Confirm on Facebook that 1/2 will move to Ashington depot on the 22nd of this month

(10 Feb 2022, 8:19 pm)Train8261 wrote Confirm on Facebook that 1/2 will move to Ashington depot on the 22nd of this month

That's incorrect. 

The 1 is moving on Sunday the 27th, with the 2 following at the end of March (also the 27th I believe).  

Arriva's rotas work Sun-Sat iirc (hence why any service changes come into play on a Sunday), so it would be chaos moving work on the 22nd (a Tuesday).

Does anyone know which vehicles have transferred/will transfer from Blyth to Ashington to operate service 1?

(26 Feb 2022, 8:24 pm)Dan wrote Does anyone know which vehicles have transferred/will transfer from Blyth to Ashington to operate service 1?

Probably buses. Perhaps a horse and cart or a charabanc for a spare.

(26 Feb 2022, 8:24 pm)Dan wrote Does anyone know which vehicles have transferred/will transfer from Blyth to Ashington to operate service 1?

4 Pulsars due to transfer across tomorrow. Believe it's 4 of the corporate liveried ones, with the other 4 currently at Blyth transferring next month with the 2.

Does ashington depot have specific rotas for different routes or a small bus rota and a big bus rota or do drivers drive something different every day?

(26 Feb 2022, 9:38 pm)lloyd647 wrote Does ashington depot have specific rotas for different routes or a small bus rota and a big bus rota or do drivers drive something different every day?

Yep, the minibus rota at Ashington has a set of drivers, supposedly, who are happy with it as it avoids Newcastle. They're quite a friendly bunch aswell tbh given the general comments about Arriva drivers on here. The local pensioners seem to know them by name nowadays on the 57/57A.

(26 Feb 2022, 9:48 pm)Storx wrote Yep, the minibus rota at Ashington has a set of drivers, supposedly, who are happy with it as it avoids Newcastle. They're quite a friendly bunch aswell tbh given the general comments about Arriva drivers on here. The local pensioners seem to know them by name nowadays on the 57/57A.

Thanks I've just applied for ashington depot as they have some nice long routes I'd love to drive.

(26 Feb 2022, 9:58 pm)lloyd647 wrote Thanks I've just applied for ashington depot as they have some nice long routes I'd love to drive.

No worries, best of luck with it.

(26 Feb 2022, 9:38 pm)lloyd647 wrote Does ashington depot have specific rotas for different routes or a small bus rota and a big bus rota or do drivers drive something different every day?

There's the minibus rota as Storx has said, which includes the 57/A and 58, then a few different conventional rotas. 

The main one does the bulk of the 35s, X20s, X21/22s. There's the Morpeth rota which primarily does the X14/5/8, with some 35s and X20s thrown in (believe also some X21/22s on Saturdays at present). In addition, the Alnwick rota is staffed by Alnwick outstation based drivers, and primarily focuses on the X15/8 - given the nature of it, majority of X18 coasts are done by Alnwick drivers. I'm told the 1 will be added to the main Ashington rota, with the 2 going onto the Morpeth one. 

Believe drivers generally start on the minibus rota before moving up.

7524 and 7528 allocated to the 1 for the first day of Ashington operation. (*According to Bustimes*)

Would they not be better eventually converting the 1&2 to a MidiBus operation (StreetLites etc) and have the following rotas:

- 1/2/57/57A/58
- 35/X21/X22
- X14/X15/X18/X20

(27 Feb 2022, 5:15 pm)L469 YVK wrote Would they not be better eventually converting the 1&2 to a MidiBus operation (StreetLites etc) and have the following rotas:

- 1/2/57/57A/58
- 35/X21/X22
- X14/X15/X18/X20

Haven't they just recently converted them to full-size single-decks?

A Streetlite would be classed as a full-size single-deck too.

(27 Feb 2022, 12:50 am)mb134 wrote There's the minibus rota as Storx has said, which includes the 57/A and 58, then a few different conventional rotas. 

The main one does the bulk of the 35s, X20s, X21/22s. There's the Morpeth rota which primarily does the X14/5/8, with some 35s and X20s thrown in (believe also some X21/22s on Saturdays at present). In addition, the Alnwick rota is staffed by Alnwick outstation based drivers, and primarily focuses on the X15/8 - given the nature of it, majority of X18 coasts are done by Alnwick drivers. I'm told the 1 will be added to the main Ashington rota, with the 2 going onto the Morpeth one. 

Believe drivers generally start on the minibus rota before moving up.

Surprised at the 1/2 thought they might have retimetabled them and interworked them like 1 to Blyth -> 2 to Morpeth -> 2 to Blyth -> 1 to Ashington/Widdrington

(27 Feb 2022, 5:15 pm)L469 YVK wrote Would they not be better eventually converting the 1&2 to a MidiBus operation (StreetLites etc) and have the following rotas:

- 1/2/57/57A/58
- 35/X21/X22
- X14/X15/X18/X20

1/2s wouldn't really work with anything less than a full size single deck on their current half hourly frequency. Even on a Pulsar, there's frequently full seated loads in the peaks with Ashington college etc.

(27 Feb 2022, 5:25 pm)Dan wrote Haven't they just recently converted them to full-size single-decks?

A Streetlite would be classed as a full-size single-deck too.

Would they not be classed as a "lightweight" single deck for a starters rota? A bit like the Versas on GNE's Q3 and the Blue rota? (if I'm correct)

(27 Feb 2022, 8:01 pm)L469 YVK wrote Would they not be classed as a "lightweight" single deck for a starters rota? A bit like the Versas on GNE's Q3 and the Blue rota? (if I'm correct)

Go North East’s blue rota is based on work which is contracted (to enable a more competitive bid) or is low margin - nothing to do with vehicle type.

The X20 at Deptford is ran by blue rota drivers, and that’s allocated heavyweight Mercedes Citaros.

The X84/X85 at Hexham until fairly recently ran with brand new ADL E400s.


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(27 Feb 2022, 8:27 pm)Dan wrote The X84/X85 at Hexham until fairly recently ran with brand new ADL E400s.


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That's a surprise! Thought it would've been same rota as the 10(10A/10B) with local work on Blue Rota?

(27 Feb 2022, 6:41 pm)mb134 wrote 1/2s wouldn't really work with anything less than a full size single deck on their current half hourly frequency. Even on a Pulsar, there's frequently full seated loads in the peaks with Ashington college etc.

Further to that, the loadings of the 57/57a/58 don't really warrant anything bigger than a Solo.

Re. the comments about the driver's on the 57/57a, some have mentioned to me that they do prefer that rota than the Newcastle ones. Most of them are very canny too.

With the 1 going to Ashington so has 1409, 1432, 1461 & 1497

The 2 now appears to be working out of Ashington. Passed 7510 and a sapphire MMC on there earlier.

(07 Apr 2022, 8:25 am)omnicity4659 wrote The 2 now appears to be working out of Ashington. Passed 7510 and a sapphire MMC on there earlier.

It moved when the service changes happened on the 27th March

(07 Apr 2022, 9:15 am)Storx wrote It moved when the service changes happened on the 27th March

Alongside 1429, 1462, 1463 & 1475.

Forgot it was happening! The two resident Ashington buses appearing on there reminded me haha