(06 Nov 2015, 5:50 pm)Dan wrote You'd expect 7518 to have the announcements programmed for the X21/X22 because these services are the only Sapphire services at Ashington.

I would imagine 1595 has the announcements programmed for service 22 as this batch of vehicles are allocated to service 22. It's only recently that Go North East has uploaded several media files from different routes onto vehicles so that it doesn't matter which vehicle is allocated, there will always be announcements.

It is probably a learning curve for Arriva, as it has been for Go North East (difference is that we're a bit further ahead as we were the first operator in the North East to introduce Next Stop Announcements to our services). I understand Hanover recently came up north to give their managers some training, so possibly something Arriva will improve on in the future.

It should probably have the 24 announcements programmed in as well. Do think it's poor form not having the Sapphire 7 announcements programmed in on Belmont's other Sapphire buses especially as the announcements are an advertised feature.

Feel the buses at Darlington should have more than just the routes that the bus would normally do, example the MAX Omnicitys only have the X26/X27 and X66 (and hopefully now X67) so when a MAX Omnicity strays onto say the 1/5/5A there is no announcements and it's the same when the Pulsars normally used on the 1/5/5A don't have the MAX routes in. The next route at Darlington to get announcements should be the 21/X21 although 4811 hasn't gained a screen for announcements which is unusual considering 4811 should be one of the four buses that should normally allocated to the 21/X21...

... Speaking of missing things on the 21/X21 EcoCitys, as far as I'm aware 4813 still doesn't have WiFi and 4811's doesn't work.

I rode the 21 from Aycliffe - Sedgefield this morning and someone looked to be taking notes, not sure what far though.