(11 Apr 2015, 5:41 pm)Kuyoyo wrote They are 14ft 6ins, which I doubt would be considered by Arriva an ideal allocation for the 7.

Also, why would Arriva pay however many millions on these 5 E400s for the 7 and 2 for the 24 (now) and instead give them to Ashington, who's present standing in the North East Sapphire table I understand is terrible?

There's also the fact that since last year, Thorntons have branded all new Sapphire vehicles might explain why 7536/40 are at Ashington.

(11 Apr 2015, 5:41 pm)Kuyoyo wrote They are 14ft 6ins, which I doubt would be considered by Arriva an ideal allocation for the 7.

Also, why would Arriva pay however many millions on these 5 E400s for the 7 and 2 for the 24 (now) and instead give them to Ashington, who's present standing in the North East Sapphire table I understand is terrible?

There's also the fact that since last year, Thorntons have branded all new Sapphire vehicles might explain why 7536/40 are at Ashington.

(11 Apr 2015, 5:58 pm)mb134 wrote Maybe to do with the vehicles, and the reliability?? 

(11 Apr 2015, 6:10 pm)DaveyBowyer wrote Well Arriva need to sort it out ASAP. Fair enough, it's not the fact that they're old vehicles or even ADL E400s for that matter, it's the fact that they've been hammered on very demanding routes (501/505/518/X93/93) bar their intended stints on the 308 and X31/X32/X33.  Can see a double deck version scenario of what GNE suffered with the Omnicities on the Angel where until a new order is placed to replace 7501-7509, they might be in a scenario where they'll have to allocate a load of cascaded ex London Deckers if any are available and that would be a disaster.

The only routes that I could see them vehicles appearing on after the X21 / X22 would be the 43/44/45 or if a capacity increase was needed, 35/35A. 

(11 Apr 2015, 6:26 pm)mb134 wrote I agree, I think the only vehicle that could do what 7501-9 have done, and be able to cope without issue on the X21/22 would be an Olympian. Having said that, 7511/2/3 are okay, not brilliant, but better than 7501-9, and out of 7501-9 the only one I can say is still suitable would probably be 7507. 

I wonder if Arriva regret refurbishing those to Sapphire instead of 7514-21, which I still believe are better vehicles. 

I also want to make clear, that I'm not against Enviro 400's, quite the opposite, last week I sampled some of Blyth's VDL Gemini's and I'd take an Enviro over one of those any day, they were gutless

(11 Apr 2015, 7:03 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote IMO, Sapphire should be a luxury, not having sh***y 57-reg E400 refurbished. Should be NEW buses, which the features should be standardised, unlike another brand (MAX).

MAX should be REFURBISHED buses, and specifically target the route, not the luxuries.

Coast and Castles should have been Sapphire but under the Coast and Castles brand. Just having "Explore Coast and Castles" on the side doesn't do it for me. X15/X18 should have new vehicles. Maybe the 14 too.

(11 Apr 2015, 7:42 pm)mb134 wrote Just a thought I had the other day, but I really don't know Arriva would implement it, as the service has recently been launched as MAX:

As the X18 is quite a rural route, would it be beneficial to fit the vehicles used with Next Stop Announcements, especially as it will be used by tourists in the summer, who may be unsure of the area, and it will remove the need to ask the driver. Additionally, I feel it would benefit from sockets, especially on a Sunday where if people want to get from Berwick to Newcastle, it is the only option. 

What do people think? I don't know how they'd do it without branding it as Sapphire?? 

I also think that the X93 should have NSA's, as that is a similarly rural and touristy route from what I gather?

(11 Apr 2015, 7:42 pm)mb134 wrote Just a thought I had the other day, but I really don't know Arriva would implement it, as the service has recently been launched as MAX:

As the X18 is quite a rural route, would it be beneficial to fit the vehicles used with Next Stop Announcements, especially as it will be used by tourists in the summer, who may be unsure of the area, and it will remove the need to ask the driver. Additionally, I feel it would benefit from sockets, especially on a Sunday where if people want to get from Berwick to Newcastle, it is the only option. 

What do people think? I don't know how they'd do it without branding it as Sapphire?? 

I also think that the X93 should have NSA's, as that is a similarly rural and touristy route from what I gather?

(11 Apr 2015, 7:44 pm)Kuyoyo wrote X93 is rumoured to be getting NSA in the near future

(11 Apr 2015, 7:46 pm)tyresmoke wrote I agree with your suggestion that the X18 should have NSA's based on the heavy tourist usage of the route. The X93 is due to get them very soon so it would make sense to implement this on the X18 too.

(11 Apr 2015, 7:54 pm)mb134 wrote Do you know how the X18 has performed since it's MAX launch, to justify 5 brand new buses it must have been doing alright in the first place, but on my journeys down on a Sunday I seemed to notice an increase in passenger numbers. Would be interesting if it's grown more than a certain other Ashington route   

(11 Apr 2015, 8:47 pm)tyresmoke wrote Unfortunately I don't but I think it will be interesting to see how the X15 and X18 do in the summer season, with a more visible brand and upgraded vehicles. X18 is likely to be more seasonal than the X15 though I would have thought? The X14 would be more commuter based than touristy, though I know Rothbury does pull in some tourists just not to the same numbers as the Northumberland coast.

Can't help but feel there needs to be more working with other operators to promote connections like Spirit Buses do at Alnwick & Rothbury... even with trains at Alnmouth...

(11 Apr 2015, 8:57 pm)mb134 wrote Aye, I think it'll be better if they get the NSA's sorted by then as well, you need to put a word in  

I think even if they put timetables in each others vehicles it would be a start, and maybe a joint ANE/Spirit ticket? 

From my journeys there was a small tourist presence however this was in the winter on a Sunday afternoon, so it's still pretty good. Craster and Seahouses seemed to get a good amount of passengers, then after Alnwick there was always a good load

I'd like to see B8RLE's replace the Omnicities in a couple of years time, or more new Enviro's if the X15 grows. All my journeys on the X18 down were handled very well by the various vehicles I had (7513/7/20/30(?)/31(?)/32) - oh and 4653


I must ask, however, are the headrests in 7529-33 the intended MAX colour, as they look a lot better in my opinion?

(11 Apr 2015, 9:03 pm)tyresmoke wrote I must admit I've never been on this network of routes north of Morpeth so I'm limited in my knowledge, definitely on my "to-do" list this summer though! Such a long way to go in a day from my area - that's my excuse anyway 
I'll get the train upto Berwick and come all the way down from there probably... Need to increase my knowledge of our network if I'm going to be the face of Arriva on here... lol! 

(11 Apr 2015, 7:54 pm)mb134 wrote Do you know how the X18 has performed since it's MAX launch, to justify 5 brand new buses it must have been doing alright in the first place, but on my journeys down on a Sunday I seemed to notice an increase in passenger numbers. Would be interesting if it's grown more than a certain other Ashington route   

(11 Apr 2015, 8:47 pm)tyresmoke wrote Unfortunately I don't but I think it will be interesting to see how the X15 and X18 do in the summer season, with a more visible brand and upgraded vehicles. X18 is likely to be more seasonal than the X15 though I would have thought? The X14 would be more commuter based than touristy, though I know Rothbury does pull in some tourists just not to the same numbers as the Northumberland coast.

Can't help but feel there needs to be more working with other operators to promote connections like Spirit Buses do at Alnwick & Rothbury... even with trains at Alnmouth...

(12 Apr 2015, 10:02 am)mb134 wrote Has anyone else heard the new M-Ticket radio advert? 
Must be the most dramatic bus advert ever  

(12 Apr 2015, 11:36 am)John_R wrote New Enivro 400 NK15ACF is being used as a staff shuttle between Faverdale and Town today.

• 9 new ADL Enviro400s for Sapphire X21/X22, displacing the worst of 7501-7509 to disposal and the better ones to transfer to another subsidy of Arriva.
  
• 4 new ADL Enviro400s to MAX specification: 35/35a/100 (35 Newbiggin - Morpeth, 35a Woodhorn - Morpeth, 100 Morpeth - Kirkley Hall - Cramlington/Blyth)
  
• 7 new Wright StreetLite WFs for MPD services, 5 MAX spec for X14/33/57A and 2 with  standard spec (57A Whitley Bay - Morpeth, 33 Morpeth and Lancaster Park, X14 Morpeth Newcastle express and 57 Whitley Bay - Ashington/North Seaton Demesne)
  

• 5 new Wright StreetLite Micro-Hybrids, standard spec for service 1 
  (Blyth - Wansbeck Hospital/Widdrington)
• 2 new Wright StreetLite WFs for X14/33/57A, MAX spec 
  (57A Whitley Bay - Morpeth, 33 Morpeth and Lancaster Park, X14 Morpeth Newcastle express)
• 5 new Wright StreetLite Micro-Hybrids, standard spec for service 2 
  (Blyth - Morpeth Kirkhill)

• 5 new ADL Enviro200 MMCs, standard spec for service 1
  (Blyth - Wansbeck Hospital/Widdrington)
• 5 new ADL Enviro200 MMCs, standard spec for service 2
  

• 2 new ADL Enviro200 MMCs, MAX spec for X14/33/57A
  (57A Whitley Bay - Morpeth, 33 Morpeth and Lancaster Park, X14 Morpeth Newcastle express)

(12 Apr 2015, 11:36 am)John_R wrote New Enivro 400 NK15ACF is being used as a staff shuttle between Faverdale and Town today.
This is not the staff shuttle that interworks with the 7.

(12 Apr 2015, 12:01 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote Right - here is my suggestion for buses (for the 2016 order) in the Ashington and Blyth area. As StreetLites are the main choice for single deckers I'll make the suggestion around them;

Ashington

• 9 new ADL Enviro400s for Sapphire X21/X22, displacing the worst of 7501-7509 to disposal and the better ones to transfer to another subsidy of Arriva.
  
• 4 new ADL Enviro400s to MAX specification (whatever that is now, but to include same features as 1579-1581) for routes 35/35a/100
  
• 7 new Wright StreetLite WFs for MPD services, 5 MAX spec for X14/33/57A and 2 with 1579-1581 spec
  

Blyth

• 5 new Wright StreetLite Micro-Hybrids, MAX spec for service 1 OR 1501-1505 refurbished to MAX spec for service 1
  
  
• 8 new Wright StreetLite WFs for MPD services, 2 MAX spec for X14/33/57A and 5 with 1579-1581 spec
  

(12 Apr 2015, 12:24 pm)mb134 wrote then the 2 also should, the passenger numbers are very similar. 

(12 Apr 2015, 12:38 pm)Tommy_1581 wrote Cheers, would a full size bus be able to do Curly Kews? There are some rather tight bends on that hill which might have a couple of bumps with full size buses.

(12 Apr 2015, 12:39 pm)mb134 wrote I see Commanders and Pulsars on there all the time, so I'd imagine do. I'm pretty sure the Ikarus' used to frequently do the 2 as well. 

(12 Apr 2015, 12:54 pm)Tom wrote MAX spec is only for Interurban express services.