That's another 2 vehicle types which have just gone out the Arriva fleet in the past week or so, the Optare Solo and Temsa Avenue.

Must say, can't say I'll miss either tbh. 

The Optare Solo (non SR) has really gone out, under the radar, since they were everywhere at one point.

I kind of hope a Temsa Avenue gets preserved, even if it is a warning to future generations.

(19 Dec 2025, 9:27 pm)Storx wrote That's another 2 vehicle types which have just gone out the Arriva fleet in the past week or so, the Optare Solo and Temsa Avenue.

Must say, can't say I'll miss either tbh. 

The Optare Solo (non SR) has really gone out, under the radar, since they were everywhere at one point.

With former 2810 being withdrawn from Tunbridge Wells, I believe that would be the last 28XX Solo Arriva NE has owned gone? Sad to think since I quite liked those Solos and there were a canny amount of them.

2863 2866 still in operation at arriva midlands

(19 Dec 2025, 8:42 pm)ross13 wrote Yes 2841 has officially been withdrawn

Newly transfer to darlington 

Darlingtons 1369 ex yorkshire1449 1450 as arrived at darlington and 1369 is out on the x66

(19 Dec 2025, 7:21 pm)9920up wrote Is it the end for Solo 2841? Currently has the "red steering wheel cover of death" in place as well as a " no service " label in the windscreen. Sleeping quietly in Darlington yard.

Yes allegedly been sold as well

I had the misfortune of using Arriva yesterday, Service 2 from Blyth to Morpeth. I was waiting for the 1152 departure which failed to operate (arrived at Blyth around 1215 and left Not in Sevice). The 1222 did operate, one of the infamous Solo SRs. This made it to the Phoenix taxi office before breaking down. Driver was advised to continue (bus was absolutely rammed) and it limped to Bedlington Station before dying. The bus after the one I was one (1252 departure) also failed to operate. According to the driver the Solo had only just been released from engineering replacing a full sized single decker.

Seemingly big gaps in service and unreliable vehicles (the driver was told by the engineer that there was a lack of available vehicles). Once I arrived in Morpeth (close to 1400) I noticed a very cosy Pulsar on the X18 heading North towards Alnwick.

Take this with a pinch of salt, but I was on DM01-MD today and the driver was having a conversation with a GNE Q3 and/or an Ashingtkn driver and they said that having tried the BYD at Blyth their and othwrs drivers concensusr was that DM01-MD was the nicer of the two. Obivsally that is very subjective and the real proof will be when the BYDs enter service and get bedded in.

(23 Dec 2025, 11:36 pm)solsburian wrote Take this with a pinch of salt, but I was on DM01-MD today and the driver was having a conversation with a GNE Q3 and/or an Ashingtkn driver and they said that having tried the BYD at Blyth their and othwrs drivers concensusr was that DM01-MD was the nicer of the two. Obivsally that is very subjective  and the real proof will be when the BYDs enter service and get bedded in.

Chatting to a driver on Friday about the new BYD he said he's been out in it a couple of times and is really impressed. As you say, it is likely subjective like with any vehicle and different drivers will have different preferences.

(24 Dec 2025, 7:23 am)Shrek wrote Chatting to a driver on Friday about the new BYD he said he's been out in it a couple of times and is really impressed. As you say, it is likely subjective like with any vehicle and different drivers will have different preferences.

I should learn to spell haha. Anyway, from what I’ve experienced so far, EVs give a far quieter and smoother ride, resulting in a better onboard experience.

Ex Yorkshire (now allocated to Darlington) Pulsar 1450 has entered service at Darlington on 1/5s

(09 Jan 2026, 3:50 pm)ross13 wrote Ex Yorkshire (now allocated to Darlington) Pulsar 1450 has entered service at Darlington on 1/5s

I heard Ex Arriva Yorkshire 1450 now Arriva North East 1450 is gonna be used as Stockton Garage Trainer the same as 1534 is Durhams Garage Trainer & 1430 is Redcars Garage Trainer

(10 Jan 2026, 6:57 am)busesofthenortheast wrote I heard Ex Arriva Yorkshire 1450 now Arriva North East 1450 is gonna be used as Stockton Garage Trainer the same as 1534 is Durhams Garage Trainer & 1430 is Redcars Garage Trainer

1450 will be eventually going to Stockton but due to the high number of VORS are Darlington is temporary allocated there for service

New engineering management still not sorting the basics at Ashington.

I saw 1462 expired in Newcastle around 1550, after not making run out this morning. Once again, given their track record, you’d assume whatever issue it had wasn’t properly fixed.

7548, which broke down on the 434 on Tuesday and didn’t appear yesterday, broke down on the X14 tonight on the last run.

1393, which didn’t make runout yesterday morning, was sent for this mornings Wooler and broke down - resulting in a once per day service running 90 minutes late.

1538, which failed on the X18 yesterday, failed to make runout this morning and then failed to complete the X21 board it was put on.

Of the 17 plates, only 6 tracked today. 7548 and 7552 both expired at different points, so there are 4 fully functioning buses out of a batch of 12.

As much as the engineering isn’t getting any better, it isn’t being helped by quite frankly moronic allocations. Sending 16 year old Pulsars to do daily Wooler services while you allocate 3 year old MMCs on the 434 should be a sackable offence. The amount of Pulsars and Streetlites sent onto X18 boards recently is laughable given the known capacity issues on a few of them - 1404 did two school runs on its board today.

Things might not change “overnight” - as is the frequent response to the criticism of the inept morons running that place - but even the Titanic turned quicker than this. Seems to be no appetite from management to draft in extra vehicles - while Blyth gained 3 extra MMCs over November and December to paint a whopping 1 bus at a time (and stopped short of completing their full batch of *6* 12-plate Pulsars, once again displaying the inability of the people running this circus to see through any plan).

Hopefully the lack of action prompts the local councillor to follow up on her meeting with them, baffled that the Traffic Commissioner hasn’t been involved yet given the state of the 35.

(15 Jan 2026, 9:43 pm)PH - BQA wrote New engineering management still not sorting the basics at Ashington.

I saw 1462 expired in Newcastle around 1550, after not making run out this morning. Once again, given their track record, you’d assume whatever issue it had wasn’t properly fixed.

7548, which broke down on the 434 on Tuesday and didn’t appear yesterday, broke down on the X14 tonight on the last run.

1393, which didn’t make runout yesterday morning, was sent for this mornings Wooler and broke down - resulting in a once per day service running 90 minutes late.

1538, which failed on the X18 yesterday, failed to make runout this morning and then failed to complete the X21 board it was put on.

Of the 17 plates, only 6 tracked today. 7548 and 7552 both expired at different points, so there are 4 fully functioning buses out of a batch of 12.

As much as the engineering isn’t getting any better, it isn’t being helped by quite frankly moronic allocations. Sending 16 year old Pulsars to do daily Wooler services while you allocate 3 year old MMCs on the 434 should be a sackable offence. The amount of Pulsars and Streetlites sent onto X18 boards recently is laughable given the known capacity issues on a few of them - 1404 did two school runs on its board today.

Things might not change “overnight” - as is the frequent response to the criticism of the inept morons running that place - but even the Titanic turned quicker than this. Seems to be no appetite from management to draft in extra vehicles - while Blyth gained 3 extra MMCs over November and December to paint a whopping 1 bus at a time (and stopped short of completing their full batch of *6* 12-plate Pulsars, once again displaying the inability of the people running this circus to see through any plan).

Hopefully the lack of action prompts the local councillor to follow up on her meeting with them, baffled that the Traffic Commissioner hasn’t been involved yet given the state of the 35.

Meanwhile, Redcar is surprisingly the best performing depot at the moment, loaning out vehicle after vehicle to Stockton, Durham and Northumbria and still managing to do their services at the same time. Kind of a shock to be honest considering Redcar was shocking not that long ago.

Mind, there is still Pulsars knocking about on the X4 and X93 along with Evoras branded for the X4 on the X93 and the X93 Branded B9's on the 62. Kind of a mess of allocations which is typical for Redcar as they've always put stuff out on anything they feel like, but from an engineering point of view, Redcar seemed to be getting vehicles out on the road as quickly as possible and in great condition.

Yeah every vehicle at Ashington coming back from off road has 2 or 3 false starts normally. 3051 had about a week of false starts, but so did 1497, 7564, 7546, 1393... It's a very consistent pattern.

(15 Jan 2026, 11:18 pm)Arriva7446 wrote Yeah every vehicle at Ashington coming back from off road has 2 or 3 false starts normally. 3051 had about a week of false starts, but so did 1497, 7564, 7546, 1393... It's a very consistent pattern.

Yes, and it’s been ongoing for years. 7530 is exactly the same, and that’s been that way since about 2021. First day back for it today since December and they’ve put it onto an X18 - mental decision making. 

They send things back out without proper road tests, so as soon as they’re pushed back into service prematurely and need to do more than a trip around Ashington they break - every time.

(16 Jan 2026, 7:43 am)PH - BQA wrote Yes, and it’s been ongoing for years. 7530 is exactly the same, and that’s been that way since about 2021. First day back for it today since December and they’ve put it onto an X18 - mental decision making. 

They send things back out without proper road tests, so as soon as they’re pushed back into service prematurely and need to do more than a trip around Ashington they break - every time.

Wow on an X18, that's crazy! I probably would have put it on a 1 or a 2, indeed 7553 is on the 2 so it could have done that board instead.

Looks like 7578 is on the X18 today though which is sensible at least.

(16 Jan 2026, 12:17 pm)Arriva7446 wrote Wow on an X18, that's crazy! I probably would have put it on a 1 or a 2, indeed 7553 is on the 2 so it could have done that board instead.

Looks like 7578 is on the X18 today though which is sensible at least.

In fairness it has managed it, but insane to choose to put it on there when it's managed about 5 days of service in the past 3 months.

This is the wrong thread for it but while Ashington's reliability remains very poor, perhaps a ray of light with the new management is that on NUFC home matches it seems that Arriva Northumbria are running duplicate busses (at least at Blyth depot).

(Yesterday, 12:48 am)solsburian wrote This is the wrong thread for it but while Ashington's reliability remains very poor, perhaps a ray of light with the new management is that on NUFC home matches it seems that Arriva Northumbria are running duplicate busses (at least at Blyth depot).

In fairness, even through DB times they always tended to put dupes on for home matches during the week. Usually Ashington did an X21 or X22, and an X18 - they no longer do the latter as there’s a later X15 now. 

Blyth always seemed to be however many drivers they could get to stay back, but there always tended to be an X10/11 dupe and a coast from memory.