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Post by westyorkshirebus on Sept 19, 2014 17:10:38 GMT 1
An article about Yorkshire Tiger in "Buses" states that the next major project for the company starting October will be a relaunch of K-Line.
A new style combining a modern interpretation of the K-Line style but bringing it into the Tiger family, is what they say with rumours of a "Tiger Blue" fleetname.
Not sure myself about the idea of dropping the K-Line name, it has been in use in Huddersfield for almost 30 years.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2014 21:18:54 GMT 1
Its going to feel odd without the Kline Name/Livery around Huddersfield but at the same time i can see why the would
want it to fit into the Tiger family (infact why not use just merge it together with YT seen as the timetables are on the normal YT site?)
I Wonder if we will see any buses get referbished as alot of them are starting to feel worn out inside,plus this might be the golden chance to brand key routes that go against firstbus (brand 319/360/366 together & redo the timetable to make an even 10 Mins Hudds - HRI Frequency,make up there minds on what to use on 324 & brand that plus if firstbus are going to use the smaller streetlites maybe add a 3rd bus to the 301/2As & make them an even Every 20 Mins (combined) to gain more passengers from first.)
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Post by Kenton Schweppes on Sept 19, 2014 22:08:33 GMT 1
This news is very welcome, the buses are looking a bit worn and tired, also the K Line brand is a bit low rent. The drivers could do with a smarten up as well.
Hopefully some of the services will be become branded as someone pointed out. Hopefully they might sort out the Cyrillic/heiroglyphics on the destination boards too.
The 317, which is a minor service could do with a review, a simple extension of its route through Almondbury to follow the 342 route would probably increase ridership due to its destination,HRI as well as Castle Hill.
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Post by westyorkshirebus on Sept 19, 2014 22:47:26 GMT 1
317 is a tendered service and an extension wouldn't be able to be accommodated within the current 1 bus run.
I'm guessing K-Line have different pay and conditions and/or working practices to Yorkshire Tiger (don't they still have driver to a bus rotas?) which would stop a proper merger. They don't want to rock the boat and annoy the drivers.
The bus stops at Westgate are such a bun fight, I'm not sure there is any point making a fuss of the HRI link, I expect people catch the first that comes. The fact they run through to the hospital from other parts of Huddersfield, is probably more of a selling point to focus on.
The fact that investment pretty much stopped the minute Centrebus took over, and the single deck fleet has stayed in a frozen state ever since I've always found a bit annoying. Up to that point they used to receive a handful of new VDL/Wright saloons every year.
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Post by Kenton Schweppes on Sept 20, 2014 12:01:14 GMT 1
I work at HRI and although I live at Almondbury and tend to catch the 372 straight through in a morning but sometimes I catch the 342 or get off in town to maybe go to Sainsburys or get some cash out I usually tend to jump on the first bus that comes at Westgate, although I see no reason why the services couldn't still be branded.
As for the 317, it was just an idea to increase ridership as the few times I have actually caught it, there has never been more than 3 people on it at any one time, the ridership figures must be pitiful on that service.
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Post by driver6540 on Sept 21, 2014 22:30:07 GMT 1
Most K-Line buses are sporting PSV Drivers wanted notices, So obviously on a recruitment drive prior to rebranding. As the poster above suggests, K-Line are thought of as being a bit low rent in Huddersfield, whereas the Tiger brand seems to be held in some esteem by its customers. Why dont they simply eradicate K-Line as an entity, paint all the fleet orange and run as Yorkshire Tiger. Or is that too simplistic?. There's already a "blue" operation in the form of Flying Tiger anyway. I dont think the demise of the K-Line name would be mourned by anyone in Huddersfield, provided the replacement offered reliable services by clean modern buses like Tiger does. I'd like to see the Yorkshire/Flying/K-Line Tiger names all go, and be replaced by the name YORKSHIRE TRACTION, Now that would be progress!.
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Post by Arriva Wakefield on Sept 21, 2014 23:35:19 GMT 1
Most K-Line buses are sporting PSV Drivers wanted notices, So obviously on a recruitment drive prior to rebranding. As the poster above suggests, K-Line are thought of as being a bit low rent in Huddersfield, whereas the Tiger brand seems to be held in some esteem by its customers. Why dont they simply eradicate K-Line as an entity, paint all the fleet orange and run as Yorkshire Tiger. Or is that too simplistic?. There's already a "blue" operation in the form of Flying Tiger anyway. I dont think the demise of the K-Line name would be mourned by anyone in Huddersfield, provided the replacement offered reliable services by clean modern buses like Tiger does. I'd like to see the Yorkshire/Flying/K-Line Tiger names all go, and be replaced by the name YORKSHIRE TRACTION, Now that would be progress!. Stagecoach wouldn't allow that to happen though! They've apparently already stopped Watersons from using the 'Ideal' name, as that was the name of a company taken over years previously by Yorkshire Traction. Makes you wonder if that's why Huddersfield Bus Company didn't rebrand itself as 'County Motors' when Stagecoach divested it. |
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mg
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Post by mg on Sept 22, 2014 0:14:00 GMT 1
It has now been announced to staff that 'Tiger Blue by K-Line' will launch late in October and, yes, it will see new staff uniforms and some vehicle re-furbishments, including interiors and blinds, too. I like the earlier comment that the business has been in a "frozen state ever since" - this will be the start of unfreezing it!
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Post by dwarfer1979 on Sept 22, 2014 8:49:38 GMT 1
Stagecoach wouldn't allow that to happen though! They've apparently already stopped Watersons from using the 'Ideal' name, as that was the name of a company taken over years previously by Yorkshire Traction. Makes you wonder if that's why Huddersfield Bus Company didn't rebrand itself as 'County Motors' when Stagecoach divested it. When Centrebus bought Waterloo they gave the staff the opportunity to pick the new name of the operation, the senior managers did expect the staff to pick something along the lines County Motors but they preferred Huddersfield Bus Company so that was what they stuck with. The issue at K-Line was that when it was bought by Centrebus it pretty much had the newest fleet in the company (not sure on the ownership situation of the fleet & whether they were/are leased & needed to be bought first) so it would be difficult to justify new buses whilst step entrance & older vehicles were still widespread across the fleet, Waterloo being more in need & seeing significant investment during this period & the expansion into Halifax & Leeds seeing significant new vehicle investment in West Yorkshire as an area. I know when it was purchased it was felt that the K-Line brand had some worth & so was retained but how much of that was more down simply to the staff (or for the staff), where a separate sub-brand would help retain that connection, rather than the company as an entity & how much has faded away as the old management left & new owners influences appeared will be better judged by the current management. |
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Post by Kenton Schweppes on Sept 22, 2014 18:54:27 GMT 1
It has now been announced to staff that 'Tiger Blue by K-Line' will launch late in October and, yes, it will see new staff uniforms and some vehicle re-furbishments, including interiors and blinds, too. I like the earlier comment that the business has been in a "frozen state ever since" - this will be the start of unfreezing it! Tiger Blue by K-Line, bit of a mouth full, really don't know why they don't just give it them the Tiger makeover? |
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Post by driver6540 on Sept 25, 2014 22:28:04 GMT 1
It has now been announced to staff that 'Tiger Blue by K-Line' will launch late in October and, yes, it will see new staff uniforms and some vehicle re-furbishments, including interiors and blinds, too. I like the earlier comment that the business has been in a "frozen state ever since" - this will be the start of unfreezing it! Tiger Blue by K-Line, bit of a mouth full, really don't know why they don't just give it them the Tiger makeover? Yes, in total agreement with your comment. Surely it would be easier just to paint K-Line buses into the generic Tiger orange and black stripes livery and be done with it. People are now used to the novel "Tiger" branding in Huddersfield, so whats the point of keeping K-Line as a separate entity?. |
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kendall17
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Post by kendall17 on Sept 26, 2014 8:27:36 GMT 1
I imagine they still see some value in the brand, maybe in customer loyalty. Since the takeover, has anything changed with K-Line? Any mention of YT on their buses adverts etc?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2014 18:12:38 GMT 1
220 carring the notice inside '
To the passenger's of meltham I'm sorry for the inconvenience,but I've been to brought in to maintain serve while my big sisters are away having a makeover.i will be here for a few week and when my sisters return we will be launching a new timetable'
Sounds like 324 will be the launch route for the new kline. When it says new timetable I wonder if they are upping the frequency on 324? Kline do seem to get more passengers than they used to.
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Post by woolymammoth74 on Oct 8, 2014 15:50:33 GMT 1
220 carring the notice inside ' To the passenger's of meltham I'm sorry for the inconvenience,but I've been to brought in to maintain serve while my big sisters are away having a makeover.i will be here for a few week and when my sisters return we will be launching a new timetable' Sounds like 324 will be the launch route for the new kline. When it says new timetable I wonder if they are upping the frequency on 324? Kline do seem to get more passengers than they used to. I wouldn't say they get any more passengers then they normally do, it all depends on how many are up at Broadlands as to who gets to Market Place/Meltham Mills first. And leaving broadlands earlier then timetabled means they are breaking the rules a little on occasions. |
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Post by deerfold on Oct 8, 2014 16:02:42 GMT 1
I wonder if after the rebrand they'll be more bothered about which bus goes out on which route - There seem to be Yorkshire Tiger buses quite often on the 901 (it's usually a Sunday when I see/catch it so unlikely to be a shortage of buses).
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Post by Arriva Wakefield on Oct 8, 2014 16:43:16 GMT 1
I wonder if after the rebrand they'll be more bothered about which bus goes out on which route - There seem to be Yorkshire Tiger buses quite often on the 901 (it's usually a Sunday when I see/catch it so unlikely to be a shortage of buses). Operated by an Elland bus on a Sunday, with a Honley Driver. |
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Post by deerfold on Oct 8, 2014 17:42:27 GMT 1
Operated by an Elland bus on a Sunday, with a Honley Driver. In that case would the timetable be better saying it's run by Yorkshire Tiger on a Sunday if they're trying to differentiate the brands? |
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Post by Arriva Wakefield on Oct 9, 2014 6:13:01 GMT 1
Operated by an Elland bus on a Sunday, with a Honley Driver. In that case would the timetable be better saying it's run by Yorkshire Tiger on a Sunday if they're trying to differentiate the brands? Driver lived closer to Elland than Honley, also easier to use an additional bus from Elland, than open Honley for just one bus. No different to the evening 303/396 being operated with a Tiger bus (and driver) but shown as K Line in timetables. |
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Post by dwarfer1979 on Oct 9, 2014 8:35:34 GMT 1
In that case would the timetable be better saying it's run by Yorkshire Tiger on a Sunday if they're trying to differentiate the brands? Driver lived closer to Elland than Honley, also easier to use an additional bus from Elland, than open Honley for just one bus. No different to the evening 303/396 being operated with a Tiger bus (and driver) but shown as K Line in timetables. I presume we are referring to the Metro timetables about which name is listed against the service, in which case we need to remember that it is Metro we are referring to, an organisation that throughout the period of Centrebus control failed to put the correct operator name on the departure boards at Huddersfield Bus Station showing all journeys as operated by Centrebus despite the fact that there was no reference to Centrebus anywhere on the vehicles or legal documentation for the services involved and the operator raised the issue on multiple occasions. We also always had great problems getting them to put the correct information & contact details on their publicity though managed to finally sort a solution for that but unfortunately that solution never appear to carry across to the electronic displays. The information about the driver for the 901 answers the question I always had about why it was an Elland bus rather than a Waterloo bus that was used on that Sunday working, I always knew they didn't use a K-Line one because the other depots were open on a Sunday whilst Honley wasn't. The 303/396 is slightly different as that evening contract was always scheduled to be worked by Waterloo staff, Honley didn't want any evening work and turned it down, though it may be that the registrations were lodged under K-Line before the decision was taken to work it from Waterloo. |
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Post by Arriva Wakefield on Oct 9, 2014 10:13:05 GMT 1
Driver lived closer to Elland than Honley, also easier to use an additional bus from Elland, than open Honley for just one bus. No different to the evening 303/396 being operated with a Tiger bus (and driver) but shown as K Line in timetables. I presume we are referring to the Metro timetables about which name is listed against the service, in which case we need to remember that it is Metro we are referring to, an organisation that throughout the period of Centrebus control failed to put the correct operator name on the departure boards at Huddersfield Bus Station showing all journeys as operated by Centrebus despite the fact that there was no reference to Centrebus anywhere on the vehicles or legal documentation for the services involved and the operator raised the issue on multiple occasions. We also always had great problems getting them to put the correct information & contact details on their publicity though managed to finally sort a solution for that but unfortunately that solution never appear to carry across to the electronic displays. The information about the driver for the 901 answers the question I always had about why it was an Elland bus rather than a Waterloo bus that was used on that Sunday working, I always knew they didn't use a K-Line one because the other depots were open on a Sunday whilst Honley wasn't. The 303/396 is slightly different as that evening contract was always scheduled to be worked by Waterloo staff, Honley didn't want any evening work and turned it down, though it may be that the registrations were lodged under K-Line before the decision was taken to work it from Waterloo. And to this day Metro still show Arriva Yorkshire as the daytime operator of the 231/232 on roadside timetables, and have done since Stagecoach sold Waterloo. |
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Post by deerfold on Oct 9, 2014 16:08:19 GMT 1
In that case would the timetable be better saying it's run by Yorkshire Tiger on a Sunday if they're trying to differentiate the brands? Driver lived closer to Elland than Honley, also easier to use an additional bus from Elland, than open Honley for just one bus. No different to the evening 303/396 being operated with a Tiger bus (and driver) but shown as K Line in timetables. It's no different, but I don't see the point in having special branding for K-line but then being quite happy to plan to run a Centreline bus at times. |
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Post by deerfold on Oct 9, 2014 16:09:55 GMT 1
I presume we are referring to the Metro timetables about which name is listed against the service, in which case we need to remember that it is Metro we are referring to, an organisation that throughout the period of Centrebus control failed to put the correct operator name on the departure boards at Huddersfield Bus Station showing all journeys as operated by Centrebus despite the fact that there was no reference to Centrebus anywhere on the vehicles or legal documentation for the services involved and the operator raised the issue on multiple occasions. We also always had great problems getting them to put the correct information & contact details on their publicity though managed to finally sort a solution for that but unfortunately that solution never appear to carry across to the electronic displays. The information about the driver for the 901 answers the question I always had about why it was an Elland bus rather than a Waterloo bus that was used on that Sunday working, I always knew they didn't use a K-Line one because the other depots were open on a Sunday whilst Honley wasn't. The 303/396 is slightly different as that evening contract was always scheduled to be worked by Waterloo staff, Honley didn't want any evening work and turned it down, though it may be that the registrations were lodged under K-Line before the decision was taken to work it from Waterloo. And to this day Metro still show Arriva Yorkshire as the daytime operator of the 231/232 on roadside timetables, and have done since Stagecoach sold Waterloo. Yes, the Metro timetables - which Yorkshire Tiger are quite happy to publish on their website. yorkshiretiger.co.uk/uploads/900%20&%20901.pdf |
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Post by dwarfer1979 on Oct 10, 2014 7:54:41 GMT 1
Driver lived closer to Elland than Honley, also easier to use an additional bus from Elland, than open Honley for just one bus. No different to the evening 303/396 being operated with a Tiger bus (and driver) but shown as K Line in timetables. It's no different, but I don't see the point in having special branding for K-line but then being quite happy to plan to run a Centreline bus at times. Because clearly it works best for them to do so, there is obviously still a great deal of loyalty to K-Line from the passengers on their core commercial work and it would seem very churlish (and somewhat stupid) to throw all that away just because on a Sunday they use a Tiger bus on a contracted service to save the unnecessary extra cost of opening the depot for one vehicle working that can be more effectively done by 'borrowing' a bus from your sister op (it is a K-Line contract using a K-Line driver so it would not be incorrect to describe it as a K-Line journey by Metro). The evening services are different, as I pointed out earlier, in that this is more to do with differing paperwork but since I no longer have any involvement in the Yorkshire ops or access to their info I can't remember the precise details from when this contract was gained under Centrebus as to who holds what (contracts & registrations) to be sure of the details. |
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Post by deerfold on Oct 10, 2014 13:22:19 GMT 1
It's no different, but I don't see the point in having special branding for K-line but then being quite happy to plan to run a Centreline bus at times. Because clearly it works best for them to do so, there is obviously still a great deal of loyalty to K-Line from the passengers on their core commercial work and it would seem very churlish (and somewhat stupid) to throw all that away just because on a Sunday they use a Tiger bus on a contracted service to save the unnecessary extra cost of opening the depot for one vehicle working that can be more effectively done by 'borrowing' a bus from your sister op (it is a K-Line contract using a K-Line driver so it would not be incorrect to describe it as a K-Line journey by Metro). The evening services are different, as I pointed out earlier, in that this is more to do with differing paperwork but since I no longer have any involvement in the Yorkshire ops or access to their info I can't remember the precise details from when this contract was gained under Centrebus as to who holds what (contracts & registrations) to be sure of the details. I'm clearly not suggesting they open a depot for 1 bus on a Sunday. I'm simply suggesting it is described in the timetable as a Tiger bus - it'd help passengers looking out for it too if they know their bus will be orange rather than blue. If they don't see them as any different then I don't understand why they're going to all the trouble of a rebrand. |
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Post by gooderson1 on Oct 10, 2014 22:18:37 GMT 1
The buses are all owned by the same company in Germany and if I was standing by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere I would not be bothered what colour it was as long as it arrived around the scheduled time.
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