(03 Aug 2020, 10:58 am)Kuyoyo wrote Incorrect there, Lothian are expecting some ADL-bodied Volvo B5TLs in the future (somewhat delayed due to the current situation but they are still expecting them) along with some B8RLEs with ADL bodywork due sometime this year - they dropped Wrightbus as a body supplier after the shocking quality of the 2018 batch of B5TLs for the main fleet (which were rattling and falling apart within weeks of entering service). And their small batch of Streetair Electrics have already been withdrawn due to reliability issues along with the fact they are too small for the majority of the routes including one of their planned home routes.

The simple fact is this, ADL have made major improvements to their range with the move to Euro6 and have expanded their order books by being able to offer body production at two separate sites (both E200MMCs and E400MMCs are built at Scarborough and Falkirk - Stagecoach's examples in the North East are all Falkirk-built examples, Go North East and Arriva's are Scarborough) while Wright effectively turned away from what made them the successful company by building bodywork on chassis from other companies to following Optare into effectively making integral vehicles (of course, Wright's are still chassis and body unlike Optare's completely integral construction) and the decision to move away from Cummins to Daimler for Euro6 hasn't really helped with that.

I used to slate ADL heavily as you quite well remember Kuyoyo. But they have improved massively Euro 5 and above. The older Dennis Tridents weren't the best but the E400 as a whole been pretty much spot on.

Depending on logistics, I'd love to see GNE give the E400MMC (either 69 reg or 20/70 reg) a proper fair crack of the whip on the X9/X10, with the OM936 after an initial period transferred to Hexham with 6336 or 6337 covering at Consett.

Arriva's newer classic examples handle the X15 ok I believe although the X9 & X10 is a bit more foot to the floor.