(26 Dec 2020, 9:12 pm)Andreos1 wrote There was a boat load of funding over a period of time (https://northeastca.gov.uk/news/200-buse...emissions/) and the Mercs could have been included within any of the NECA funding bids.
S Tyneside just happened to be the one which the Scania's were successful.

If an alternative supplier was looked at, rather than ignored on the basis of 'standardisation', it may have been the newer, refurbished higher spec Mercs which were included in a bid.
It may have even been cheaper for the taxpayer... 

I'd love to know who was supplying the original emissions upgrades for GNW (and First in the past) and whether or not they're using a new supplier for the Mercs. To hark back a long forgotten phrase from here, the irony could be delicious.

I understand where your coming from but surely getting the B9TL's and Versas done are better value for money since they're newer and have more life in them, the Scanias are a weird choice but the Mercs aren't much newer as it is.

(26 Dec 2020, 9:15 pm)mb134 wrote Think Arriva and Stagecoach will both be more than fine. I believe Arriva were in the process of converting their deckers to Euro 6, not sure on Stagecoach. There are kits available for all Euro IV/V E400s, as well as D7C Euro 3 engined B7TLs (7445/6 I believe, not sure if the ex-London stock is Euro 3). So that covers the overwhelming majority of the deckers from Stagecoach and Arriva.

I'm not sure on the situation with single decks, particularly Pulsars, but I'm fairly sure Streetlites are able to be converted? 

There were obviously plans for new vehicles for ANE this year too before Covid saw the order shelved, so I imagine that's still on the table for when things settle down. The Scanias are due for replacement soon too, as well as the older B7 deckers. The Stagecoach order was obviously also cancelled, though I don't know how much of that was due for the NE, if any.

The Pulsars can definitely be done, the X7/X8/X9, 306 and X12 batches have all been done for it. Seems like all the South Gosforth Blyth services plus the 306/8 got done. Not sure if the rest of them got done (7609 - 7625) though.

Wouldn't be surprised to see some DB300's come up from London at some point to replace the rest of the B7TL's though, they'd be ideal for the 35 and the rest of the Blyth spares as long as it's not the ones with the Esteban Ciclo's (used on the back of Blyth's) which are worse (or as bad) as the Urban 90's.