(23 Nov 2015, 10:20 pm)mb134 wrote Saw that tonight, the rear looks great, just a shame the front isn't covered too, the cut back to blue paint ruins it for me.

I do often wonder why companies choose not to cover the entire vehicle with the advertisement. I can think of a few examples where Go North East have done it. To me, it just looks messy. Understandably, they may wish to retain an element of the corporate livery, but it just spoils the look of the bus for me.

2844 on 43

(24 Nov 2015, 9:13 pm)NK53 TKT wrote 2844 on 43

Wrong thread.

(24 Nov 2015, 9:33 pm)GX03 SVC wrote Wrong thread.

Sorry, I am very tired

The Arriva Sapphire website is no more, the link now redirects to the Arriva Bus website.
https://arrivasapphire.co.uk

The move has been obvious for the last few months, as viewers on mobiles could see the aquamarine and green "find a page" buttons, and with links to timetables directing to arrivabus.co.uk.

(26 Nov 2015, 12:37 pm)GX03 SVC wrote The Arriva Sapphire website is no more, the link now redirects to the Arriva Bus website.
https://arrivasapphire.co.uk

The move has been obvious for the last few months, as viewers on mobiles could see the aquamarine and green "find a page" buttons, and with links to timetables directing to arrivabus.co.uk.

It was a bit pointless having them separate, anyhow. If someone unfamiliar with local buses but knowing that Arriva were the main provider of services in that area were looking for a bus, say, from Durham to Ferryhill, then they're not going to have a clue whether they need to be looking specifically for a Sapphire service and will go to the Arriva website in the first place.

The Arriva Sapphire website was no more than (half finished) glossy marketing, really.

Between Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December, Arriva Ashington will be running service W0W from Ashington Bus Station to Woodhorn Museum for the Weekend of Wonder.

Buses will depart from Stand E in the bus station following the same route as the old WW1.

https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/globalassets...r-2015.pdf

NOTE: All journeys will be ran by a DAF DB250 / Alexander ALX400.

(20 Nov 2015, 9:32 am)Multi21 wrote 1442 has lost its rear X12 branding due to an accident it was involved in on Saturday night.

And has now regained it (or has the flap from 1443)

Allocations from 1st December 2015

7485 to Ashington from Redcar Reserve for W0W and to help with fleet shortages
1502/4 to return to Blyth only once 1404/5 are ready for service at Stockton, 1492/4 return to Stockton in same move (not shown on fleet movement sheet)
Durham regain 7477 from reserve for 'Xmas PVR increase', 1906/12 likewise officially reinstated at Stockton for same role
7453 reinstated from repair
7412/4/5 listed on fleet list as 'reserve', identities tbc (not shown on fleet movement sheet)
7603/6 off for MAX refurb (not shown on fleet movement sheet)
7612 off for repairs (not shown on fleet movement sheet)

(27 Nov 2015, 1:12 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Allocations from 1st December 2015

7485 to Ashington from Redcar Reserve for W0W and to help with fleet shortages
1502/4 to return to Blyth only once 1404/5 are ready for service at Stockton, 1492/4 return to Stockton in same move (not shown on fleet movement sheet)
Durham regain 7477 from reserve for 'Xmas PVR increase', 1906/12 likewise officially reinstated at Stockton for same role
7453 reinstated from repair
7412/4/5 listed on fleet list as 'reserve', identities tbc (not shown on fleet movement sheet)
7603/6 off for MAX refurb (not shown on fleet movement sheet)
7612 off for repairs (not shown on fleet movement sheet)

1404 is just about to re-transfer to Stockton depot driven by a supervisor, just seen it going down woodlands road in Darlington 'Not in service'

(27 Nov 2015, 10:14 am)Kuyoyo wrote And has now regained it (or has the flap from 1443)

Odd how they put it back on 42 so quick but have never bothered with 41.

Has anyone seen 7489 on the road since the Whitby Park and Ride finished?

(27 Nov 2015, 3:16 pm)Cock Robin wrote Has anyone seen 7489 on the road since the Whitby Park and Ride finished?

Only on the first night of Durham Lumiere, where it was operating the Merryoaks Park & Ride service.

Arriva North East: 7489 / LJ51OSK by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

(27 Nov 2015, 1:12 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Allocations from 1st December 2015

7485 to Ashington from Redcar Reserve for W0W and to help with fleet shortages
7412/4/5 listed on fleet list as 'reserve', identities tbc (not shown on fleet movement sheet)

Thanks for that, Kuyoyo, I would told that it would be a decker so assumed it was a DB250. 

I'll head down to Thorntons tomorrow to see if anything is in there of interest.

(27 Nov 2015, 1:12 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Allocations from 1st December 2015

7412/4/5 listed on fleet list as 'reserve', identities tbc (not shown on fleet movement sheet)

Now confirmed (thanks to the usual source):

7412 (VLW 105) - LJ03 MHU
7413(VLW 117) - LF52 UPN (arrival still awaited)
7414 (VLW 124) - LF52 UOX
7415 (VLW 125) - LF52 UOY

Other additional movements:
1314 has moved from Blyth to disposal
4505/8 have been sold
7441 has moved into reserve, 7444 moving back into the main service fleet at Durham
7472/8 both move into 'Under Repair' from Ashington

(27 Nov 2015, 9:37 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Now confirmed (thanks to the usual source):

7412 (VLW 105) - LJ03 MHU
7413(VLW 117) - LF52 UPN (arrival still awaited)
7414 (VLW 124) - LF52 UOX
7415 (VLW 125) - LF52 UOY

Thanks! 

(27 Nov 2015, 1:41 pm)Stuartphin1639 wrote 1404 is just about to re-transfer to Stockton depot driven by a supervisor, just seen it going down woodlands road in Darlington 'Not in service'

1405 has arrived too, no branding or identity on yet.
Maybe we might have them out next week?

7485 is now in service at Ashington currently doing Morpeth-Thropton-Morpeth on the X14 before heading back to Ashington.

7504 was following 7501 through Bedlington on the X21 earlier, before overtaking it. One of them was the 13:28 through towards Newbiggin, running 4 minutes late, the other 24.

I followed 7501 for a bit after 7504 overtook it, whoever was driving didn't touch 20 on the stretch of road where I was behind it.

(28 Nov 2015, 2:19 pm)mb134 wrote 7504 was following 7501 through Bedlington on the X21 earlier, before overtaking it. One of them was the 13:28 through towards Newbiggin, running 4 minutes late, the other 24.

I followed 7501 for a bit after 7504 overtook it, whoever was driving didn't touch 20 on the stretch of road where I was behind it.

7501 was in limp mode. Removed at Ashington.

(28 Nov 2015, 2:25 pm)GX03 SVC wrote 7501 was in limp mode. Removed at Ashington.

Well there's a surprise, 7501 not working! 

Don't think I've ever known a less reliable vehicle, today was the first time I've seen it in service for at least a month. (not saying that it hasn't, it just can't have been out too much as I use the services daily)

(28 Nov 2015, 2:28 pm)mb134 wrote Well there's a surprise, 7501 not working! 

Don't think I've ever known a less reliable vehicle, today was the first time I've seen it in service for at least a month. (not saying that it hasn't, it just can't have been out too much as I use the services daily)

That bus was one of the first 'sightseeker' ones as well as Blyths. Says it all really.

(28 Nov 2015, 2:28 pm)mb134 wrote Well there's a surprise, 7501 not working! 



Don't think I've ever known a less reliable vehicle, today was the first time I've seen it in service for at least a month. (not saying that it hasn't, it just can't have been out too much as I use the services daily)

There was 4 57 plate E400's in Haymarket at once. The X10/1 was in groups at one point more than once.

Do you think that if Arriva upgrade the X21 / X22 (57 plates) that they'll buy newer vehicles for the 7 and 24 with the X21 / X22 consisting in the same type of vehicles (well almost) in the form of:

- 7522 to 7528
- 7534 to 7540
- 7518

Bearing in mind that producion of the classic E400 bodywork may well not exist soon. Only thing to take into consideration woud be that the destinations on 7522 to 7528 inc 7518 would have to be updated to match the 15 plates.

With reference to the X10 / X11 though, I saw a post on FB stating that GNEs 309 isn't that much slower than the expresses and of course the 308. Do you think that Blyth's routes are adequately timed to cope with high loads? I'm not saying the 309 is perfect and it can counter some severe delays in the afternoons. But if buses are leaving Blyth on time but end up in Newcastle 10-15 minutes late, then surely the routes need to be retimed? I know that Blyth can correct an inbound service easily albeit it not being the right vehicle but surely Blyth shouldn't have to do that in the first place.

(29 Nov 2015, 1:50 am)DaveyBowyer wrote With reference to the X10 / X11 though, I saw a post on FB stating that GNEs 309 isn't that much slower than the expresses and of course the 308. Do you think that Blyth's routes are adequately timed to cope with high loads? I'm not saying the 309 is perfect and it can counter some severe delays in the afternoons. But if buses are leaving Blyth on time but end up in Newcastle 10-15 minutes late, then surely the routes need to be retimed? I know that Blyth can correct an inbound service easily albeit it not being the right vehicle but surely Blyth shouldn't have to do that in the first place.

The 309 is "on-time" the majority of the time, outside of peak times.

I understand Go North East is duplicating the 309 at peak times (providing a bus and driver is available) to combat delays incurred around Cobalt Business Park.

If reliability isn't the best on service 308 or the expresses, they really ought to buck up their ideas. It's a route with competition, after all.

(29 Nov 2015, 1:50 am)DaveyBowyer wrote With reference to the X10 / X11 though, I saw a post on FB stating that GNEs 309 isn't that much slower than the expresses and of course the 308. Do you think that Blyth's routes are adequately timed to cope with high loads? I'm not saying the 309 is perfect and it can counter some severe delays in the afternoons. But if buses are leaving Blyth on time but end up in Newcastle 10-15 minutes late, then surely the routes need to be retimed? I know that Blyth can correct an inbound service easily albeit it not being the right vehicle but surely Blyth shouldn't have to do that in the first place.

I've seen that post and it's about the features and fares about the 309. 

To be honest, I wouldn't use Arriva to get from Blyth to Newcastle when Go North East have better quality.

I used both 7504 and 7509 today, neither sounded particularly 'good', particularly the former. I listen to music on my way to the bus stop, and usually can't hear the bus approaching, however this morning it was as though I didn't have my headphones in, was horrifically loud, 

7509 wasn't quite as loud, but it was making a more worrying noise, almost groaning, didn't sound right. 

While getting off 7509, I noticed a guy in a hi-vis jacket with Arriva uniform on, frequently see him around Ashington depot. He was on the seats opposite the driver, would he have been watching the drivers performance or?

(29 Nov 2015, 1:50 am)DaveyBowyer wrote With reference to the X10 / X11 though, I saw a post on FB stating that GNEs 309 isn't that much slower than the expresses and of course the 308. Do you think that Blyth's routes are adequately timed to cope with high loads? I'm not saying the 309 is perfect and it can counter some severe delays in the afternoons. But if buses are leaving Blyth on time but end up in Newcastle 10-15 minutes late, then surely the routes need to be retimed? I know that Blyth can correct an inbound service easily albeit it not being the right vehicle but surely Blyth shouldn't have to do that in the first place.

The 309 offers cheap travel for Tyne Met students - one of the main reasons why the service operates today.

(30 Nov 2015, 7:37 pm)Lm2606 wrote The 309 offers cheap travel for Tyne Met students - one of the main reasons why the service operates today.

Also the other reason is the buses have electrical plug sockets free to use