(17 Nov 2023, 12:57 pm)wibblejunior wrote 7610 has transferred to Belmont and is on the 64 today (but isn't tracking on bustimes for some reason). 7609 is still tracking on the X93.

It’s been up there for engine replacement so maybe Durham are just running it in for a little while


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Arriva is now formally a Limited company rather than a Public Limited Company: https://find-and-update.company-informat...y/00347103

There might be some movement towards the takeover, Arriva Limited's legal Parent, Arriva Investments Limited has been renamed to AIL Beta Holding Limited: https://find-and-update.company-informat...y/04337642

The acquisition has now been completed, link below.

'Deal marks significant moment in Arriva’s history; I Squared commits to provide significant long-term capital to support growth and decarbonisation.'

https://news.arriva.co.uk/news/arriva-gr...-ownership

Lol, it looks like a carbon copy of the press release when Go-Ahead was taken over.

(03 Jun 2024, 1:49 pm)deanmachine wrote Lol, it looks like a carbon copy of the press release when Go-Ahead was taken over.

Standard corporate press release. They're nearly always the same. Fingers crossed new ownership breaths new life into the company.

Heard rumors that arriva northumbria are trying to get PCV licence holders that already have they license to go straight onto top rate. Any one think this is true and any think it will happen any time soon.

(03 Jun 2024, 8:31 pm)lloyd647 wrote Heard rumors that arriva northumbria are trying to get PCV licence holders that already have they license to go straight onto top rate. Any one think this is true and any think it will happen any time soon.

Most of the others already do this now. How else are you going to get fully qualified drivers if you're going to give them way less than what they're on at another operator?

(04 Jun 2024, 7:55 pm)deanmachine wrote Most of the others already do this now. How else are you going to get fully qualified drivers if you're going to give them way less than what they're on at another operator?

This is a large part of the reason Arriva are in the position they're in. Drivers become unhappy, and they don't need to take a significant pay cut to go to GNE/SNE and start afresh. 

Meanwhile, unhappy drivers at GNE/SNE are going to take one look at the ANE starting rate and stay where they are.

(04 Jun 2024, 9:21 pm)mb134 wrote This is a large part of the reason Arriva are in the position they're in. Drivers become unhappy, and they don't need to take a significant pay cut to go to GNE/SNE and start afresh. 

Meanwhile, unhappy drivers at GNE/SNE are going to take one look at the ANE starting rate and stay where they are. 

Not sure what the current state of play at SNE, but there's not much loyalty been shown by GNE drivers over the years.
Attrition rates and recruitment costs are through the roof!

(04 Jun 2024, 9:21 pm)mb134 wrote This is a large part of the reason Arriva are in the position they're in. Drivers become unhappy, and they don't need to take a significant pay cut to go to GNE/SNE and start afresh. 

Meanwhile, unhappy drivers at GNE/SNE are going to take one look at the ANE starting rate and stay where they are.

Indeed.  A driver whose held their license for 12 months can jump to GNE/SCNE and bag pay rise along the way.  Interesting Arriva persist with this model, does this benefit company, drivers or both I wonder?

I half thought they might have aligned with GNE/SCNE at the last pay negotiations.

(05 Jun 2024, 11:30 am)Chris 1 wrote Indeed.  A driver whose held their license for 12 months can jump to GNE/SCNE and bag pay rise along the way.  Interesting Arriva persist with this model, does this benefit company, drivers or both I wonder?

I half thought they might have aligned with GNE/SCNE at the last pay negotiations.

Arriva are paid more than GoNorthEast and the same as Stagecoach Newcastle unless I've missed something?

(05 Jun 2024, 11:30 am)Chris 1 wrote Indeed.  A driver whose held their license for 12 months can jump to GNE/SCNE and bag pay rise along the way.  Interesting Arriva persist with this model, does this benefit company, drivers or both I wonder?

I half thought they might have aligned with GNE/SCNE at the last pay negotiations.

Do you have to work with Arriva for a particular amount of time before you can jump ship and not incur the cost of the training?



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(05 Jun 2024, 7:20 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Do you have to work with Arriva for a particular amount of time before you can jump ship and not incur the cost of the training?



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2 years (at least it was when I was there). GNE is the same and I presume Stagecoach is the same but unsure on that.

Does anyone know if the rotas are good for time off etc weekends at Ashington something like every 4 weeks for a Friday Saturday Sunday Monday off etc.

(05 Jun 2024, 5:09 pm)Storx wrote Arriva are paid more than GoNorthEast and the same as Stagecoach Newcastle unless I've missed something?

Top rate, yes.  My point was that a new driver could do 12 months at Arriva, then move to GNE or SCNE on top rate rather than spend another 12 months at Arriva on an intermediate rate which is lower than GNE/SCNE top rate.

(05 Jun 2024, 7:20 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Do you have to work with Arriva for a particular amount of time before you can jump ship and not incur the cost of the training?



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I see Morritt has answered this.  He'll know better than me as he's got the t-shirt.  However, you don't have to look far on social media to find drivers that have moved from one to the other within 2 years.  I'd be curious how robustly a major company would chase a driver for their bond.

Can't remember the wording on Arriva's website, but GNE & SCNE bother claim 'free' training.  Stagecoach quote £4k (though personally I feel that's on the high side compared to if you went privately).

The stagecoach training bond is £1200 over 100 weeks. Or at least it was when I started.

(06 Jun 2024, 11:24 am)Chris 1 wrote Top rate, yes.  My point was that a new driver could do 12 months at Arriva, then move to GNE or SCNE on top rate rather than spend another 12 months at Arriva on an intermediate rate which is lower than GNE/SCNE top rate.

Get you now, makes sense.

(06 Jun 2024, 11:19 am)lloyd647 wrote Does anyone know if the rotas are good for time off etc weekends at Ashington something like every 4 weeks for a Friday Saturday Sunday Monday off etc.

Yes you usually get one long weekend off a month (F/S/S/M) but bear in mind you will hardly ever get two days off together for the rest of that time.

Also, often you will finish at midnight, then your day off followed by a 6am start the day after, severely limiting what you can do on your day off as well as ruining your body clock.

(07 Jun 2024, 3:04 pm)Driver9*** wrote Yes you usually get one long weekend off a month (F/S/S/M) but bear in mind you will hardly ever get two days off together for the rest of that time.

Also, often you will finish at midnight, then your day off followed by a 6am start the day after, severely limiting what you can do on your day off as well as ruining your body clock.

A quick check of current Ashington Rosters suggests the chance of having a late duty on Saturday, then rest day Sunday, followed by an early start on Monday is, on average, once every 14 weeks. Hardly 'often'.

In addition, long weekends at Ashington are roughly every 4-6 weeks and the chance of having two rest days off together in the same week (not including weeks that are long weekends) appears to be at least twice (on a rough average) within a 10 week period too, so almost every other week could have back to back rest days in some form.

It sounds like your feedback may be a little out of date, in comparison to current roster practices.

(08 Jun 2024, 12:06 pm)RobinHood wrote A quick check of current Ashington Rosters suggests the chance of having a late duty on Saturday, then rest day Sunday, followed by an early start on Monday is, on average, once every 14 weeks. Hardly 'often'.

In addition, long weekends at Ashington are roughly every 4-6 weeks and the chance of having two rest days off together in the same week (not including weeks that are long weekends) appears to be at least twice (on a rough average) within a 10 week period too, so almost every other week could have back to back rest days in some form.

It sounds like your feedback may be a little out of date, in comparison to current roster practices.

Well assuming you work there I cannot argue with you, it's two years since I left. Must still be a shit show in general if they are always desperate for drivers. Who is DM there now? Is it that baldy bloke with the glasses that looks like Penfold off Dangermouse? I forget his name, he was the ADM when I left.

Is Blyth's driver shortage this bad that 4 x X7's following each other to Newcastle according to the app are cancelled later on, meaning that places like New Hartley, Seaton Delaval and Seghill do not have a bus for over 2 hours.

From Seaton Delaval the 1207, 1237, 1307 and 1337 are all cancelled, so 1137 and next one is 1407, which is rather poor to say the least, and whatabout the depot trying to shuffle the pack to try and at least operate 2 of the 4 and maybe drop an X10, X11 (combined) or 308 when combined with 309 all operate on a higher frequency

(12 Jun 2024, 6:58 am)citaro5284 wrote Is Blyth's driver shortage this bad that 4 X7's following each other to Newcastle according to the app are cancelled later on, meaning thatplaces like New Hartley, Seaton Delaval and Seghill do not have a bus for over 2 hours.

From Seaton Delaval the 1207, 1237, 1307 and 1337 are all cancelled, so 1137 and next one is 1407, which is rather poor to say the least, and whatabout the depot trying to shuffle the pack to try and at least operate 2 of the 4 and maybe drop an X10, X11 or 308 which all operate on a higher frequency

It's shocking, and continues to show just how inept the current management at ANE are. The shortage of drivers has been ongoing for at least a year at this stage, and they've done nothing to rectify the situation (the easy fixes of either agency drivers, or increasing the starter rate for those with a licence as GNE/SNE have done, haven't been done). 

You also have to look at the people running it on a day to day level at Blyth. How can they think cutting 4 consecutive X7s is acceptable, leaving a 2 and a half hour gap in service? Obviously their hands will be somewhat tied, but surely there's another service they can drop in the middle of that to ensure an X7 runs.

(12 Jun 2024, 7:07 am)mb134 wrote It's shocking, and continues to show just how inept the current management at ANE are. The shortage of drivers has been ongoing for at least a year at this stage, and they've done nothing to rectify the situation (the easy fixes of either agency drivers, or increasing the starter rate for those with a licence as GNE/SNE have done, haven't been done). 

You also have to look at the people running it on a day to day level at Blyth. How can they think cutting 4 consecutive X7s is acceptable, leaving a 2 and a half hour gap in service? Obviously their hands will be somewhat tied, but surely there's another service they can drop in the middle of that to ensure an X7 runs.

Why would they pay agency drivers the thick end of £20/hr plus possible relocation costs if they're not being financially penilised for dropping runs? Have you also considered the possibility simply no one wants the job?

There seems to have been a shift in the language of Arriva communication since the takeover and my latest reply from customer services is an another example.

For the first time they've given some positive news and actually a commitment that things should improve in the coming weeks. They've never done that before in responses to me. I do wonder if with DB gone, the new company are allowing more to be done to rectify local issues? DB clearly had no interest in committing to money being spent when they had one foot out the door.

The following does fit with what a driver said last week to me that now the takeover is complete, we'd see a very quick improvement on what we have seen lately.

"We do apologise for the inconvenience caused and look forward to bringing you a better service going forward as the depot confirm that we have a number of drivers started with us and we should see a big improvement on our reliability issues in the coming weeks which I understand has been frustrating".

Does anyone think they will increase wages for pcv licence holders since they have been took over.

(15 Jun 2024, 10:35 am)lloyd647 wrote Does anyone think they will increase wages for pcv licence holders since they have been took over.

Unlikely. A few years ago if a driver left and then came back a few months later they would usually put them back on at the top rate but that was down to DM discretion, however the higher management put a stop to it in order to eek out a few more pennies in profit.

Does anyone know when arriva next pay deal is due?

(24 Jun 2024, 7:57 pm)lloyd647 wrote Does anyone know when arriva next pay deal is due?

Arriva Durham County are still neogationating a pay deal at the moment