(05 Oct 2021, 11:17 am)peter wrote I think part of the problem with Arriva's fleet is that they have too many Solo's for their present operation. And so you end up with the situation at Jesmond where there's a mixture of everything on all services because they need to try and allocate the Solo's to the boards with the fewest passengers. We've seen Blyth essentially remove it's midi-bus fleet by nabbing Pulsars which have been made spare elsewhere due to Covid reductions, but the likes of Durham and Newcastle have too many smaller vehicles which are then having to be used on services which need higher capacity.

Hopefully when it gets to the point in a few years time where a vast wave of the fleet is due for replacement, that a smaller amount of midibuses are purchased to fulfil the needs primarily at Darlington and then the odd few services elsewhere (95 at Whitby, 46/51/55/553 at Jesmond, 57/57A at Ashington and 58 at Blyth). And then the rest of the Solo's replaced by larger vehicles so that they don't have to be allocated to frontline services such as the 52/53/54 for example and can be taken out of Durham's fleet allowing the 56/57/57A/58 and 49/49A to be operated with more appropriately sized vehicles.

(05 Oct 2021, 9:03 am)Dan wrote Why do they need to put ALX300s through MOT? Surely it’d just be a swap of existing fleet, without impacting on MOT requirements?


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(05 Oct 2021, 12:35 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Do any of the smaller operators running Presidents and Tridents run services through the CAZ area, Scholars services for example?

I know they often cover Metro Replacements but we don’t know if this work will be exempt to begin with.

(05 Oct 2021, 12:35 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Do any of the smaller operators running Presidents and Tridents run services through the CAZ area, Scholars services for example?

I know they often cover Metro Replacements but we don’t know if this work will be exempt to begin with.

(05 Oct 2021, 12:35 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Do any of the smaller operators running Presidents and Tridents run services through the CAZ area, Scholars services for example?

I know they often cover Metro Replacements but we don’t know if this work will be exempt to begin with.

(05 Oct 2021, 1:53 pm)Train8261 wrote Is it possible that more than likely GNE, Arriva and Stagsden would end up being awarded metro replacement in Newcastle area then Jh and others doing Metro replacement out of Newcastle

(05 Oct 2021, 2:02 pm)Dan wrote No. Arriva can't bid for Metro Replacement, the only operators that can are Go North East, Stagecoach and JH Coaches.

Stagecoach have never bid for a Metro Replacement contract yet (presumably isn't worth the hassle to them), so it's only really out of Go North East and JH Coaches. As I said before, I'd imagine Nexus will specify that the Miscellaneous Works contracts from September 2022 must be Euro 6. All the buses operating these services currently (Volvo B7TL, Scania OmniDekka, Dennis Trident) can be upgraded to Euro 6.

(05 Oct 2021, 1:53 pm)Train8261 wrote Is it possible that more than likely GNE, Arriva and Stagsden  would end up being awarded metro replacement in Newcastle area then Jh and others doing Metro replacement out of Newcastle

(05 Oct 2021, 2:46 pm)Andreos1 wrote Getting in before anyone else does!
Are they a new company, similar to Ssriva, Lothian of Derwentside etc?

(05 Oct 2021, 1:12 pm)Storx wrote Yeah your right tbh. Mind for the 57/57A (Ashington) you'd probably be better off running them with some form of midi bus even known they're not really needed capacity wise. It would be easier to have one type of bus for the 35 / 57 / 57A / X14 rather than having different fleets running different routes. The 1 / 2 / 58 at Blyth could be same as no doubt over time they won't need 10.8m Pulsar's either unless you can somehow get Jesmond running the 58.

The Durham services and the 52/53/54/55 could all be ran by them aswell something like a 9.7m/10.4m vehicle with 29/33 forward seats would be more than enough. Least it brings a bit of fleet continuity so things can be swapped around easier rather that what we have at Ashington currently with the Solo's running on the X21 etc while 7510 has worked itself on the 57 boards again and everything being allover the place at both Jesmond and Durham.

(06 Oct 2021, 7:28 am)idiot wrote Why can't Arriva bid for metro replacement? Have I missed something?!

(05 Oct 2021, 2:46 pm)Andreos1 wrote Getting in before anyone else does!
Are they a new company, similar to Ssriva, Lothian of Derwentside etc?

(06 Oct 2021, 8:38 am)MurdnunoC wrote Funny you mention this.

On my walk to work this morning, I noticed a TfL bus operating the 794. With all these new operators, such as Lothian of Derwentside and Transdev of Sacriston, operating in the area, I guess Transport for Derwentside (TfD) has had to step in to sort everything out before it becomes a complete mess.

(06 Oct 2021, 9:08 am)Train8261 wrote That might be one of Weardale Moter Service new bus

(06 Oct 2021, 9:29 am)RMF1254 wrote Correct, I passed an ex London Scania Omnicity DD in Sandyford on Monday. It was all over red with a Weardale fleet name. I also saw it (or a similar one) on a scholars working in Wallsend yesterday. I think the two services could be operated by the same bus.

(06 Oct 2021, 9:29 am)RMF1254 wrote Correct, I passed an ex London Scania Omnicity DD in Sandyford on Monday. It was all over red with a Weardale fleet name. I also saw it (or a similar one) on a scholars working in Wallsend yesterday. I think the two services could be operated by the same bus.

(06 Oct 2021, 7:29 am)Dan wrote Operators need to ‘sign up’ at the start of the term for planned Metro Replacement - only Go North East, Stagecoach and JH Coaches signed up.


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(05 Oct 2021, 2:02 pm)Dan wrote No. Arriva can't bid for Metro Replacement, the only operators that can are Go North East, Stagecoach and JH Coaches.

Stagecoach have never bid for a Metro Replacement contract yet (presumably isn't worth the hassle to them), so it's only really out of Go North East and JH Coaches. As I said before, I'd imagine Nexus will specify that the Miscellaneous Works contracts from September 2022 must be Euro 6. All the buses operating these services currently (Volvo B7TL, Scania OmniDekka, Dennis Trident) can be upgraded to Euro 6.

(06 Oct 2021, 11:54 pm)V514DFT wrote The last time i saw Stagecoach run the 900,was like 2003,theyve probably done again since then but i havent seen it

(06 Oct 2021, 11:54 pm)V514DFT wrote The last time i saw Stagecoach run the 900,was like 2003,theyve probably done again since then but i havent seen it

(27 Nov 2021, 7:07 pm)Keeiajs wrote What's happening with the Toon Tour Euro 6?

(27 Nov 2021, 7:36 pm)Train8261 wrote Think there using the Ex London Open Toppers

(27 Nov 2021, 7:41 pm)Keeiajs wrote So what will the current 3 be used for? 

AD122's? X66's? 19's? 61's? 

Really if they based 2 at Hexham, One at Deptford or Riverside could get some nice services.

(07 Dec 2021, 11:29 pm)Keeiajs wrote Does anyone think there will be a Euro 7,