(14 Nov 2025, 12:33 pm)Arriva7446 wrote Hearing on Facebook that some vehicles have failed emissions standards for Newcastle CAZ, and as such have moved from Blyth to Ashington and are doing the local services 1 and 2 and 57. 7636 is one, 7502, 7506. Not sure if this is true.

If that is the case it may explain why 7578-80 are at Blyth (and not just to cover for vehicles away for repainting). Again, if they have failed the emission tests, is it likely they will get fixed - i.e. replacing/cleaning their particulate filters considering their age? Or will they be kept at Ashington for the 1/2/57/57a?

(14 Nov 2025, 5:53 pm)solsburian wrote If that is the case it may explain why 7578-80 are at Blyth (and not just to cover for vehicles away for repainting). Again, if they have failed the emission tests, is it likely they will get fixed - i.e. replacing/cleaning their particulate filters considering their age? Or will they be kept at Ashington for the 1/2/57/57a?

7502/4/6 are all at Ashington and likely won't be fixed as they're first due for the scrap heap when the new buses arrive, 7636 is a slightly different case as believe the 61-plate batch is due to stick around a little longer - so may be more likely that it receives some attention but in the short-term might as well use it at Ashington.

(14 Nov 2025, 6:27 pm)peter wrote 7502/4/6 are all at Ashington and likely won't be fixed as they're first due for the scrap heap when the new buses arrive, 7636 is a slightly different case as believe the 61-plate batch is due to stick around a little longer - so may be more likely that it receives some attention but in the short-term might as well use it at Ashington.

That does not surprise me TBH. Back in the day I was surprised the 57 plate E400s received the mods at all given their reputation (as a layman) - but they have soldiered on since they received them.

The issue is with the supplier, Eminox.

The kits they used for retrofitment are failing and due to the volume across the country of retrofit issues, parts are on backorder, with lead times of months, not weeks.

Rumours are that some of Durham MMCs will move north to help provide cover too.

(14 Nov 2025, 8:31 pm)Superman wrote The issue is with the supplier, Eminox.

The kits they used for retrofitment are failing and due to the volume across the country of retrofit issues, parts are on backorder, with lead times of months, not weeks.

Rumours are that some of Durham MMCs will move north to help provide cover too.

Guess this explains the allocations being all over the place at GoNorthEast and some of the random moves at Stagecoach aswell.

(14 Nov 2025, 8:31 pm)Superman wrote Rumours are that some of Durham MMCs will move north to help provide cover too.

Should they not have ended up in Northumbria in the first place given Northumbria is way more profitable than Durham & Tees?

(14 Nov 2025, 8:31 pm)Superman wrote The issue is with the supplier, Eminox.

The kits they used for retrofitment are failing and due to the volume across the country of retrofit issues, parts are on backorder, with lead times of months, not weeks.

Rumours are that some of Durham MMCs will move north to help provide cover too.

If it's that big an issue, I suspect some councils are going to have to make some hard decisions as to whether to (temporarily) relax their emissions requirements, or risk losing huge chunks of bus services as the vehicles cannot be used.

Alternatively, is there a case for the operators to use non-compliant vehicles, pick up the financial penalty, and then pass that on to Eminox in a compensation claim?

(Yesterday, 8:00 am)L469 YVK wrote Should they not have ended up in Northumbria in the first place given Northumbria is way more profitable than Durham & Tees?

Sorry, but who told you that? Seriously, for years, Durham County was the most profitable side of the division - indeed there was years about a decade ago where due to various long-standing payments on sites etc, Northumbria was actually a loss-making division. Northumbria have only had a significant amount of investment in recent years due to the CAZ in Newcastle.

(Yesterday, 8:00 am)L469 YVK wrote Should they not have ended up in Northumbria in the first place given Northumbria is way more profitable than Durham & Tees?

Next joke  please  x4 x93  are the most profitable runs  in Redcar whitby area

(Yesterday, 9:46 am)Bob5666 wrote Next joke  please  x4 x93  are the most profitable runs  in Redcar whitby area

The 63 is surely the most profitable bus route down there? It has Linthorpe Road and James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough which are the sort of things which make them a gold mine. 

It's one of the most frequent bus routes in the North East, assuming the 10 minute frequence not temporary 15 minute service.

(Yesterday, 9:57 am)Storx wrote The 63 is surely the most profitable bus route down there? It has Linthorpe Road and James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough which are the sort of things which make them a gold mine. 

It's one of the most frequent bus routes in the North East, assuming the 10 minute frequence not temporary 15 minute service.

Excluding any of the legacy Stagecooach / Busways' routes (i.e 39/40, 62/63) - Arriva's 308 was likely the second most profifable behind GNE's 21 in the North East before covid.

If you look at Arriva Northumbria, their likely most profitable routes (or sections for longer journeys) are:
- 306/308
- X10/X11
- X21/X22
- 43/44/45
- X14/X15/X16/X18 - Ncl > Morpeth
- X15/X18 - Ncl > Alnwick

(Yesterday, 10:23 am)L469 YVK wrote Excluding any of the legacy Stagecooach / Busways' routes (i.e 39/40, 62/63) - Arriva's 308 was likely the second most profifable behind GNE's 21 in the North East before covid.

If you look at Arriva Northumbria, their likely most profitable routes (or sections for longer journeys) are:
- 306/308
- X10/X11
- X21/X22
- 43/44/45
- X14/X15/X16/X18 - Ncl > Morpeth
- X15/X18 - Ncl > Alnwick

Oh I don't know on the 308, you know.

I have a feeling there might be some hidden ones in there which are less obvious. These ones in particular:

2: Red Hall to Cockerton
8: Middlesbrough to Netherfields
15: North Tees Hospital to Ingleby Barwick
64: Arnison to Sherburn

They're all so short in length or have the major destination mid route so you effectively have 2 lots of passengers ie. the 64 has an Arnison to Durham load, then it picks a whole new load up from Durham to Sherburn.

They might not have the most people on the bus, but they're doing more trips in an hour. The 15 on paper has 3 different core bits (Hospital to Stockton / Stockton to Thornaby and Thornaby to Ingleby Barwick) and Stockton and Thornaby are both busy places.

The GNE 56 is another one, as there won't be many people going end to end but they're busy at both ends so people are very likely swapping somewhere. The 308 on the other hand from Newcastle to North Tyneside Hospital isn't really picking anyone up.

(Yesterday, 8:00 am)L469 YVK wrote Should they not have ended up in Northumbria in the first place given Northumbria is way more profitable than Durham & Tees?

I won’t go into specifics, but since the closure of Newcastle, the Northumbria business has become one of the most profitable areas in all of UKB on a fully loaded margin basis, second only to Merseyside.

Durham County still has its challenges, but there are some significant changes coming next year to address that. 

Confirmed this week also is the first part of the 2026 diesel order.

31 x E400MMC (Ashington, Blyth and Redcar to benefit) 
18 x E200MMC (Currently planned all to go to Stockton, but this might change)

Blyth, Darlington and Durham also still due their electrics (total of 49) and a second diesel order is expected for more Evoras (hence the split in approval due to manufacturer).

That's 98 new vehicles already approved with further to come. Almost a third of the fleet to be renewed in 2026.

(Yesterday, 9:57 am)Storx wrote The 63 is surely the most profitable bus route down there? It has Linthorpe Road and James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough which are the sort of things which make them a gold mine. 

It's one of the most frequent bus routes in the North East, assuming the 10 minute frequence not temporary 15 minute service.

X4s x93s  full standing loads tho i have actually seen it and  been on

Cool, new buses for Blyth. First time I will be riding on a new bus on my local routes since I first got into buses in 2016 (apart from the 2 month spell in 2022 where the 57 had new buses)

Regarding the emissions, I wonder if there is more buses being affected by this, but so far they have only been able to do a few swaps, so there might be others which are receiving fines daily. I guess we will see if they bring in the 16 plate MMC's to cover.

I would expect they would fix the issue on the 61 plate Gemini though. They still have a few years in them I think. 57 plates probably be gone in 6 months though.

(Yesterday, 1:24 pm)Bob5666 wrote X4s x93s  full standing loads tho i have actually seen it and  been on

Very seasonal though. 

The 63 has loads of swapping loads though, so you might have 25 people on at Redcar and then 25 people on at Middlesbrough but it's pretty guaranteed it's not the same 25 people unless people are lost as it doesn't make sense to do that journey. 

Add the people doing trips to the hospital or whatever in between you could be looking at like 60 people on each hourly'ish run. 

The same number of people on the X4 is roughly 100 people because it's twice the length, obviously ignoring ticket prices and things here and some assumptions on the numbers but I'd be surprised the X4 is more profitable. 

Truthfully I always seen the 63 as the flagship route in all of Teesside with the 15 and SNE 36/37/38

(Yesterday, 10:39 am)Storx wrote The 308 on the other hand from Newcastle to North Tyneside Hospital isn't really picking anyone up.

It's wild to say that the 308 isn't picking up from Newcastle to North Tyneside Hospital. 

Almost every time I've used it, it's picked up at Corner House, most slip road stops (including Silverlink), and then through Billy Mill. Even if they weren't picking huge amounts up at those stops, they leave Newcastle Haymarket with decent loads on almost every trip and also pick up again at St. Mary's Place, Sandyford, and Cradlewell.

(Yesterday, 10:49 am)Superman wrote I won’t go into specifics, but since the closure of Newcastle, the Northumbria business has become one of the most profitable areas in all of UKB on a fully loaded margin basis, second only to Merseyside.

Durham County still has its challenges, but there are some significant changes coming next year to address that. 

Confirmed this week also is the first part of the 2026 diesel order.

31 x E400MMC (Ashington, Blyth and Redcar to benefit) 
18 x E200MMC (Currently planned all to go to Stockton, but this might change)

Blyth, Darlington and Durham also still due their electrics (total of 49) and a second diesel order is expected for more Evoras (hence the split in approval due to manufacturer).

That's 98 new vehicles already approved with further to come. Almost a third of the fleet to be renewed in 2026.

100+ buses within one financial year is exceptionally good going. 

Rough maths:

19x E400s (57/58/09-plates)
15x DB300s (59-plates) 
14x E200s (72-plates)
81x Pulsars (09/59/10-plates)

Seem to be the most likely candidates (or have been confirmed as) for replacement (E200s to another division?). Given the 61-plate Pulsars are in a hell of a state (particularly the MX61 batch), I wonder if some of the repainted/refurbished ex-Merseyside 09/59/10-plates may stay longer in place of the interurban examples.

Out of interest, are the Evoras only for Tees Valley or is there a large number of those due also?