2870 broke down on the 96 today
Redcar literally have 1 working minibus
1436 was on the 95 all day!

1459 has reportedly gone back to Wakefield

Photo on Facebook showed 7401, 2862/3 and 1430 all parked up in redcar depot

(01 Aug 2023, 5:11 pm)Ryland wrote 2870 broke down on the 96 today
Redcar literally have 1 working minibus
1436 was on the 95 all day!

1459 has reportedly gone back to Wakefield

Photo on Facebook showed 7401, 2862/3 and 1430 all parked up in redcar depot

Depending if there’s anything wrong with them there’s some spares at Darlington with 2865 (Broken) 2868 and 2869 sat up there, don’t be surprised to see one of them possibly

(01 Aug 2023, 5:13 pm)Stuartphin1639 wrote Depending if there’s anything wrong with them there’s some spares at Darlington with 2865 (Broken) 2868 and 2869 sat up there, don’t be surprised to see one of them possibly

Not sure what the loads are like on the 95/96, but could send down 2601/2/3 down from Walkergate. They've got absolutely no use up at Ashington.

Then you could send every single Solo left in the fleet tp Ashington and have about 10 of them there and they might, might, be able to do a days service (that's a joke before you ask).

(01 Aug 2023, 5:57 pm)Storx wrote Not sure what the loads are like on the 95/96, but could send down 2601/2/3 down from Walkergate. They've got absolutely no use up at Ashington.

Then you could send every single Solo left in the fleet tp Ashington and have about 10 of them there and they might, might, be able to do a days service (that's a joke before you ask).

The 95/96 have school contracts within their workings, which mean 2601-3 are actually too small.

(01 Aug 2023, 6:26 pm)RobinHood wrote The 95/96 have school contracts within their workings, which mean 2601-3 are actually too small.

Ah that's fair, be interesting where they go as there's not many routes off the top of my head where they could be used. 

They're too small for the 57/57A aswell unless you want people packed in like sardines / standing. 

The only route they I could think of is the Durham 58 but not sure they'd be any use for that either.

(01 Aug 2023, 7:49 pm)Storx wrote Ah that's fair, be interesting where they go as there's not many routes off the top of my head where they could be used. 

They're too small for the 57/57A aswell unless you want people packed in like sardines / standing. 

The only route they I could think of is the Durham 58 but not sure they'd be any use for that either.

They'd be perfect for the 434...

2870 broke down on the 96 today
Redcar literally have 1 working minibus
1436 was on the 95 all day!

1459 has reportedly gone back to Wakefield

Photo on Facebook showed 7401, 2862/3 and 1430 all parked up in redcar depot

(01 Aug 2023, 8:08 pm)mb134 wrote They'd be perfect for the 434...

Unless things have been changed, doesn't the 434 run off a school bus and require a decker all day? 448 I believe the school bus is.

(01 Aug 2023, 8:43 pm)Storx wrote Unless things have been changed, doesn't the 434 run off a school bus and require a decker all day? 448 I believe the school bus is.

It currently does, but comments made about the 434 indicate it'll be standalone from September (the 448 seems to be the reason it currently starts so late and ends so early, and this new tender seems to be for an hourly service for most of the day).

The 448 is rather pointless to be fair, the 1/2/X21 all do Bedlington Station to Guide Post & Stakeford. Not sure if it's continuing, or if NCC use a bit of common sense and just fund bus passes for the Arriva services (as they did with the X14).

(01 Aug 2023, 7:49 pm)Storx wrote Ah that's fair, be interesting where they go as there's not many routes off the top of my head where they could be used. 

They're too small for the 57/57A aswell unless you want people packed in like sardines / standing. 

The only route they I could think of is the Durham 58 but not sure they'd be any use for that either.

Will one of them not still be required to run the Regent Centre to Freeman journeys on 553?

(01 Aug 2023, 9:48 pm)mb134 wrote It currently does, but comments made about the 434 indicate it'll be standalone from September (the 448 seems to be the reason it currently starts so late and ends so early, and this new tender seems to be for an hourly service for most of the day).

The 448 is rather pointless to be fair, the 1/2/X21 all do Bedlington Station to Guide Post & Stakeford. Not sure if it's continuing, or if NCC use a bit of common sense and just fund bus passes for the Arriva services (as they did with the X14).

Aye that's fair, didn't know about it bar what that councillor leaked so interesting.

Has it actually been confirmed that Arriva has it though? Seems a bit strange they've got that when the rest of the routes haven't been tendered yet (as far as I'm aware).

(01 Aug 2023, 9:50 pm)Shrek wrote Will one of them not still be required to run the Regent Centre to Freeman journeys on 553?

Yeah but anything could run on it now. The narrow streets were at the Wallsend end. Not sure they'd want to keep 3 of them for a PVR of 1 depending on what happens with the service mentioned above.

See Whitby having the same issue again. 2860 put onto the 96. And hasn't tracked again since 10 past 9 this morning.

(01 Aug 2023, 6:26 pm)RobinHood wrote The 95/96 have school contracts within their workings, which mean 2601-3 are actually too small.

Yeah the schools are 318 which goes to Ugthorpe which requires a Solo and the 323 is Castleton via Danby which can, and has, run with anything. Both I am sure are 33 seat contracts but (in my experience) unlikely to actually need that many


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(01 Aug 2023, 9:50 pm)Shrek wrote Will one of them not still be required to run the Regent Centre to Freeman journeys on 553?

1499 has been rebranded for this.

1550 is on the 63 today

(11 Aug 2023, 9:48 am)Ryland wrote 1550 is on the 63 today

And 1422 I am told


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(11 Aug 2023, 3:23 pm)tyresmoke wrote And 1422 I am told


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Yep been out since 7 this morning. 

This shortage is ridiculous. How Redcar depot are still running is beyond me. 
Something needs to be done about this.? 

Transport within redcar and Cleveland is shocking
 Only thing that's reliable is the train service (when they aren't striking)

---

Looking at bus tracker

Redcar is down
1 pulsar
2 streetlites
3 avenues
6 deckers

How is this ok ?

(19 Jul 2023, 7:40 pm)Storx wrote This is completely hypothetical but personally I'd do:

64 Plates -> Ashington for 1/2/57/57A
67 Plates -> Redcar for 63
Ashington Pulsars -> Darlington
Ashington Solos -> Withdrawn
Redcar Spares -> Withdrawn
Redcar 59 Plate Temsa's -> Mothballed

Would get arid of the worst of the worst and give the 1, 2 and 63 an upgrade, they're busy routes tbh and all have crap on atm especially the 63. It's about time Darlington get's some of the crap rather than the crap that keeps getting sent up here from them.

Had a bit of a further thought about this
Withdrawal of 51/52/53/54 could see:

1574-78/81-89 transfer to Ashington
1433/39/61-63/75/97/1537-42 to Darlington (1479 to Blyth and 1543 to Darlington also) and 2579 withdrawn
4801-14 displaced to Runcorn
My assumption is the NE may not get anything in return for these with them instead used to displace 58-plate Pulsars in the NW

1595 returned to Durham with 1603/4/6/14 temporarily to Durham displacing 1597-1601 to repaint
1595 then displaces 2857 which is withdrawn
1603/4/6/14 then back to Darlington displacing 1590-4 onto town services
2710-14 to Ashington for the 57/57A
2837/52/53/54/56/59 withdrawn

2841/58 withdrawn due to upcoming service 12 withdrawal

I'm not sure what the capacity required for the 434 is but could 2601-2603 be used? 
If not then perhaps two solo's will live on a little longer somewhere till the next PVR decrease.

(12 Aug 2023, 11:51 am)peter wrote Had a bit of a further thought about this
Withdrawal of 51/52/53/54 could see:

1574-78/81-89 transfer to Ashington
1433/39/61-63/75/97/1537-42 to Darlington (1479 to Blyth and 1543 to Darlington also) and 2579 withdrawn
4801-14 displaced to Runcorn
My assumption is the NE may not get anything in return for these with them instead used to displace 58-plate Pulsars in the NW

1595 returned to Durham with 1603/4/6/14 temporarily to Durham displacing 1597-1601 to repaint
1595 then displaces 2857 which is withdrawn
1603/4/6/14 then back to Darlington displacing 1590-4 onto town services
2710-14 to Ashington for the 57/57A
2837/52/53/54/56/59 withdrawn

2841/58 withdrawn due to upcoming service 12 withdrawal

I'm not sure what the capacity required for the 434 is but could 2601-2603 be used? 
If not then perhaps two solo's will live on a little longer somewhere till the next PVR decrease.

Aye possibly like,

I haven't 100% checked it but if I'm right the 58 Plates are going to be gone with the franchising. I know the 362 and 575 are definitely on the list. I'm not sure they'll want to send their newer buses onto them and will just let them go naturally. Be better to send them up here where they have a few years left.

Btw I was thinking about that with Enviro 200 MMC's at Ashington but I don't think full size buses can run most of the Darlington services at all so would be a problem.

Redcar badly needs something newer lately and it's arguably the best way to get something better there. It'll also be interesting to see what happens with Kent which is a dying beast lately. I know there's Enviro 200 MMC's (full length) going spare soon, whether they keep them down there or move them out completely.

Random temsa circulating new marske this morning not in service

1555 operating with redcar today and is on the 62.

No solo out today 1572 on the 95 and nothing on the 96

96 not running at all ? Wow. Pretty sure that'll reflect badly on Arriva, being a subsidised service.

Why they didn't send some of Darlingtons Enviro 200's to Redcar/Whitby is beyond me. They've chosen to keep some of the last few aging Solos out on the edges of their patch; surely being more prone to breakdowns they'd be best in a town like Darlington - for as long as they have to have them at all.

But the whole depot / area looks poorly managed. How can they still be short of buses after all this time, and after the recent network changes and PVR reductions?

(17 Aug 2023, 1:03 pm)tvd wrote 96 not running at all ?  Wow.  Pretty sure that'll reflect badly on Arriva, being a subsidised service. 

Why they didn't send some of Darlingtons Enviro 200's to Redcar/Whitby is beyond me.  They've chosen to keep some of the last few aging Solos out on the edges of their patch; surely being more prone to breakdowns they'd be best in a town like Darlington - for as long as they have to have them at all.

But the whole depot / area looks poorly managed.  How can they still be short of buses after all this time, and after the recent network changes and PVR reductions?

BIB: As previously mentioned, the 318/323 school runs, which are tied into the 95 and 96 boards, have a minimum seating capacity of 33 - the E200MMCs are only 30 seaters so are too small for use. Unfortunately that restricts them to Solos for now.

(17 Aug 2023, 1:07 pm)Kuyoyo wrote BIB: As previously mentioned, the 318/323 school runs, which are tied into the 95 and 96 boards, have a minimum seating capacity of 33 - the E200MMCs are only 30 seaters so are too small for use. Unfortunately that restricts them to Solos for now.

Ah, I see thanks. That's not great.

(17 Aug 2023, 1:07 pm)Kuyoyo wrote BIB: As previously mentioned, the 318/323 school runs, which are tied into the 95 and 96 boards, have a minimum seating capacity of 33 - the E200MMCs are only 30 seaters so are too small for use. Unfortunately that restricts them to Solos for now.

However 3 seats difference isn't much there must be standing room too

(17 Aug 2023, 1:07 pm)Kuyoyo wrote BIB: As previously mentioned, the 318/323 school runs, which are tied into the 95 and 96 boards, have a minimum seating capacity of 33 - the E200MMCs are only 30 seaters so are too small for use. Unfortunately that restricts them to Solos for now.

The Solos are only 29 seat, but I understand Arriva have agreement to operate them.

The actual reason none of the E200s are used at Whitby is because you need a 'wheel forward ' configuration of the vehicle to avoid the bus bottoming out at various points on the 96 route.

Also, 2866 operated the first 96 today, but was tracking at 1563 I believe, which confuses bustimes.org.

Whilst it's a good resource, using bustimes as gospel for deciding if a service operated or not is actually not ideal, as it isn't always accurate.

(17 Aug 2023, 6:51 pm)RobinHood wrote The Solos are only 29 seat, but I understand Arriva have agreement to operate them.

The actual reason none of the E200s are used at Whitby is because you need a 'wheel forward ' configuration of the vehicle to avoid the bus bottoming out at various points on the 96 route.

Also, 2866 operated the first 96 today, but was tracking at 1563 I believe, which confuses bustimes.org.

Whilst it's a good resource, using bustimes as gospel for deciding if a service operated or not is actually not ideal, as it isn't always accurate.

Seems that is definaetyly the case with Arriva.

But that means the only thing which can replace the 96 is another Optare Solo or a Van

(17 Aug 2023, 6:51 pm)RobinHood wrote The Solos are only 29 seat, but I understand Arriva have agreement to operate them.

The actual reason none of the E200s are used at Whitby is because you need a 'wheel forward ' configuration of the vehicle to avoid the bus bottoming out at various points on the 96 route.

Also, 2866 operated the first 96 today, but was tracking at 1563 I believe, which confuses bustimes.org.

Whilst it's a good resource, using bustimes as gospel for deciding if a service operated or not is actually not ideal, as it isn't always accurate.

Admit, it's below the 33, but isn't there 31 seats in them? unless the seats in the disabled bay are discounted for whatever reason.

(17 Aug 2023, 7:00 pm)Unber43 wrote Seems that is definaetyly the case with Arriva.

But that means the only thing which can replace the 96 is another Optare Solo or a Van

Then 2870 tracked for one trip and then stopped at 12