, it's pointless not to do the other set too.

I think the main problem is that, if you removed these (both the Fast Cats and the SimpliCity), the liveries could potentially look rather plain. This would then look cheap, and it wouldn't be worth doing at all.

(28 Feb 2014, 6:04 pm)Dan wrote With the "SimpliCity" network, one could argue that the appearance of a vehicle branded specifically for the 42 (every 10 minutes) on the 61 (every 15 minutes) does not matter greatly because those timings could reflect the network as a whole - advertising the frequency one of the services in that network holds. I suppose you could say the same about the X35/X36, but if one set of vehicles is going to have both, it's pointless not to do the other set too.

I think the main problem is that, if you removed these (both the Fast Cats and the SimpliCity), the liveries could potentially look rather plain. This would then look cheap, and it wouldn't be worth doing at all.

I agree with Dan on this, it does very slightly annoy me they can't keep the SimpliCity Versas on respective routes, but in the grand scheme of things is doesn't really matter, it also worth noting that the 'Every 10/15/20 minute' slogans appear quite minor in terms of the livery whereas the Cats Fast destinations are more prominent on the livery. I think buses should alternate with half having X36 on near side (with off side showing X35) & the others having X35 on near side (with off side showing X36). This should be fine to me. Maybe as I've said something like 'Hartlepool - Sunderland - Newcastle' may have worked also.

Go North East fleet list has been updated.

All recent vehicle sales, withdrawals, transfers, repaints and branding has been updated. Everything should be up-to-date, but if you spot an error, do let me know.

(28 Feb 2014, 6:28 pm)Dan wrote Go North East fleet list has been updated.

All recent vehicle sales, withdrawals, transfers, repaints and branding has been updated. Everything should be up-to-date, but if you spot an error, do let me know.

Yep 565 is plain yellow and not East Durham (yet), still with a Venture tag line too when I was in Peterlee earlier.

(28 Feb 2014, 6:48 pm)tyresmoke wrote Yep 565 is plain yellow and not East Durham (yet), still with a Venture tag line too when I was in Peterlee earlier.

Mentioned this a week or two ago - they are to receive "East Durham" branding imminently (just so much going on they've been a bit backlogged with branding) so have put them all as East Durham in prep for that.

Easier than keeping an eye on them.

Anyone know how much it is from Park Lane to Shiney row on the 78/78A?

Don't think we'll see 5259 out for a while. It's currently sitting on the hard shoulder A1 northbound with a huge trail of oil behind it. Alpha are on route.

(28 Feb 2014, 6:56 pm)Michael wrote Anyone know how much it is from Park Lane to Shiney row on the 78/78A?

Try and catch 'em on the live chat, you'll have to be quick though!

(28 Feb 2014, 6:56 pm)Michael wrote Anyone know how much it is from Park Lane to Shiney row on the 78/78A?

I'd out money on it being £3.15

(28 Feb 2014, 6:58 pm)aureolin wrote I'd out money on it being £3.15

What a bloody rip off if it is!

Thanks

(28 Feb 2014, 6:57 pm)aureolin wrote Don't think we'll see 5259 out for a while. It's currently sitting on the hard shoulder A1 northbound with a huge trail of oil behind it. Alpha are on route.

And it starts... the failings of the Omni's!

(28 Feb 2014, 7:02 pm)Michael wrote What a bloody rip off if it is!

Thanks

He didn't say it was £3.15

(28 Feb 2014, 6:57 pm)aureolin wrote Don't think we'll see 5259 out for a while. It's currently sitting on the hard shoulder A1 northbound with a huge trail of oil behind it. Alpha are on route.

I wonder if this was the one that was supposed to be the 17:04pm outside Work Tonight, as I had wait half hour for the next one.