North East Buses

(23 Sep 2021, 7:30 pm)Driver9*** wrote [ -> ]All Blyth non 308 branded Geminis are being done like this.

Even 7601-08 which are quick links to Newcastle branded?

(23 Sep 2021, 7:30 pm)Driver9*** wrote [ -> ]All Blyth non 308 branded Geminis are being done like this.

Any idea why. I heard a rumours a while ago that max brand was going

(23 Sep 2021, 8:14 pm)Train8261 wrote [ -> ]Any idea why. I heard a rumours a while ago that max brand was going

Max hasn't existed since the rebrand a few years ago.

(23 Sep 2021, 8:14 pm)GNE6312 wrote [ -> ]Even 7601-08 which are quick links to Newcastle branded?

I believe so as they have Max branding also.

(23 Sep 2021, 8:14 pm)Train8261 wrote [ -> ]Any idea why. I heard a rumours a while ago that max brand was going

Max was abandoned four years ago - the 306/308 (and subsequently the Yorkshire 444) were the last routes to get the brand whilst the NE were being defiant against the new liveries.

(23 Sep 2021, 4:18 pm)Train8261 wrote [ -> ]7622 has been debrand of Max and now shows Arriva logo in place of the Max logo

https://flic.kr/p/2mtCefz (photo by me today)

7625 also now been debranded just like 7622.
The 2 frequnta solos at Ashington (2843/49) have also been debranded with frequenta logos replaced by the new arriva logo. wonder If Blyth will do the same with 1429/32 when they're at it with the DB300s

Stockton’s 1405 & 1448 I am told have lost their branding too. Expect many more to follow. Darlington’s gas buses could well be just the start of a much needed project


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Will Arriva likely see fleet investment or a major network overhaul next year?

(25 Sep 2021, 12:17 am)L469 YVK wrote [ -> ]Will Arriva likely see fleet investment or a major network overhaul next year?

Anyone’s guess other than the upper management or other individuals from within the Business. It must be noted that desperate the anti-Arriva which in fairness depending on topic and circumstances can be justified to an extent, there is the possibility of investment. I believe that Merseyside is due or is getting new vehicles (34) not including the hydrogen vehicles in the PTE bid.

(25 Sep 2021, 6:38 am)NewcastleOne wrote [ -> ]Anyone’s guess other than the upper management or other individuals from within the Business. It must be noted that desperate the anti-Arriva which in fairness depending on topic and circumstances can be justified to an extent, there is the possibility of investment. I believe that Merseyside is due or is getting new vehicles (34) not including the hydrogen vehicles in the PTE bid.

If they invested in any deckers for the NE, the most sensible option would be including primary casacdes:

- 15x ADL E400MMC 10.9 S/S & ZF - X21/X22
* 7541-50 - Blyth - 308
* 7551 - Blyth - Spare
* 7552 - Ashington - Spare

- 6x Wright StreetDeck OM936 - X93/X94
* 7401-04 - Ashington - X20
* 7405/06 - NE Float Spares

- 11x Wright StreetDeck OM936 - X15/X18 (incl 1x spare)

Arriva won't invest up here. Everything new goes to Durham/Redcar or Stockton.

Whatever it replaced cone to Blyth or Jesmond or Ashington

(26 Sep 2021, 8:50 pm)Train8261 wrote [ -> ]Arriva won't invest up here. Everything new goes to Durham/Redcar or Stockton.

Whatever it replaced cone to Blyth or Jesmond or Ashington

Got to disagree there. Northumbria first is a smaller operation compared to County Durham and Teesside. Additionally since 2014 there has been 7 New E400s for X21/22, 5 E400s for X18, 8(?) Streetlites for 306 (which moved to 52/54), 4(?) Streetlites for 35/35a (at the time), 12 MMC 400s for X21/22. While that is smaller than what’s been seen South of Tyne it would be wrong not to mention that there has been some Investment in smaller operation. (Note this does not include significant refurbishments of then before mid life & mid life vehicles which Northumbria has seen a larger amount of.)

(26 Sep 2021, 8:50 pm)Train8261 wrote [ -> ]Arriva won't invest up here. Everything new goes to Durham/Redcar or Stockton.

Whatever it replaced cone to Blyth or Jesmond or Ashington

There's nothing wrong with the fleets at Blyth or Jesmond. Ashington needs something better for the X15/X18 but that's about it. Durham have the worst fleet in the North East with numerous 55 plate B7's in frontline service and Darlington is plagued with the 05 plate Omnicity's which if anything are the vehicles which need replacing asap.

(26 Sep 2021, 8:50 pm)Train8261 wrote [ -> ]Arriva won't invest up here. Everything new goes to Durham/Redcar or Stockton.

Whatever it replaced cone to Blyth or Jesmond or Ashington

It's deckers that are badly needed for Northumbria. Only real quality deckers down Durham & Tees are 7534-40.

- New vehicles on the X15, X18, X21, X22 would release 14x 2014 & 2015 E400 Classics. 11x of these (+7522) could then be used on the 43/44/45 with 3x of the best allocated on the X14. The older E400 Classics could then start to displace Volvo B7TLs and move into a more backseat role.

- New vehicles on the X21, X22 would release 12x E400MMCs. 10x of these would then make up the PVR for the 308. The other 2x, 1x to Blyth as spare with the other staying at Ashington as spare.

- Newer vehicles on the 308 would then release 10x DB300 Gemini 2s. 8x of these could then either be used on the 306 or back fill other older deckers.

- New vehicles on the X93/X94 would release 6x B9TLs. 4x of these would go on the X20 and along with the X14, releasing more older E400 classics (2009) into a backseat role. The other 2x would then act as float spares.

South of the Tyne debranding update

So far treated are:
Stockton’s 1404/5 both have lost their X66/X67 branding (1404 retains a MAX logo in the front windscreen)
Stockton’s 1448 has lost its 8 branding
Redcar’s 1430 has lost its 63 branding
Stockton’s Streetlites - bar the already debranded 1550/1 and an-as-yet-to-be-done 1557 - have lost their 5/5A route branding but retain Sapphire logos

Meanwhile, having never had any fleetnames in its 11 years in service - Stockton’s 1446 has now gained the current fleetnames

I highly doubt Northumbria will get much new stock in the next few years considering they've just paid for a significant chunk of them to be made Euro 6 and the only Euro 6 requirement South of the Tyne is the X12 which have already been converted.

The fleet isn't even that old!!! Why all of a sudden do we feel they all have to be replaced every few years because of a superiority complex towards certain routes?! the average life span of a decker is around 15 years IIRC so doubt much will be binned off beyond the 55 plate B7TLs at Belmont before the end of 2024 (minus Lowlanders as some have already been scrapped) and even then probs be a bit further down the line.

The North East fleets of most companies is still better than some for age, look at some of the old crocs First is running around in parts of the UK compared to us, hell look at some of the Arriva fleets, North East spotters bemoan us having 05/55/56 plate MPDs running around until recently yet some divisions still have some in active daily service hitting 20 year old!!!

(23 Sep 2021, 4:18 pm)Train8261 wrote [ -> ]7622 has been debrand of Max and now shows Arriva logo in place of the Max logo

https://flic.kr/p/2mtCefz (photo by me today)

Jesus Arriva, at least put a square of vinyl on to cover up the previous logos. What a mess.

(28 Sep 2021, 3:19 pm)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]Jesus Arriva, at least put a square of vinyl on to cover up the previous logos. What a mess.

It'll fade away after a while, unfortunately it's quite difficult to get a sticker and paint colour match meaning it would look just as bad.

(28 Sep 2021, 3:58 pm)omnicity4659 wrote [ -> ]It'll fade away after a while, unfortunately it's quite difficult to get a sticker and paint colour match meaning it would look just as bad.

The colour mightn’t match but it wouldn’t look AS bad.

(28 Sep 2021, 1:41 pm)Kuyoyo wrote [ -> ]South of the Tyne debranding update

So far treated are:
Stockton’s 1404/5 both have lost their X66/X67 branding (1404 retains a MAX logo in the front windscreen)
Stockton’s 1448 has lost its 8 branding
Redcar’s 1430 has lost its 63 branding
Stockton’s Streetlites - bar the already debranded 1550/1 and an-as-yet-to-be-done 1557 - have lost their 5/5A route branding but retain Sapphire logos

Meanwhile, having never had any fleetnames in its 11 years in service - Stockton’s 1446 has now gained the current fleetnames

Are they getting rebranded?  What's the reason behind the debranding

Lets face it Arriva has given up. There is still MAX branding off 4 years ago. Vinyl Wraps to cover stuff up. 

Arriva aren't ordering many new buses (bar london) they will probs just end up selling off Depots.

(28 Sep 2021, 8:58 pm)Keeiajs wrote [ -> ]Lets face it Arriva has given up. There is still MAX branding off 4 years ago. Vinyl Wraps to cover stuff up. 

Arriva aren't ordering many new buses (bar london) they will probs just end up selling off Depots.

I'm assuming you're deliberately ignoring the current refurbishments of the Darlington MANs, the repaints of the X93 B9TLs, and the other efforts going on to smarten up the fleet?

(28 Sep 2021, 9:23 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]I'm assuming you're deliberately ignoring the current refurbishments of the Darlington MANs, the repaints of the X93 B9TLs, and the other efforts going on to smarten up the fleet?

Minimum what they need.

They are refurbing, what like 20 buses, out of 200 odd. Haven't bought a new bus since 2018 (in NE), Not sure if Northumbria counts, if it doesn't then that is 16.

What was the last purchase of buses

(28 Sep 2021, 9:29 pm)Train8261 wrote [ -> ]What was the last purchase of buses

Northumbria (E400 MMC 2018)

ANE 2016 or 2015 iirc

(28 Sep 2021, 9:25 pm)Keeiajs wrote [ -> ]Minimum what they need.

They are refurbing, what like 20 buses, out of 200 odd. Haven't bought a new bus since 2018 (in NE), Not sure if Northumbria counts, if it doesn't then that is 16.

You do realise they can't send the entire fleet away at once right? I'm not saying they are, but the fact is you don't know they aren't. 

ANE and ADC both had new vehicles in 2017-18, so the BIB makes zero sense.

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(28 Sep 2021, 9:30 pm)Keeiajs wrote [ -> ]Northumbria (E400 MMC 2018)

ANE 2016 or 2015 iirc

Darlington's Streetlites say hi.

(28 Sep 2021, 9:33 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]You do realise they can't send the entire fleet away at once right? I'm not saying they are, but the fact is you don't know they aren't. 

ANE and ADC both had new vehicles in 2017-18, so the BIB makes zero sense.

Oh I know they can't but they are showing barely any care. 

But they have basically given up. DB has. They are going to end up just selling off depots, its the truth. Arriva hasn't cared for years.

(28 Sep 2021, 9:47 pm)Keeiajs wrote [ -> ]Oh I know they can't but they are showing barely any care. 

But they have basically given up. DB has. They are going to end up just selling off depots, its the truth. Arriva hasn't cared for years.

I'd suggest paying an external company to come in and de/rebrand vehicles shows some amount of care/a change in attitude.

(28 Sep 2021, 9:50 pm)mb134 wrote [ -> ]I'd suggest paying an external company to come in and de/rebrand vehicles shows some amount of care/a change in attitude.

Some amount of care after 3-4 years of non doesnt show anything really.

Just thought about this.........but maybe they've repainted the X93/X94 into Sapphire to bring some "commonality" should the inevitable cascade for them happen.

It would make sense to purchase new vehicles for the X93/X94 given the B9TLs still have some useful life left in them and would be ideal candidates for the X20.

If new vehicles were ordered for the X15, X18, X21, X22, X93/X94, the primary vehicles released would be:

- 12x E400MMC (10x 308, 1x Blyth spare, 1x Ashington spare)
- 15x E400 Classics 2014/2015 (12x 43/44/45, 3x Ashington - X14)
- 6x Volvo B9TL (4x X20, 2x Float spares)

The above in turn would then further release..............
- 10x 2011/2012 VDL DB300 Gemini 2
- 11x E400 Classics (7501-09 & 7511-12)
- 4x E400 Classics (7514-17) - would still be useful as spares or lower key work