(02 Feb 2016, 12:20 am)James101 wrote I was interested today to see the differences in Sapphire spec in North Wales to the North East.

Today I was on Arriva North Wales 4637 which was delivered (and presumably built) around the same time as the E400s for Durham & Darlington last year.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/111243429@...053446461/

This photo shows to superior 1 + 2 seating which is another level of comfort, surpassing National Express coaches. What can just be made out on the far left of the single seat is a solid leather arm rest made possible by the seat not being mounted right up against the wall of the saloon. This touch adds so much! These are marvellous, however I still found the Stagecoach Gold E300 marginally more comfortable.

I'm guessing in the North East we went with quantity rather than quality in our Enviro 400's, especially as the ones for the 7 where they were purchased for additional capacity, so it probably wouldn't be best getting Enviro 400's that probably would be licensed to carry around the same number of passengers as the Pulsars they replaced, although the E400's would obviously have a higher seating capacity and lower standing capacity. Not sampled Stagecoach Gold yet but the seats seem the same as the Enviro 400 MMC demonstrator GNE trialled last year, which is what I think Arriva should have gone with for their MAX and Sapphire buses.