First Bus - Potteries

[Bob]

The 25 is a decker operated route though isnt it? How crap are first upgrading a route with 12 yr old buses lol. Wonder what theyll do with the gemini deckers...

[PM]

Just came across this on flickr. Anyone know which route this is being painted up for. At first, I thought First were repainting NXWM buses!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidbalme/14174415213/in/photostream/

Quote from this pic

"Apparently for new route 3, Crewe-Keele University being an amalgam of present routes 20 and 25"
https://www.flickr.com/photos/34487875@N07/13919272167/

Thanks for that John. So at least 2 b7l's and one Scania are so far in the livery. Got to be honest, I prefer the smart new FirstBus livery to this amalgamation. Do we think it's a good route alteration then?

In fairness Bob, vehicle appearance and presentation is far more important than vehicle age...

[Tony]

Just came across this on flickr. Anyone know which route this is being painted up for. At first, I thought First were repainting NXWM buses!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidbalme/14174415213/in/photostream/

Quote from this pic

"Apparently for new route 3, Crewe-Keele University being an amalgam of present routes 20 and 25"
https://www.flickr.com/photos/34487875@N07/13919272167/

Thanks for that John. So at least 2 b7l's and one Scania are so far in the livery. Got to be honest, I prefer the smart new FirstBus livery to this amalgamation. Do we think it's a good route alteration then?

In fairness Bob, vehicle appearance and presentation is far more important than vehicle age...

And on a route past a University - capacity which if these 43 seaters are replacing 75 seaters not good. The deckers can struggle some days

[PM]

Just came across this on flickr. Anyone know which route this is being painted up for. At first, I thought First were repainting NXWM buses!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidbalme/14174415213/in/photostream/

Quote from this pic

"Apparently for new route 3, Crewe-Keele University being an amalgam of present routes 20 and 25"
https://www.flickr.com/photos/34487875@N07/13919272167/

Thanks for that John. So at least 2 b7l's and one Scania are so far in the livery. Got to be honest, I prefer the smart new FirstBus livery to this amalgamation. Do we think it's a good route alteration then?

In fairness Bob, vehicle appearance and presentation is far more important than vehicle age...

And on a route past a University - capacity which if these 43 seaters are replacing 75 seaters not good. The deckers can struggle some days

If the frequency is being increased though... And students notoriously prefer standing!

[Tony]

Just came across this on flickr. Anyone know which route this is being painted up for. At first, I thought First were repainting NXWM buses!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidbalme/14174415213/in/photostream/

Quote from this pic

"Apparently for new route 3, Crewe-Keele University being an amalgam of present routes 20 and 25"
https://www.flickr.com/photos/34487875@N07/13919272167/

Thanks for that John. So at least 2 b7l's and one Scania are so far in the livery. Got to be honest, I prefer the smart new FirstBus livery to this amalgamation. Do we think it's a good route alteration then?

In fairness Bob, vehicle appearance and presentation is far more important than vehicle age...

And on a route past a University - capacity which if these 43 seaters are replacing 75 seaters not good. The deckers can struggle some days

If the frequency is being increased though... And students notoriously prefer standing!

The route is also being lengthened to call in the Hospital as well, so people will be on these buses for longer

[PM]

Just came across this on flickr. Anyone know which route this is being painted up for. At first, I thought First were repainting NXWM buses!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidbalme/14174415213/in/photostream/

Quote from this pic

"Apparently for new route 3, Crewe-Keele University being an amalgam of present routes 20 and 25"
https://www.flickr.com/photos/34487875@N07/13919272167/

Thanks for that John. So at least 2 b7l's and one Scania are so far in the livery. Got to be honest, I prefer the smart new FirstBus livery to this amalgamation. Do we think it's a good route alteration then?

In fairness Bob, vehicle appearance and presentation is far more important than vehicle age...

And on a route past a University - capacity which if these 43 seaters are replacing 75 seaters not good. The deckers can struggle some days

If the frequency is being increased though... And students notoriously prefer standing!

The route is also being lengthened to call in the Hospital as well, so people will be on these buses for longer

If put at a higher frequency though to compensate then it could help restore ridership lost by First's frequency cuts? Or am I wrong on that?

[Tony]

Just came across this on flickr. Anyone know which route this is being painted up for. At first, I thought First were repainting NXWM buses!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidbalme/14174415213/in/photostream/

Quote from this pic

"Apparently for new route 3, Crewe-Keele University being an amalgam of present routes 20 and 25"
https://www.flickr.com/photos/34487875@N07/13919272167/

Thanks for that John. So at least 2 b7l's and one Scania are so far in the livery. Got to be honest, I prefer the smart new FirstBus livery to this amalgamation. Do we think it's a good route alteration then?

In fairness Bob, vehicle appearance and presentation is far more important than vehicle age...

And on a route past a University - capacity which if these 43 seaters are replacing 75 seaters not good. The deckers can struggle some days

If the frequency is being increased though... And students notoriously prefer standing!

The route is also being lengthened to call in the Hospital as well, so people will be on these buses for longer

If put at a higher frequency though to compensate then it could help restore ridership lost by First's frequency cuts? Or am I wrong on that?

No, I fully agree with you, but 'First...... increasing capacity' is not something often said in the Potteries

[PM]

Just came across this on flickr. Anyone know which route this is being painted up for. At first, I thought First were repainting NXWM buses!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidbalme/14174415213/in/photostream/

Quote from this pic

"Apparently for new route 3, Crewe-Keele University being an amalgam of present routes 20 and 25"
https://www.flickr.com/photos/34487875@N07/13919272167/

Thanks for that John. So at least 2 b7l's and one Scania are so far in the livery. Got to be honest, I prefer the smart new FirstBus livery to this amalgamation. Do we think it's a good route alteration then?

In fairness Bob, vehicle appearance and presentation is far more important than vehicle age...

And on a route past a University - capacity which if these 43 seaters are replacing 75 seaters not good. The deckers can struggle some days

If the frequency is being increased though... And students notoriously prefer standing!

The route is also being lengthened to call in the Hospital as well, so people will be on these buses for longer

If put at a higher frequency though to compensate then it could help restore ridership lost by First's frequency cuts? Or am I wrong on that?

No, I fully agree with you, but 'First...... increasing capacity' is not something often said in the Potteries

No, I can imagine! The thing is, the Potteries really should be making money but it has just been cut after cut after cut. Restoring frequencies initially using DDA compliant single decks, even if short-term before putting geminis back on, may be a way of trying to up the quality of the operation. I've never been up to the Potteries to know but from pictures on this site etc, it doesn't look a quality op.

[Bob]

Upping the quality?  The single deckers are older than the deckers, theyve not as far as I know had an interior refurb either.  Yes theyve been resprayed but so have the deckers. Fail to see how its anything other than a reduction in quality to be fair. Yes a smartly presented bus is important,  but fleet age is as well! The potteries dont have anything newer than 6 yrs old and thats only a small proportion of the fleet!  Even arriva arent that bad

[Ashley]

Clearly this has now become the slag off First club as well as the slag off Arriva club...

[Bob]

Yea right.....

[winston]

New style 'Potteries' livery colour coded/branded for Route 25

https://www.flickr.com/photos/58277338@N04/14190846876/in/photolist-nhB4Du-dgrBSH-nx3YdQ-e3b65V-nBZNnJ-gvtkZ6-nrVyw3-dv8AQc-ac3xz8-a8F59p-a8HMFm-9W7uzm-9wZ3xd-9wZ1yE-hcB6AR-iUU18t-crymtu-fVnApd

[PM]

New style 'Potteries' livery colour coded/branded for Route 25

https://www.flickr.com/photos/58277338@N04/14190846876/in/photolist-nhB4Du-dgrBSH-nx3YdQ-e3b65V-nBZNnJ-gvtkZ6-nrVyw3-dv8AQc-ac3xz8-a8F59p-a8HMFm-9W7uzm-9wZ3xd-9wZ1yE-hcB6AR-iUU18t-crymtu-fVnApd

Thanks for posting the link. It certainly looks really smart and you wouldn't guess it was 12 years old now... I wonder if eclipses could become the new Potteries standard, particularly if there is no sign of new buses! I wonder if the plan is ultimately to try and brand each route like this?

Anyone know if it has had an internal refurb as well as the repaint?

[winston]

New style 'Potteries' livery colour coded/branded for Route 25

https://www.flickr.com/photos/58277338@N04/14190846876/in/photolist-nhB4Du-dgrBSH-nx3YdQ-e3b65V-nBZNnJ-gvtkZ6-nrVyw3-dv8AQc-ac3xz8-a8F59p-a8HMFm-9W7uzm-9wZ3xd-9wZ1yE-hcB6AR-iUU18t-crymtu-fVnApd

Thanks for posting the link. It certainly looks really smart and you wouldn't guess it was 12 years old now... I wonder if eclipses could become the new Potteries standard, particularly if there is no sign of new buses! I wonder if the plan is ultimately to try and brand each route like this?

Anyone know if it has had an internal refurb as well as the repaint?

I think there are a number of routes that are due to be branded, possibly involving up to 31 buses. The front colour will be changed to suit each different route accordingly

Not seen any mention of an internal refurb so far

[Liverpool Street]

What colour is the "Unbranded" buses, for say when one breaks down? Or have I misread it and the "Cherry Red" is Unbranded?