There is only 3 branded ones on today.

(22 Jan 2022, 11:20 am)Omega54 wrote There is only 3 branded ones on today.

6310 will be off as it was involved in an incident at Croxdale last night.

(22 Jan 2022, 11:20 am)Omega54 wrote There is only 3 branded ones on today.

Is it actual reliability issues or just parts / labour shortages. If the latter, can't be helped.

But if the former, you'd hope GNE would address it either by re-allocations, other vehicles from other GAG subsidaries or in-line for an upgrade should new deckers ever get ordered, either new or suitable cascades.

(22 Jan 2022, 12:10 pm)L469 YVK wrote Is it actual reliability issues or just parts / labour shortages. If the latter, can't be helped.

But if the former, you'd hope GNE would address it either by re-allocations, other vehicles from other GAG subsidaries or in-line for an upgrade should new deckers ever get ordered, either new or suitable cascades.

They are releasing more streetdecks to Washington & CLS

I thought i would put this in here as i regarded the X21, but there was a X21 which operated 2 hours late, arriving in West Aukland.

(22 Jan 2022, 12:34 pm)Omega54 wrote They are releasing more streetdecks to Washington & CLS

That's due to the ULEZ and ensuring that there are sufficient Euro 6 spares available.

I've already given my opinion but I doubt it would happen anytime soon (as previously advised) given driver recruitment issues (would need sorting for interworking / PVR changes) as well as partial repaint costs. Also, the evening & Sunday duties and rotas at one of the depots involved would be a headache to sort whilst keeping as cost efficient as possible.

(22 Jan 2022, 1:32 pm)Omega54 wrote I thought i would put this in here as i regarded the X21, but there was a X21 which operated 2 hours late, arriving in West Aukland.

Assuming this was yesterday? Believable considering the A1(M) was shut at Bowburn from about 10am yesterday morning until early this morning as a car went through the barriers on the flyover at junction 61 and landed on the central reservation with traffic being diverted via alternative routes, the main one being the A167 which was made worse by the temporary lights at Sunderland Bridge (Croxdale) with more incidents occurring in the evening including one at Croxdale involving 6310.

(22 Jan 2022, 6:45 pm)Jimmi wrote Assuming this was yesterday? Believable considering the A1(M) was shut at Bowburn from about 10am yesterday morning until early this morning as a car went through the barriers on the flyover at junction 61 and landed on the central reservation with traffic being diverted via alternative routes, the main one being the A167 which was made worse by the temporary lights at Sunderland Bridge (Croxdale) with more incidents occurring in the evening including one at Croxdale involving 6310.

Yes it was. I hope the driver and everyone on 6310 is okay

(22 Jan 2022, 6:57 pm)Omega54 wrote Yes it was. I hope the driver and everyone on 6310 is okay

Sadly, not 

Woman in 30s dies after being struck by bus in County Durham

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...p_AppShare

(25 Jan 2022, 5:17 pm)BusLoverMum wrote Sadly, not 

Woman in 30s dies after being struck by bus in County Durham

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...p_AppShare

That is a awful shame. I wonder if there will be any arrests, or if it was a pure accident. 

RIP to the victim. I feel really bad for the driver & any passengers which saw it.

What euro are 6177-82 as they seem to be good on the X21, also if they're not euro 6 are they getting upgraded to euro 6 for X21 spares which they seam to be atm.

(25 Jan 2022, 6:13 pm)Omega54 wrote That is a awful shame. I wonder if there will be any arrests, or if it was a pure accident. 

RIP to the victim. I feel really bad for the driver & any passengers which saw it.

I can imagine they will be pretty traumatised by it.

(25 Jan 2022, 6:41 pm)GNE6312 wrote What euro are 6177-82 as they seem to be good on the X21, also if they're not euro 6 are they getting upgraded to euro 6 for X21 spares which they seam to be atm.

They are Euro 5 - Chances are with them being around 15yrs old I doubt it.

Suggestion to fix the reliability issues for the X21

6308-6314/34/35 sold, they're too unreliable more so than the interdecks.

Buy 12x Scania E400MMCs, 10x X21 branded and 2 spares to be X lines Charcoal

(29 Jan 2022, 11:20 pm)GNE6312 wrote Suggestion to fix the reliability issues for the X21

6308-6314/34/35 sold, they're too unreliable more so than the interdecks.

Buy 12x Scania E400MMCs, 10x X21 branded and 2 spares to be X lines Charcoal

And which of its magic money trees are Go North East going to use to buy the new buses, and write down the loss on the value of the "unreliable" buses that they are going to sell?

And why buy Scania, they haven't bought any for many years, another vehicle type for the engineers to contend with.

(29 Jan 2022, 11:35 pm)busmanT wrote And which of its magic money trees are Go North East going to use to buy the new buses, and write down the loss on the value of the "unreliable" buses that they are going to sell?

And why buy Scania, they haven't bought any for many years, another vehicle type for the engineers to contend with.

If the B5TLs are indeed 'actually' unreliable (and not just off road for long periods due to parts & labour shortages) GNE do have internal resources that they could use.

However, even that would come with cost and operational issues that would need addressed and as advised, would probably never happen.

In the scheme of things now when they're cutting back services, GNE aren't going to shell out money unless absolutely essential or unless geared towards long term recovery.

I thought the B5s had been fairly reliable since they moved over to the X21, they rarely seem to actually break down in service, which to me implies they are probably off road for scheduled maintenance.

(30 Jan 2022, 12:18 am)streetdeckfan wrote I thought the B5s had been fairly reliable since they moved over to the X21, they rarely seem to actually break down in service, which to me implies they are probably off road for scheduled maintenance.

Granted their is currently 3 off atm, but with 6334 back count that as 2. 

But you will nearly always see everyday either a OmniDekka or a Voyager on them.

(30 Jan 2022, 12:20 am)Omega54 wrote Granted their is currently 3 off atm, but with 6334 back count that as 2. 

But you will nearly always see everyday either a OmniDekka or a Voyager on them.

So what you’re saying is there’s an issue with lack of spare vehicles - every bus needs to be kept off the road, and this time is vastly increased amid a staff shortage (which not only applies to drivers but engineers too - and not just at GNE but at contractors such as Volvo also) and parts supply issue.

Luckily as has been said previously GNE have a plan to move 6331-33 to Chester-le-Street now they are surplus to requirements on the X45/6, and there’s your appropriate spare vehicles for the 21/X21.


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There's only 2 that have been off for a while now, 6312 is at Volvo and 6314 which ive not seen around the depot for a few weeks so I assume that's at Volvo too

Are 31 - 33 going into corporate livery when they get back to Chester Dan?

(30 Jan 2022, 5:02 am)Dan wrote So what you’re saying is there’s an issue with lack of spare vehicles - every bus needs to be kept off the road, and this time is vastly increased amid a staff shortage (which not only applies to drivers but engineers too - and not just at GNE but at contractors such as Volvo also) and parts supply issue.

Luckily as has been said previously GNE have a plan to move 6331-33 to Chester-le-Street now they are surplus to requirements on the X45/6, and there’s your appropriate spare vehicles for the 21/X21.


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Surely it would make sense to use 2x out of 6331-33 to make up the PVR of the X21 rather than 6334/35?

I'm surprised 6310 re-entered service so quickly after the incident, in the past haven't vehicles been impounded for longer for similar things?

(30 Jan 2022, 11:52 am)streetdeckfan wrote I'm surprised 6310 re-entered service so quickly after the incident, in the past haven't vehicles been impounded for longer for similar things?

It all depends on the actual incident and the circumstances around it.

(30 Jan 2022, 5:02 am)Dan wrote So what you’re saying is there’s an issue with lack of spare vehicles - every bus needs to be kept off the road, and this time is vastly increased amid a staff shortage (which not only applies to drivers but engineers too - and not just at GNE but at contractors such as Volvo also) and parts supply issue.

Luckily as has been said previously GNE have a plan to move 6331-33 to Chester-le-Street now they are surplus to requirements on the X45/6, and there’s your appropriate spare vehicles for the 21/X21.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What's the plan for fixing the breakdowns on the 69 service? - seems like there is one ever day (far more than other routes)

There are 5 Voyager on the X21, with 4 X21's on with that.

The B5TLs shouldn't be anywhere near the X21, all good putting down to external factors but if roughly 50% of the PVR is off the road regularly, then something needs to be asked.

Yes the E400MMC & StreetDecks aren't 'perfect' but they're proven machines. Arriva have happily used E400MMCs and E40D's (classics) out of Ashington either on the X21/X22 or up the Coast on the X15/X18 without major trouble although some are getting on now due to their age.

I've said this before but if there's future changes in Derwentside and a split of the X30/X31 (PVR 5x standalone) and X70/X71/X72 (PVR 7x standalone), it would make sense swapping 6343-51 with 6308-14, 34, 35. As long as 6336 could be released from Riverside so that there's a low bridge decker to cover for 6338-42 on the X30/X31, that would still give the same spare ratio as now at Consett with 2x B5TL (6334-35) and 1x E400MMC (6336) plus 6064 as a last resort.

Amazing no one ever comments when all 7 are out day after day, but soon as its not a full allocation all hell breaks loose on here

There are now only 3 out of the 7 on.

6 Voyagers

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(23 Apr 2022, 1:14 pm)L469 YVK wrote plus 6064 as a last resort.

6064 hasn't been in service for 3 months

Update - only 2 x21's are on. Which means like 3 X21's Broke Down, 6334, and the Flexibility streetdeck, which broke down after being replaced at CLS, to break down 17 mins later - and is now back in service replacing another X21.

Not a good day.

(23 Apr 2022, 2:26 pm)Unber43 wrote Update - only 2 x21's are on. Which means like 3 X21's Broke Down, 6334, and the Flexibility streetdeck, which broke down after being replaced at CLS, to break down 17 mins later - and is now back in service replacing another X21.

Not a good day.

Husband and youngest spied the flexility Street deck with very fed up looking driver and passengers at county hall