(15 Oct 2021, 6:44 pm)V514DFT wrote Noticed a few solos creeping onto the 306 lately
Also last Friday (8th)
1800 was on the 53, yes,a dart working on the 53,something i havent seen since that service started being  operated my full sized single deckers, must of been 2012(ish)

(15 Oct 2021, 6:49 pm)Dan wrote Which services are left at Northumbria that should be being allocated Solos, and what are their PVRs?

There seems to be a huge number of them allocated to Jesmond, Ashington and Blyth when only a few are required in reality? I think I read somewhere that Blyth only actually need one nowadays as the rest of the services there are operated by conventional full-size buses?

The 306 and X20 seem to have been allocated Solos on numerous occasions recently, and is presumably just because they're spare.

(15 Oct 2021, 6:49 pm)Dan wrote Which services are left at Northumbria that should be being allocated Solos, and what are their PVRs?

There seems to be a huge number of them allocated to Jesmond, Ashington and Blyth when only a few are required in reality? I think I read somewhere that Blyth only actually need one nowadays as the rest of the services there are operated by conventional full-size buses?

The 306 and X20 seem to have been allocated Solos on numerous occasions recently, and is presumably just because they're spare.

(16 Oct 2021, 8:22 pm)Storx wrote Jesmond
46 - 2
51 / 51A - 3
55 - 3
553 - 2
555 - 1 (Peak Only)

Ashington
57/57A - 4

Blyth
58 - 1

Believe that's the routes and numbers on them.

(16 Oct 2021, 8:59 pm)peter wrote Northumbria currently have 28 Solo's for a theoretical PVR of 16 - massive overkill. At the moment 2801/2/16/21 seem to be out of use at Blyth while 2827 is long-term VOR if Bustimes is to believed, but that's still 7 spares. (Which makes it kind of strange that 1800 is now seeing use at Jesmond when there's 4 Solo's laid up at Blyth.) Of course the reality is that when the Cross Pennine Omnicities were withdrawn and had to be replaced by Pulsars, it became the case that there weren't enough full-size single decks at Jesmond for the remaining services and so some Solo's do seem to be regularly allocated to the 52/53/54 circuit. 

The key problem is there's nowhere else for them to go. The only other depot suitable for Solo's would be Darlington and they have more than enough. I had a similar conversation elsewhere regarding Arriva's excessive number of Solo's where depots like Jesmond and Durham would benefit from much more standardised fleets and fewer Solo's because of their lack of fixed allocations and their regulation of services. The only ways to solve this problem would be to increase the frequency of some services but reduce the capacity - something Arriva seem to be doing the opposite of as seen by the likes of the 1 and 2 in Blyth, while the alternative of course would be replacing the Solo's with some full size single-deck vehicles - at this stage I'm not sure which one is most unlikely.

(21 Oct 2021, 8:16 pm)V514DFT wrote 2602 was on the 306 this morning,seems that specific board is allocated a solo,unless its a co-incidence,either that or Arriva have lost the plot,serious question though,does the 306 interwork with something that requires a solo,i know it interworks with the 308 on Sundays,or it used to before Covid

(21 Oct 2021, 8:20 pm)Train8261 wrote 306 allocations are all over the place. During the summer holidays it was quite rare to see a solo on there. Now the odd one makes it on there. Just waiting for 1800 to apply on there

(22 Oct 2021, 4:29 am)V514DFT wrote It'll be sooner than you think,1800 has already made an apperance on the 52/53/54

(22 Oct 2021, 4:57 am)Train8261 wrote It's mad the odd appearance on the 44/45 & 46

Just waiting on the 43/51/306

(22 Oct 2021, 6:56 am)JM03 wrote Id really appreciate 1800 over a solo, doubt it’ll make it onto 51/306 but it is arriva, seen it on the 52/3/4 rota Monday to Saturday almost, if it’s not on it’s usually just for a half day at least but that rota has been getting load of solos on too, counted 3 on the 306 the other day from work

(22 Oct 2021, 7:26 am)Train8261 wrote I find it strange arriva took the StreetLite of the 306 stuck Max Brand deckers&Pulsar on the route. Yet you see more StreetLite buses on the 306 than you do of the actual max brand 306

(23 Oct 2021, 8:51 pm)L469 YVK wrote I think the way things are going, Arriva will reduce the 306 & 308 to every 20 mins each (10 combined) with the 306 pulled from Battle Hill Drive and both services using deckers & interworking. Marden could easily be served by an extended 51A and potentially replacing the 359.

Total PVR would be 13x and with careful planning, there'd be no cross depot dead mileage (i.e Blyth boards starting / finishing in Tynemouth or Jesmond boards starting / finishing in Blyth). Capacity reduction would also be minimal too.

(23 Oct 2021, 8:39 am)Train8261 wrote 1800 is on the 306. Wonder if this will kill it