Go North East

An Optare Solo SR in the 2016 variation of the company's corporate livery.

In February 1987, as part of the privatisation of the National Bus Company, a management buyout led by Martin Ballinger and Chris Moyes saw the purchase of the Northern General Transport Company.[3][4] It was the first company of what is now the Go-Ahead Group.[5]

Early expansion saw the acquisition of certain smaller competing bus operators in North East England, including Gypsy Queen in 1989,[6] and Low Fell Coaches in June 1992. Go-Ahead Northern also became a National Express contractor, operating services to the Midlands, North East, North West and South West of England.

Until the early 2000s, Go North East operated local services in the Darlington. The company also operated from a depot in Bishop Auckland, which closed in 2006, with the majority of local services (but no vehicles) transferred to Arriva North East.[7]

In June 2018, East Yorkshire Motor Services was acquired by Go-Ahead, bringing an end to 30 years of family ownership. Now re-branded as East Yorkshire, it will continue to run as a standalone company within Go North East.[8]

A large part of the Go North East fleet is made up of vehicles manufactured by Alexander Dennis, Optare, Volvo and Wrightbus. As of 3rd January 2021, the fleet consists of 691 buses and coaches.[9]

Operations were previously split between a North and South division. However, all operations are now under one management structure.

The former North division operated services in Gateshead, North Tyneside, West Durham, Northumberland and the Tyne Valley.

The former South division operated services in Sunderland, County Durham and South Tyneside, as well as National Express coach services.

Go North East introduced route branding in 2006 – a practice which involves giving each service, or group of services, a recognisable identity, colour scheme and logo. Route branding has led to Go North East adopting a multi-coloured fleet. Examples of Go North East's route branding include Angel,[13] Green Arrow,[14] QuayLink, Tynedale Links[15] and X-Lines.[16]

For many years, Go North East's fleet livery consisted of red, light blue and yellow. Following this, vehicles without route branding were painted in a red base, carrying Northern logos. By the end of 2013, the Northern logos began to be replaced, with the company opting to instead use the Go North East corporate logo.

In 2016, a new corporate livery was introduced, with vehicles painted red at the front, and blue at the back, separated by a white strip, with a tagline and website featuring above the windows (below the lower deck windows on double-deck vehicles).

This proved to be short-lived, and in 2019, a new-style corporate livery has been introduced. This features a lighter shade of blue at the rear, with the curved white separation strip being replaced with a double white and yellow line.

Coaches operating services under contract to National Express are painted in the client's (mostly white) livery, featuring company's blue and red logo.[17]

A series of Go North East's private hire coaches are currently being repainted in to retro-inspired heritage liveries, as part of the Northern Coaching operation.[18]

• 
  A Dennis Mini Pointer Dart, branded in the former red, blue and yellow corporate livery.
• 
  A Scania Omnidekka, branded in the 2016 variation of the company's corporate livery.
• 
  An Optare Versa, branded in the Citylink livery.
• 
  An Optare Versa, branded in the Quaylink livery.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Go North East.

• Companies House: Go North East
• Companies House: East Yorkshire Motor Services
• Go North East company website