(15 Feb 2026, 10:18 pm)Storx wrote Aye and it's a fair point. Problem is if the the B9TL's are plodding around on the 35 then where the hell are the Enviro's going.
I totally agree that they're worse though, it's why they should be on the 35, not anywhere near Newcastle either at Blyth or Ashington.
Mind we've changed the goalposts a bit here about microfleets in general though.
I'd be all for sending the battered E400's aswell tbf. Probably be better in Leeds than the 17 Plates which could easily do a job on the X21/X22 or Blyth expresses.
---
Edited: Mind that said, wonder if there's been a potential change here and the last bit is what's happening...
Would certainly explain the 2 random 72 Plates which have just turned up which happens to be the difference between the E400MMC's (12) and E400's (14). The E400's are objectively the biggest issue up here and wherever they go they're going to bring trouble with them.
35: B9TL
X14/X15/X18/X20/X30/777: New E400MMC / 72 Plate E400MMC
X21/X22: 72 Plate E400MMC
X7/X8/X10/X11: 17 Plate / New E400MMC
306/308: 61 Plate DB300
That would certainly get the area out of the s**tstorm it's in right now tbh and easy routes in Yorkshire is pretty much where they should be really.
Shows then how little you know about the Arriva Yorkshire network - the majority of their network are the interurban runs from the various towns into Leeds and the interurban runs between their hub towns and cites. The only 'city' network they really run down there is in Wakefield - and that's allocated mini E200s (which they have too many of). The deckers are all used on the longer haul work - the only one crying out for an upgraded fleet is Selby's 415 into York, and the current rumour for that is E400s from St Helens when Stagecoach take over the operation there in the autumn as part of the first Tranche of the Merseyside Franchising.
Of course, normally it would be cascade those E400s in Northumbria to Durham County - but with the 14 BYDs due for Durham, that will see off the older E400s there plus release some of the E400MMCs down to Darlington to replace their older E400s plus some Pulsars (to give extra decker resources there - given there is now more boards at Darlington requiring deckers than they actually have).