(26 Nov 2025, 10:16 pm)V514DFT wrote I can see this happening and the 307 going back to being the 310, who knows with GNE though, they're good at catching us off guard with something unexpected

See my post in the QA thread. No PVR change but GNE could potentially run a core 7-8 minute service.

I see the new double deckers will be numbered 8000 onwards

(28 Nov 2025, 2:57 am)V514DFT wrote I see the new double deckers will be numbered 8000 onwards

8001 onwards, technically. 
8001 currently at Blyth with 8002/3 delivered to Durham where they will be held until entry to service expected to be in March.

8004/5/6 arrived at Durham yesterday

Two Brand New BYD Deckers are parked in the corner of Darlingtons Faverdale Depot

(10 Dec 2025, 3:47 pm)ross13 wrote Two Brand New BYD Deckers are parked in the corner of Darlingtons Faverdale Depot

As at 12.12, this has increased to 4 decker in storage at Darlington.  No markings or registrations on any of them. Potential for registration from 1.3.26 as 26 plates , I would assume.

The ex London one's you speak of were these things I always remember them being left in the Arriva London livery for a while with Arriva Serving Northumbria logos on them and a green ball where the red one would be for London. They were wasp hives towards the end though.

https://flic.kr/p/icQiYd

https://flic.kr/p/icQJkM

https://flic.kr/p/icQJPT

The BYD Decker's I saw one on test a few weeks back driver familiarization I think it has engineers on also it was on Village Road, High Pit Cramlington. Since then I've not seen anymore though I am surprised they didn't come in the Eco livery.

(31 Dec 2025, 11:54 am)Petet1724 wrote The ex London one's you speak of were these things I always remember them being left in the Arriva London livery for a while with Arriva Serving Northumbria logos on them and a green ball where the red one would be for London. They were wasp hives towards the end though.

https://flic.kr/p/icQiYd

https://flic.kr/p/icQJkM

https://flic.kr/p/icQJPT

I remember the journeys home with the wasps well. The Metro papers on those buses were used a lot!

(31 Dec 2025, 12:26 pm)Shrek wrote I remember the journeys home with the wasps well. The Metro papers on those buses were used a lot!

Any memories of the ex-MTL Olympians which were around in 2001/02? They were sheds!

I vaguely remember the ex London & Country East Lancs Volvo Olympians too when they were introduced in the early Arriva days.

Blyth has had pretty much every vehicle type through it's doors!

(31 Dec 2025, 1:48 pm)L469 YVK wrote Any memories of the ex-MTL Olympians which were around in 2001/02? They were sheds!

I vaguely remember the ex London & Country East Lancs Volvo Olympians too when they were introduced in the early Arriva days.

Blyth has had pretty much every vehicle type through it's doors!

Were the ex MTL Olympians the ones where the lower interior panels were painted in Arriva Turquoise?

It was the ex London ECW bodied Leyland Olympians that had the Arriva interior coloured panels. You can see the staircase painted as such in this photo https://www.flickr.com/photos/gjm-photog...9971505957

The MTL Olympians were known for their foistiness. Though one or two did briefly run in MTL North livery.

Only a handful of the ex Grey Green Scania N113DRB / N-C Palatine 1s ran in Arriva London livery, and those were pending conversion to single door.

Blyths new E400MMCs  will be heading to Silverstone  gp to help with the shuttles before then enter sevice after there  return 


7596 97  will be transferring to Redcar  due to them  school runs  that will require deckers

They should enter service before then, that is not until the start of July, there is no excuse why diesel vehicles can't be used much quicker than that, they have 7596 and 97 which are the same so no driver training is needed, and their Enviro 400 EV has the electric camera mirros so all drivers know that too. I know it is listed in the other thread all stuff that has to be done but none of it takes that long to do really. It is probably just for PR reasons that Arriva want to show off brand new vehicles at high profile event. Who cares about their regular service users at Blyth who haven't used a new vehicle in 14 years.

6 new vehicles is a joke for Blyth anyway. The 14 electrics were government funded, and the last intake of 10 hybrids in 2013 was also government funded, so Arriva have not bought any new vehicles themselves for Blyth since 2012 with 1501 - 5, so 6 14 years later is more a token gesture anyway. They should get far more and get to keep 7596 and 97. Arriva don't care about Blyth, the fleet has been getting steadily worse year after year. The unstuitable ex London deckers with heating that didn't work have been replaced with the 57 plate Enciro's which have had very hard lives where the heating also dosen't work, plus a load of extra Pulsars which are too small, and now probably more worn out cascades from Ashington on top of these 6.

At the very least Blyth should get Ashington 17 plates which still aren't too bad, but they are leaving the region. Blyth should have got a bigger share of the new order than 6 buses and 19 to Ashington. Just because Blyth's routes are less demanding than Ashington arriva see it as an excuse to dump really old buses here as well as too small buses.

I am totally sick of Arriva. Blyth won't even get these 6 new buses before Arriva have used them to show brand new vehicles off at a high profile event. In the mean time we have 7501 still in service breaks down virtually every day, 1499 which probably hasn't had interior touched since 2012, but Arriva couldn't care less as they want to show off these vehicles at a 2 day event brand new.

I would never set foot on an Arriva bus again if there was any sort of competitor around here.

---

Give Redcar something older, they already have 72 plates on just the P&R and other 72 plates which will soon be seasonal services older. They could have 7527 and 28 for these new services. Arriva treats Blyth as bottom of the pile constantly.

(30 May 2026, 11:27 pm)Arriva7446 wrote They should enter service before then, that is not until the start of July, there is no excuse why diesel vehicles can't be used much quicker than that, they have 7596 and 97 which are the same so no driver training is needed, and their Enviro 400 EV has the electric camera mirros so all drivers know that too. I know it is listed in the other thread all stuff that has to be done but none of it takes that long to do really. It is probably just for PR reasons that Arriva want to show off brand new vehicles at high profile event. Who cares about their regular service users at Blyth who haven't used a new vehicle in 14 years.

6 new vehicles is a joke for Blyth anyway. The 14 electrics were government funded, and the last intake of 10 hybrids in 2013 was also government funded, so Arriva have not bought any new vehicles themselves for Blyth since 2012 with 1501 - 5, so 6 14 years later is more a token gesture anyway. They should get far more and get to keep 7596 and 97. Arriva don't care about Blyth, the fleet has been getting steadily worse year after year. The unstuitable ex London deckers with heating that didn't work have been replaced with the 57 plate Enciro's which have had very hard lives where the heating also dosen't work, plus a load of extra Pulsars which are too small, and now probably more worn out cascades from Ashington on top of these 6.

At the very least Blyth should get Ashington 17 plates which still aren't too bad, but they are leaving the region. Blyth should have got a bigger share of the new order than 6 buses and 19 to Ashington. Just because Blyth's routes are less demanding than Ashington arriva see it as an excuse to dump really old buses here as well as too small buses.

I am totally sick of Arriva. Blyth won't even get these 6 new buses before Arriva have used them to show brand new vehicles off at a high profile event. In the mean time we have 7501 still in service breaks down virtually every day, 1499 which probably hasn't had interior touched since 2012, but Arriva couldn't care less as they want to show off these vehicles at a 2 day event brand new.

I would never set foot on an Arriva bus again if there was any sort of competitor around here.

---

Give Redcar something older, they already have 72 plates on just the P&R and other 72 plates which will soon be seasonal services older. They could have 7527 and 28 for these new services. Arriva treats Blyth as bottom of the pile constantly.

While I agree that these 6 MMCs should be in service prior to Silverstone, it does make sense (even if you don't like it) to prioritise the depot with a significantly more demanding set of routes. 

I'd anticipate that Blyth will likely be fully electrified, hence the extensive trial of the E400EV. If that is their plan, then realistically you'd think there'll be one big order in the coming years to see off the DB300s. 

In terms of the single deckers being used, this is an issue Arriva wide. They don't have enough deckers, so this 2026 order should begin to rectify that. I imagine the 6 Blyth E400MMCs are to replace 1500-1505, with the BYDs replacing the remaining 57/58 plate E400s and any other Pulsars. Outside of the region, but the Luton MMCs are replacing B7RLE saloons on the 321 - another order to deal with capacity issues. 

Agreed that 1499 is an absolute state, and should be nowhere near a service which hospital staff use. The thing is disgusting inside, and it's yet another sign that ANE management could not care less about vehicle presentation or cleanliness.

(30 May 2026, 11:27 pm)Arriva7446 wrote Give Redcar something older, they already have 72 plates on just the P&R and other 72 plates which will soon be seasonal services older. They could have 7527 and 28 for these new services. Arriva treats Blyth as bottom of the pile constantly.

So you want to give a depot with highly demanding routes that are allocated deckers two older deckers to cover two set boards, rather than as Arriva are planning to do and give Redcar vehicles of similar age to what they already have allowing them to mix the fleet up (for example - allow them to have 7596 on the school 63 board one day then on an X94 the following day with one of the others doing the 63 instead). I'm sure the only people that would be happy with Redcar having 2 older E400s would be Alpha's accountants with all the towing fees for them......

(30 May 2026, 11:40 pm)PH - BQA wrote While I agree that these 6 MMCs should be in service prior to Silverstone, it does make sense (even if you don't like it) to prioritise the depot with a significantly more demanding set of routes. 

I'd anticipate that Blyth will likely be fully electrified, hence the extensive trial of the E400EV. If that is their plan, then realistically you'd think there'll be one big order in the coming years to see off the DB300s. 

In terms of the single deckers being used, this is an issue Arriva wide. They don't have enough deckers, so this 2026 order should begin to rectify that. I imagine the 6 Blyth E400MMCs are to replace 1500-1505, with the BYDs replacing the remaining 57/58 plate E400s and any other Pulsars. Outside of the region, but the Luton MMCs are replacing B7RLE saloons on the 321 - another order to deal with capacity issues. 

Agreed that 1499 is an absolute state, and should be nowhere near a service which hospital staff use. The thing is disgusting inside, and it's yet another sign that ANE management could not care less about vehicle presentation or cleanliness.

Can't see 1500-1505 going mind, not yet.

7601-7608, 7611-15, 7557/8/60/2, 7501/3/6/9, 1389/90/1/2/3/1404/19/63/80/93/5/6, 7541-52, 7596/7

That's what's going imo.

The only missing bit is do the 7541-52 go to Yorkshire and if they do what's leaving Ashington to Blyth. Is it the E400's or is it a chunk of the 72 Plate E400MMC's as both could go really.

(31 May 2026, 6:30 am)Kuyoyo wrote So you want to give a depot with highly demanding routes that are allocated deckers two older deckers to cover two set boards, rather than as Arriva are planning to do and give Redcar vehicles of similar age to what they already have allowing them to mix the fleet up (for example - allow them to have 7596 on the school 63 board one day then on an X94 the following day with one of the others doing the 63 instead). I'm sure the only people that would be happy with Redcar having 2 older E400s would be Alpha's accountants with all the towing fees for them......

And do you honestly see that happening - as I most certainly dont!

(31 May 2026, 11:48 am)citaro5284 wrote And do you honestly see that happening - as I most certainly dont!

Personally I don't really understand why they need them, at all. They should've just sent 10 new E400MMC's to Whitby and 8 of them can do the X93/X94 and the other 2 on the school buses.

The X93/X94 can easily cope with a single on some boards outside the holidays and weekends.

Once you take out weekends, the 12 weeks the kids are off school (Summer / Easter / October + 2 Half Terms) and the months it's in a winter timetable anyway there's not a hell of a lot left really. I really don't understand why'd you want buses of a mixed age on a hard route anyway, even known they're only 4 years but it's a big difference on a route like that.

(31 May 2026, 7:35 am)Storx wrote Can't see 1500-1505 going mind, not yet.

7601-7608, 7611-15, 7557/8/60/2, 7501/3/6/9, 1389/90/1/2/3/1404/19/63/80/93/5/6, 7541-52, 7596/7

That's what's going imo.

The only missing bit is do the 7541-52 go to Yorkshire and if they do what's leaving Ashington to Blyth. Is it the E400's or is it a chunk of the 72 Plate E400MMC's as both could go really.

Why would u get rid of all them perfectly fine Pulsars. There ain't anything wrong with them have a use

You seem to have a lot of fantasies ideas on where you would send buses but dont seem to have an idea

(30 May 2026, 11:27 pm)Arriva7446 wrote They should enter service before then, that is not until the start of July, there is no excuse why diesel vehicles can't be used much quicker than that, they have 7596 and 97 which are the same so no driver training is needed, and their Enviro 400 EV has the electric camera mirros so all drivers know that too. I know it is listed in the other thread all stuff that has to be done but none of it takes that long to do really. It is probably just for PR reasons that Arriva want to show off brand new vehicles at high profile event. Who cares about their regular service users at Blyth who haven't used a new vehicle in 14 years.

6 new vehicles is a joke for Blyth anyway. The 14 electrics were government funded, and the last intake of 10 hybrids in 2013 was also government funded, so Arriva have not bought any new vehicles themselves for Blyth since 2012 with 1501 - 5, so 6 14 years later is more a token gesture anyway. They should get far more and get to keep 7596 and 97. Arriva don't care about Blyth, the fleet has been getting steadily worse year after year. The unstuitable ex London deckers with heating that didn't work have been replaced with the 57 plate Enciro's which have had very hard lives where the heating also dosen't work, plus a load of extra Pulsars which are too small, and now probably more worn out cascades from Ashington on top of these 6.

At the very least Blyth should get Ashington 17 plates which still aren't too bad, but they are leaving the region. Blyth should have got a bigger share of the new order than 6 buses and 19 to Ashington. Just because Blyth's routes are less demanding than Ashington arriva see it as an excuse to dump really old buses here as well as too small buses.

I am totally sick of Arriva. Blyth won't even get these 6 new buses before Arriva have used them to show brand new vehicles off at a high profile event. In the mean time we have 7501 still in service breaks down virtually every day, 1499 which probably hasn't had interior touched since 2012, but Arriva couldn't care less as they want to show off these vehicles at a 2 day event brand new.

I would never set foot on an Arriva bus again if there was any sort of competitor around here.

---

Give Redcar something older, they already have 72 plates on just the P&R and other 72 plates which will soon be seasonal services older. They could have 7527 and 28 for these new services. Arriva treats Blyth as bottom of the pile constantly.

Why should Redcar get old all the time its about time that area had investment on bigger money make routes such as the x93  northrumbra can't have every single new bus because u want them  at blyth 

For u to moan more blyths new mmcs 26 Plates will  be head to Silverstone go shuttles

(31 May 2026, 12:17 pm)Storx wrote Personally I don't really understand why they need them, at all. They should've just sent 10 new E400MMC's to Whitby and 8 of them can do the X93/X94 and the other 2 on the school buses.

The X93/X94 can easily cope with a single on some boards outside the holidays and weekends.

Once you take out weekends, the 12 weeks the kids are off school (Summer / Easter / October + 2 Half Terms) and the months it's in a winter timetable anyway there's not a hell of a lot left really. I really don't understand why'd you want buses of a mixed age on a hard route anyway, even known they're only 4 years but it's a big difference on a route like that.

The most stupidly comment ever  no the x93 can't cope with single deckers due to be high independent 24/7 all year around  u want people  standing from Middlesbrough all the way to Scarborough   another  person who doesn't  actually know how busy the x93 gets

The deckers that be used on scholars will more likely remain in local  such as 62s as been mentioned that 63s can have e400mmcs  as low hight and would be able to fit Marton bridge without any issues

(31 May 2026, 2:16 pm)Dan manger wrote The most stupidly comment ever  no the x93 can't cope with single deckers due to be high independent 24/7 all year around  u want people  standing from Middlesbrough all the way to Scarborough   another  person who doesn't  actually know how busy the x93 gets

The deckers that be used on scholars will more likely remain in local  such as 62s as been mentioned that 63s can have e400mmcs  as low hight and would be able to fit Marton bridge without any issues

What the single deckers that have been on the best part of 4 year daily now without any issues? 

Theres not huge loads for the X93 bar a few boards outside the Summer peak times and if Redcar can't keep 8 buses running from 10 brand new vehicles then that's a Redcar issue.

(31 May 2026, 1:35 pm)Nerd4321 wrote Why would u get rid of all them perfectly fine Pulsars. There ain't anything wrong with them have a use

You seem to have a lot of fantasies ideas on where you would send buses but dont seem to have an idea

Because they're the oldest vehicles in the fleet and are being used on services which should arguably be double decker, 

Arriva Northumbria should be fully double deck for the: 
-X14/X15/X16/X18/777 (X16/777 don't need them really but if they're gonna end up on the other three then they do)
-X20/X30
-X21/X22
-35
-43/44/45
-306/308
-X7/X8/X9/X10

The only single deck routes should be the:
-1/57/57A (PVR 8)
-2 (PVR 4)
-553 (PVR 1)
-X9 (PVR 5)
-434 (Solo PVR 1)

So Northumbria only need 20 or so singles to cover a PVR of 18 where they currently have 8 Streetlites and 31 Pulsars
Blyth only needs 1499-1505 for the 553 and X9 - any other Pulsars there can go
Ashington only need 1574-78 and 81-83, 1512-13 plus a handful of others - ideally these Pulsars would be swapped for more Streetlites from Durham County which may come about when Darlo goes fully electric. 

Pulsars have been good workhorses but the oldest ones are at 16 years old now and they're at varying levels of acceptability internally. Although a practical standpoint would be for the oldest go first I would argue any with fabric seats rather than e-leather or that haven't ever had an internal refurb need to go first, so for example 1499 although it would make sense for it to stay should go before an older ex-MAX example like 1404 or 1409. Having said that down in NW and Wales they've been giving internal refreshes to 13-plate Pulsars so who knows.

(31 May 2026, 1:35 pm)Nerd4321 wrote Why would u get rid of all them perfectly fine Pulsars. There ain't anything wrong with them have a use

You seem to have a lot of fantasies ideas on where you would send buses but dont seem to have an idea

Blyth
1499-1505 | X9/553
9x E400/E400MMC / 6x New E400 MMC / 18x 61 Plate DB300 | X7/X8/X10/X11/306/308
14x Electrics | 43/44/45

Ashington
19x New Enviro 400 MMC | X14/X15/X16/X18/777
6x E400MMC | X20/X30
6x B9TL | 35
14x E400/E400MMC | X21/X22
8x Streetlite / 1512/13/37-43 | 1/2/57/57A

There you go, none of that stuff is needed in frontline service, and I'd be quite surprised if it's not far off that, extra buses been thrown in for spare reasons so they don't match the actual PVR.

(31 May 2026, 3:50 pm)Storx wrote 1512/13/37-43 | 1/2/57/57A

There you go, none of that stuff is needed in frontline service, and I'd be quite surprised if it's not far off that, extra buses been thrown in for spare reasons so they don't match the actual PVR.

I’d be shocked if 1537-43 remained. They’re some of the worst buses I’ve been on internally across all companies, let alone ANE, and their external presentation is also the worst in the fleet. They are also absolute liabilities.

(31 May 2026, 4:24 pm)PH - BQA wrote I’d be shocked if 1537-43 remained. They’re some of the worst buses I’ve been on internally across all companies, let alone ANE, and their external presentation is also the worst in the fleet. They are also absolute liabilities.

Oh I don't disagree but it's Arriva so yeah...

Guessing whatever stays won't be round for long though if Darlington's going electric, no doubt the Streetlite's will be coming tbh, as shite as they are, but when there's already 8 here and you really only need another 4 probably makes sense really.

(31 May 2026, 4:24 pm)PH - BQA wrote I’d be shocked if 1537-43 remained. They’re some of the worst buses I’ve been on internally across all companies, let alone ANE, and their external presentation is also the worst in the fleet. They are also absolute liabilities.

Ive seen worse Pulsars. 1537/38/39/40 are actually really decent and quick and work well. Rarely see them off the road. 41/42 can be hit and miss but work well

The less said about 1543 the better.

---

(31 May 2026, 3:50 pm)Storx wrote Blyth
1499-1505 | X9/553
9x E400/E400MMC / 6x New E400 MMC / 18x 61 Plate DB300 | X7/X8/X10/X11/306/308
14x Electrics | 43/44/45

Ashington
19x New Enviro 400 MMC | X14/X15/X16/X18/777
6x E400MMC | X20/X30
6x B9TL | 35
14x E400/E400MMC | X21/X22
8x Streetlite / 1512/13/37-43 | 1/2/57/57A

There you go, none of that stuff is needed in frontline service, and I'd be quite surprised if it's not far off that, extra buses been thrown in for spare reasons so they don't match the actual PVR.

Id rather have the Pulsars over the StreetLites imo as they are better work horses and can be shown to be put through the power. A StreetLite on the other hand can in many ways be to unreliable.

(31 May 2026, 3:40 pm)Storx wrote What the single deckers that have been on the best part of 4 year daily now without any issues? 

Theres not huge loads for the X93 bar a few boards outside the Summer peak times and if Redcar can't keep 8 buses running from 10 brand new vehicles then that's a Redcar issue.

Well im telling  u ur wrong!!!! 
 Its not all about northrumbra u  moan about 7596 97  moving to Redcar  those where never a permanent  vechale at blyth only temporary  but northrumbra  veg do love to argue

(31 May 2026, 6:31 pm)Nerd4321 wrote Id rather have the Pulsars over the StreetLites imo as they are better work horses and can be shown to be put through the power. A StreetLite on the other hand can in many ways be to unreliable.

Honestly can't disagree with you there, think most people would. Sadly they're newer and that's all they'll care about tbh. 

I'm the same with the DB300's over the E400's aswell, much better vehicles - as a passenger at least, even known they're 5 year older. Unsure what the driver's think, quite curious but the state of some of them like 7530 wouldn't be surprised if it's same.

(31 May 2026, 7:46 pm)Dan manger wrote Well im telling  u ur wrong!!!! 
 Its not all about northrumbra u  moan about 7596 97  moving to Redcar  those where never a permanent  vechale at blyth only temporary  but northrumbra  veg do love to argue

7596/7 where permanent vehicles at Blyth actually, they where covering for services while Blyth waiting for their charges to be installed for the BYDs to enter service, the only reason why 7596/7 are moving to Redcar is because they are going to be used on school boards from what I’ve heard