(20 Jan 2019, 6:40 pm)Dan wrote Appreciating it'd probably be the least of their worries at the moment given everything else going on, but I'm surprised management at Arriva aren't querying why buses they've invested £x million into, aren't fit to be allocated to the service the business case was written up for, for them to be allocated to. Swapping them for other buses at different depots shouldn't even be considered!

As full-size single decks, they'll still have a good 10 years left before disposal...

Totally agree. By the way in answer to the earlier comment it is usually Pulsars rather than Cadets that cover for the missing Streetlites on the 5/5A.

Is the 58 a contract route as a while back I heard it might be up for remewal if so who is it gifted buy NCC or nexus or soone else.
I was checking this was right as I don't know if who told me was right.

(23 Jan 2019, 7:42 pm)GNE6312 wrote Is the 58 a contract route as a while back I heard it might be up for remewal if so who is it gifted buy NCC or nexus or soone else.
I was checking this was right as I don't know if who told me was right.

If it operates in Cramlington it will be Northumberland County Council, it originally operated with Premirer as service 2 with a 57 plate Optare Solo.

Why the hell would an arriva white faced solo have just driven past the salutation towards Newton Hall then turned back again? Bleeding noisy beggar, it was.

(24 Jan 2019, 12:44 am)BusLoverMum wrote Why the hell would an arriva white faced solo have just driven past the salutation towards Newton Hall then turned back again? Bleeding noisy beggar, it was.

Staff bus?

(24 Jan 2019, 6:22 am)RobinHood wrote Staff bus?

The time it took to pass each way, it can't have gone any further than fram school. 

We had 2 nis vehicles travelling from NH towards the salutation, one behind another, this morning, at about 8:20. They were closely behind a 64 and a 62. Never seen that before.

(24 Jan 2019, 12:44 am)BusLoverMum wrote Why the hell would an arriva white faced solo have just driven past the salutation towards Newton Hall then turned back again? Bleeding noisy beggar, it was.

Saw it up at Sunniside this morning after the ED1 had left burnopfield. Very strange thing!

Driver this evening confirmed Belmont were losing ED4 to Darlington Depot.

Some new delay tackling suggestions:
X15/18s to run onto each other at each end with a 10-15 min layover which reduces the ongoing delays sorrounding these services

X14/20 to run onto eachother at Newcastle with 10-15 minutes lay over which should reduce the ongoing delays to these services

These 2 suggestions will see timetable changes to the ashington expresses

(28 Jan 2019, 7:03 pm)GNE6312 wrote Some new delay tackling suggestions:
X15/18s to run onto each other at each end with a 10-15 min layover which reduces the ongoing delays sorrounding these services

X14/20 to run onto eachother at Newcastle with 10-15 minutes lay over which should reduce the ongoing delays to these services

These 2 suggestions will see timetable changes to the ashington expresses

I would keep the 14/20 stand-alone.

(28 Jan 2019, 7:03 pm)GNE6312 wrote Some new delay tackling suggestions:
X15/18s to run onto each other at each end with a 10-15 min layover which reduces the ongoing delays sorrounding these services

X14/20 to run onto eachother at Newcastle with 10-15 minutes lay over which should reduce the ongoing delays to these services

These 2 suggestions will see timetable changes to the ashington expresses

How would running onto each other have any effect on timekeeping? 

At the Berwick end both services are 2 hourly, and it would mess up the frequency from Alnwick, while they already have 7/5 minutes of layover at Newcastle/Berwick respectively. (In practice Berwick is slightly more, it doesn't take 7 minutes to get from the train station to Golden Square)

The nature of the two routes mean that delays are likely, and even taking that into account a quick look at the live map right now (1725 on a working Tuesday), shows that the latest any of them seem to be is +6.

When is 1497 & 7411 swapping as I had 1497 on sunday on one of jesmond's 308s. Has the swap taken place since Sunday.

4702 is the first ‘Frequenta’ vehicle to be repainted into the new livery

A second ex-Tiger Centro has emerged today - 1534 (YJ58 FFO) appeared on 15s mid-afternoon for a Stockton-Thornaby-Roseworth trip (end of the running board)
Arriva North East 1534 (YJ58 FFO) by Tony Kuy, on Flickr

Possibly due to the entry into service of 1534/5, 1914/22 have left Stockton depot. 1922 is now at Darlington and has been on X66/X67s - working two different boards (it overheated after a single round trip on X66s early afternoon before being thrown out on their late board at teatime)
Arriva North East 1922 (W83 PRG) by Tony Kuy, on Flickr

1914 is reportedly off to Durham

(30 Jan 2019, 7:28 pm)Kuyoyo wrote A second ex-Tiger Centro has emerged today - 1534 (YJ58 FFO) appeared on 15s mid-afternoon for a Stockton-Thornaby-Roseworth trip (end of the running board)



Possibly due to the entry into service of 1534/5, 1914/22 have left Stockton depot. 1922 is now at Darlington and has been on X66/X67s - working two different boards (it overheated after a single round trip on X66s early afternoon before being thrown out on their late board at teatime)



1914 is reportedly off to Durham

What route is 1914 likely to be allocated to?

Driver on ED4 has informed me that Belmont are keeping this service. I'm pretty suprised as I thought Arriva wanted to withdraw 1 bus from the Seaham peak.

New suggestion:
Arriva to upgrade 52/53/54 to sapphire
The branding style will be that the nearside will be branded for the 52/54 Newcastle, South gosforth, Quorum, Killingworth every 15 mins
And the offside will be branded for the 53: North Shields, Shiremoor, Killingworth, Dudley, Cramlington every 30 mins


1574/5 will be spares
With 1576-89 being branded

1579/80 will come to jesmond in trade for 2 if jesmonds pulsars

During the refurbishment the 7424/69/74/75/78 will be loaned out to jesmond during the refurbishment of the streetlites allowing them to be taken out 5 at a time for refurbishment.
They will be taken out numericaly so the order of refurbishment will be the following:
1574-78 then 1579-83 then 1584-88 and the last  one 1589 will go for refurbishment on it's own

The buses will be internaly repainted and get new sapphire style flooring
And will feature white LED displays on the front
Tgey will also be branded after refurbishment before entering service and again will be branded and enter service in the same order as refurbishnent
After the first 5 enter service there will be announcements for the 52/53/54 on all sapphire viechles

What do you think?