1415, 1441 and 1443 are heading to Ashington mainly to keep services running, not just for repaint cover (though they’ll also stand in for the Blyth vehicles due to be repainted by the end of the year). Ashington’s in a bit of a mess right now with engineering problems, so managers from other depots are stepping in to help get things back on track.

To make this possible, Redcar are moving 1372, 1376 and 1378 over to Stockton, since they’ve got buses to spare and Stockton sending those three.

In November, service changes should release another nine vehicles from Stockton and Redcar. There are also rumours that 7609 and 7610 will be withdrawn around that time, with Whitby Park & Ride set to get two of the 16-plate E400 MMCs, cascaded from the Durham EV shuffle.

(14 Sep 2025, 12:55 pm)Superman wrote 1415, 1441 and 1443 are heading to Ashington mainly to keep services running, not just for repaint cover (though they’ll also stand in for the Blyth vehicles due to be repainted by the end of the year). Ashington’s in a bit of a mess right now with engineering problems, so managers from other depots are stepping in to help get things back on track.

They've been shocking for a significant amount of time now, it's a disgrace that it has taken this long for anything to be done about it. I posted on here earlier in the summer about some specific vehicles as examples of their engineering incompetence, so I find it mental that staff at the company haven't noticed the same things until now. The depot manager clearly has no standards, or oversight - which begs the question if they are in the role on merit or due to nepotism. 

Yesterday was a prime example of the incompetence across the board at that depot, single deckers allocated to the first few buses after the Newcastle match on the X21/22 and 1497 was pulled from service before even making it to Haymarket leaving a one hour gap in X21s. They're killing their busiest services through sheer ineptitude.

(14 Sep 2025, 7:52 pm)PH - BQA wrote They've been shocking for a significant amount of time now, it's a disgrace that it has taken this long for anything to be done about it. I posted on here earlier in the summer about some specific vehicles as examples of their engineering incompetence, so I find it mental that staff at the company haven't noticed the same things until now. The depot manager clearly has no standards, or oversight - which begs the question if they are in the role on merit or due to nepotism. 

Yesterday was a prime example of the incompetence across the board at that depot, single deckers allocated to the first few buses after the Newcastle match on the X21/22 and 1497 was pulled from service before even making it to Haymarket leaving a one hour gap in X21s. They're killing their busiest services through sheer ineptitude.

 About right  for Ashington though other week back 7575 was on 1 when that should be a Pulsar or streetlite

(14 Sep 2025, 12:55 pm)Superman wrote 1415, 1441 and 1443 are heading to Ashington mainly to keep services running, not just for repaint cover (though they’ll also stand in for the Blyth vehicles due to be repainted by the end of the year). Ashington’s in a bit of a mess right now with engineering problems, so managers from other depots are stepping in to help get things back on track.

Reportedly just 1 of these 3 is actually fit for service, and is operating out of Blyth (assume as one of the SP BHs). The other 2 aren’t usable.

Deckchairs. Titanic. 

1390 and 7530, which both broke down on their last days out, have been sent out again today and have broken down/been removed by mid-morning. 1390 managed Alnwick and back - why you’d send something that has broken down on its previous run on an X20 is beyond me.

(13 Sep 2025, 2:04 pm)Bob5666 wrote Stockton will be losing  3 pulsars to Ashington  from what I herd there max spec e6 standard  which  1415 1441 42 43 82 so if anyone knows which ones are heading to Ashington

Something about  Ashington repaint scheme for the sapphire livey I understand

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1376 is on loan to Stockton as well as 1438 from Redcar

Stockton ain’t losing pulsars, 1415/1441/1443 have gone on loan to Ashington while Stockton has 1372/1376 & 1378 on loan to cover for 1415/1441/1443. 1442 & 1482 is still at Stockton

(15 Sep 2025, 4:53 pm)busesofthenortheast wrote Stockton ain’t losing pulsars, 1415/1441/1443 have gone on loan to Ashington while Stockton has 1372/1376 & 1378 on loan to cover for 1415/1441/1443. 1442 & 1482 is still at Stockton

For now at least…

(Yesterday, 1:20 am)The tyresmoke wrote For now at least…

True

(15 Sep 2025, 4:53 pm)busesofthenortheast wrote Stockton ain’t losing pulsars, 1415/1441/1443 have gone on loan to Ashington while Stockton has 1372/1376 & 1378 on loan to cover for 1415/1441/1443. 1442 & 1482 is still at Stockton

1372 is back at Redcar on the 63

1372 has gone back to Redcar & 1370 has come to Stockton to replace 1372
1370 is currently tracking as 1372

(9 hours ago)busesofthenortheast wrote 1372 has gone back to Redcar & 1370 has come to Stockton to replace 1372
1370 is currently tracking as 1372

1370 76 38 are  loans  but I herd some changes in November December involved Stockton sevices

(8 hours ago)Bob5666 wrote 1370 76 38 are  loans  but I herd some changes in November December involved Stockton sevices

Those Pulsars are now part of the Paint Float fleet - and yes, there's changes to Stockton's PVR in November but there's also similar changes to Redcar's along with the end of the Summer season so those Pulsars along with 3 others will be covering elsewhere until the start of the 2026 Summer Season next spring as Tyresmoke has already mentioned.

(8 hours ago)Bob5666 wrote 1370 76 38 are  loans  but I herd some changes in November December involved Stockton sevices

The company has been badly managed at a senior level for years, and they’ve got no commercial acumen so further service cuts is the only answer they know. 

Had there been investment in newer vehicles, driver retention, or service improvements the picture may/would have been better - but incompetence from the top down has resulted in this. 

It’s ridiculous really, that in an area immune to the threat of franchising and one which Stagecoach have invested heavily into, that Arriva can’t make their business work.

(8 hours ago)PH - BQA wrote The company has been badly managed at a senior level for years, and they’ve got no commercial acumen so further service cuts is the only answer they know. 

Had there been investment in newer vehicles, driver retention, or service improvements the picture may/would have been better - but incompetence from the top down has resulted in this. 

It’s ridiculous really, that in an area immune to the threat of franchising and one which Stagecoach have invested heavily into, that Arriva can’t make their business work.

You’ve drawn all of that from just a few fleet moves?

Let’s be real—Arriva has been stretched thin by DB, and only now, under new ownership, is investment starting to flow in. But, of course, that doesn't happen overnight.

Arriva Yorkshire is set to receive 50 new vehicles later this year, while the North East is due at least 60 next year, not counting the electric vehicles. And that’s just the beginning. Darlington plans to go fully electric by 2027/28, and Blyth is already trialing an electric vehicle with plans to expand to additional services, simply because the data suggests the ranges are a problem - they are actually testing if that is true.

There are other, more significant things happening under the skin of the business, most of it not seen, but at least one big project next year will be in North East.

That level of detail might not be widely known, which is why assumptions like this are so far off the mark. It’s almost laughable how inaccurate they are, but the proof will be in the pudding.

You may wish to bookmark this post and come back to it in 18 months time.

(3 hours ago)Superman wrote You’ve drawn all of that from just a few fleet moves?

Let’s be real—Arriva has been stretched thin by DB, and only now, under new ownership, is investment starting to flow in. But, of course, that doesn't happen overnight.

Arriva Yorkshire is set to receive 50 new vehicles later this year, while the North East is due at least 60 next year, not counting the electric vehicles. And that’s just the beginning. Darlington plans to go fully electric by 2027/28, and Blyth is already trialing an electric vehicle with plans to expand to additional services, simply because the data suggests the ranges are a problem - they are actually testing if that is true.

There are other, more significant things happening under the skin of the business, most of it not seen, but at least one big project next year will be in North East.

That level of detail might not be widely known, which is why assumptions like this are so far off the mark. It’s almost laughable how inaccurate they are, but the proof will be in the pudding.

You may wish to bookmark this post and come back to it in 18 months time.

Obviously I haven't taken it from one set of vehicle movements, it's been obvious to anyone keeping an eye on the business for a number of years. You mention 2027/8 and other years in the future (for maybe 2 depots), that is of no use to anyone using these services now or for the past few years.

The cuts to the Teesside network (which have been confirmed on here by those with connections inside Arriva) follow on from other large cuts to the Darlington and Durham networks over the last few years. There has been little to no innovation in the route network (in ADC, slightly different in Northumbria with the constant council tenders), and even when they do make a positive change the tone in their announcements implies surprise that people have started to use the route - see the 16. 

Bar the new vehicle investment situation, which seems to be slowly changing but still far too little to late in some instances, all of the problems with the company at present can be attributed to NE management. They have failed to innovate, they have failed to uphold standards, and they have consistently failed to ensure resources are there to fulfil service delivery. Lots of the issues in the NE could be fixed without huge investment, just some standards would do, but it is clear that those running the NE depots have no standards. Even back to when DB invested, new buses looked fresh for about a week before they were let to rot. 

You say these takes are laughable, but do you use the services? Do you see these vehicles every day? The 57/58-plate E400s are a disgrace when you see them in Newcastle compared to the vehicles operated by any other company. I saw a Northstar DOE this evening on my commute home which, while still red, looked smarter than anything I've seen operate out of Blyth for years. Services out of Newcastle in the peak are constantly either missing or significantly delayed. I see services in the peak leaving Newcastle with crush loads because they've been allocated a Pulsar rather than a decker (Coast Road and Ashington expresses in particular). I see long distance runs to Scotland using clapped out Pulsars with low-back dirty/unpadded moquette seats rather than any of the buses with more comfortable high back, re-trimmed, e-leather seating. I see double deckers allocated to the 434 because of unserviceable minibuses, leaving saloons to take match day loads on the X21. All of these are real life observations from someone who pays money to use these services. 

Let's say there are improvements next year, are they not more likely to be down to the changes at the very top more than the NE level? I'd love to see the business improve, and I think the introduction of new vehicles will help it get there, but the local management of this business for years now has been abysmal and unless that is also changing then any investment will likely be mismanaged anyway. This post, as with my previous one, is in my view an accurate picture of the business in its current state from the outside looking in. If there are things happening internally, then these need to be significant, need to happen quickly, and must be implemented properly.

Effective date: 02 Nov 2025

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