RE: Arriva North East: Rare & Odd Workings - April 2015
(24 Apr 2015, 7:51 am)Jimmi wrote Almost everytime I've been in Darlington the Omnicitys are always been taken off the X26/X27 and replaced with something like a Solo.
I think refurbishing buses that are now 10 years old with some of them truly battered from their days on the X93 and to brand them for these services was a bad decision and I see the X26/X27 as getting older buses as a downgrade.
Think the Omnicitys should have been put on less demanding services such as local services.
The Scania's are best suited to interurban work. They were also in need of a refurb, so I struggle to see how it was a bad decision.
I think Darlington are simply struggling to operate a service at the same time as trying to correct all of the issues that they recieved the vehicles with. The Omnicities are a great bus when they work, but they are quite advanced bits of kit electronically, which is what causes the vast majority if issues. I think they will get it sorted, but unless they keep them all out of service for a few weeks to do it (which we all know isnt an option), it will take time.
As for the X26/X27, I believe there are even more roadworks within Catterick to contend with, which results in supervisors rotating vehicles around to try and keep a reliable service. Until they settle down, the X26/X27 isnt having a fair show and looks like the buses are the issue - when infact, its probably not.