I'm travelling on 24120 this morning on the 71 service, it sounds a good solid reliable vehicle but I have noticed some subtle differences compared to standard E300s,

 namely the seats are a lot taller similar to the ones that were on the Scania omnilinks, and there is an extra emergency exit in the roof about 3/4 of the way back. Plus the first two sets of saloon lights are blue coloured which is a feature I have noticed on a lot of Scottish buses and the other ex Carlisle E300s.

Does anybody know why these vehicles are different to native North east examples?

The batch (24116 to 24124) was ordered new for long distance routes out of Carlisle, hence the choice of high back seating. With them having high back seating the rear window isn't an emergency exit (they're normally break glass windows) so they have an extra one on the roof instead.
The blue interior lights at the front are to reduce glare on the windscreen for driving on unlit roads at night. Normal lights reflect the bus interior too much and it can obscure driver vision.

(10 Nov 2022, 8:46 pm)cainebj wrote The batch (24116 to 24124) was ordered new for long distance routes out of Carlisle, hence the choice of high back seating. With them having high back seating the rear window isn't an emergency exit (they're normally break glass windows) so they have an extra one on the roof instead.
The blue interior lights at the front are to reduce glare on the windscreen for driving on unlit roads at night. Normal lights reflect the bus interior too much and it can obscure driver vision.

ah right i didn't know that, thanks very much. do you what they got replaced by at Carlisle?

Nothing I don't think pretty sure they just wanted to give them away maybe they were cutting down on fleet.

Over the past few months Carlisle have taken in 4x 11 plate ADL E300s from Morecambe, 3x 57 plate ADL E300s from East Scotland, 4x 10 plate ADL E200s from West Scotland and I think 4x 63 plate ADL E200s from Manchester/Stockport that have helped to remove MAN E300s from service. West Cumbria has gained 2x 65 plate ADL E300s from Merseyside that are supposedly freeing up 2x 61 plates for Carlisle to replace further MANs

(10 Nov 2022, 8:46 pm)cainebj wrote The batch (24116 to 24124) was ordered new for long distance routes out of Carlisle, hence the choice of high back seating. With them having high back seating the rear window isn't an emergency exit (they're normally break glass windows) so they have an extra one on the roof instead.
The blue interior lights at the front are to reduce glare on the windscreen for driving on unlit roads at night. Normal lights reflect the bus interior too much and it can obscure driver vision.

The long distance routes being:

104 Carlisle - Penrith, about 20 miles
79 group Carlisle - Longtown - Gretna - Annan - Dumfries about 40 miles

(11 Nov 2022, 11:28 am)toward6931 wrote ah right i didn't know that, thanks very much. do you what they got replaced by at Carlisle?

In the last 6-12 months there has been a major review of all services within the Carlisle city boundary and also affecting the 104 to Penrith and the 79 group to Dumfries.

Overall effect is less buses needed.

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The high back seated MAN E300 were nice buses when I last used one

Well now this vehicle has transferred to the Stagecoach Stockton Depot