So, 1479 is on the 22 again today.

And so is 1599, so there's that theory busted.

Edit: it's only taken me 2 trips on 1479, this week for me to notice that the NSAs work on it, for the 22. So unlike 1595, then!

1580 on Sapphires. At Bedlington Station @0935 heading towards Newbiggin on X21

7458 on the X10/X11. Only the second time I've ever seen this service not be allocated a "premium" vehicle.

7538 on the Durham 6.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gpr_bus_ph...ed-public/

MAX spare 1406 (yes 1406 back from refurbishment) is on the delayed 12:45 service 1

7439 on Sapphire 6! [emoji46]

(01 Mar 2016, 9:13 am)BusLoverMum wrote So, 1479 is on the 22 again today.

1517 is filling in on the 24.
A Sapphire 6 Pulsar is on the 7.

1531 on the 7
1516 on the 19

1417 on X66/7
1416 on X26

7458 on 308

(01 Mar 2016, 2:56 pm)Jimmi wrote 1517 is filling in on the 24.
A Sapphire 6 Pulsar is on the 7.

The 7 probably needs all the help it can get. 1595 is on the 22, again, so can't do it.

1579 on Sapphire X21/22

(01 Mar 2016, 2:41 pm)Jimmi wrote 7439 on Sapphire 6! [emoji46]

Arriva North East: 7439 / Y689EBR by Jimmi's Transport Photos, on Flickr

(01 Mar 2016, 3:02 pm)Stuartphin1639 wrote 1531 on the 7

Arriva North East: 1531 / MX12KWN by Jimmi's Transport Photos, on Flickr

1581 was on Sapphire X21/22

(01 Mar 2016, 2:41 pm)Jimmi wrote 7439 on Sapphire 6! [emoji46]

One word for that.... Ouch!

The X21/2 is in need of spares I think as they can't keep using Streetlites.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:37 pm)DanPicken wrote The X21/2 is in need of spares I think as they can't keep using Streetlites.

They have ONE, 7518.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:40 pm)NK53 TKT wrote They have ONE, 7518.

7458 should move to ashington as a spare

(01 Mar 2016, 6:37 pm)DanPicken wrote The X21/2 is in need of spares I think as they can't keep using Streetlites.

Problem is, they can continue to use StreetLite's.

Doesn't the X21/X22 actually have two spare buses or am I mistaken?

Obviously the allocations have especially been hit hard by the fact that 7525 is off after being involved in an incident and then you have general reasons for other missing Sapphire buses being missing, VOR, PSV tests etc.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:40 pm)NK53 TKT wrote They have ONE, 7518.

I know but with a PVR of 15/6 (?) they should really have 2 imo.

They do have two spares. 7509 is branded and 7518 is generic.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:44 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote 7458 should move to ashington as a spare

That would be as much use on the X21/X22 as everything else they have, for gods sake. They have spares but not enough Sapphires!

(01 Mar 2016, 6:49 pm)GX03 SVC wrote They do have two spares. 7509 is branded and 7518 is generic.

Ah, I thought 7509 was part of the PVR.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:51 pm)DanPicken wrote Ah, I thought 7509 was part of the PVR.

No, it's a spare vehicle albeit branded for the X21/X22.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:50 pm)GX03 SVC wrote That would be as much use on the X21/X22 as everything else they have, for gods sake. They have spares but not enough Sapphires!

*wishes like button still existed*

All three StreetLites on there today? I saw 1581, and I'm sure other posts say 1579/80 were also on...

There's always going to be issues with allocations of buses with route branding, especially when things go wrong within the branded fleet.

It's not just unique with Ashington depot either, Belmont seemed to be struggling with their Sapphire allocations today, the three spares they have all got deployed on the 22 and 24 this morning but unfortunately 1523 still appears to be missing, so with that missing and the three spares filling in on other Sapphire services the 7 ended up with Sapphire 6 branded 1531 today. A Sapphire 24 E400 also popped up on the 6. I think (I may be wrong) that one of the Sapphire 6 E400's developed a fault this morning. At around 14:30 a Sapphire 6 Pulsar got taken off the 6 and replaced with Lowlander 7439 probably because there was no other suitable replacement.

Another depot with similar issues to Ashington depot is Darlington depot, we have frequent missing branded buses from the MAX X26/X27 and X66/X67 services with standard specification buses having to fill in, often a Pulsar or Solo which don't have WiFi has to be used in place of a Omnicity, hopefully this will happen less now 1406 and the three Omnicitys for the X75/X76 are back from MAX refurbishment. Similar story for the Sapphire 7 as well.

1451 on the 17, 1917 worked a single trip on the 7 this afternoon.

Arriva North East 1451 (NK10 CFU) by Tony Kuy, on Flickr

One of Whitby's B9TLs appeared to be on the 22/64/64a.

(01 Mar 2016, 6:53 pm)mb134 wrote *wishes like button still existed*

All three StreetLites on there today? I saw 1581, and I'm sure other posts say 1579/80 were also on...

I might have seen 1580 and 1581. Whatever I saw would have been the 1520ish from Regent Centre as I found 1580 on the X21 in Stakeford later on.

All I can remember is the number plate was either an A or a H...lol

(01 Mar 2016, 7:36 pm)GX03 SVC wrote I might have seen 1580 and 1581. Whatever I saw would have been the 1520ish from Regent Centre as I found 1580 on the X21 in Stakeford later on.

All I can remember is the number plate was either an A or a H...lol

I know this was mentioned a few days ago about the Sapphire E400s but...
The fact Streetlites have been constantly allocated to the X21/X22 for more than a week is quite worrying.

(01 Mar 2016, 8:05 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote I know this was mentioned a few days ago about the Sapphire E400s but...
The fact Streetlites have been constantly allocated to the X21/X22 for more than a week is quite worrying.

It certainly is. Especially as the X21/X22 was in the second batch of services to be upgraded, it's quite an established Sapphire route, it peaked 90% reliability. 

Something needs to be done about the older E400s on the X21/X22. And also the spare vehicles need to be refurbished into Arriva 2014 spec with high back seats and power sockets so the spare fleet can be used anywhere, this includes the 35 branded StreetLites and VLAs.

We must be less fussy in the Darlington area, we don't tend to go on rants if a Solo ends up on the X66/X67 which is the same as StreetLite's appearing on the X21/X22 which has been mentioned repeatedly almost every day for the last fortnight.