Allegedly Redcar/Whitby are to swap an E400 for a Gemini at Blyth sometime next week, as part of a trial to see how they handle the X93, in preperation for the summer. If it works well, they may be another 5 swapped permanent.

I witnessed some of the issues last year and the drivers seemed to be unhappy with the E400 performance on the hills and valleys between Middlesbrough & Scarborough, ultimately resulting in late operation.

(13 Jan 2014, 8:58 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote Allegedly Redcar/Whitby are to swap an E400 for a Gemini at Blyth sometime next week, as part of a trial to see how they handle the X93, in preperation for the summer. If it works well, they may be another 5 swapped permanent.

I witnessed some of the issues last year and the drivers seemed to be unhappy with the E400 performance on the hills and valleys between Middlesbrough & Scarborough, ultimately resulting in late operation.

Indeed they are! I've argued for a B9 to be trialled from Yorkshire but it seems Geminis will be chosen.

The E400s have been absolutely terrible, with very few of them being on the road at present (as usual) - 7501 has been dumped at Ashington for a number of weeks now.

(13 Jan 2014, 9:07 pm)tyresmoke wrote Indeed they are! I've argued for a B9 to be trialled from Yorkshire but it seems Geminis will be chosen.

The E400s have been absolutely terrible, with very few of them being on the road at present (as usual) - 7501 has been dumped at Ashington for a number of weeks now.

I would say the E400 is really not suitable for running X93...I have travelled on 7501 before, it climbed the hill at about just 5mph...
Just wonder suppose a Trident should be a good climber, but I was so shocked about its terrible performance

No double deck vehicle with a Cummins Engine is up to the game for endurance and long distance work however, the Cummins ISBe is setup slightly different in the Pulsar Gemini 2 and compared to the E400 bodywork, the Pulsar Gemini 2 is lighter and therefore, will be helpful. Why did Arriva not consider buying the Volvo B9TL Eclipse Gemini 2 instead of the VDL DB390 or E400 with an engine that is only designed for use in Towns and Cities? OK, they're not perfect but they're far more suited to the job of endurance work than a Cummins Engined vehicle. Think about all the routes that would have benefited:

- X10, X11, X14, X15, X18, X20, X21, X22 and X93.

Jesmond based Optare Solo 2815 has been repainted all white. Reason unknown at present.

4080 Awaiting Disposal – Reinstated at Redcar

4097 Redcar – Awaiting Disposal

7367 Awaiting Disposal – Ashington (Replaces Fire Destroyed 7510).


Many thanks to Richard Smiles for providing the information.

(14 Jan 2014, 12:09 am)tyresmoke wrote Jesmond based Optare Solo 2815 has been repainted all white. Reason unknown at present.

It has painted white to cover nexus branded buses due to Nexus complaining about arriva coloured buses on the contract services

(14 Jan 2014, 8:36 am)Dan wrote 4080 Awaiting Disposal – Reinstated at Redcar

4097 Redcar – Awaiting Disposal

7367 Awaiting Disposal – Ashington (Replaces Fire Destroyed 7510).


Many thanks to Richard Smiles for providing the information.

Still saw 7367 last week on X20....so the last Olympian still got to leave the fleet

(14 Jan 2014, 1:30 pm)bcal3119 wrote Still saw 7367 last week on X20....so the last Olympian still got to leave the fleet

Could be gone sooner than you think! Unconfirmed reports that 3 ex London deckers have turned up at Ashington depot from Thorntons... If they are for North East then they should replace Olympian 7367 and DAF Spectras 7482/3.

In relation to the Versa demonstrator - currently with Xelabus (as shown here), but returns to Optare tomorrow.
Another very short demonstration, and equally as pointless. Optare must realise that operators cannot get an idea of how the bus performs in a two-week period when approximately half of that is dedicated to familiarisation purposes?

(15 Jan 2014, 6:44 pm)Dan wrote In relation to the Versa demonstrator - currently with Xelabus (as shown here), but returns to Optare tomorrow.
Another very short demonstration, and equally as pointless. Optare must realise that operators cannot get an idea of how the bus performs in a two-week period when approximately half of that is dedicated to familiarisation purposes?

To be fair the majority of demonstrations are over a very short period just to demonstrate what the bus can do. The extended ones GNE have had are very unusual but the Versa they had (as an example) was owned by Go Ahead for the purposes of a long term demonstration.

The Versa is not new (2006/7), and several local operators such as GNE must have acquired examples, therefore why is Optare hawking it around?
ArrivaNorthEast had a demonstrator in 2008:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/emdjt42/451...6724137034
Was it not deemed worthy of ordering?

http://www.optare.com/images/brochures/v...ochure.pdf

Are sales falling off and are they hoping to fill their order books before they discontinue it?

(15 Jan 2014, 7:11 pm)G-CPTN wrote The Versa is not new (2006/7), and several local operators such as GNE must have acquired examples, therefore why is Optare hawking it around?
ArrivaNorthEast had a demonstrator in 2008:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/emdjt42/451...6724137034
Was it not deemed worthy of ordering?

http://www.optare.com/images/brochures/v...ochure.pdf

Are sales falling off and are they hoping to fill their order books before they discontinue it?

Low sales and the low cost involved in hawking around a sole demonstrator at each and every end of the country for a few weeks at a time.

The thoughts crossed my mind to be honest.

(14 Jan 2014, 4:56 pm)tyresmoke wrote Could be gone sooner than you think! Unconfirmed reports that 3 ex London deckers have turned up at Ashington depot from Thorntons... If they are for North East then they should replace Olympian 7367 and DAF Spectras 7482/3.

Heading for North West allegedly. Some are due North East, but still in London.

(15 Jan 2014, 8:48 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote Heading for North West allegedly. Some are due North East, but still in London.

Cheers that would make sense, they're currently taking a batch of Geminis.

Actually, I have second thoughts about the VDL DB300 Gemini 2. I know that the engines aren't really all that fantastic beyond towns and cities but, I have to say that they cope fairly well due to the fact that the Wright Pulsar Gemini 2 is quite a light body compared to the Enviro 400. I was on the 308 tonight and between Benfield Road and Station Road, we overtook a GNE Versa with no problem accelerating from 40mph to 50mph. If Arriva want to swap them for the 4 E400'S in Redcar, they're best off swaping them with 4 Quorum Express VDL DB300's. If the VDL DB300's were to be well looked after by Redcar depot, they'd last quite a while. Then with the 4 E400's, paint them in Plum therefore, making up half of the Quroum Express PVR. If the VDL DB300 coped fairly well on the X93, then Arriva could then swap 4 more Quorum VDL DB300's with 4 of Ashington's E400's meaning that 8 out of the 11 vehicles on the X15 and X18 will be fairly good or excellent. The E400 can't cope with endurance work well but, they could handle the X4 and X5 OK with the only fast roads being Horton Road, Links Road, A190 and Grandstand Road.

(13 Jan 2014, 6:25 pm)Dan wrote Got nothing on having it on frontline service in Durham though.

The Versa and Streetlite Max GNE had on demonstration are going around all GA operators for slightly longer durations than normal demonstrations.

Plymouth Citybus can hardly make a decision based on GNE's trial - their services are nothing like GNE's 44, 58 etc.

We were told it was only actually here for familiarisation, not for a demonstration so it was essentially once the entire depot has been familiarised it went back.

(16 Jan 2014, 11:45 am)palatine3833 wrote We were told it was only actually here for familiarisation, not for a demonstration so it was essentially once the entire depot has been familiarised it went back.

Interesting. This would certainly suggest an order is in mind this year.

(16 Jan 2014, 4:06 pm)Dan wrote Interesting. This would certainly suggest an order is in mind this year.

It would but as far as I know there's none definitely on order, but may be some in an extension to the order.

Interesting to hear the Arriva Bus app is being promoted on TFM Radio and Metro Radio, with a competition to give away various goodies... Its definitely been interesting to watch on my days off to see how things are doing!

(16 Jan 2014, 4:29 pm)tyresmoke wrote It would but as far as I know there's none definitely on order, but may be some in an extension to the order.

Interesting to hear the Arriva Bus app is being promoted on TFM Radio and Metro Radio, with a competition to give away various goodies... Its definitely been interesting to watch on my days off to see how things are doing!

When will the Northumbria area of the Live map be active?

PB0002717/294 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Middlesbrough and Saltersgill given service number 30 effective from 16-Feb-2014.

PB0002717/295 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Middlesbrough and Swans Corner given service number 627 effective from 16-Feb-2014.

PB0002717/297 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Middlesbrough and Middlesbrough given service number 631/632 effective from 16-Feb-2014.

PB0002717/305 - ARRIVA DURHAM COUNTY LTD, 1 ADMIRAL WAY, DOXFORD INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PARK, SUNDERLAND, SR3 3XP
Cancellation Accepted: Operating between Redcar and Lingdale given service number 4A/4 effective from 16-Feb-2014.

(16 Jan 2014, 4:41 pm)Tom wrote When will the Northumbria area of the Live map be active?

If you look, all depots are now active and working.

(16 Jan 2014, 4:29 pm)tyresmoke wrote It would but as far as I know there's none definitely on order, but may be some in an extension to the order.

Interesting to hear the Arriva Bus app is being promoted on TFM Radio and Metro Radio, with a competition to give away various goodies... Its definitely been interesting to watch on my days off to see how things are doing!

The Arriva Bus app is really good, but just a shame the m-Ticket app is crap. The moment a smart card becomes available I'll be changing over.

(16 Jan 2014, 4:29 pm)tyresmoke wrote It would but as far as I know there's none definitely on order, but may be some in an extension to the order.

Interesting to hear the Arriva Bus app is being promoted on TFM Radio and Metro Radio, with a competition to give away various goodies... Its definitely been interesting to watch on my days off to see how things are doing!

I agree on the interesting to see how things are doing - not very well when I had a look the other morning in the peak. There where some huge gaps in the 6 as well - unless some buses weren't showing. The app is brilliant, but you need to get the buses on time to get more folk to use them.

In regards to the app, is it just me who can't keep track of one specific vehicle or is it a universal problem? It always seems to disappear then re-appear about 10-15 seconds later.
If it is a universal problem, does anyone know why it's happening? I can't imagine there being any fault in picking up a signal from a bus at Central Station in Newcastle, but that one cut off a number of times while moving before cutting off completely about 15 minutes ago.

(16 Jan 2014, 9:05 pm)busman101 wrote I agree on the interesting to see how things are doing - not very well when I had a look the other morning in the peak. There where some huge gaps in the 6 as well - unless some buses weren't showing. The app is brilliant, but you need to get the buses on time to get more folk to use them.

I believe there is some issues with some vehicles not showing up which are being worked on - indeed some Stockton vehicles are still running around with baseplates programmed for previous fleet numbers! We have a scrap MPD and one of our lovely Scanias still roaming the streets if you believed the ticket machines...
I've heard about loads of problems with the 6 though so I can't pretend there isn't any!

(16 Jan 2014, 9:12 pm)Dan wrote In regards to the app, is it just me who can't keep track of one specific vehicle or is it a universal problem? It always seems to disappear then re-appear about 10-15 seconds later.
If it is a universal problem, does anyone know why it's happening? I can't imagine there being any fault in picking up a signal from a bus at Central Station in Newcastle, but that one cut off a number of times while moving before cutting off completely about 15 minutes ago.

As far as I can tell there shouldn't be any issues with vehicles disappearing other than when they change trips on the Wayfarer, but should appear again immediately once the new trip is set up. Also they won't show up when the machine is signed off (ie when running light or similar).

(16 Jan 2014, 9:05 pm)busman101 wrote I agree on the interesting to see how things are doing - not very well when I had a look the other morning in the peak. There where some huge gaps in the 6 as well - unless some buses weren't showing. The app is brilliant, but you need to get the buses on time to get more folk to use them.

At least people waiting for the 6 know when their bus is likely to turn up when using the app, unlike people waiting for the 21

(16 Jan 2014, 9:34 pm)Kuyoyo wrote At least people waiting for the 6 know when their bus is likely to turn up when using the app, unlike people waiting for the 21

& if they don't use the app..............................

And good news for some residents in the Stockton area (myself included)

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/lo...s/?ref=rss

Am I right in hearing that the Arriva real time app actually works on journey numbers and does not look at the full running boards. So if a service is operating late, lets say going into Newcastle as a X4, and the bus is leaving Newcastle as an X5, and the bus is running late, because the driver has not keyed in the journey details of the X5 trip, the real time system thinks it is on time?

If running boards are used, the system knows what journey the bus is going onto and in this case, lets people at the Haymarket know it is running late.

If this is the case, it does seem a bit short sighted.