Vehicle Details
Registration: YJ16 DDA
Chassis: Optare Solo SR M925
Bodywork: Optare
Depot: Returned to hirer
Livery: Blue
Year new: 2016
Vehicle History
October 2018
Go North East
This vehicle has now been returned to Optare, following its loan period to Go North East.
September 2018
Go North East
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Despite not having seen service at Deptford Depot due to suffering a severe oil leak; this vehicle has now formally been withdrawn from service at Deptford, and is now being prepared for return to Optare at the Saltmeadows Road bodyshop facility.
September 2018
Go North East
To combat issues with a large number of minibuses being unfit for service at Deptford; this vehicle has transferred from Washington Depot to Deptford, where it will see primary allocation to "Sunderland Connect" service 700.
July 2018
Go North East
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This vehicle has now entered service at Washington Depot on the recently awarded 23 service contract, operating between Washington Galleries and Barley Mow Estate, via Birtley. Although the vehicle was supplied to Go North East pending delivery of the new Euro 6 Optare Solo SRs for Chester-le-Street Depot; at 9.25m in length, this vehicle is too long to be allocated to the Cathedral Bus services, which is why it has instead been allocated to Washington to operate the new Nexus contract for service 23 in the Birtley area, which also runs onto peak-time Team Valley workers' services 90 and 933. Recently acquired Solos 718 (YJ62 FMA) and 723 (YD63 UZC) had temporarily been allocated to Washington from Sunday 22nd July 2018 for this purpose originally, though the additional work has also put a strain on spare minibuses at Washington, so this allocation temporarily releases 718 (YJ62 FMA) to be a spare minibus for Washington.
July 2018
Go North East
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This vehicle has received Go North East fleet names and has been prepared for service at Saltmeadows Road Depot. It has now been allocated to Washington Depot where it will undergo further preparation for service.
July 2018
Go North East
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Last October, changes were made to Durham County Council contracts. This saw the operation of the Durham Cathedral Bus 40/40A/40B services, previously operated by Stanley Travel, pass to Go North East to operate for the next four years, with the possibility of a year-long extension depending on contract performance.
Further changes were made to Durham County Council contracts in January 2018, which also saw Go North East be awarded the Chester-le-Street Town Service contract, numbered 700/701/702/703, also encompassing scholars service 876, which had previously been operated by independent firm Scarlet Band.
Temporarily, three out of the four Optare Solo M710SE vehicles acquired from Plymouth Citybus in February 2017 were allocated to Stanley Depot (and latterly Chester-le-Street) to operate these services, pending delivery of three brand new Euro 6 examples from Optare.
The production of these minibuses has been delayed at Optare, so they have provided this former demonstrator bus to Go North East as a courtesy vehicle, pending delivery of the new minibuses. It has been allocated fleet number 9089 for the duration of its stay in the fleet.
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April 2017
Go North East
This vehicle has transferred from Chester-le-Street Depot to Crook, on temporary loan, to alleviate vehicle shortages.
April 2009
Go North East
This vehicle has received "Coaster" branding, with sub-branding for service 1 (Gateshead - Whitley Bay).