Arriva NE order suggestions

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mb134

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10 Aug 2021, 4:19 pm #2

(10 Aug 2021, 3:43 pm)GNE6312 Here's my suggestion for an upgrade to the 3 northumbria depots (Fleet numbers are just suggestions:

Ashington:

15x Scania fencer F1s (4x for the 57/57A, 4x for the 35, 2x for the X14 & 4 spares) these will be numbered 4601-4614. All these will be new in the new arriva livery and 4601/02 will be branded for service X14 Newcastle-Morpeth-Rothbury-Thropton, 4603-4606 being branded for services 57/57A Cramlington-Seaton Deleval-Monkseaton-Whitley every 30 minutes & 4607-10 being branded for service 35 Morpeth-Ashington-Newbiggin-Woodhorn 4611-4614 will not have route branding as they will be spare, these will all feature USB charging, Leather Seats, NSAs & free WiFi.

This wouldn't work. The 57/57A doesn't need anything more than a minibus, the 35 on a half hourly frequency needs deckers.

(10 Aug 2021, 3:43 pm)GNE6312 20x Wright Streetdeck OM936s (4 for the X15, 4 for the X20, 6 for the X18 & 6 spare which means 2 spares for each route) these will be numbered 7701-7720, these will feature free WiFi, NSAs, USB charging, leather seats, tables & wireless charging with these all coming in sapphire livery with 7701-04 carrying branding for service X15 Newcastle-Morpeth-Alnwick-Berwick every hour to Alnwick & every 2 hours to Berwick, 7705-7708 will be branded for the X20 Newcastle-Ashington-Amble-Alnwick every 60 minutes, 7709-7714 will be branded for X18 explore the northumbria coast branding similar to the X93 with 7715-20 being spare and will have no route branding.

These changes will release all Ashington's medibus Fleet, 7510-17, 4653/55/64, 7445/46/84/86 up for withdrawal and 7529-33/53-56 up for cascade

This is bizarre, 20 buses for a PVR of 14 is a ridiculous amount of overkill, especially given you're also suggesting there being 15 F1s for 10 boards. That's 11 spare buses already, then you'd also still have 7524-8 and 7541-52 for the X21/22 which brings the depot spares to 13 buses in total.

For Ashington, a more realistic suggestion in the current climate would be something like:

X21/22: Repaint and refurb 7524-8 to new spec, alongside 7541-52 (2 spare for PVR of 15).
35: 7514-7.
X14: 1408/11 from Jesmond, plus one 64-plate E400.
X15: 4x new E400 MMC
X18: 6x new E400MMC
X20: 7553-6
57/57A: 5x new (short) E200 MMCs.

7529-33 retained as spares for X14/5/8/20.

This gives 7 spares during the summer, and 8 during the winter with one acting as a paint/repair vehicle.

Allows for the withdrawal of the 3 Scanias, the B7TLs, 7510-12, and the Solos.