(03 Sep 2022, 9:21 pm)mb134 wrote Possibly, but are they going to be *that* much better than B7s which have had lots of mechanical attention in anything but age profile? Whack some private plates on the B7s à la Transdev and away you go. 

The 09 plate E400s are fine on easier work (local Durham work such as the 43s, 64s, 48s, even X46s I'd think), it's only the express stuff they're well past by this point. They still have 2-3 years left before they'd likely be considered end of life for most companies, let alone ANE. I'd tend to agree with the B7s in general though, the youngest ones are approaching 18 years old (and they've been 'looked after' by Durham for the last few years of their life...). Obviously my thoughts on the X94 ones differ a bit at present to the rest of them.

Aye that's true but guess there's the cost savings of removing a niche few buses which are pretty much obsolete nowadays in terms of parts etc might outweight and it's Arriva and they're known to do weird things at times ie repainting all the Darts at Blyth then withdrawing them pretty much straight away.

If they do get ex London stock for it, I hope to god they replace the seats, the Ciclo seats which they're fitted with give the Urban 90's a run for their money. It's the same seats which are fitted at the back of the Gemini's at Blyth on the lower deck. Grim little things especially for longer journeys like the X93/X94 and even the X46 tbh.

Yeah no argument about the 09 buses tbh.