(23 Jan 2026, 1:46 pm)Kuyoyo wrote The whole point of the new E400MMCs going to Whitby is to displace the now-aged B9TLs away from the highly demanding work they've been used on since new on the X93/X94 corridor (don't forget the X94 boards spend most of their day running between Whitby and Scarborough - the part with probably the most demanding of the hills along the corridor) plus given they are only 5 years younger than 7609/10, they'll soon be too old for the P&R contract in any case, hence the reason for 7594/5 being earmarked for that if Arriva retain it. I understand from a source within Arriva, the B9s may already have a new home lined up under the original plans.
I also have been told why the new E400MMCs for Ashington are intended to replace 7541-52 - those have smaller fuel tanks than the newer examples, which means they have issues when being used on certain Morpeth Express boards as a result (not due to the fuel tank but Stockton once had something similar happening when 1512 was based at the depot as the Sapphire spare - it almost always ended up on the same board, which happened to be the first bus out of the depot and the last bus into the depot, and was known to be running on fumes when it got back in).
Aye I get that, but surely they'd be good enough for 2/6 boards on the X93/X94 if you switched them around daily. Arguably no worse than the ex B7TL's from London which coped well enough for a couple year anyway?
But I get why aswell, obviously the ideal solution is to deal with the chronic shortage of reasonable deckers across the North East, but can't really expect them to renew the whole fleet overnight. Hopefully 2027 will see a bigger push to sort out Blyth and Ashington who are both desperate for more really.
Unsure what you could do with 7401-6 and 7522-7533 as they really badly need to be retired to pottering around estates on a city route but there's not really anything in the North East.