(13 Mar 2016, 5:34 pm)Dan wrote Try my best to balance the scales a bit, Tommy! Think my work here is done! 

(13 Mar 2016, 5:45 pm)Davie wrote Blyth put it on whatever they feel like!
Nice shot, though.

(13 Mar 2016, 6:06 pm)tyresmoke wrote 1401/2/3 should be getting painted soon to eradicate the Quorum Express livery... only a few months after the services were renumbered and became Max branded! I believe they may be transferring out of Blyth too but where to remains a mystery.

(13 Mar 2016, 5:56 pm)GX03 SVC wrote So from "Blyth put them on to keep the service to time" a few weeks ago, back to these comments......back to square one with you...

(13 Mar 2016, 6:09 pm)Tom wrote Jesmond for the X16 maybe?

(13 Mar 2016, 5:56 pm)GX03 SVC wrote So from "Blyth put them on to keep the service to time" a few weeks ago, back to these comments......back to square one with you...

(13 Mar 2016, 6:17 pm)mb134 wrote *like*

It would be interesting to see how people reacted if Blyth just let services get later and later, in order to keep the allocation correct...

(13 Mar 2016, 6:17 pm)mb134 wrote *like*

It would be interesting to see how people reacted if Blyth just let services get later and later, in order to keep the allocation correct...

(13 Mar 2016, 6:17 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote They'd be unsuitable for the X16, They only have a 3 speed gearbox.

(13 Mar 2016, 6:24 pm)Tom wrote Ah ok are the MPDs/Solos not the same?

(13 Mar 2016, 6:24 pm)Adrian wrote But it's a commercial decision to slap route names, numbers and destinations all over the side of the bus. Why bother doing that, if you're going to operate in the current way that Blyth do? What about the customers that have perhaps decided to use the service, based on the service spec they've been offered? Not great when it turns into a free for all eh...

Timetables should be realistic and achievable. With my experience of the express services at Newcastle end, I'd beg to differ that this was the case. Covering it up from the Blyth end is just painting over the cracks.

(13 Mar 2016, 6:25 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote MPDs have a 4 Speed gearbox and the solos have 5 speeds

(13 Mar 2016, 6:34 pm)Jimmi wrote Don't get me started on wrong MAX allocations, because of the way Stockton work their services on a Sunday, I saw 5 buses on the X12 today, not a single one of them was MAX or even had WiFi and now Darlington are allocating Pulsar's to the 26A/X66 on a Sunday in place of the Omnicitys.

(13 Mar 2016, 6:34 pm)Jimmi wrote Don't get me started on wrong MAX allocations, because of the way Stockton work their services on a Sunday, I saw 5 buses on the X12 today, not a single one of them was MAX or even had WiFi and now Darlington are allocating Pulsar's to the 26A/X66 on a Sunday in place of the Omnicitys.

Also I hate unachievable timetables, don't get me started on the 5/5A at times! Sunday timetables are a joke, my 7 arrived in Durham at least 5 minutes late as it couldn't keep up with the demands of the timetable and it's the same every Sunday on the 7 and 8 with the latter runs stupidly late at times on Sunday's, 20 odd minutes late is the worst so far.

Oh and I'm sick of getting 1405 on the X66/X67 with WiFi that hasn't been set up!

(13 Mar 2016, 6:37 pm)Adrian wrote Do Stockton not still use 1457-60, 91, 92 & 94 on a Sunday for the X12? Corporate livery, but with WiFi.

(13 Mar 2016, 6:37 pm)Adrian wrote Do Stockton not still use 1457-60, 91, 92 & 94 on a Sunday for the X12? Corporate livery, but with WiFi.

(13 Mar 2016, 6:39 pm)Davie wrote I thought the X12 interworked with the 9/27 or am I getting confused?

(13 Mar 2016, 6:41 pm)Kuyoyo wrote X12 interworks with 9, 17, 27/27a and 29a on Sundays.

(13 Mar 2016, 6:06 pm)tyresmoke wrote 1401/2/3 should be getting painted soon to eradicate the Quorum Express livery... only a few months after the services were renumbered and became Max branded! I believe they may be transferring out of Blyth too but where to remains a mystery.

(13 Mar 2016, 6:45 pm)Stuartphin1639 wrote Darlington service 12/12A a possibility

(13 Mar 2016, 6:49 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote That would be a downgrade id say service 17

(13 Mar 2016, 6:20 pm)Dan wrote If that actually happened, it may give Arriva's commercial team a kick up the backside in fixing the issue, though?

The problem with all of these changeovers is that their real time information systems will show a higher "on time %", which isn't a true reflection on what's going on out there in the field.

(13 Mar 2016, 6:24 pm)Adrian wrote But it's a commercial decision to slap route names, numbers and destinations all over the side of the bus. Why bother doing that, if you're going to operate in the current way that Blyth do? What about the customers that have perhaps decided to use the service, based on the service spec they've been offered? Not great when it turns into a free for all eh...

Timetables should be realistic and achievable. With my experience of the express services at Newcastle end, I'd beg to differ that this was the case. Covering it up from the Blyth end is just painting over the cracks.

(13 Mar 2016, 8:15 am)Dan wrote Comments regularly crop up on this forum and others regarding the quality and presentation of Go North East's fleet, but I would certainly suggest that some people seem to be wearing those rose tinted glasses, based on my five-minute experience of Arriva Durham's fleet yesterday.

I managed to spot "Sapphire" ADL Enviro400 7538 with an odd coloured panel and missing branding on the front of the bus, two "Sapphire" VDL Pulsars with odd coloured panels (one was 1524, with a rear offside corner panel a darker blue compared to the rest of the bus), Lowlander 7444 which was looking incredibly tatty, and Solo 2823 which was looking tatty and missing sections of paint on the front of the bus.

Not forgetting the fact that some of the "Sapphire" Wright Streetlites on service 22* still only display a route number on the rear destination display, despite being fitted with a full-size rear display. Arriva have gone to the expense of purchasing a large LED display, so it's pretty poor that the company's electricians haven't bothered to change the switch setting to allow the correct information to be shown. It's a two minute job!

* I didn't catch any fleet numbers, but I'm sure Big'un and BLM will know!

(13 Mar 2016, 7:20 pm)Jimmi wrote 1320 seen here having being repainted.
Arriva North East: 1320 / GN10KWH by Matthew Jimmison, on Flickr

(13 Mar 2016, 7:20 pm)Jimmi wrote 1320 seen here having being repainted.
Arriva North East: 1320 / GN10KWH by Matthew Jimmison, on Flickr

(13 Mar 2016, 7:46 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Frustratingl, Big'un didn't even notice the paint job when h saw it on the 22, on Friday. It pulled into Durham bus station when we caught our 22 home, yesterday, then got obscured by several double deckers, so we missed it then, too!

(13 Mar 2016, 7:47 pm)citaro5284 wrote Hope he is not letting the side down mind 

(13 Mar 2016, 6:17 pm)South Tyne Lad wrote They'd be unsuitable for the X16, They only have a 3 speed gearbox.

(13 Mar 2016, 9:45 pm)GMitchelhill wrote Actually they would be fine, discussing with a driver who has had much experience with these three vehicles that they are quite spreightly, basic facts for these 3 are...

1401 - Has 4 speed gearbox and does 62mph.
1402 - Has 3 speed gearbox and does 55mph.
1403 - Has 3 speed gearbox and does 55mph.

Even when I've used these vehicles as a passenger, they seem to perform well.