A large batch of Wright StreetAirs are being delivered. Some for Blyth.

With the roadworks commencing later this week, here is what Arriva will be doing with service X12/22.
X12: Journeys split with a change of bus required at Durham.
X22: Will arrive into Middlesbrough at 55 mins past, with 55 minutes layover (unless it will interwork with something else).

With 1915/1922 being retained for the next two weeks, is it likely they will transfer to Redcar after the roadworks replacing deckers going back on X93/Whitby Park and Ride?

(01 Apr 2019, 10:15 am)S830OFT wrote With the roadworks commencing later this week, here is what Arriva will be doing with service X12/22.
X12: Journeys split with a change of bus required at Durham.
X22: Will arrive into Middlesbrough at 55 mins past, with 55 minutes layover (unless it will interwork with something else).

With 1915/1922 being retained for the next two weeks, is it likely they will transfer to Redcar after the roadworks replacing deckers going back on X93/Whitby Park and Ride?

X12 is unchanged in operating terms - just that buses will have a 25 minute layover in Middlesbrough, hence the extra vehicle.

(01 Apr 2019, 8:26 am)omnicity4659 wrote A large batch of Wright StreetAirs are being delivered. Some for Blyth.

April 1st perhaps

(01 Apr 2019, 10:26 am)Coppercap40 wrote April 1st perhaps

Hopefully not

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(01 Apr 2019, 10:22 am)Kuyoyo wrote X12 is unchanged in operating terms - just that buses will have a 25 minute layover in Middlesbrough, hence the extra vehicle.

Any centros or lowlanders allocated?

(30 Mar 2019, 7:11 pm)Kuyoyo wrote It’s been back in service for a few weeks now. It and 1922 remain on fleet - one shall be chopped once the upcoming roadworks in Sedgefield are complete (possibly). Stockton's PVR is due to increase by 2 for the two week duration of the work.

Not if 1923 is still off the road.

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(01 Apr 2019, 10:15 am)S830OFT wrote With the roadworks commencing later this week, here is what Arriva will be doing with service X12/22.
X12: Journeys split with a change of bus required at Durham.
X22: Will arrive into Middlesbrough at 55 mins past, with 55 minutes layover (unless it will interwork with something else).

With 1915/1922 being retained for the next two weeks, is it likely they will transfer to Redcar after the roadworks replacing deckers going back on X93/Whitby Park and Ride?

Would expect Redcar to have all
of 7424-6 back not get Cadets.

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And maybe 1759 will (officially) rejoin the active fleet!

Where are 1914/1916 allocated to with Arriva Yorkshire?

Appears to be Wakefield

Deffinately looks like theyre changing the size of the route number on the busses

1760 is apparently getting refurbished

1331 is the bus to gain Adventure Valley branding for the 62:
https://twitter.com/simongarbutt1/status...41258?s=21

(04 Apr 2019, 6:40 am)GNE6312 wrote 1760 is apparently getting refurbished

Yeah it's away to Thorntons.

(04 Apr 2019, 11:05 am)RBZ 5459 wrote Yeah it's away to Thorntons.

Why are Arriva refurbishing 14 year old minibuses for?

Surely these MPD's should be getting withdrawn.

Here is 1760 on Monday prior to going off to Thorntons - https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalark...ed-public/

(04 Apr 2019, 11:12 am)Malarkey wrote Why are Arriva refurbishing 14 year old minibuses for?

Surely these MPD's should be getting withdrawn.

Here is 1760 on Monday prior to going off to Thorntons - https://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalark...ed-public/

It's just in for repaint. Guess they have a few more years left in them, and they have done all the Solos at Blyth now so must be wanting to get the mini-buses through. Plus it has been in its current outfit for all of them 14 years..! Midlands have painted some 53 platers.

(04 Apr 2019, 11:05 am)RBZ 5459 wrote Yeah it's away to Thorntons.

How long will it be?

(04 Apr 2019, 11:29 am)RBZ 5459 wrote It's just in for repaint. Guess they have a few more years left in them, and they have done all the Solos at Blyth now so must be wanting to get the mini-buses through. Plus it has been in its current outfit for all of them 14 years..! Midlands have painted some 53 platers.

I just find it odd given Go North East got rid of the vast majority of there remaining 53 plate darts three years ago.

Seems like Arriva prefer to hang on to whatever they have for as long as possible until eventually it breaks completely, I bet they'd still have step entrance vehicles in service now if it wasn't for the implementation of PSVAR in 2016. 

A few of the mini pointer darts passed me on Monday while in Blyth and Morpeth on the 2 and one which was on the X9 and they didn't sound all that healthy.

(04 Apr 2019, 4:08 pm)Malarkey wrote I just find it odd given Go North East got rid of the vast majority of there remaining 53 plate darts three years ago.

Seems like Arriva prefer to hang on to whatever they have for as long as possible until eventually it breaks completely, I bet they'd still have step entrance vehicles in service now if it wasn't for the implementation of PSVAR in 2016. 

A few of the mini pointer darts passed me on Monday while in Blyth and Morpeth on the 2 and one which was on the X9 and they didn't sound all that healthy.

Not really surprising considering other Arriva division's are or at least were running older MPDs around than we are, Wales were running some 51 plates around not long ago and 52 plates in the Midlands until that bit got sold off to Diamond.

Based on this, I can't see the Solos going to scrap until 2023 at the earliest

(04 Apr 2019, 4:23 pm)Jimmi wrote Not really surprising considering other Arriva division's are or at least were running older MPDs around than we are, Wales were running some 51 plates around not long ago and 52 plates in the Midlands until that bit got sold off to Diamond.

Based on this, I can't see the Solos going to scrap until 2023 at the earliest

Even some of them with eldest being 11 years old are not in great condition either and would've again thought Arriva would be looking to replace these within the next year.

To my knowledge a mini bus has a shell life of around 12 years from what I remember Dan mentioning quite a while back.

The entire fleet across the country needs a massive overhaul by the sounds of it which will be a massive task for anyone who is looking to purchase Arriva given that they are up for sale.

(04 Apr 2019, 4:41 pm)Malarkey wrote Even some of them with eldest being 11 years old are not in great condition either and would've again thought Arriva would be looking to replace these within the next year.

To my knowledge a mini bus has a shell life of around 12 years from what I remember Dan mentioning quite a while back.

The entire fleet across the country needs a massive overhaul by the sounds of it which will be a massive task for anyone who is looking to purchase Arriva given that they are up for sale.

That's the rule of thumb for Go North East - depreciating a minibus over 12 years - but other operators tend to keep them a bit longer!

(04 Apr 2019, 4:41 pm)Malarkey wrote Even some of them with eldest being 11 years old are not in great condition either and would've again thought Arriva would be looking to replace these within the next year.

To my knowledge a mini bus has a shell life of around 12 years from what I remember Dan mentioning quite a while back.

The entire fleet across the country needs a massive overhaul by the sounds of it which will be a massive task for anyone who is looking to purchase Arriva given that they are up for sale.

To be honest, even when it was United and Northumbria, they had older stock kicking around well after other operators got rid of vehicles of a similar status/age.

Guessing its just how they do things. They certainly like getting their moneys worth!

(04 Apr 2019, 5:04 pm)Andreos1 wrote To be honest, even when it was United and Northumbria, they had older stock kicking around well after other operators got rid of vehicles of a similar status/age.

Guessing its just how they do things. They certainly like getting their moneys worth!

But back in the days of United and Northumbria the vehicles they had back then the likes of the National's and ECW Olympians were built to last though. 

Look at some the vehicles up here in the North East which have since been preserved, most of them despite their age are in way better nick than the vast majority of vehicles in the current fleet at Arriva.

(04 Apr 2019, 5:29 pm)Malarkey wrote But back in the days of United and Northumbria the vehicles they had back then the likes of the National's and ECW Olympians were built to last though. 

Look at some the vehicles up here in the North East which have since been preserved, most of them despite their age are in way better nick than the vast majority of vehicles in the current fleet at Arriva.

Regardless of the differences in build quality to then yonder and now, operators will plan to depreciate their assets over a certain number of years.

Keeping them any longer, either due to a financial need or because they didn't "need" to replace them, is just a bonus.

(04 Apr 2019, 4:41 pm)Malarkey wrote Even some of them with eldest being 11 years old are not in great condition either and would've again thought Arriva would be looking to replace these within the next year.

To my knowledge a mini bus has a shell life of around 12 years from what I remember Dan mentioning quite a while back.

The entire fleet across the country needs a massive overhaul by the sounds of it which will be a massive task for anyone who is looking to purchase Arriva given that they are up for sale.

Some of the Solos actually ain't performing too badly from my experiences of them, most don't sound owt fantastic but generally ain't doing too badly.

Just wish they would freshen them up a bit, seats look well worn and some are crying out for repaints (same goes for the MPDs).

(04 Apr 2019, 5:30 pm)Dan wrote Regardless of the differences in build quality to then yonder and now, operators will plan to depreciate their assets over a certain number of years.

Keeping them any longer, either due to a financial need or because they didn't "need" to replace them, is just a bonus.

But it isn't a bonus from a passenger perspective if the ride quality and the interior of the vehicle is below standard due to years of wear and tear which the operator has done nothing about, I dread to think what a ride on a 19 year old Wright Cadet would be like.

Atleast with Go North East they have a program in place where vehicles get repainted every 4 years and are treated to a midlife refurbishment and then withdrawn once there past there shell life, compare that to Arriva who have just sent 1760 to Thorntons for it's first ever repaint after 14 years in active service.

(04 Apr 2019, 7:46 pm)Malarkey wrote But it isn't a bonus from a passenger perspective if the ride quality and the interior of the vehicle is below standard due to years of wear and tear which the operator has done nothing about, I dread to think what a ride on a 19 year old Wright Cadet would be like.

As someone who regularly uses Arriva's midibus network in South East Northumberland, I can't say I've had an issue with the quality of the interiors. Yes, it would be nice to see a retrim, but that's all they need, as well as a repaint, to be honest.

As for the Cadets, they were refurbished a few years back so are in good nick...

Afew questions:
1. Has the X12 got any centro boards?if so when does it get to Newcastle?
2. What are the ex yorkshire E200s allocated to
3. What are the centros allocated to
Thank you in advance

(05 Apr 2019, 6:11 pm)GNE6312 wrote Afew questions:
1. Has the X12 got any centro boards?if so when does it get to Newcastle?
2. What are the ex yorkshire E200s allocated to
3. What are the centros allocated to
Thank you in advance

The Centros are allocated to a variety of services...
The E200s are usually found on the 56/57/A/64

Are the '35' branded StreetLites ever allocated to the 35? Because when I see them they are either on the 57/A, or the short X14.

(05 Apr 2019, 6:35 pm)S830OFT wrote Are the '35' branded StreetLites ever allocated to the 35? Because when I see them they are either on the 57/A, or the short X14.

Yeah, they are. If they're on 57s they'll be covering for a Solo on board which runs onto Nexus runs, and X14s if there's a deficit of suitable deckers/OmniCitys. But most of the time they're on the 35...

(04 Apr 2019, 7:24 am)S813 FVK wrote 1331 is the bus to gain Adventure Valley branding for the 62:
https://twitter.com/simongarbutt1/status...41258?s=21

I'm sure they'll even manage to allocate it to the 62 at least once a month.