North East Buses

Love the "live" app, just a shame it's like their buses and can't be relied on!!!

(09 May 2014, 8:49 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]I made a complaint to Nexus via email about the 18 by Arriva on Sunday being 15 minutes late when I used it from Byker to Heaton. No reply though lol. Arriva shouldn't even be running Nexus contracts, everytime I've used the 335 it's been delayed!

I don't see why we shouldn't run Nexus contracts? Most Durham drivers run the M2/3 almost flawlessly

(09 May 2014, 10:33 pm)palatine3833 wrote [ -> ]I don't see why we shouldn't run Nexus contracts? Most Durham drivers run the M2/3 almost flawlessly

So a 38 minute delay is acceptable?

(09 May 2014, 10:39 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]So a 38 minute delay is acceptable?

Nexusbus timings can be 'optimistic' to say the least

NEWS:
The new Enviro 400s for Arriva's Ashington depot are due to be delivered at 1.00pm on Monday. These are the 'Sapphire' branded vehicles.

(Information from an Ashington driver)

Kind regards,
Tommy

I heard it was going to be the refurbished ones from Thorntons, but been used in press Shot for ashington depot offical opening

(10 May 2014, 4:02 pm)David McGloin wrote [ -> ]I heard it was going to be the refurbished ones from Thorntons, but been used in press Shot for ashington depot offical opening

Quite correct! The new ones aren't due to be delivered until the first two weeks in July.
Ashington depot will be officially opened on Monday, with various vehicles being used as a presentation, including a refurbished Sapphire E400.

(10 May 2014, 4:19 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Quite correct! The new ones aren't due to be delivered until the first two weeks in July.
Ashington depot will be officially opened on Monday, with various vehicles being used as a presentation, including a refurbished Sapphire E400.

7504 then? (as the Sapphire E400)

Everything good with ArrivaNE today? 4655 has made it through the day on the X93 and thinking of riding it back home on the 1925 trip but guess / hope we'll have a fast Pulsar / driver on the 1915 5 ? Anyone else got any gossip?

So much for a fast Pulsar / driver on the 1915 5 ? It's here 20 past and not even made it to the stand yet!

(10 May 2014, 4:26 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]7504 then? (as the Sapphire E400)

Believe so yes!
B10BLE 4504 has been treated to a repaint by Jesmond.

(10 May 2014, 6:42 pm)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Believe so yes!
B10BLE 4504 has been treated to a repaint by Jesmond.

Finally is that just leaving 4510 now in original arriva out of the B10's?

(10 May 2014, 6:45 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]Finally is that just leaving 4510 now in original arriva out of the B10's?

Yeah, once this year is up there shouldn't be much left in original livery! If anything..

Well we got to Guisborough in one piece! Don't know who he was on the 1915 5 but he was determined to make up for lost time? Don't think he was expecting a seated load from the Bus Station or every stop to Brambles Farm?

Looks like the paint shops are going to be busy then? Stockton have at least 3 that I can think of and I guess by that token and if all goes to plan the Prestiges etc will have been retired by then?

(10 May 2014, 7:42 pm)robisdave15 wrote [ -> ]Looks like the paint shops are going to be busy then? Stockton have at least 3 that I can think of and I guess by that token and if all goes to plan the Prestiges etc will have been retired by then?

Approximately 75 vehicles in total which need to be repainted - excluding those already listed for disposal and the Prestiges which we're expecting to depart the fleet too.

75 vehicles / avg 3 repaints per week = 25 weeks

Definitely achievable to repaint all of the vehicles in the Original Arriva livery by the end of this year, assuming there is an ongoing flow of vehicles being repainted (as is the case with Go North East). Will bring us to the end of the year nicely.

Have never understood the policy behind 're-painting vehicles? Some have been done once and more than once yet others have remained untouched since new? Several of the Ommicities for example?

(10 May 2014, 7:57 pm)Dan wrote [ -> ]Approximately 75 vehicles in total which need to be repainted - excluding those already listed for disposal and the Prestiges which we're expecting to depart the fleet too.

75 vehicles / avg 3 repaints per week = 25 weeks

Definitely achievable to repaint all of the vehicles in the Original Arriva livery by the end of this year, assuming there is an ongoing flow of vehicles being repainted (as is the case with Go North East). Will bring us to the end of the year nicely.

To give figures, removing the vehicles due for withdrawal, the following vehicles at each depot require repaints:

Ashington
1761/90 and 7438 (3 out of an allocation of 53)

Blyth
None

Darlington
1404-7, 1760/2/91 and 4647/56/7 (10 of 92)

Durham
1409/15-8/20-3, 2803/4/7-10/2-4/7-20/2/3, 4646/63 and 7443/4 (28 of 94)

Jesmond
1408/10-4/9, 2806 and 4510 (9 of 68)

Redcar/Whitby
4651 (1 of 68)

Stockton
1769/71 and 4654/8/9 (5 of 76)

I make that 56 of the remaining 1998-livered vehicles that will remain at the end of the year. Of course, all OmniCitys bar those listed at Stockton are due for repaint as part of the 'MAX' refurbishment (bar 4663 which is likely part of the 85/685 refurbishment programme). I think the likelihood of the remaining 3 original livered Lowlanders being repainted is very low but stranger things have happened (1711/2 springs to mind).

How long do the Lowlanders have left? Surely can't be that long

(10 May 2014, 3:30 am)tyresmoke wrote [ -> ]Nexusbus timings can be 'optimistic' to say the least

I am in no way suggesting that a 38 minute delay is acceptable; I am simply stating that just because there are timing issues (if that is the problem) on certain Jesmond routes doesn't mean the whole company should be prevented from operating contracts.

(10 May 2014, 8:19 pm)Kuyoyo wrote [ -> ]To give figures, removing the vehicles due for withdrawal, the following vehicles at each depot require repaints:

Ashington
1761/90 and 7438 (3 out of an allocation of 53)

Blyth
None

Darlington
1404-7, 1760/2/91 and 4647/56/7 (10 of 92)

Durham
1409/15-8/20-3, 2803/4/7-10/2-4/7-20/2/3, 4646/63 and 7443/4 (28 of 94)

Jesmond
1408/10-4/9, 2806 and 4510 (9 of 68)

Redcar/Whitby
4651 (1 of 68)

Stockton
1769/71 and 4654/8/9 (5 of 76)

I make that 56 of the remaining 1998-livered vehicles that will remain at the end of the year. Of course, all OmniCitys bar those listed at Stockton are due for repaint as part of the 'MAX' refurbishment (bar 4663 which is likely part of the 85/685 refurbishment programme). I think the likelihood of the remaining 3 original livered Lowlanders being repainted is very low but stranger things have happened (1711/2 springs to mind).

I think 1404 to 1407 should be a priority as they are X1 branded but for various reasons appear on other Darlington services plus branding no longer relative as since March last year they are used on Service 1 work and are branded for Crook but now go to Tow Law as well. Also the competition with OK1 is now over perhaps not a good thing as it kept Arriva on it's toes

That's a tricky one with Arriva and branding, just as I guess it is for other operators? In theory it has it's advantages but in reality it makes operation / allocation difficult and has the possibility of confusing the public. Arriva vinyl branded services around Teesside for the likes of services 9 and 27 and in the main part, it worked with few vehicles operating away from their dedicated routes. Now, following the last service changes all these vehicles were de-branded to allow, I presume, better manage of the network? I'm wondering now if the new intakes of fleet for Sapphire 4/4x, 5/5a will be in standard livery or branded same as Sapphire 7 ? I'm kinda assuming it's to be the latter?

(11 May 2014, 10:14 am)robisdave15 wrote [ -> ]That's a tricky one with Arriva and branding, just as I guess it is for other operators? In theory it has it's advantages but in reality it makes operation / allocation difficult and has the possibility of confusing the public. Arriva vinyl branded services around Teesside for the likes of services 9 and 27 and in the main part, it worked with few vehicles operating away from their dedicated routes. Now, following the last service changes all these vehicles were de-branded to allow, I presume, better manage of the network? I'm wondering now if the new intakes of fleet for Sapphire 4/4x, 5/5a will be in standard livery or branded same as Sapphire 7 ? I'm kinda assuming it's to be the latter?

The Pulsars were debranded to give flexibility in allocating, especially given we now interwork 9/27As to increase reliability, with the "short" 27s (as we used to call them...) now on their own. Obviously we couldn't have 9 branded Pulsars ending up on 27s and vice versa, so the decision was taken to de-brand them all.

The 29 still gets allocated Pulsars when we have spares, alongside Prestiges mainly, with the odd Cadet still escaping on there too! The summer should see a few changes but the Pulsars should stay pretty much where they are now, albeit in September the ones off the 5/5A will become surplus and will move to another route (17s seem to be favourite?).

The Sapphire vehicles should be branded for their "home" route but there will be a dedicated spare vehicle which will float between Redcar and Stockton depending on who needs it. I can't see any other routes being branded as we are still working on ways to increase reliability, and tweaks to the routes in July will help with this.

Thanks Scott, that's pretty much how I saw things. It looks, on the face of it that the future with ANE looks somewhat brighter than it has done? Still someway to go but perhaps repairing the foundations, so to speak will help develop into an exciting future. That make sense?

I'm not really an Arriva expert, but Durham is the nearest area to my house (Chester-Le-Street) where Arriva operates the majority of services. I'm just wondering (I rarely, if ever take notice of the Arriva Durham fleet numbers and just stick to their vehicle types), is it the normal allocation for ALX400s on the 64?

(11 May 2014, 6:25 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I'm not really an Arriva expert, but Durham is the nearest area to my house (Chester-Le-Street) where Arriva operates the majority of services. I'm just wondering (I rarely, if ever take notice of the Arriva Durham fleet numbers and just stick to their vehicle types), is it the normal allocation for ALX400s on the 64?

Should be darts?

(11 May 2014, 6:47 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Should be darts?

I used to get MPDs, SPDs and various other bodies on a Dart chassis, but haven't seen them so much recently. I've mainly seen Olympians and ALX400s in the past few weeks.

(11 May 2014, 6:51 pm)Marcus wrote [ -> ]I used to get MPDs, SPDs and various other bodies on a Dart chassis, but haven't seen them so much recently. I've mainly seen Olympians and ALX400s in the past few weeks.

Durham don't even have Olympians! They haven't for ages.

(11 May 2014, 6:47 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Should be darts?

64 is mostly Darts but other stuff often does appear on there such as ALX400s and Solos. Pulsars and Omnicitys occasionally pop up too.

(11 May 2014, 7:02 pm)Tom wrote [ -> ]Durham don't even have Olympians! They haven't for ages.

Sorry, I meant those Mylleniums, I have seen Olympians on the 64 before though.