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Now that Sapphire has been launched round the company does anyone else know of other routes are getting the sapphire experience

(29/10/2013 17:05)cx04axy Wrote: [ -> ]Now that Sapphire has been launched round the company does anyone else know of other routes are getting the sapphire experience

Possibly Rhyl depot 12 service early 2014

Paul
Rhyl

Just the four routes listed on the Arriva Sapphire website at the moment:

*1 Wrexham-Chester
*7 Darlington-Durham
*31/31A Leicester-Oadby
*280 Aylesbury-Oxford

I've been on the 31/31a route in Leicester and it was quite good. Plug sockets to charge phones/tablets/laptops, free Wi-Fi on board and displaying next stop information along the route. Would be nice to see another in the North West. I would imagine Yorkshire would get one at some point.

http://www.arrivasapphire.co.uk/

(29/10/2013 20:44)SF07 Wrote: [ -> ]Just the four routes listed on the Arriva Sapphire website at the moment:

*1 Wrexham-Chester
*7 Darlington-Durham
*31/31A Leicester-Oadby
*280 Aylesbury-Oxford

I've been on the 31/31a route in Leicester and it was quite good. Plug sockets to charge phones/tablets/laptops, free Wi-Fi on board and displaying next stop information along the route. Would be nice to see another in the North West. I would imagine Yorkshire would get one at some point.

http://www.arrivasapphire.co.uk/

if its Arriva North West 2 routes i can think of

263 Manchester - Altrincham
81 Crewe to Chester

nice to see the 12 or 5 or 62 service for sapphire in wales

(29/10/2013 21:57)cx04axy Wrote: [ -> ]

(29/10/2013 20:44)SF07 Wrote: [ -> ]Just the four routes listed on the Arriva Sapphire website at the moment:

*1 Wrexham-Chester
*7 Darlington-Durham
*31/31A Leicester-Oadby
*280 Aylesbury-Oxford

I've been on the 31/31a route in Leicester and it was quite good. Plug sockets to charge phones/tablets/laptops, free Wi-Fi on board and displaying next stop information along the route. Would be nice to see another in the North West. I would imagine Yorkshire would get one at some point.

http://www.arrivasapphire.co.uk/

if its Arriva North West 2 routes i can think of

263 Manchester - Altrincham
81 Crewe to Chester

nice to see the 12 or 5 or 62 service for sapphire in wales

Did you mean 84? In any event if the 1 is anything to go by it's not worth the effort.

(29/10/2013 22:02)SNL 824 Wrote: [ -> ]Did you mean 84? In any event if the 1 is anything to go by it's not worth the effort.

How is the 1 doing? -- not as well as forecast, I gather?
I have no experience of this route, but have noticed its rapid change from single-deckers to double, and then on to the heavily refurbished Sapphire vehicles.

Apologise ye 84, mis-type.

Service 1 Wrexham - Chester, I think the main reason there was too much negativity from the local newspapers of complaints. And also competition against Stagecoach. The Buses themselves are really nice *granted* just a few electrics issues** but since other sapphire projects, i think they learnt a few lessons.

But the 263 I can see been a highly possibly next candidate for sapphire if they continue to enroll the Sapphire brand to other routes.

(29/10/2013 23:27)cx04axy Wrote: [ -> ]Service 1 Wrexham - Chester, I think the main reason there was too much negativity from the local newspapers of complaints. And also competition against Stagecoach. The Buses themselves are really nice *granted* just a few electrics issues** but since other sapphire projects, i think they learnt a few lessons.

But the 263 I can see been a highly possibly next candidate for sapphire if they continue to enroll the Sapphire brand to other routes.

I can understand Arriva wanting to improve their image, but it seems that the Sapphire treatment on the 1 hasn't exactly been entirely successful. How is the service in competition with Stagecoach?

I really think that the Sapphire project would have worked well on the 47/48, where Stagecoach are in full-time competition with their double-decker X2/2X service. The additional features, such as wi-fi, could have been a nice enhancement and most-definitely won passengers off of Stagecoach's services and maybe even Merseyrail!

Why do some routes get special treatment with Sapphire whilst most routes stay the same? Doesn't that cause inconsistencies?

Is sapphire more expensive than regular Arriva services?

It would be better if Arriva added leather seats and wifi to every bus like First Bus.

Route 263 is a busy but competitive route (Metrolink and Finglands), I think it could benefit from these features.

(30/10/2013 13:34)Polo Mint Wrote: [ -> ]Route 263 is a busy but competitive route (Metrolink and Finglands), I think it could benefit from these features.

There's also Stagecoach with the 255/256 between Stretford and Manchester plus 250 between Trafford Bar and Manchester.