(11 Jul 2015, 1:06 pm)northern156 wrote X12 running in pairs near Chester Moor just now for Newcastle.

Durham Miners Gala today - will be causing chaos with everything in Durham

2849 is now branded with Generic Frequneta branding - just left Darlington on the 1515 1.

And we have our 6 3/3a/3b Solos - 2830/2/3/5/6/41 and all 6 are on 3s today.

Have Arriva released any statistics on passenger growth on the Sapphire Services up here in the North East, as I have just read on Route One that Service 110 (Tamworth to Birmingham) has seen a rise of 10% since conversion to Sapphire a year ago.

http://www.route-one.net/industry/sapphi...h-in-year/

(11 Jul 2015, 12:19 pm)tyresmoke wrote Latest movements that should apply from tomorrow, albeit some have already happened.

7519 to Thorntons for refurb (Sapphire 6s)

1524/5 covering 7605/7 (engine work) at Blyth (loan buses back to Durham)
659/664 and 1533 into service at Durham to help with increased PVR on many services (22/24, 56, 57, 64) from Monday due to Milburngate Bridge works.
They also temporarily move work to other depots - Darlington take a service 7 board and 1523 moving, Stockton take 2 X12s with 1415 and 1470 moving
Various scrap buses have been sold to Alpha Recovery - 1724, 1733, 1742, 1756, 1902, 4051, 4504

if 7519 is going to be refurbished will there not be a spare but to take its place while the bus has gone

(11 Jul 2015, 3:45 pm)Malarkey wrote Have Arriva released any statistics on passenger growth on the Sapphire Services up here in the North East, as I have just read on Route One that Service 110 (Tamworth to Birmingham) has seen a rise of 10% since conversion to Sapphire a year ago.

http://www.route-one.net/industry/sapphi...h-in-year/

If they're getting 10% growth, and can maintain steady growth, then the purchase of higher spec vehicles is a no brainer really! 

One thing I wonder though, and it comes from the MD's quote around smart ticketing. Is it not just a case that more journeys are now being recorded, rather than an actual growth of 10%? Similar to how the Metro's figures are clearly spoofed by the validators being introduced for ST holders.

(11 Jul 2015, 3:45 pm)Malarkey wrote Have Arriva released any statistics on passenger growth on the Sapphire Services up here in the North East, as I have just read on Route One that Service 110 (Tamworth to Birmingham) has seen a rise of 10% since conversion to Sapphire a year ago.

http://www.route-one.net/industry/sapphi...h-in-year/

Arriva announced last year that Service 7 had 7% growth.

(11 Jul 2015, 1:42 pm)tyresmoke wrote Durham Miners Gala today - will be causing chaos with everything in Durham

I understand that but I thought it was on from 0800 to 1000 or something? By the time I passed them it had cleared up for ages unless these were residual delays.

(11 Jul 2015, 10:17 pm)northern156 wrote I understand that but I thought it was on from 0800 to 1000 or something? By the time I passed them it had cleared up for ages unless these were residual delays.

Residual delays I'd imagine. Do Arriva actually regulate services? Clearly it serves little purpose having two buses on a 30 minute frequency running parallel.

(11 Jul 2015, 10:19 pm)aureolin wrote Residual delays I'd imagine. Do Arriva actually regulate services? Clearly it serves little purpose having two buses on a 30 minute frequency running parallel.

And if they do regulate how, as unlike the other big 2, they dont have radio's.  GNE and Stagecoach can quite easily contact the vehicles mid route, tell them to transfer passengers, blank off and go and pick their time up, bit more tricky if you cannot contact the vehicles

(11 Jul 2015, 10:17 pm)northern156 wrote I understand that but I thought it was on from 0800 to 1000 or something? By the time I passed them it had cleared up for ages unless these were residual delays.

It is on for a lot longer than that. Bands start marching to th event at 8:30 am and dont start marching back out until well into the afternoon.

(11 Jul 2015, 1:42 pm)tyresmoke wrote Durham Miners Gala today - will be causing chaos with everything in Durham

yep, service 24 was operated by all double deckers yesterday, only single decker i saw was the 23 branded streetlite working service 24 passing Peterlee at 07:45 to Hartlepool, as this does service 23 all day.

(12 Jul 2015, 8:25 am)cbma06 wrote yep, service 24 was operated by all double deckers yesterday, only single decker i saw was the 23 branded streetlite working service 24 passing Peterlee at 07:45 to Hartlepool, as this does service 23 all day.

Explaining why the Sapphire Pulsars were used elsewhere!

7516 has received Quick Links branding.

I hope the Frequenta branding gets rolled out across Arriva for the unbranded frequent services, like the 35 etc, I do like the revised cream 'swoosh'.

(12 Jul 2015, 6:58 am)citaro5284 wrote And if they do regulate how, as unlike the other big 2, they dont have radio's.  GNE and Stagecoach can quite easily contact the vehicles mid route, tell them to transfer passengers, blank off and go and pick their time up, bit more tricky if you cannot contact the vehicles

To regulate the X12 is very difficult though, if you take a bus out and send it out of service, the quickest way is generally the service route anyway, so why lose the mileage when not much time can be gained by dropping the service?

(12 Jul 2015, 9:32 am)palatine3833 wrote To regulate the X12 is very difficult though, if you take a bus out and send it out of service, the quickest way is generally the service route anyway, so why lose the mileage when not much time can be gained by dropping the service?

I was thinking more of why send both into Newcastle for instance, why not turn one at Gateshead.  Quite a few times I have seen 2 following each other into Newcastle.  Also, why not drop one out and then spin around at the next roundabout which will help try to get them back on time rather than buses following in tandem.

(12 Jul 2015, 8:25 am)cbma06 wrote yep, service 24 was operated by all double deckers yesterday, only single decker i saw was the 23 branded streetlite working service 24 passing Peterlee at 07:45 to Hartlepool, as this does service 23 all day.

Think double deckers are often allocated to the 24 on Durham Miners Gala, possibly because the 24 route follows a lot of the places where the miners used to live then you have all the people going there for an excuse to get drunk with the bus being the cheapest option getting there for getting drunk and then you have all the regular 24 passengers as well and the 24 is a fairly busy route.

Think the 24 was double deckers last year. Don't hold me to this but I think the VDL Gemini's were allocated to the 24 instead of the X1/X2 that day. There was definitely 7618 allocated on that day last year as Dan got a photo of it in Sunderland https://flic.kr/p/fbF6XQ

(12 Jul 2015, 9:39 am)citaro5284 wrote I was thinking more of why send both into Newcastle for instance, why not turn one at Gateshead.  Quite a few times I have seen 2 following each other into Newcastle.  Also, why not drop one out and then spin around at the next roundabout which will help try to get them back on time rather than buses following in tandem.

Well, they certainly don't have the luxury of radios like what the lads and lasses for GNE have. They can't simply self-regulate the service even if they wanted to.

(12 Jul 2015, 8:52 am)Tommy_1581 wrote I hope the Frequenta branding gets rolled out across Arriva for the unbranded frequent services, like the 35 etc, I do like the revised cream 'swoosh'.

I think the 35 isn't frequent enough for 'Frequenta'. Notice so far it's only on services every 10 minutes or better for most of the day or on the core sections of the routes - even the routes set for launch later in the year. Not sure if there are many routes north of the Tyne that would fit that criteria that aren't already branded in some way.

(12 Jul 2015, 6:58 am)citaro5284 wrote And if they do regulate how, as unlike the other big 2, they dont have radio's.  GNE and Stagecoach can quite easily contact the vehicles mid route, tell them to transfer passengers, blank off and go and pick their time up, bit more tricky if you cannot contact the vehicles

Well this is it. The onus is on the driver to request to be regulated at present, but where is the incentive for a driver to do that? 

I'm not exactly sure how the schedule works, but I'd imagine it's tight enough to mean that 10-15 minutes late in for a change over results in the rota being goofed up, and someone will have to cover the said driver's first run out after their break? Resulting in the said driver getting an extended break...

(12 Jul 2015, 9:32 am)palatine3833 wrote To regulate the X12 is very difficult though, if you take a bus out and send it out of service, the quickest way is generally the service route anyway, so why lose the mileage when not much time can be gained by dropping the service?

Sending it not in service down the A1 towards Newcastle, or the A19 towards Teesside, should be a lot quicker than the service route? I know there's roadworks on the A1 at present, but even splitting off on to the A194 and then onto the Felling Bypass would be a lot quicker than navigating and stopping all the way along Durham Road. Same could be said about sending it out of service, down the A19 towards Middlesbrough, rather than stopping at every stop between Durham and Sedgefield, picking up two bus loads of passengers.

(12 Jul 2015, 6:58 am)citaro5284 wrote And if they do regulate how, as unlike the other big 2, they dont have radio's.  GNE and Stagecoach can quite easily contact the vehicles mid route, tell them to transfer passengers, blank off and go and pick their time up, bit more tricky if you cannot contact the vehicles

Not having some kind of in cab communications system is mystifying to me. Especially in this day and age of modern technology!

Sadly it seems we are going to have Freqenta on non Freqenta services on Sundays, Frequenta 2 EcoCitys on the 5A today and Freqenta 9/10 Solo on Dalesbus 830/831 today.

A note from what has been posted in the news - all of 4801-8 have gained branding for the 2.

(12 Jul 2015, 7:43 pm)Kuyoyo wrote A note from what has been posted in the news - all of 4801-8 have gained branding for the 2.

You're useless, Mr. Kuy! You didn't note those the other day - only Jimmi mentioned the EcoCitys...

(12 Jul 2015, 7:45 pm)Dan wrote You're useless, Mr. Kuy! You didn't note those the other day...

I also failed to note 2862/3/5/6 are also now repainted. Notice as yet no Solos are done for the 4.

(12 Jul 2015, 7:45 pm)Dan wrote You're useless, Mr. Kuy! You didn't note those the other day - only Jimmi mentioned the EcoCitys...

At least Scott knars what is going on.....

(12 Jul 2015, 7:48 pm)Kuyoyo wrote I also failed to note 2862/3/5/6 are also now repainted. Notice as yet no Solos are done for the 4.

Mind, if you're wanting to retain your 'know it all' title, you can't be failing to note repaints! Repaints are the be all and end all of bus operations, man! 

News updated accordingly.

(12 Jul 2015, 7:48 pm)citaro5284 wrote At least Scott knars what is going on.....

1415 and 1470 should have arrived accordingly at Stockton today. I expect they will be on the X12 tomorrow.
1901 withdrawn

(12 Jul 2015, 7:53 pm)Dan wrote Mind, if you're wanting to retain your 'know it all' title, you can't be failing to note repaints! Repaints are the be all and end all of bus operations, man! 

News updated accordingly.

Can I blame other things on my mind at present 

One other thing of note is that the future 4721 (YJ10 DTF) was originally with First Bradford as 63000 (Photo @ David Clark). As such, it's the only Temsa to have worked in the UK before that doesn't have Arriva seat trim.

just want to ask if anyone knows what sapphire pulsar is at ashington. because i passed the depot to day but couldn't see the reg on it