(14 Jun 2020, 2:58 pm)Malarkey wrote Hopefully a temporary diversion due things go back to normal in order to aid social distancing until Oxford Bus Company can get further new vehicles themselves.

Unless I'm wrong, I reckon going by what MG said in the video that 9 would definitely be going to Oxford instead of GoNE.

With the X21 going back to half hourly and some working around, GoNE can fulfill the planned X-Lines upgrades at a push.

Still doesn't make sense that GoNE went with SteetDecks unless the low quantity of E400MMCs served as a 'trial' to see if they'd fit into GoNE's fleet. I reckon going forward that GoNE will stick with ADL.

(14 Jun 2020, 3:23 pm)L469 YVK wrote Unless I'm wrong, I reckon going by what MG said in the video that 9 would definitely be going to Oxford instead of GoNE.

With the X21 going back to half hourly and some working around, GoNE can fulfill the planned X-Lines upgrades at a push.

Still doesn't make sense that GoNE went with SteetDecks unless the low quantity of E400MMCs served as a 'trial' to see if they'd fit into GoNE's fleet. I reckon going forward that GoNE will stick with ADL.

They've been registered locally with as "NK's" as shown in Dan's photo here of "NK20 EKT"

Oxford Bus Company: ??? / NK20EKT by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

(14 Jun 2020, 3:23 pm)L469 YVK wrote Unless I'm wrong, I reckon going by what MG said in the video that 9 would definitely be going to Oxford instead of GoNE.

With the X21 going back to half hourly and some working around, GoNE can fulfill the planned X-Lines upgrades at a push.

Still doesn't make sense that GoNE went with SteetDecks unless the low quantity of E400MMCs served as a 'trial' to see if they'd fit into GoNE's fleet. I reckon going forward that GoNE will stick with ADL.

Martijn said in his colleague update video that nine had been "surrendered" to the Go-Ahead Group, where they will be re-deployed within another operating company. Oxford Bus Company has taken one, body number AS483 and registered NK20EKT, on loan to evaluate. There are five others currently fully built and in England.

(14 Jun 2020, 3:37 pm)Dan wrote Martijn said in his colleague update video that nine had been "surrendered" to the Go-Ahead Group, where they will be re-deployed within another operating company. Oxford Bus Company has taken one, body number AS483 and registered NK20EKT, on loan to evaluate. There are five others currently fully built and in England.

Thanks for the update, where are the other 5 heading too?

Shame GNE's aren't ready until August

(14 Jun 2020, 3:37 pm)Dan wrote Martijn said in his colleague update video that nine had been "surrendered" to the Go-Ahead Group, where they will be re-deployed within another operating company. Oxford Bus Company has taken one, body number AS483 and registered NK20EKT, on loan to evaluate. There are five others currently fully built and in England.

Just out of curiosity as i've not seen any of Martijn's videos what was the reason behind nine of the vehicles on order being "surrendered" to the Go-Ahead Group.

I had heard something a few months back that the deal with Wrightbus for the order was renegotiated following there takeover.

(14 Jun 2020, 3:35 pm)Malarkey wrote They've been registered locally with as "NK's" as shown in Dan's photo here of "NK20 EKT"

Oxford Bus Company: ??? / NK20EKT by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

Also the interior is so nice inside, the colour near the stairs suits the bus really well.

(14 Jun 2020, 3:46 pm)Malarkey wrote Just out of curiosity as i've not seen any of Martijn's videos what was the reason behind nine of the vehicles on order being "surrendered" to the Go-Ahead Group.

I had heard something a few months back that the deal with Wrightbus for the order was renegotiated following there takeover.

As we've seen for the Stagecoach UK order, the amount of capital being spent on new buses across the Go-Ahead Group this year will also need to be reduced. Although the government funding 'bridges the gap' on most of the operating costs of running a bus company, it certainly doesn't cover them all, and therefore bus operators are still making a loss during the current crisis.

Although operators in the Go-Ahead Group tend to run as individual businesses, the current crisis and the losses it has caused mean that the operators within the group need to work together now more so than ever before. Other operators in the group may have a greater need than Go North East for those buses, and, as Michael quoted in the original post, Phil Southall (the Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company) has quoted that they 'may get some diverted to [them] from the GNE order of 31'.

The remaining balance of 22 StreetDeck and 15 ADL Enviro400 being delivered to Go North East remains the same.

(14 Jun 2020, 3:56 pm)Dan wrote As we've seen for the Stagecoach UK order, the amount of capital being spent on new buses across the Go-Ahead Group this year will also need to be reduced. Although the government funding 'bridges the gap' on most of the operating costs of running a bus company, it certainly doesn't cover them all, and therefore bus operators are still making a loss during the current crisis.

Although operators in the Go-Ahead Group tend to run as individual businesses, the current crisis and the losses it has caused mean that the operators within the group need to work together now more so than ever before. Other operators in the group may have a greater need than Go North East for those buses, and, as Michael quoted in the original post, Phil Southall (the Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company) has quoted that they 'may get some diverted to [them] from the GNE order of 31'.

The remaining balance of 22 StreetDeck and 15 ADL Enviro400 being delivered to Go North East remains the same.

Can you confirm what services the Streetdecks will be going on?

Will GNE still be getting the 6 cylinder version of the Streetdeck or whatever it was?

(14 Jun 2020, 3:56 pm)Dan wrote As we've seen for the Stagecoach UK order, the amount of capital being spent on new buses across the Go-Ahead Group this year will also need to be reduced. Although the government funding 'bridges the gap' on most of the operating costs of running a bus company, it certainly doesn't cover them all, and therefore bus operators are still making a loss during the current crisis.

Although operators in the Go-Ahead Group tend to run as individual businesses, the current crisis and the losses it has caused mean that the operators within the group need to work together now more so than ever before. Other operators in the group may have a greater need than Go North East for those buses, and, as Michael quoted in the original post, Phil Southall (the Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company) has quoted that they 'may get some diverted to [them] from the GNE order of 31'.

The remaining balance of 22 StreetDeck and 15 ADL Enviro400 being delivered to Go North East remains the same.

Makes a lot of sense given the current situation of not many using public transport as a whole in the last 3 months due to covid-19 and loss of revenue that has come with it although that may drastically change come tomorrow when non-essential businesses re-open

Given that the X21 will now likely remain running every 30 minutes, will the newest StreetDecks be allocated to that service in order to improve reliability and reduce dead / lost mileage? If GNE were to do some moving around as I mentioned before, the allocations could look something like this:

X21 & X47/X70/X71 = New StreetDecks
X31/X45/X46 = New StreetDecks & 67 reg batch
21 = 67 reg batch & 16 reg batch
X5 / X15 = Volvo B9TL (depending on Fab 56 frequency)

(14 Jun 2020, 4:13 pm)L469 YVK wrote Given that the X21 will now likely remain running every 30 minutes, will the newest StreetDecks be allocated to that service in order to improve reliability and reduce dead / lost mileage? If GNE were to do some moving around as I mentioned before, the allocations could look something like this:

X21 & X47/X70/X71 = New StreetDecks
X31/X45/X46 = New StreetDecks & 67 reg batch
21 = 67 reg batch & 16 reg batch
X5 / X15 = Volvo B9TL (depending on Fab 56 frequency)

Personally i think the 56 will go back to every 12 minutes, probables around July time when everything is open.

(14 Jun 2020, 8:39 pm)Michael wrote Personally i think the 56 will go back to every 12 minutes, probables around July time when everything is open.

But unless 6118-21 are no longer going to East Yorkshire, where will the vehicles come from for the X5/X15? You've already got.........

- 1x E400MMC X30 Consett
- 14x E400MMC X1 Washington
- 9x StreetDeck X47/X70/X71 Consett
- 13x StreetDeck X31/X45/X46 Consett

Then spares wise, you've got........
- 3x StreetDeck Chester Le Street covering PVR of 23x
- 1x E400MMC Consett covering PVR 4x (X30)
- 1x E400MMC Washington covering PVR 14x

So if the Fab 56 PVR is reduced to 11x (15 min freq) + 1x spare, that would free up 6096-98 from Deptford + 6099 from Percy Main due to Cobalt & Coast PVR now only being 16x. Only 6096-98 would need a refurb as 6099 is already X-Lines spec.

Don't know what GNE are going to do in terms of spares though???

A 12 min frequency may be required initially to aid social distancing but going forward, a 15 minute frequency wouldn't be unreasonable.

(14 Jun 2020, 8:57 pm)L469 YVK wrote But unless 6118-21 are no longer going to East Yorkshire, where will the vehicles come from for the X5/X15? You've already got.........

- 1x E400MMC X30 Consett
- 14x E400MMC X1 Washington
- 9x StreetDeck X47/X70/X71 Consett
- 13x StreetDeck X31/X45/X46 Consett

Then spares wise, you've got........
- 3x StreetDeck Chester Le Street covering PVR of 23x
- 1x E400MMC Consett covering PVR 4x (X30)
- 1x E400MMC Washington covering PVR 14x

So if the Fab 56 PVR is reduced to 11x (15 min freq) + 1x spare, that would free up 6096-98 from Deptford + 6099 from Percy Main due to Cobalt & Coast PVR now only being 16x. Only 6096-98 would need a refurb as 6099 is already X-Lines spec.

Don't know what GNE are going to do in terms of spares though???

A 12 min frequency may be required initially to aid social distancing but going forward, a 15 minute frequency wouldn't be unreasonable.

Just don't upgrade the X5/X15 to X-Lines and use what they have atm until a later date?

The 56 is currently 15 minutes, don't see the point in increasing to every 12 minutes and then change it back to every 15 minutes.

(14 Jun 2020, 9:16 pm)Michael wrote Just don't upgrade the X5/X15 to X-Lines and use what they have atm until a later date?

The 56 is currently 15 minutes, don't see the point in increasing to every 12 minutes and then change it back to every 15 minutes.

To comply with social distancing in the short term they might have to increase depending on passenger numbers. But longer term, a 15 minute frequency may suffice.

I believe in various updates that GNE would be honoring all planned X-Lines upgrades despite 9x StreetDecks being diverted elsewhere in the Go Ahead group.

Are East Yorkshire still due 6118-21? I take it more than likely given that GoNE have received 6334-6337.

Couldn't the X9/X10 deckers go onto the X5/X15 instead of the X84/85 and then singles on the X84/85 instead, they don't seem to warrant deckers anyway - when they are replaced. Then you'd have three spares with them to cover the rest.

I don't really see the point in replacing 62 plate Volvo B9TL's for 63 plate Volvo B9TL's as suggested above.

(14 Jun 2020, 11:04 pm)Storx wrote Couldn't the X9/X10 deckers go onto the X5/X15 instead of the X84/85 and then singles on the X84/85 instead, they don't seem to warrant deckers anyway - when they are replaced. Then you'd have three spares with them to cover the rest.

I don't really see the point in replacing 62 plate Volvo B9TL's for 63 plate Volvo B9TL's as suggested above.

The 62 plate B9TLs currently used on the X5/X15 are ex London and there'd be no point in refurbishing them.

Still dont understand why the buses are being redistributed across other companies. Why couldn't they just receive displaced DD instead splicing up the order?

I take it the ones destined for GNE should start being delivered soon?

ADLs and StreetDecks expected to arrive around August still or has that changed?

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

(15 Jun 2020, 10:25 am)JP6004 wrote Still dont understand why the buses are being redistributed across other companies. Why couldn't they just receive displaced DD instead splicing up the order?

I take it the ones destined for GNE should start being delivered soon?

Purely because it wouldn't be financially viable (or sensible) to take the full order in the current climate. Therefore if they can offload some of the cost to another company in the group then it's a sensible move in my opinion. Nobody knows what revenue is going to be like in a few months time but I think we'd be kidding ourselves if we thought long term this will be a good thing for bus travel.

(15 Jun 2020, 12:18 pm)tyresmoke wrote Purely because it wouldn't be financially viable (or sensible) to take the full order in the current climate. Therefore if they can offload some of the cost to another company in the group then it's a sensible move in my opinion. Nobody knows what revenue is going to be like in a few months time but I think we'd be kidding ourselves if we thought long term this will be a good thing for bus travel.

Defo, i think we won't see many orders either from compaines either... which could spell trouble for the likes of Wrightbus etc .


Lets hope some of the other Go Ahead operators send some of thier order(s) up here in the future then

(15 Jun 2020, 12:23 pm)Michael wrote Lets hope some of the other Go Ahead operators send some of thier order(s) up here in the future then

Some hybrids would be nice! 

Dan confirmed on a picture on the busesnortheast facebook page, that every service which were due to be upgraded will still be upgraded in some sort of way.

Nothing has been decided yet on how this will happen.

(15 Jun 2020, 10:25 am)JP6004 wrote Still dont understand why the buses are being redistributed across other companies. Why couldn't they just receive displaced DD instead splicing up the order?

I take it the ones destined for GNE should start being delivered soon?

There may be contract requirements for new vehicles. In theory these nine buses will effectively replace an operator's order for new buses, so like for like.

Either way, it's marginally better for Go North East too, as they avoid spending £2.25m on 9 new buses. In the current climate that's a lot of money...

(15 Jun 2020, 2:52 pm)Dan wrote There may be contract requirements for new vehicles. In theory these nine buses will effectively replace an operator's order for new buses, so like for like.

Either way, it's marginally better for Go North East too, as they avoid spending £2.25m on 9 new buses. In the current climate that's a lot of money...

Thanks Dan

At least we're still getting the 6 cylinder.
I suppose the biggest question for me is whether any of the new StreetDecks will end up on the X21 as it's not technically getting upgraded so doesn't fall under that 'statement' from Dan

I went a bit OTT during my last order breakdown prediction / suggestion. So I've simplified it without taking any vehicles from Riverside.

New vehicles (including 6338-6340) are highlighted in blue

Consett (3x spare covering PVR 30x):
- Volvo B9TL 6096-6099 - X-Lines X5/X15
- **Spare (X-Lines)** Volvo B9TL 6100
- **Spare (X-Lines)** Wright StreetDeck 6307
- Wright StreetDeck 6326-6333 - X-Lines X31/X45/X46
- **Spare (X-Lines)** ADL E400MMC 6336
- ADL E400MMC 6338-6341 - X-Lines X30
- Wright StreetDeck 6364-6372 - X-Lines X47/X70/X71
- Wright StreetDeck 6373-6377 - X-Lines X31/X45/X46

Washington (1x spare covering PVR 14x):
- **Spare (X-Lines)** ADL E400MMC 6337
- ADL E400MMC 6342-6355 - X-Lines X1

Deptford (1x spare covering PVR 11x):
- **Spare (GoNE)** Volvo B9TL 6084
- Volvo B9TL 6085-6095 - Fab 56

Chester Le Street (2x spare covering PVR 23x):
- Wright StreetDeck 6301-6304 - Angel 21
- **Spare (GoNE)** Wright StreetDeck 6305-6306
- Wright StreetDeck 6315-6325 - Angel 21
- Wright StreetDeck 6356-6363 - X-Lines X21

Percy Main (3x spare covering PVR 29x):
- Volvo B5LH 6056-6068 - Coaster 1A/1B
- **Spare (GoNE)** Volvo B5LH 6069-6070
- **Spare (GoNE)** Volvo B9TL 6101
- Volvo B9TL 6102-6117 - Cobalt & Coast 309/310/311

Riverside (PVR 30x) & Hexham (PVR 7x) (5x spare covering PVR 37x):
****Higher spare ratio at Riverside & Hexham due to X9/X10****
- Volvo B9TL 6001-6007 - Crusader 26/27
- **Spare (GoNE)** Volvo B9TL 6043-6044
- Volvo B9TL 6045-6047 - Tyne Valley Ten 10/10A/10B
- **Spare (GoNE)** Volvo B9TL 6048
- Volvo B9TL 6049-6055 - Crusader 26/27
- Volvo B9TL 6071-6083 - Tyne Valley Ten 10/10A/10B
- Volvo B5TL 6308-6314 - X9/X10
- **Spare (X-Lines)** Volvo B5TL 6334-6335

(15 Jun 2020, 4:36 pm)L469 YVK wrote I went a bit OTT during my last order breakdown prediction / suggestion. So I've simplified it without taking any vehicles from Riverside.

New vehicles (including 6338-6340) are highlighted in blue

Consett (3x spare covering PVR 30x):
- Volvo B9TL 6096-6099 - X-Lines X5/X15
- **Spare (X-Lines)** Volvo B9TL 6100
- **Spare (X-Lines)** Wright StreetDeck 6307
- Wright StreetDeck 6326-6333 - X-Lines X31/X45/X46
- **Spare (X-Lines)** ADL E400MMC 6336
- ADL E400MMC 6338-6341 - X-Lines X30
- Wright StreetDeck 6364-6372 - X-Lines X47/X70/X71
- Wright StreetDeck 6373-6377 - X-Lines X31/X45/X46

Washington (1x spare covering PVR 14x):
- **Spare (X-Lines)** ADL E400MMC 6337
- ADL E400MMC 6342-6355 - X-Lines X1

Deptford (1x spare covering PVR 11x):
- **Spare (GoNE)** Volvo B9TL 6084
- Volvo B9TL 6085-6095 - Fab 56

Chester Le Street (2x spare covering PVR 23x):
- Wright StreetDeck 6301-6304 - Angel 21
- **Spare (GoNE)** Wright StreetDeck 6305-6306
- Wright StreetDeck 6315-6325 - Angel 21
- Wright StreetDeck 6356-6363 - X-Lines X21

Percy Main (3x spare covering PVR 29x):
- Volvo B5LH 6056-6068 - Coaster 1A/1B
- **Spare (GoNE)** Volvo B5LH 6069-6070
- **Spare (GoNE)** Volvo B9TL 6101
- Volvo B9TL 6102-6117 - Cobalt & Coast 309/310/311

Riverside (PVR 30x) & Hexham (PVR 7x) (5x spare covering PVR 37x):
****Higher spare ratio at Riverside & Hexham due to X9/X10****
- Volvo B9TL 6001-6007 - Crusader 26/27
- **Spare (GoNE)** Volvo B9TL 6043-6044
- Volvo B9TL 6045-6047 - Tyne Valley Ten 10/10A/10B
- **Spare (GoNE)** Volvo B9TL 6048
- Volvo B9TL 6049-6055 - Crusader 26/27
- Volvo B9TL 6071-6083 - Tyne Valley Ten 10/10A/10B
- Volvo B5TL 6308-6314 - X9/X10
- **Spare (X-Lines)** Volvo B5TL 6334-6335

Are GNE really going to go to the trouble of repainting 6326-6333 out of Angel/X21 livery but repainting 6301-3 into Angel 21 livery and repainting 6096-6098 out of Fab 56 livery but 6085 and 6086 into Fab 56 livery especially given how recently some of these have been repainted?? Surely you must know it's not realistic for all of these buses to be repainted only to be replaced by like-for-like vehicles? I like your plan to try and keep fleet numbers together but given how much Dan has said about the current economic pressures GNE are facing are they really going to go to the expense of repainting all these vehicles? 

Personally I think the fact that there are 22 Streetdecks arriving and there's a PVR of 22 for the X31/45/46/47/70/71 is no coincidence. As for everyone's obsession with the X21, the PVR can now be met with the existing vehicles at Chester-le-Street (including 1 fleet-liveried Streetdeck permanently allocated which is no great crime). Given the fact Dan mentioned that the vehicles going elsewhere are going to have to be repainted I reckon the 2 Blue X-Lines vehicles will be part of those 9 that go elsewhere and will get repainted given that they are no longer required for the X21...but that's just my guess! As for the X5/15 I'm sure 4 of the existing double deckers in the fleet could quite easily be refurbed for that, perhaps 6118-6121 might not go to EYMS after all given how much plans have changed!

(15 Jun 2020, 5:18 pm)peter wrote Are GNE really going to go to the trouble of repainting 6326-6333 out of Angel/X21 livery but repainting 6301-3 into Angel 21 livery and repainting 6096-6098 out of Fab 56 livery but 6085 and 6086 into Fab 56 livery especially given how recently some of these have been repainted?? Surely you must know it's not realistic for all of these buses to be repainted only to be replaced by like-for-like vehicles? I like your plan to try and keep fleet numbers together but given how much Dan has said about the current economic pressures GNE are facing are they really going to go to the expense of repainting all these vehicles? 

Personally I think the fact that there are 22 Streetdecks arriving and there's a PVR of 22 for the X31/45/46/47/70/71 is no coincidence. As for everyone's obsession with the X21, the PVR can now be met with the existing vehicles at Chester-le-Street (including 1 fleet-liveried Streetdeck permanently allocated which is no great crime). Given the fact Dan mentioned that the vehicles going elsewhere are going to have to be repainted I reckon the 2 Blue X-Lines vehicles will be part of those 9 that go elsewhere and will get repainted given that they are no longer required for the X21...but that's just my guess! As for the X5/15 I'm sure 4 of the existing double deckers in the fleet could quite easily be refurbed for that, perhaps 6118-6121 might not go to EYMS after all given how much plans have changed!

Nothing to do with fleet numbers as such but making sure that the most suited vehicles are allocated accordingly.

With the X21 now extended to West Auckland plus a 30 minute frequency, it would make more sense to allocate the newest vehicles to reduce the chance of breakdowns and lost mileage. 

And even though repaints & small number of refurbs would cost money, it would still be cheaper than 9x extra vehicles surely?

(15 Jun 2020, 5:38 pm)L469 YVK wrote Nothing to do with fleet numbers as such but making sure that the most suited vehicles are allocated accordingly.

With the X21 now extended to West Auckland plus a 30 minute frequency, it would make more sense to allocate the newest vehicles to reduce the chance of breakdowns and lost mileage. 

And even though repaints & small number of refurbs would cost money, it would still be cheaper than 9x extra vehicles surely?

The original order was for 22x vehicles for the Consett expresses (X31/45/46/47/70/71) and just 2 vehicles for the X21 to make up the PVR...now that the X21 PVR has decreased why would that change, especially when you'd have to go to the trouble of repainting all the current X21 vehicles! If the reliability of the X21 was that much of an issue, then you'd have thought the original order would have been for a full fleet of deckers for the X21 in the first place...I see your point and understand why you think it should happen, but I just don't think it's all that realistic. 

Yes that may be true, but they would save even more money by not going to the trouble of repainting dozens of B9's and Streetdecks only to replace them with B9's and Streetdecks

X84/X85 - PVR 5
X21 Reduction - PVR 4

There's 9 buses (the reduction in the order) just saying...

The X84/X85 doesn't need deckers, so the X9/X10 deckers, once they're replaced, could easily go onto the X5/X15 at a later date, the X84/X85 was never planned to get upgraded this year and they're X-Lines. There's also 9 Streetlites at Riverside (53/54) and the 12 Red Kite Streetlites with no confirmed home yet - some of them could easily go on the X84/X85.