(26 Nov 2025, 9:08 pm)Storx wrote Btw if Blyth is getting some of the new buses, I'd assume they're getting either 18 or 14 of the things? It's the PVR of the X7/X8/X10/X11 and 306/308 respectively. Be a bit bizarre to order half a batch of buses then run around old stuff on the other boards. Doesn't help Ashington that though mind but I have a feeling the E400's might be coming your way for some reason, not the opposite way.

Trying to do the maths on it, but I wonder if it is something like:

Ashington IN:
16x E400 MMC (new)
15x Pulsar (1500-1505, 1514-1522)

Ashington OUT:
12x E400 MMC (7541-52)
8x Streetlite (1574-78, 1581-3)
11x Pulsar (1404, 1419, 1462, 1497, 1537-43)

Blyth IN:
9x E400 MMC (new)
14x BYD Electric (new)

Blyth OUT:
12x E400 (7501-7/9, 7557/8/60/62)
11x Pulsar (1463, 1480, 1493, 1495, 1496, 1500-1505)

You've then got very similar amounts of new vehicles in at each depot, but crucially you've eliminated all Pulsars at Blyth bar 1499. Doesn't make any inroads on the 59-plates though, but I wonder if that is being allowed so that the 17-plates can move? The Streetlite/Pulsar swap at Ashington makes sense to me so that all Streetlites are concentrated in the southern part of the operation, and they're not really suited to express work in the same way Pulsars are. Extra deckers in at Darlington would release the additional one. Gets rid of all interurban and MAX Pulsars - does keep 1390-3 though. 

Realistically you need at least 12x of the new MMCs going to Ashington just to replace the 17-plates should they go, you can't send them any additional classic E400s as they cannot cope on the express work anymore. There's no chance they need to drop onto that at Blyth, whereas at Ashington there is.