Three ex Swindon Streetlights have arrived at Saltmeadows ... sorry I've no pictures..
They are going to be 8351,8353 & 8354 ( the 3 that are here )

With the 8xxx fleet numbers, are these 10.8m variants?

(10 Oct 2024, 11:21 am)Chris 1 wrote With the 8xxx fleet numbers, are these 10.8m variants?

Looking at the X post below, they look like the shorter wheelbase for sure.

https://x.com/liamhall24/status/1844135224713916474

(10 Oct 2024, 12:08 pm)citaro5284 wrote Looking at the X post below, they look like the shorter wheelbase for sure.

https://x.com/liamhall24/status/1844135224713916474

Nice modern vehicles with no leaks, no rusty poles, clearly been refurbished very recently and nice comfortable seats. 

Should improve the fleet considerably /s

Must say it's quite impressive that how bad Arriva have been in recent years that GoNorthEast can manage to be worse in pretty much every way lately.

(10 Oct 2024, 12:08 pm)citaro5284 wrote Looking at the X post below, they look like the shorter wheelbase for sure.

https://x.com/liamhall24/status/1844135224713916474

Is Liam suggesting having 140 Streetlites is a good thing?

(10 Oct 2024, 1:32 pm)Ambassador wrote Is Liam suggesting having 140 Streetlites is a good thing?

I was just thinking that myself!

Couldn't they remove the high-back seats from the buses that have been withdrawn and install them in some of the second-hand buses now in service? When the hybrids were taken out of service, I was hoping the seats would be reused in some of the older vehicles on the X5/X15 routes. A few of the Go North West deckers have high-back seats, which I much prefer.

(10 Oct 2024, 2:39 pm)WestDurhamSwift wrote Couldn't they remove the high-back seats from the buses that have been withdrawn and install them in some of the second-hand buses now in service? When the hybrids were taken out of service, I was hoping the seats would be reused in some of the older vehicles on the X5/X15 routes. A few of the Go North West deckers have high-back seats, which I much prefer.

They could do a lot of things but customer experience isn't important lately so why bother. 

GoNorthEast clearly don't care about customers because junk like this and the E400's you mentioned would be no-where near flagship services. 

Even Arriva who is usually a low bar don't send up 12/13 year old junk and downgrade services in the process.

This is all just lack of investment.

(10 Oct 2024, 2:39 pm)WestDurhamSwift wrote Couldn't they remove the high-back seats from the buses that have been withdrawn and install them in some of the second-hand buses now in service? When the hybrids were taken out of service, I was hoping the seats would be reused in some of the older vehicles on the X5/X15 routes. A few of the Go North West deckers have high-back seats, which I much prefer.

Problem there is, at least some of the B5LHs are now going to East Yorkshire for further service (converted to diesel).

Looks like the whole prospect of taking the buses under public control is just making things worse up here. The silence from local government is deafening at the minute as our services continue to suffer. I'm sure there's going to be photo opportunities when the occasional electric bus shows up though, but not when these leaking streetlites are most of our reality.

(10 Oct 2024, 4:55 pm)deanmachine wrote Looks like the whole prospect of taking the buses under public control is just making things worse up here. The silence from local government is deafening at the minute as our services continue to suffer. I'm sure there's going to be photo opportunities when the occasional electric bus shows up though, but not when these leaking streetlites are most of our reality.

Not really surprising though, as far as I'm aware it's only the only GoAhead area up for franchising aswell. Weak area, no future, I'm not being funny I wouldn't be too keen on spending money on it either. I really don't understand why Kim and co are so vocal about franchising when it's literally years away. Everything is just in limbo now and will be for nearly half a decade unless things are sped up.

Obviously it's slightly different for Arriva and Stagecoach because it's one of their stronger areas and they're both going to lose pretty much a fair chunk of their network anyway Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow, Bristol, Manchester already gone etc. So they might aswell do something up here.

The BSIP payouts from the councils is disturbing though, they need to get some backbone and tender stuff against the commercial work and just say screw you. The X20 being a prime example for it, because I'm not aware of that ever going for tender. Similar with the 21 enhanced frequency, as that easily could've been a 20 minute X12 throughout with Arriva either which would've benefitted more customers but in different areas as the X12 has decent loads South of Durham that they may have just took that opportunity on.

(10 Oct 2024, 4:55 pm)deanmachine wrote Looks like the whole prospect of taking the buses under public control is just making things worse up here. The silence from local government is deafening at the minute as our services continue to suffer. I'm sure there's going to be photo opportunities when the occasional electric bus shows up though, but not when these leaking streetlites are most of our reality.

Hopefully a case of worse before it gets better.  Whichever way you look at it there's no evidence deregulation improved anything - unless you're a shareholder of one of the PLCs creaming off public money to increase profits while forever threatnening or actually slashing services, links, frequencies and turning out increasingly knackered old cast offs.  Whether you look at the network, the fleet profile or integration it is all infinitely worse under private control than pre 86.  Whether franchising will go far enough to fix that though is another matter.

(10 Oct 2024, 2:56 pm)Jimmi wrote Problem there is, at least some of the B5LHs are now going to East Yorkshire for further service (converted to diesel).

I wasn't aware of that! 

Customers do notice details like high-back seating and USB ports. They promote the X5/X15 as part of the Xlines service, but in reality, it doesn’t live up to the standard. Using school buses and ex-Yorkshire buses on these routes just isn’t good enough. I’ve also noticed that three of the ex-GNW deckers have moved to Washington, and the remaining dual-door Enviro 400s seem to have gone to Riverside. To be honest, they would’ve been better off sending the ex-EYMS buses to Washington instead.

(10 Oct 2024, 1:32 pm)Ambassador wrote Is Liam suggesting having 140 Streetlites is a good thing?

NO!!

All seven, 8348 - 8354 are going to Sunderland (Deptford)

What’s the vents for on the sides of these Swindon Streetlites, (above the windows)?

---

(10 Oct 2024, 4:55 pm)deanmachine wrote Looks like the whole prospect of taking the buses under public control is just making things worse up here. The silence from local government is deafening at the minute as our services continue to suffer.

How so? 

And what do you want Local Gov to say?

(11 Oct 2024, 9:06 am)ne14ne1 wrote How so? 

And what do you want Local Gov to say?

The fact we're getting more and more ancient hand me downs when we got promised at the election that buses would be taken back under public control. I know things take time, but the areas services need the change now. There's been no mention from the new mayor over what's going to happen with the buses since she got elected.

(11 Oct 2024, 1:24 pm)deanmachine wrote The fact we're getting more and more ancient hand me downs when we got promised at the election that buses would be taken back under public control. I know things take time, but the areas services need the change now. There's been no mention from the new mayor over what's going to happen with the buses since she got elected.

We’ve always had hand me downs now and then.
Didn’t Stagecoach Newcastle just get a handful of nearly new 400MMCs from elsewhere?
And GNE/ANE/SNE are due to get 84 brand new electrics shortly through Zebra.

I’m not sure what you’re expecting. 
It’s a commercial operation at the moment.

It was made clear that franchising cannot just happen over night.
The Franchise Scheme Assessment (FSA) will take 2.5 yrs (unless Gov speed things up), and then about the same period again before the first franchises are operating. 

https://www.northeast-ca.gov.uk/news/tra...-the-buses

(11 Oct 2024, 4:10 pm)ne14ne1 wrote We’ve always had hand me downs now and then.
Didn’t Stagecoach Newcastle just get a handful of nearly new 400MMCs from elsewhere?
And GNE/ANE/SNE are due to get 84 brand new electrics shortly through Zebra.

I’m not sure what you’re expecting. 
It’s a commercial operation at the moment.

It was made clear that franchising cannot just happen over night.
The Franchise Scheme Assessment (FSA) will take 2.5 yrs (unless Gov speed things up), and then about the same period again before the first franchises are operating. 

https://www.northeast-ca.gov.uk/news/tra...-the-buses

Lots of excuses for GNE here mind. Stagecoach is totally irrelevant and the poster you quoted is from Sunderland who aren't getting anything at all. In fact they've had 0 buses in their area since 2016 now with GoNorthEast.

84 buses is no-where near the level of investment which is needed in the North East either.

What we do need is Kim holding GoNorthEast accountable, in particular, for the absolute shambles they're providing until the franchising is in place, otherwise they might aswell not bother as they won't be any passengers left.

She's quick enough to blast Northumberland County Council though over the delays of a major project. Glass falling off roofs at Whitley Bay, Metro trains delayed for nigh on 2 year, the pedestrian tunnel, the funding fiasco with North Shields ferry, bus companies taking the piss and she's straight into the cupboard. Wonder which party Northumberland Council are...? strange co-incidence...

(11 Oct 2024, 6:25 pm)Storx wrote Lots of excuses for GNE here mind. Stagecoach is totally irrelevant and the poster you quoted is from Sunderland who aren't getting anything at all. In fact they've had 0 buses in their area since 2016 now with GoNorthEast.

84 buses is no-where near the level of investment which is needed in the North East either.

What we do need is Kim holding GoNorthEast accountable, in particular, for the absolute shambles they're providing until the franchising is in place, otherwise they might aswell not bother as they won't be any passengers left.

She's quick enough to blast Northumberland County Council though over the delays of a major project. Glass falling off roofs at Whitley Bay, Metro trains delayed for nigh on 2 year, the pedestrian tunnel, the funding fiasco with North Shields ferry, bus companies taking the piss and she's straight into the cupboard. Wonder which party Northumberland Council are...? strange co-incidence...

Have you written to her?

What in particular are the issues you’re unhappy about? Lack of brand new buses, age of fleet, state of buses, frequency of service, punctuality of service, or routes provided?

(11 Oct 2024, 6:58 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Have you written to her?

What in particular are the issues you’re unhappy about? Lack of brand new buses, age of fleet, state of buses, frequency of service, punctuality of service, or routes provided?

To be frankly honest, the whole lot. They're all absolutely dire in recent times. It's not my job to do her job.

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west...s-30084924 - Compare that to Yorkshire who just call them out for what it is. Our leaders are extremely weak and it's a big reason we never get anything up here.

Numbers should be as follows including a photo of them with Thamesdown / Swindon Bus Company.

8348 - SK63 GAA - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1612724750 - Ex Swindon 417 and former Wright Demo.
8349 - WX12 GDO - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...3778327342 - Ex Swindon 416.
8350 - WX12 GDU - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...6306363506 - Ex Swindon 415.
8351 - WX12 GDV - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1611823346 - Ex Swindon 414.
8352 - WX12 GDY - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1612059688 - Ex Swindon 413.
8353 - WX12 GDZ - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1611835186 - Ex Swindon 412.
8354 - WX12 GEJ - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1611832921 - Ex Swindon 411.

How some of the fleet are put in service when I highly doubt would pass a MOT. Flashing brake lights, leaking buses etc.

(11 Oct 2024, 9:02 pm)Rapidsnap wrote Numbers should be as follows including a photo of them with Thamesdown / Swindon Bus Company.

8348 - SK63 GAA - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1612724750 - Ex Swindon 417 and former Wright Demo.
8349 - WX12 GDO - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...3778327342 - Ex Swindon 416.
8350 - WX12 GDU - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...6306363506 - Ex Swindon 415.
8351 - WX12 GDV - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1611823346 - Ex Swindon 414.
8352 - WX12 GDY - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1612059688 - Ex Swindon 413.
8353 - WX12 GDZ - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1611835186 - Ex Swindon 412.
8354 - WX12 GEJ - https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...1611832921 - Ex Swindon 411.

Anyone know what work they're getting at Saltmeadows?

(12 Oct 2024, 12:10 pm)Michael wrote Anyone know what work they're getting at Saltmeadows?

Fleet livery and red seats more than likely.

WX12GEJ has been painted into Roadstripe livery and is numbered 8354.

Looks a little odd seeing the raised belt line towards the rear again after so many were given a black area back there to straighten out the belt/window line.

https://flic.kr/p/2qpF1VT

https://flic.kr/p/2qpLM8B

(24 Oct 2024, 1:19 pm)ne14ne1 wrote Looks a little odd seeing the raised belt line towards the rear again after so many were given a black area back there to straighten out the belt/window line.

https://flic.kr/p/2qpF1VT

https://flic.kr/p/2qpLM8B

There's that GNE attention to detail again.

At least it'll make them easy to identify.

8354 had its first day out today.


https://bustimes.org/vehicles/gnel-8354