(30 Sep 2020, 1:43 pm)solsburian wrote There was seemingly a lull in batch ordering during that period though, particularly with for larger buses until 2007 or so with the Enviros. Of course things shouldn't be replaced for the sake of it though I'm sure some of the fleet at the time would have faired much better with a GNE style refurb, or at least had a frequent cleaning regime.

TBH the Cityzens probably should have gone much sooner, they were absolute heaps from a fairly young age. I have "fond" memories of the leaking water through the light fittings, cracks where daylight would appear when going round a corner and mouldy side carpets.

Yeah agreed there, the Temsas Blyth got dumped with we're pretty grim aswell especially the fact the windows were stuck with explorer holders trying to keep them shut as everytime they went along a fast part with a small gust of wind they'd blow open. Horrid things.

On the Cityzens I'll never forget a mushroom growing from the side carpets - grim indeed. Mind the fact they never bothered to fix the idling problem can't have helped them neither to the stage that drivers we're reving the engine at bus stops it's that bad - can't do anything any good. 

(30 Sep 2020, 5:56 pm)L469 YVK wrote My prediction if the NE ops get sold:
- Ashington > GNE
- Blyth > Stagecoach
- Jesmond > GNE & split between Riverside / Percy Main with a new depot replacing Percy Main. Stagecoach get 685 and 306
- Darlington & Belmont > Stagecoach with them also getting X12
- Stockton > GNE with X9/X10 moved or shared with Riverside
- Redcar & Whitby >Transdev

Fleet wise, I wouldn't see GNE wanting 7541-7552 due to shorter length & Voith gearboxes so I'd imagine they'd strike a deal with Stagecoach in return for extra VDL DB300s. Would come in handy for Misc & School workings as well as a few rare ventures out on the X30/X70/X71 due to their low height. Don't know what the PVR is but 7541-52 would perhaps come in handy on the Stagecoach 1 (Slatyford) due to their shorter length & tight turns & streets on the route.

I know your trying to do this for competition reasons but Blyth, Jesmond and Ashington need to go to the same operator (and not GNE - they've already butchered N. Tyneside as it is). You'd totally kill the network otherwise as where I live we have 2 routes and with your plans one would be Stagecoach and the other GNE with no form of intermodel tickets available. It wouldn't be sustainable for both operators and it'll end up being cuts, cuts and cuts which GNE and Stagecoach are quite good at lately in Sunderland. Similar story around Ashington / Bedlington, you'd have GNE doing the busy routes and Stagecoach running minibus services, not sustainable at all.

As others have said I'd rather have someone like Transdev personally to bring something new to the area who don't cut services all the time and are actually quite creative at times but aren't Arriva just getting floated on the stock exchange instead now anyway rather than sold..?

Also why would GNE want DB300's when they're all based at Blyth and already have Enviros in their fleet it makes no sense to bring a random bus into the fleet that they've never worked with and never will work with since Arriva own the VDL rights in the UK and the 308 ones can't move out of N. Tyneside anyway as they've had Euro 6 mods done.