Just thought about this......but why did Arriva specify the Dennis Trident instead of the DAF DB250 for regional ALX400 orders in 2000 including 7340-35 for the 602 out of Hexham?

I know Northumbria trialed the DAF DB250 Optare Spectra (as they already had Deltas) before choosing the Cummins engined Volvo Olympian Palatine II's.

Surely the DAF DB250 chassis for regionals would've been better than the Dennis Trident chassis given that Hexham's batch needed to be replaced by B10BLE's.

Ironically a year later despite the Lowlander bodywork, Arriva did switch to the DAF DB250 chassis for regional orders which included the Darlington batch for the 723.