7509 has received A4 notice holders below the downstairs NSA monitor

Not sure how relevant this is to the passengers of the X66/X67, as seen on 1405.


Also, the WiFi doesn't work, network is showing up as Moovbox and of course, no next stop announcements.

(19 Dec 2015, 7:41 pm)Jimmi wrote Not sure how relevant this is to the passengers of the X66/X67, as seen on 1405.

Also, the WiFi doesn't work, network is showing up as Moovbox and of course, no next stop announcements.

So much for "do it once. do it right"...

(19 Dec 2015, 7:41 pm)Jimmi wrote Not sure how relevant this is to the passengers of the X66/X67, as seen on 1405.



Also, the WiFi doesn't work, network is showing up as Moovbox and of course, no next stop announcements.

How did they manage that?

(19 Dec 2015, 7:41 pm)Jimmi wrote Not sure how relevant this is to the passengers of the X66/X67, as seen on 1405.


Also, the WiFi doesn't work, network is showing up as Moovbox and of course, no next stop announcements.

Wow. That's a bit of a commute from there, isn't it?

(19 Dec 2015, 7:41 pm)Jimmi wrote Not sure how relevant this is to the passengers of the X66/X67, as seen on 1405.


Also, the WiFi doesn't work, network is showing up as Moovbox and of course, no next stop announcements.

Oh dear! Will get this sorted... Was it just this one panel or all of it?
Next stop announcements have been uploaded to Darlington vehicles, I am confident that ours will be done soon.

(19 Dec 2015, 9:05 pm)tyresmoke wrote Oh dear! Will get this sorted... Was it just this one panel or all of it?
Next stop announcements have been uploaded to Darlington vehicles, I am confident that ours will be done soon.

Think it may have just been this one panel, I could see a X66/X67 line map on the panel next to it.

I saw the next stop announcements on 4657 this morning, it's terrible! destinations for most stops seem to take an age to come up on the screen, some stops don't come up till your pretty much past the stop and some just only say something like "we are now approaching: [insert stop name]" and I can't tell what the audio announcements sound like as on 4657 you could barely hear them!

(19 Dec 2015, 9:30 pm)Jimmi wrote I saw the next stop announcements on 4657 this morning, it's terrible! destinations for most stops seem to take an age to come up on the screen, some stops don't come up till your pretty much past the stop and some just only say something like "we are now approaching: [insert stop name]" and I can't tell what the audio announcements sound like as on 4657 you could barely hear them!

Same issues on the 5/5a now - unless the bus serves the stop, the stop still shows when the next stop is announced.

(19 Dec 2015, 9:34 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Same issues on the 5/5a now - unless the bus serves the stop, the stop still shows when the next stop is announced.

The volume has now been taken out of the drivers hands, so it cannot be adjusted on the bus.

(19 Dec 2015, 10:25 pm)MrPottski wrote The volume has now been taken out of the drivers hands, so it cannot be adjusted on the bus.

No complains about the volume on the Stockton vehicles from me - more the screen issues.

(19 Dec 2015, 10:25 pm)MrPottski wrote The volume has now been taken out of the drivers hands, so it cannot be adjusted on the bus.

Only right too. There needs to be consistency across the board.

Imagine if you gave a large office control of the heating? You'd never get a happy medium.

The screens seem to be a constant issue.

We were amused by the size of the destinations on the X27 omnicity we caught, this afternoon, mind!

I realised after my journey on Thursday that the issue with the ones on the sapphire 22 had simply been moved. For several months, 1598's was completely knackered. As of last week, 1598 works, but now 1599 behaves the same way that 1598 did. Methinks someone did some swapping about to see whether it was a connection/controller or screen problem. Clearly the latter.

The Quorum thing on the panels would have been from the original template on the Blyth Pulsars.

what is happening with 7412/3/4/5? are they still at thorntons or are they somewhere else

(20 Dec 2015, 2:15 pm)buss14 wrote what is happening with 7412/3/4/5? are they still at thorntons or are they somewhere else

As posted here, 7412 and another are now at Ashington, albeit VOR.

(20 Dec 2015, 2:17 pm)Dan wrote As posted here, 7412 and another are now at Ashington, albeit VOR.

thank you and they are probably v,o,r like you said

I got the BUSES Yearbook today and it has an interesting article about Arriva North East in it. The article itself spans from Operation Overdrive in 2005 right until the present day and how it has became the good company (well, division) that it is today. It tells the basics of the X93 story as well as MAX and Sapphire.

(20 Dec 2015, 2:15 pm)buss14 wrote what is happening with 7412/3/4/5? are they still at thorntons or are they somewhere else

7413 is still at Enfield depot in London

(20 Dec 2015, 5:26 pm)S813 FVK wrote I got the BUSES Yearbook today and it has an interesting article about Arriva North East in it. The article itself spans from Operation Overdrive in 2005 right until the present day and how it has became the good company (well, division) that it is today. It tells the basics of the X93 story as well as MAX and Sapphire.

I think that although many people including myself have given Arriva a hard time on here, they've come a long way from what they were back in the last decade or so moving away from a scrappy and run down image to a modern(?) and relatively clean and tidy fleet with some better (or not) and more profitable services operating. If however, they:

- Improved consistency (no mixed saloon allocations unless deckers aren't warrented for a big chunk of the journeys [X12/X7/X8 although the latter 2x should be sorted by the ex London Geminis], vehicles on routes are relatively the same age [57 plate vs 14 plate Sapphires], correct branding and allocations where possible with suitable spares).

- Implemented a live control room with direct driver contact based in the North East with one for Durham / Tees depots and one for Northumbria depots.

- Ensure that all routes are adequately timed to prevent services not turning up or having to be regulated by either missing stops or implementing a spare vehicle.

- Customer service team based in the North East with 1 team per division (Durham / Tees and Northumbria with a central contact point for initial enquiries and complaints before being forwarded to the relevant team).

Then they could become a very reputable and well respected operator which they are now, but the customer perception of Arriva would significantly improve.

(21 Dec 2015, 1:24 am)DaveyBowyer wrote I think that although many people including myself have given Arriva a hard time on here, they've come a long way from what they were back in the last decade or so moving away from a scrappy and run down image to a modern(?) and relatively clean and tidy fleet with some better (or not) and more profitable services operating. If however, they:

- Improved consistency (no mixed saloon allocations unless deckers aren't warrented for a big chunk of the journeys [X12/X7/X8 although the latter 2x should be sorted by the ex London Geminis], vehicles on routes are relatively the same age [57 plate vs 14 plate Sapphires], correct branding and allocations where possible with suitable spares).

- Implemented a live control room with direct driver contact based in the North East with one for Durham / Tees depots and one for Northumbria depots.

- Ensure that all routes are adequately timed to prevent services not turning up or having to be regulated by either missing stops or implementing a spare vehicle.

- Customer service team based in the North East with 1 team per division (Durham / Tees and Northumbria with a central contact point for initial enquiries and complaints before being forwarded to the relevant team).

Then they could become a very reputable and well respected operator which they are now, but the customer perception of Arriva would significantly improve.

Wow Davey, for the first time I actually agree with the majority of your points. However, they all boil down to money, which Arriva will not spend on things like this. The live control room is long overdue but, after having one in the past that was disbanded, I can't see this happening anytime soon. Such a pity, especially as communications have come a long way since the Siemens system which was last used, and mobile operators will fall over themselves to offer a managed system which will suit Arrivas needs.
A customer service team would also be a good idea but when the current complaints are managed at a local level by current staff, they won't spend money on new employees which they'll see aren't needed.

Due to driver shortages there has been a sapphire 7 board transferred to Darlington, and a vehicle has moved too, the said vehicle is 1522

https://twitter.com/WillPare/status/679608391736635392

ANE have their Christmas bus out in Stockton today!

(23 Dec 2015, 10:53 am)Andreos1 wrote https://twitter.com/WillPare/status/679608391736635392

ANE have their Christmas bus out in Stockton today!

1472 - it, Father Christmas and his little helper have just done a 29. They will be doing 2 27s, a 27a and a 28 as well.

(23 Dec 2015, 10:53 am)Andreos1 wrote https://twitter.com/WillPare/status/679608391736635392

ANE have their Christmas bus out in Stockton today!

A nice touch - sure the kids will be delighted to see Santa having a ride on their bus! Good on Arriva for doing this.

This post is a tad late.

On Saturday 12th and 19th December, Arriva Northumbria's Ashington depot provided a bus for the Morpeth Park and Ride, funded for by Northumberland County Council. The service and parking was free.

I unfortunately missed the one on the 12th as I had forgot about it but I was sure to get the one on the 19th.
So, ADL Enviro400/Dennis Trident 2 7507 (NK57 GWX), which was the first Enviro400 at Ashington to be refurbished to Sapphire specification for services X21/X22, is seen here at Northumberland County Hall, Morpeth operating service PR1 towards Morpeth Bus Station.

Arriva Northumbria: 7507 | NK57 GWZ by Thomas Simms, on Flickr

(23 Dec 2015, 11:20 am)Dan wrote A nice touch - sure the kids will be delighted to see Santa having a ride on their bus! Good on Arriva for doing this.

Not just kids. It's all in aid of the Butterwick Hospice, a reason the Stockton drivers are wearing Christmas Jumper or outfits. (Anyone in Durham or Newcastle, there's a Turkey driving the 1105 X12 from Middlesbrough - and a Raindeer is on Sapphires).

4514 is now at Darlington

(23 Dec 2015, 2:28 pm)MrPottski wrote 4514 is now at Darlington

Any particular reason why???

(23 Dec 2015, 2:28 pm)MrPottski wrote 4514 is now at Darlington

Hmm... I wonder if this will be to release Omnicitys 4652/4654/4658 to MAX refurbishment for the X75/X76? Are any of the Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown's DDA compliant?

(23 Dec 2015, 3:01 pm)Jimmi wrote Hmm... I wonder if this will be to release Omnicitys 4652/4654/4658 to MAX refurbishment for the X75/X76? Are any of the Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown's DDA compliant?

I was also wondering that.