NXWM Branded routes

[Bus Man K2]

Hello all

I was thinking last night why can't NX re-brand all branded routes to just look something like this.

For example

Stourbridge/Gornal Wood/Merry Hill - Lye-Halesowen-Quinton-Bearwood-Edgbaston-Birmingham.

This is as for so long now you see branded buses on either unbranded routes or on other services that are branded. My thinking behind this is that the bus that would have this sort of branding on it could then be used  on any other services that are branded or not. As it wolud only be showing a route but no number. What does everyone else think of this?

[Busboy105]

Hello all

I was thinking last night why can't NX re-brand all branded routes to just look something like this.

For example

Stourbridge/Gornal Wood/Merry Hill - Lye-Halesowen-Quinton-Bearwood-Edgbaston-Birmingham.

This is as for so long now you see branded buses on either unbranded routes or on other services that are branded. My thinking behind this is that the bus that would have this sort of branding on it could then be used  on any other services that are branded or not. As it wolud only be showing a route but no number. What does everyone else think of this?

So what you're saying is that routes that run alongside each other should have the same branding but just add the different destinations that they serve?

[Pat]

Hello all

I was thinking last night why can't NX re-brand all branded routes to just look something like this.

For example

Stourbridge/Gornal Wood/Merry Hill - Lye-Halesowen-Quinton-Bearwood-Edgbaston-Birmingham.

This is as for so long now you see branded buses on either unbranded routes or on other services that are branded. My thinking behind this is that the bus that would have this sort of branding on it could then be used  on any other services that are branded or not. As it wolud only be showing a route but no number. What does everyone else think of this?

It would be too confusing for passengers.  Also, having branded buses can make allocations difficult as the branded buses have to be parked up in a certain way at night ready for run out in the morning on the correct route.

So what you're saying is that routes that run alongside each other should have the same branding but just add the different destinations that they serve?

They already do this on the WN3/4, BC 61/63, BC X20/21/22 to name a few

[Roy]

I'm guessing that what you are suggesting is similar to the latest branding at First West of England.  A group of routes (6, 7, 17, 42, 43, 44, 45) have dark red buses branded "Citylines East".  It means that a bus can be used on any one of these routes.  There are also groups of routes branded as Mendip Explorer, South Glos Lynx, Bath City, Discovery, Excel and Badgerline.  All of these have different colour schemes, serve a specific area and do not show any route numbers on the branding.

[Bus Man K2]

I'm guessing that what you are suggesting is similar to the latest branding at First West of England.  A group of routes (6, 7, 17, 42, 43, 44, 45) have dark red buses branded "Citylines East".  It means that a bus can be used on any one of these routes.  There are also groups of routes branded as Mendip Explorer, South Glos Lynx, Bath City, Discovery, Excel and Badgerline.  All of these have different colour schemes, serve a specific area and do not show any route numbers on the branding.

This is sort of what I'm saying. Although the way I look at it, if you look at my first post. Tthat sort of thing so it's not actually got a specific branded number  but it's more the route of the service. What that means is that they could use this bus on an unbranded route and get away with it. Rather than having to put a for example  9 branded bus on a number 8 route. I know I may sound picky about this issue but I think it makes sense to brand a bus by route  description and not by route number.

[Stu]

I kind of get where you are coming from, but in some ways this might be impractical.

How would you work this for example with a bus currently branded for the 50 service (Birmingham to Druids Heath) which might end up on the 49 service (Solihull to Northfield)?

[Bus Man K2]

I kind of get where you are coming from, but in some ways this might be impractical.

How would you work this for example with a bus currently branded for the 50 service (Birmingham to Druids Heath) which might end up on the 49 service (Solihull to Northfield)?

Hi @Stu  with your suggestion it could work because the branding eould say Birmingham Moseley Maypole Durids Heath but no number so whether it's on the 50 or not it wouldn't matter. As it's showing passengers and potential customers that this bus could be seen at Moseley which would meen it's on the 50 service. I know where you're coming from though. It is one of thoes questions that is hard to answer. But there's got to be a better was of showing the branding. I hate when they put a wrongly branded bus on a route which isn't branded or which does have buses branded for that route.

[MasterPlan]

This just seems farcical to me. I don't really see what's wrong with how it is now. Putting random places on a bus to cover as many routes as possible seems pointless.

[Lukeee]

Wouldn't it be easier to just not brand them in the first place

[2206]

Wouldn't it be easier to just not brand them in the first place

Obviously must result in an increased number of passengers using the routes, when they promote them. Or I doubt they would do it.

[Pat]

Wouldn't it be easier to just not brand them in the first place

Having branded buses can make allocations a nightmare as they all have to be parked in a certain order for morning run out.  So if a branded bus is parked up in the wrong sequence the previous night, it more than likely would end up off its branded route.

[Kevin]

Like the old Network Harborne buses?

[mesub]

Like the old Network Harborne buses?

Ah yes, the hybrids. The branding didn't really seem too obvious though.

[Mike K]

Ah yes, the hybrids. The branding didn't really seem too obvious though.

Kevin is referring to the orange 'Network Harborne' branded buses of the late 1990s. If my memory serves me correctly the vehicles branded were:
ER (Elliot Road) Solos 284-288 for routes 626/636
BC Mercedes 0405Ns 1520-26, 1556-62, 1565-77 for routes 22/23, 103 and 10/30
YW B10Ls 1421-1440 for routes 21/29

[monkeyjoe]

Trying to remember if in east Brum we had "heartlands" branding I could be wrong.