(02 May 2026, 10:15 pm)220631612 wrote And yet Arriva are at no fault for this. Similar has happened all across the country due to National Grid constraints. Everyone’s at the whim of the national grid unfortunately. You’ve got to think, Stagecoach’s roll out was massively delayed for similar issues. So if you’re hell bent on blaming someone, try the national grid.
Stagecoach have theirs in service now (have done since 2025...) from funding awarded at a similar/the same time.
Arriva NE management have a track record of shocking project management, so until they deliver literally anything to time and executed well I find it very hard to believe that they couldn't have done anything quicker with this.
(03 May 2026, 6:13 pm)Adrian wrote I don't doubt that others are having issues, and I'm aware of the constraints on the grid, but I think my point remains. It's an asset that is sat there not generating any revenue, which I can't see any party involved in the financing being happy about.
My post wasn't with the intention of attacking anyone for the delays, but it's not an ideal situation for anyone.
You're correct. Admittedly, I had to go back and review the info on the funding, but it did require orders to be submitted by 31 Jan 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...ng-zebra-2
Given they needed to submit a comprehensive project plan, it seems a bit counter-intuitive to then insist on a bus order by a fixed date, when your funding is open to applications for buses only, buses + infra, infra only. It'd be more practical to have a date on project commencement, which would have (sensibly!) allowed for the project timescales to move in line with the infrastructure being in progress first.
Were the 43/44/45 vehicles not funded by the Levelling Up fund, with funding awarded in 2023? (https://northeastbuses.co.uk/showthread....#pid317459)
Either way, vehicles funded around a similar time are very much in service now. There's a post in the old thread indicating plans were only submitted for depot work at the end of March last year - after the buses were reportedly ordered.