Martijn confirmed in his update that the Solo's on the X20 are likely to be replaced with longer buses once lockdown is over.

I would imagine these will be the Streetlites?


Streetlites in X-Lines livery?

----


No idea where the Solo's will go though - maybe 3? back on the X6/X7?

---


https://www.facebook.com/100009920923911...4275191589 - @ 14:20

Send them back to Percy Main

(07 Mar 2021, 2:31 pm)V514DFT wrote Send them back to Percy Main

Good plan then the last 3 of those bloody awful 10 reg solos can go the journey

Good decision. I've thought all along the x20 needed larger vehicles than the solos.

Sent from my moto g(8) power lite using Tapatalk

(07 Mar 2021, 8:43 pm)GNE6312 wrote Good plan then the last 3 of those bloody awful 10 reg solos can go the journey

The X20 solos were PM's from new,then they swapped em with those current nasty things, personally thats when the services started to decline in North Tyneside,dont know if it was co-incidence of that was the reason

The North Tyneside routes especially the little coaster need a major upgrade

(07 Mar 2021, 9:30 pm)V514DFT wrote The X20 solos were PM's from new,then they swapped em with those current nasty things, personally thats when the services started to decline in North Tyneside,dont know if it was co-incidence of that was the reason

The Stagecoach 22/22X extension to Cobalt killed the North Tyneside network as it made the 309 redundant for people going to Cobalt from the West End etc and people using the 11/40/41/42 in the Howdon area will use the 22 instead as it's more frequent and goes further.

GNE downgrading the buses, then pulling half the 40/41 and 42 and then losing the evening and Sunday services just put nails in them.

(07 Mar 2021, 10:33 pm)Storx wrote The Stagecoach 22/22X extension to Cobalt killed the North Tyneside network as it made the 309 redundant for people going to Cobalt from the West End etc and people using the 11/40/41/42 in the Howdon area will use the 22 instead as it's more frequent and goes further.

GNE downgrading the buses, then pulling half the 40/41 and 42 and then losing the evening and Sunday services just put nails in them.

I couldn't agree more. The 41 42 42A 11 and 19 have gone way downhill. They should at least give them an upgrade. They can't handle the route. When they pass they sound like there gonna break down. At least give them Scania Decker's Or Citaros. Something different than the solos. The solos would work better on services that they are required on. Like shuttle services or something else

Makes sense, given it had StreetLites when it was under "Prince Bishops".

(07 Mar 2021, 11:13 pm)MichealAaron wrote I couldn't agree more. The 41 42 42A 11 and 19 have gone way downhill. They should at least give them an upgrade. They can't handle the route. When they pass they sound like there gonna break down. At least give them Scania Decker's Or Citaros. Something different than the solos. The solos would work better on services that they are required on. Like shuttle services or something else

The 11 used to do well when it went to the Metrocentre, and personally i thought it suited 'Blue Arrow' better than 'Little Coaster', i also remember when the R19 (19) used to be every 15 mins,what i dont get though is the 42/42A ran perfectly fine,even with the 22/22X, the 22/22X were extended to the Cobalt in October 2015, the 42 was renumbered from 80 and the 42A is what was the short 42's and were extended to Kingston Park to replace the 353,so for 4/5 years it wasnt really a problem,but tbh none of it really matters, the North Tyneside network will never be sorted,not unless they want to roll back 20 years

I think they need to overlook the entire Little Coaster network put them back to original service and at least change the buses

With the X20 being upgraded to single deckers, it seems like 5328-5333 will be allocated. They have been off service since versas went to deptford

Still no confirmation of where theyre gonna go?

(16 Mar 2021, 4:54 pm)JP6004 wrote With the X20 being upgraded to single deckers, it seems like 5328-5333 will be allocated. They have been off service since versas went to deptford

A couple of these have been spotted at B&CW, plus long omnidekka 6169 at Read Commercials. Can scroll through for the others from the attached link. 
Go North East 5333 | Seen at Bus and Coach World, Blackburn … | Flickr

(16 Mar 2021, 6:41 pm)S813 FVK wrote A couple of these have been spotted at B&CW, plus long omnidekka 6169 at Read Commercials. Can scroll through for the others from the attached link. 
Go North East 5333 | Seen at Bus and Coach World, Blackburn … | Flickr

They're only 11 years old, must be getting a new paint job or something? Can't be getting rid of the best buses in the fleet by far.

Have those Citaros already had an internal refurb?

(16 Mar 2021, 7:43 pm)streetdeckfan wrote Have those Citaros already had an internal refurb?

Yep same as the rest of them, wouldn't take much to turn them to X-Lines standard mind, they already have wood effect floors and USBs. So maybe new seat covers and some extra padding and they'd be good to go. Wouldn't surprise me if it was just a repaint though.

(16 Mar 2021, 7:46 pm)deanmachine wrote Yep same as the rest of them, wouldn't take much to turn them to X-Lines standard mind, they already have wood effect floors and USBs. So maybe new seat covers and some extra padding and they'd be good to go. Wouldn't surprise me if it was just a repaint though.

I'd say they're already X-Lines standard (which is just GNE's normal standard since ~2015 with a fancy paint job)

Although, I'd probably go a step further and just replace the seats with some Civic V3s rather than add extra padding

(16 Mar 2021, 7:46 pm)deanmachine wrote Yep same as the rest of them, wouldn't take much to turn them to X-Lines standard mind, they already have wood effect floors and USBs. So maybe new seat covers and some extra padding and they'd be good to go. Wouldn't surprise me if it was just a repaint though.

What euro rating are they?
Would be quite interesting to see what DCC say about it if they are for the X20, bearing in mind the funding they've doled out to GNE over the years.

(16 Mar 2021, 7:54 pm)Andreos1 wrote What euro rating are they?
Would be quite interesting to see what DCC say about it if they are for the X20, bearing in mind the funding they've doled out to GNE over the years.

Euro 5, as we use them on the late 35As which require at least that. Same as the Solos and Streetlites currently used on the X20.

(16 Mar 2021, 7:57 pm)deanmachine wrote Euro 5, as we use them on the late 35As which require at least that. Same as the Solos and Streetlites currently used on the X20.

Ah good. Was thinking they were lower.
A big upgrade from a passenger perspective imo.

I wonder if 3 of the Solo's will go back on the X6/X7 to allow them to become X-lines again?

(16 Mar 2021, 4:54 pm)JP6004 wrote With the X20 being upgraded to single deckers, it seems like 5328-5333 will be allocated. They have been off service since versas went to deptford

Could the Versa's be for cover only then, if the Citaro's are going to Blackburn?

(16 Mar 2021, 8:52 pm)Michael wrote Could the Versa's be for cover only then, if the Citaro's are going to Blackburn?

I hope so, from a simply selfish driver's perspective haha

(16 Mar 2021, 8:52 pm)Michael wrote Could the Versa's be for cover only then, if the Citaro's are going to Blackburn?

Whether it's the mercs away for refurb or the 6 solos cascaded, they will need something to fill the gap

(16 Mar 2021, 9:12 pm)JP6004 wrote Whether it's the mercs away for refurb or the 6 solos cascaded, they will need something to fill the gap

Isn't there the ex Red Kite Streetlites free? I don't believe they've ever been allocated to anything official and are just acting as spares at Deptford atm and going on anything and they never replaced anything, I don't think.

The Versa's seem to be running the extras which the ex. Crusader Citaros were doing last time but obviously they've gone to Manchester now.

All well and good having bigger buses on the X20 however one board does (or at least used to) work onto the 79A which has to be Solo allocated so therefore either this interworking would need to change (the other 79A is/was a 33) or would there be a mixed allocation?

One side note, as a driver I would prefer a Streetlite (especially one of the smaller ones which are rockets) over a Merc.

I could see the Solos going back on the X6/7. Passenger numbers on there however I found the 53mph limited speed on the A19 an issue.

(17 Mar 2021, 12:34 pm)morritt89 wrote All well and good having bigger buses on the X20 however one board does (or at least used to) work onto the 79A which has to be Solo allocated so therefore either this interworking would need to change (the other 79A is/was a 33) or would there be a mixed allocation?

One side note, as a driver I would prefer a Streetlite (especially one of the smaller ones which are rockets) over a Merc.

I could see the Solos going back on the X6/7. Passenger numbers on there however I found the 53mph limited speed on the A19 an issue.

Assuming they don't re-seat the Citaros, I'd pick a Streetlite any day of the week!
It doesn't matter how rattly a Streetlite is, or how smooth a Citaro is, the fact that the seats on the Citaros are beyond uncomfortable make them basically unusable for me

You are the only driver i know that would have a streetlite over a merc. Having said that the smaller ones are a bit quicker (until they see a hill) and they have cab aircon. They are are brill in the summer.

Confirmed on the GNE Fleet news 5328 - 5333 are getting a refurb and repainted to X-Lines X20.