(31 May 2015, 5:42 pm)Dan wrote You've seen no complaints from me about this over on the Go North East section of the forum, so there certainly wouldn't be any complaints from me on this section...
For Go North East, there's very few branded services that now have a branded spare, and even though a spare vehicle may be used frequently, there are occasions where it is not required, and is allocated to another service as a result. Arriva have "Sapphire" branded vehicles down on Teesside working normal services all day because they're often not required to deputise for the correct allocation. It's a similar situation up north with Go North East (think of the Fab56 Volvo B9TLs), but the difference is that they can be allocated to the 20/20A services on a Saturday no problem because they carry the company's corporate livery.
Although the brand identity is lost somewhat when the corporate liveried spares have to be used regularly to cover for branded vehicles (I'm thinking of the red Mercs at Stanley and the red Volvo B9TL at Riverside), I'd suggest this is still better than a 'wrong brand' working.
1512 is allocated to a 27 working that does an X5 - it also means it's earning its keep and within easy reach to be swapped off if required on the 5s.
(31 May 2015, 5:44 pm)aureolin wrote Why does the depot's preference come into it? If someone at Arriva has signed off painting and branding an extra vehicle for the X12, then surely that should be used in the first instance? It's a ridiculous situation having an 'X12' branded vehicle going round Durham on everything but the X12, and it confuses customers.
So, you were complaining about a split allocation the other day yet now you want a Pulsar on there? Durham seem to want to use deckers on there (and the region is short of modern deckers - a fact now becoming apparent with the X4/X5 MAX upgrade and the 6 Sapphire upgrade) and I think originally the plan was for a Pulsar board to remain on the Durham X12, obviously that all changed. Of course, ideally Durham shouldn't be putting 1415 out on the 6 but if it's all that spare and it's not required on the X12, what else do you do?
(31 May 2015, 5:45 pm)mb134 wrote May have picked this up totally wrong, but do you mean Lowlanders back to Ashington *hopes*
Maybe, maybe not - I don't know 100% yet, just a rumor until confirmed.