(25 Sep 2025, 6:51 pm)Storx wrote Wouldn't surprise me if they did, the Pulsar's need to go not any deckers.

If they do withdraw them then it's going to leave 5 spares Pulsar's and they should be nowhere near the X7/X8/X10/X11 or 306/308 which is the only place they can go.

imo 7501-7/9, 1443*/63/80/93/5/6 should be what goes leaving 1499-5 for the 553/X9 and everything else Decker operated.

If the trial goes well, they could easily upgrade the 306/8 or X7/8/10/11 which would see off the 58 Plate E400's and 59 Plate DB300's. I'm sure there's a case for both.

*If it hasn't gone 

 Bye all counts Durham will be doing all x12s so  i would of thought  1441 1443 15 would transfer straight to Durham for the x12s then Stockton sends the rest for the x12s

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(25 Sep 2025, 8:43 pm)Storx wrote Yeah you're right sorry, got mixed up with 1499 at Blyth. Meant 1390-4.


I think they're supposed to be at Ashington right now for things being repainted there - assume it'll be the 17 Plate E400MMC's getting done, unsure what their future is though. I think all of the 1370-99 are Euro 6 though, so guess they could send anything really.

Ones at Blyth currently though, unsure why though when Ashington is the one struggling.

There could also send 1380 89  as there also e6 aswell plus 1405 to

I can't see the 306 & 308 going EV until franchising as a bid would most likely need to include the 307 & 309, unless GNE can work out a way to keep a North Tyneside operation with EV's.

(25 Sep 2025, 8:44 pm)Bob5666 wrote  Bye all counts Durham will be doing all x12s so  i would of thought  1441 1443 15 would transfer straight to Durham for the x12s then Stockton sends the rest for the x12s

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There could also send 1380 89  as there also e6 aswell plus 1405 to

You don’t need to send loads of pulsars from Stockton to Durham for X12 because Durham has buses that can do X12 aswell, 1415, 1441 & 1443 will probably return to Stockton when they finish at Ashington

(25 Sep 2025, 9:54 pm)busesofthenortheast wrote You don’t need to send loads of pulsars from Stockton to Durham for X12 because Durham has buses that can do X12 aswell, 1415, 1441 & 1443 will probably return to Stockton when they finish at Ashington

How do you work that out when Stockton need less vehicles and Durham need more? 
5 boards are transferring so 5 buses will go with them.

(25 Sep 2025, 9:54 pm)busesofthenortheast wrote You don’t need to send loads of pulsars from Stockton to Durham for X12 because Durham has buses that can do X12 aswell, 1415, 1441 & 1443 will probably return to Stockton when they finish at Ashington

Durham doesn't have the buses if it did they would use there own vehicle to cover the 7 board for Darlington which resulted in Darlington sending on loan 1516  to Durham with the keyboard

(25 Sep 2025, 9:54 pm)busesofthenortheast wrote You don’t need to send loads of pulsars from Stockton to Durham for X12 because Durham has buses that can do X12 aswell, 1415, 1441 & 1443 will probably return to Stockton when they finish at Ashington

Ur forgetting  Durham are getting all the x12s  so pulsars will leave Stockton

(26 Sep 2025, 1:59 am)tyresmoke wrote How do you work that out when Stockton need less vehicles and Durham need more? 
5 boards are transferring so 5 buses will go with them.

He don't like the fact that's Stockton are losing 
As u say boards  so which will see 5 vechales transferred other  same  with the 5a I herd  two vechales will transfer to Redcar with the 5A i been told

(26 Sep 2025, 7:26 am)Bob5666 wrote He don't like the fact that's Stockton are losing 
As u say boards  so which will see 5 vechales transferred other  same  with the 5a I herd  two vechales will transfer to Redcar with the 5A i been told

Maybe if certain people stopped acting like their depot is the most important.

Let’s not forget Redcar is also seeing a PVR decrease from these changes - the 63 is reduced to every 15 minutes but with the 5A interworking with that, that will actually increase the Saturday PVR. Plus the end of the Summer season sees the 5 Summer workings ending meaning the P&R deckers and at least 3 of the B9s will be spare for the winter. Redcar in theory will be able to cover the additional work with their own fleet.

(26 Sep 2025, 7:53 am)Kuyoyo wrote Maybe if certain people stopped acting like their depot is the most important.

Let’s not forget Redcar is also seeing a PVR decrease from these changes - the 63 is reduced to every 15 minutes but with the 5A interworking with that, that will actually increase the Saturday PVR. Plus the end of the Summer season sees the 5 Summer workings ending meaning the P&R deckers and at least 3 of the B9s will be spare for the winter. Redcar in theory will be able to cover the additional work with 

 

Apparently  DB300's could be leaving   as next year  as its been mentioned there wont meet the age agreement on the park and ride  due to them been  15 years old i bleve

(25 Sep 2025, 9:07 pm)L469 YVK wrote I can't see the 306 & 308 going EV until franchising as a bid would most likely need to include the 307 & 309, unless GNE can work out a way to keep a North Tyneside operation with EV's.

Why would Arriva care about what GNE were using for their services? There has been a lot of investment in electric by Arriva recently, and I don't think it is all linked to bids. 

Even if they did get funding, why would it need to be a joint bid? 

As much as there is a partnership in the scheduling and ticketing, even now there is a very different approach to vehicle allocation from each company - so I don't see why there'd need to be alignment on that.

(26 Sep 2025, 10:34 am)PH - BQA wrote Why would Arriva care about what GNE were using for their services? There has been a lot of investment in electric by Arriva recently, and I don't think it is all linked to bids. 

Even if they did get funding, why would it need to be a joint bid? 

As much as there is a partnership in the scheduling and ticketing, even now there is a very different approach to vehicle allocation from each company - so I don't see why there'd need to be alignment on that.

A joint bid would be a lot stronger and have a lot more weighting, especially given the partnership.

(26 Sep 2025, 7:26 am)Bob5666 wrote He don't like the fact that's Stockton are losing 
As u say boards  so which will see 5 vechales transferred other  same  with the 5a I herd  two vechales will transfer to Redcar with the 5A i been told

Its not the fact that Stockton are losing actually, I know Durham are getting the X12s so you can’t have a go at someone for making a mistake & also you need to realise that 5As are only moving temporarily not permanent

(26 Sep 2025, 10:34 am)PH - BQA wrote Why would Arriva care about what GNE were using for their services? There has been a lot of investment in electric by Arriva recently, and I don't think it is all linked to bids. 

Even if they did get funding, why would it need to be a joint bid? 

As much as there is a partnership in the scheduling and ticketing, even now there is a very different approach to vehicle allocation from each company - so I don't see why there'd need to be alignment on that.

Personally I'd be surprised if they did the 306/308. The 308 is a strong route, no question of a doubt, but the 306 isn't a route which they've regularly invested in over the years. 

The X7/X8/X10/X11 imo would be the better routes considering they've had nothing since 2009/11 now, with housing expansion all over the place (Cramlington / Killingworth / South Blyth) plus the trains competing against them - it probably would be sensible to do something to actually fight back a bit as a battered DB300 isn't exactly a big selling point really.

It's generally how those routes have been invested in, for at least 30 years, with the Scania's in 1996/97 - unsure before that.

(25 Sep 2025, 7:07 pm)Storx wrote Yeah agreed, to be honest, I'd be tempted to send them to Ashington and withdraw 1394-1399/1404 either as there's not much chance of the 1/2/57/57A getting anything new, I can't remember the 2/57/57A or their previous carnations ever getting anything new, ever, and I'm not counting the Vario's that were stored in a field. 

By all the rumours going around it seems like there's a lot of Pulsar's on the chopping block and putting 2+2 together, the fact the 09/10 Plates are 'paint floats' which need painting thereselves I'm going to put my neck on the line and say that most vehicles 09/59/10 Plate are on borrowed time but that is a big assumption. I'm sure we'll learn soon enough though when things aren't getting repainted.

Edit some quick maths if the 60 vehicles excluding electrics rumour is true.

60+ Mystery Buses
8/9 Electrics for the 2 (forgot which)
14 Electrics for Durham (7 E400's to go)
5 From Blyth

That's not a kick in teeth away from that either as a very quick count I get 83 Pulsars 10 Plate or older with/without Blyth's tbh.

It’s been posted there are 60 new diesels arriving over the next year or so. Add the electrics of:
14x Blyth
14x Durham
21x Darlington

Brings the total of new vehicles to 109.
Obviously minus any cascades out of the fleet (potentially 14x E200) shows you how many will be withdrawn.

(26 Sep 2025, 10:33 pm)tyresmoke wrote It’s been posted there are 60 new diesels arriving over the next year or so. Add the electrics of:
14x Blyth
14x Durham
21x Darlington

Brings the total of new vehicles to 109.
Obviously minus any cascades out of the fleet (potentially 14x E200) shows you how many will be withdrawn.

Seems like it's pretty much nailed on then as assuming the 15 older E400's go then that's 80 buses. 

Massive speculation but assume the big project that was mentioned is going to be at Redcar as, in theory, they should be Pulsar free.

(27 Sep 2025, 6:22 am)Storx wrote Seems like it's pretty much nailed on then as assuming the 15 older E400's go then that's 80 buses. 

Massive speculation but assume the big project that was mentioned is going to be at Redcar as, in theory, they should be Pulsar free.

 By all counts that's changed  its now temsas are supposed to be gone by November December  I was  told that information by staff  who knows what's going on

1421 as returned to Redcar after been on loan to Stockton currently on the 62 in to Redcar

Drove behind a very battered looking 1426 this morning. Sounded as though it was struggling with gear changes spent a while in first gear

1428 is currently at Durham on the X46. Not sure it's tracking though.

(03 Oct 2025, 12:56 pm)alexanderdennis0312933 wrote 1428 is currently at Durham on the X46. Not sure it's tracking though.

Probably be on loan possibly