In the red corner, we have Transdev Blazefield. Headed by one of the best busmen in the country, Alex Hornby, the group have gone from strength to strength and have spent the last six weeks teasing their customers who have the pleasure of the 36 (Leeds - Harrogate - Ripon) that they will be receiving swanky StreetDecks on their flagship route. The usual offering as is the case these days is WiFi on board but these vehicles feature cushioned leather seats, a more generous seat pitch at that, laminate flooring (I kid you not!) and branding from the excellent Ray Stenning of Creating Desire. Some people in the transport world feel that Ray is just about curvy lines and substance but this rebrand definitely doesn't include anything bendy. It's all about the lines!
A huge launch will take place in Harrogate and Ripon tonight with one to follow tomorrow in Leeds before the buses make their debut. The 36 has always been the one that provides that little bit extra and it's pleasing to note that they are one of the few bus routes that dwarfs the railway offering. Northern Rail offer a half-hourly service on a train which is 25-years-old at the youngest and of course is useless if you want to go to Ripon - a town which hasn't seen a train for decades.
It's likely to continue the success story that is the route 36. Investment of this kind is bound to bring in the necessary revenue to pay for these expensive vehicles. Buses also run much later than the trains and overnight buses will exist for Friday and Saturday nights, again not provided by any nodding donkeys.
The StreetDeck is a bus that has divided opinion within the industry and I have to say I'm more a fan of the new ADL Enviro 400 MMC rather than this offering from Wright, but it is more personal preference than anything else. The type is proving popular across the UK so they quite clearly are doing something right, or should that be Wright. I'll move on!
I'm looking forward to sampling the new and improved 36. There's some interesting pictures by following the hashtags on Twitter of #RidingRedefined and #The36 which will offer any enthusiast of the industry with a good insight as to what I mean. The launch will provide a much needed boost of awareness to customers old and new with the new vehicles. I wish the team well. A wonderful example of how to advertise the most perishable product, the bus seat.
Transdev aren't the only ones who've purchased the StreetDeck. Over in South Yorkshire, or the blue corner in our case, FirstGroup who are the biggest operator in the metropolitan borough. They too have a flagship route, the X78 which over the years - 90 of them to be exact - has existed to link Sheffield with Rotherham and Doncaster. It's not always been the X78, it started life as the 77 before gaining a prefix 2 and then the 2 became an X and the X77 gave way to become the X78. Anyway, I'm digressing a little here. Let's just say if you haven't heard of the X78 and you live in South Yorkshire, that's probably because you're from Barnsley.
In recent years, First have invested in new vehicles for this route. It's not an easy one either. Almost two hours from end to end on some peak journeys, the terrain of Sheffield (although to be fair it gets the easier half of the city), the bumpy roads of Rotherham and the long-distance running towards Conanby and eventually into Doncaster. First have been testing the new EvoSeti (which looks awful in the group's colours!) as well as having a StreetDeck on test which eventually resulted in an order for 22. Below is a picture of the EvoSeti. If you're easily offended, don't click!
These buses are in a dark blue version of the First 'olympia' livery, the blue actually looking as if it is a nod to the old Rotherham Corporation colour but I'm assured that's not the case. On board you're greeted with e-leather seating and USB charging points. No WiFi as yet but I'm sure that's on the cards, although it's questionable these days with 4G how beneficial this can be at times but that's another blog completely.
On board the headrests proudly state 'STEEL LINK' along with 'X78' underneath. But bizarrely, this isn't mentioned on the exterior. In fact, apart from First South Yorkshire, there's no branding at all. Previous vehicles on the route, B9TLs to be exact, had a 'skyline' X78 emblazoned on both sides and branding for the route.
This time, there's nothing. I understand there are a handful of journeys that utilise X78 vehicles for interworking but that goes against the logic that onboard it's branded for the X78. Confused? Me too.
Such a vast investment should be shouted about. Massively. I understand the X78 isn't doing bad but does the average passenger know that because that's a blue bus, it's going to have (e-)leather seats, power points, air cooling and improved ride quality? No. Quite the opposite. What was also evident is that First put these into revenue service instantly with some vehicles providing disastrous results as they decided to sit down in a few places. Modifications are occurring which has led to the old order stepping in at times (and in some cases, very old orders!).
To be fair to First, they did have a launch ... last week in Rotherham town centre. The team asked you to send them selfies with the StreetDeck in the background. Not really the sort of launch I would have had in mind having spent £x million on a fleet of new buses for the flagship route.
So who's right? The blue corner or the red corner? For me, it's the red corner. Shout and scream to people your product and get that bus with as much branding on as it can (but don't cover up the windows!). In the blue corner, it might be a slow burner but you've got to tell people. Remember what the First branding used to be on buses? Something to shout about. Maybe the X78 needs a yell.
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