(26 Nov 2025, 9:33 pm)PH - BQA wrote 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.

Not going to lie, I kinda had a thought it might be very different in a way, which in reality probably is stupid, but we're talking about Arriva here so stupid can happen:

Blyth
In:
14x E400MMC - 306/308 (New)
14x BYD Electric - 43/44/45 (New)

Out:
10x Pulsar (1463,1480,1493,1495,1496,1501-5)
16x E400 (All Of Them)
2x DB300 (Pulsar's going instead of the rest of these)

Ashington
In:
10x E400MMC (New)
4x E400MMC (72 Plate)
4x E400 (Blyth's)
5x Pulsar (1501-5)

Out:
11x Pulsar (Take your pick of the worst)
12x E400MMC (17 Plate)

Whitby
In:
6x E400MMC (New)

Out:
4x E400MMC (72 Plate)

It's not much of an improvement for Ashington but it should get rid of the singles off the X21/X22/35 but now relying on the awful the E400 Classics which makes no sense in reality but would it really be a surprise? Pulsar's filling in as spares since there isn't any which again would it be a surprise? The 72 Plates from Whitby and 10 new being the replacements for the 17 Plates so it's pretty much just like for like replacements really.

Edited, allocations wise, on paper, it'd be quite tidy aswell ie:

Blyth:
X7/X8/X10/X11: 18x 61 Gemini's
306/308: 14x E400MMC's
43/44/45: 14x BYD Electrics
X9/Spares: 59 Plate DB300's (Would've been Pulsars which is idiotic)

Ashington:
1/2: 8x Streetlite's
57/57A: 5x Pulsar (1501-5)
Morpeth Express/X20/777: 22x E400MMC
X21/X22/35: 14x E400 Classic + 7x E400MMC
Spares: Pulsars

Whitby:
X93/X94 (Winter): 6x E400MMC's
X93/X94 (Summer + P&R): 6x B9TL's

Obviously there's some big flaws in reality, but no doubt the management in the HQ work on spreadsheets and they'll see a 50% renewal/newer than 5 year at each of the depots.

(26 Nov 2025, 9:27 pm)L469 YVK wrote IMO, I don't see how they can do that on a 20 minute frequency for both services - the 309 still needs to be every 20 minutes during peak times as that's the all stopping Cobalt service.

I hope Arriva do bite back in retaliation and go back to a full 7-8 (or 15 minute each service) and full service evenings & Sundays including a 30 minute service each on the 306 & 308.

In fact, they could probably win over quite a few punters in Battle Hill if the 306 went back to every 15 minutes and running a more direct route missing High Farm. Every 10 minutes but stopping at every stop in High Farm vs every 15 minutes breezing through Selby Gardens.....it's a no brainer.

Quite easy really, 

Just merge the X39 and 309 together. So the X39 runs from Blyth and drop a few 309 boards. For example in evening losing the 15:07, 15:49, 16:27 and 17:21 out of Blyth, it wouldn't be the end of the world. The 307 covers most the route very close by along the Coast Road for the few heading into Newcastle and there's still a few 309 albeit quite infrequent for the few wanting a bus from Cobalt.

Not saying they'll do this but it's easily doable.