(10 Jul 2020, 5:28 pm)col87 Got a few questions. Firstly how disabled friendly are these coaches ?  Secondly would it possible to still stop near Eldon Square because yes some people coming though for a day out do actually connect at Eldon Square and if you do not know Newcastle that well it would be a pain trying to find the bus stops.   

Be interesting to see how well the coaches work

(10 Jul 2020, 5:53 pm)tyresmoke There is a wheelchair bay in the low floor section next to the driver. (I wonder how that works with distancing at present?). 95% of the passenger seats are upstairs on these Interdecks.

(10 Jul 2020, 6:00 pm)streetdeckfan I'd imagine it'd be the same with these as the National Express coaches, the drivers will be provided with a proper fitted mask

(10 Jul 2020, 7:40 pm)L469 YVK Can the interdecks not be fitted with cab doors & bandit screens?

(10 Jul 2020, 7:40 pm)L469 YVK Can the interdecks not be fitted with cab doors & bandit screens?

(10 Jul 2020, 8:01 pm)streetdeckfan They don't really have a cab though, unless the Oxford ones are different. The downstairs area is all open like a coach (at least from images I've seen)

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(10 Jul 2020, 8:50 pm)TEN 6083

This was posted on Instagram in a chat and shows what the livery will look like


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(10 Jul 2020, 8:29 pm)Dan They can now:
https://twitter.com/Plaxtoncoach/status/1273220529055563776

(10 Jul 2020, 8:50 pm)TEN 6083

This was posted on Instagram in a chat and shows what the livery will look like


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(10 Jul 2020, 8:57 pm)Michael I really like that, suits the coach perfect.

Have u got the link to Instagram?

(10 Jul 2020, 9:58 pm)ne14ne1 Looks good.

Are they euro 6 already?

(10 Jul 2020, 11:27 pm)Storx I understand the point of X Lines etc, but I really think branding the X9/X10 now it's got coaches apart of it is really a lost opportunity. It's really not the same standard as a Solo which is on the X20 and imo it should be reflected in the brand. It's one of the few proper express bus services in the North East and imo branding with routes such as the X1/X45/X46, the majority of which runs trundling through villages kinda lowers the quality of the route. At the end of the day it's got it's own special ticketing it should be a more premium service that anything else GNE operates and the branding should reflect that with it's own special brand promoting the fact it's a coach service, X-lines you can't do that since there's other lower quality buses on the routes.

The only other buses which are real expresses in the North East in the sense of the X9 and X10 are the X14, X15 and X93 (All Arriva) imo in terms that it's about connecting large settlements and not a lot inbetween. I delibrately left out the X21.

(10 Jul 2020, 11:53 pm)L469 YVK I agree with you on this one. If ADL Scania E400MMC N250UDs or Wright StreetDeck OM936s were ordered, then X-Lines would be suited.

But with the X9 & X10 becoming coach operated, a separate brand (but tied in with the X-Lines network) would be better. Even a re-launch of the Tyne-Tees Xpress brand but promoting the luxury benefits of a coach operated service.

(11 Jul 2020, 12:20 am)streetdeckfan I suppose it depends how you look at it, from one point of view, it makes sense to have it separate, for exactly the reason you say.

But on the other hand, the whole point of the X-Lines network was to have the express services (even if some are controversial!) under one brand.

I would also argue that the benefits of the X9/X10 are less to do with the vehicle running on it, but the route itself. The main benefit of the route is the relatively short travel time between the destinations, if they had a double deck that could handle the motorway the way the coaches can, would that make it any worse of an experience? I personally don't think so.

If I used the route regularly, I personally would have preferred a double decker, basically 6337 but with an engine that could handle the motorway. I always pick a table seat if I can because it doesn't feel like you're being packed in like sardines, which is what pretty much every coach feels like to me, especially with the actually high-back chairs blocking the view forwards (not like the V3 or Keil seats they have on the other vehicles which don't even reach my head!)

(11 Jul 2020, 1:11 am)Big O I have to disagree, its not all about the power of the vehicle. The suspension of the Coach will no doubt improve the passenger experience. When those coaches roll out I suspect more people won't want to use the train, it's just far more comfortable. The Volvo B11R, which is what I think the Interdecks are bolted on to, is such a comfortable ride it's unreal. The ride quality alone will raise the bar by itself.

(10 Jul 2020, 8:01 pm)streetdeckfan They don't really have a cab though, unless the Oxford ones are different. The downstairs area is all open like a coach (at least from images I've seen)

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(11 Jul 2020, 7:31 am)L469 YVK Food for thought here but in the future, could standard ADL E400MMCs not handle the X9 & X10?

Arriva at present use 15 reg classic ADL E400s on the X15 all the way to Berwick. The only thing there is that the X15 stops off at several villages en route and it's often difficult to get above 50mph on most single carriageway sections of the A1.

Obviously the X9 & X10 are different as most time on the A19 is a constant 62mph stint.

(11 Jul 2020, 5:10 am)citaro5284 Stagecoach have had cab doors (without vandal screens) on their ones in Aberdeen since new.

(11 Jul 2020, 9:29 am)Michael Seen this on Dan's Twitter this morning.... when someone mentioned about the B5's going on the X84/X85..

I wonder whats been allocated?