Wright Streetlite DF/Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrid 5391 (NK15 EMV) is still yet to be delivered, but I've updated our fleet lists to reflect the arrival of the four new X66 vehicles as it should arrive early next week amongst the examples for the 8/78.

Got to have a blast on 6070. Quite nice to drive actually.

(22 Mar 2015, 11:46 am)Dan wrote Wright Streetlite DF/Wright Streetlite Micro-Hybrid 5391 (NK15 EMV) is still yet to be delivered, but I've updated our fleet lists to reflect the arrival of the four new X66 vehicles as it should arrive early next week amongst the examples for the 8/78.

Are they not euro 6, i thought all buses which are now ordered had to be?

(22 Mar 2015, 11:52 am)MurdnunoC wrote Got to have a blast on 6070. Quite nice to drive actually.

Are all the buses there to be driven? Might have a pop along if I can have a drive of a B9.

(22 Mar 2015, 11:53 am)Michael wrote Are they not euro 6, i thought all buses which are now ordered had to be?

No, they're Euro 5.

Wrightbus offer both Euro 5 and Euro 6 at the moment, though the latter is more expensive which is why a large number of operators are still opting for Euro 5. The majority of Arriva UK's 50 new Streetlites which will be delivered over spring will be Euro 5, too.

(22 Mar 2015, 11:58 am)Dan wrote No, they're Euro 5.

Wrightbus offer both Euro 5 and Euro 6 at the moment, though the latter is more expensive which is why a large number of operators are still opting for Euro 5. The majority of Arriva UK's 50 new Streetlites which will be delivered over spring will be Euro 5, too.

Cheers, that's good.

(22 Mar 2015, 11:56 am)aureolin wrote Are all the buses there to be driven? Might have a pop along if I can have a drive of a B9.

Angel, Saltwll Park, Citylink and 6084 (not 6094 as I previously stated) are currently being used. As i don't know what a B9 is, I couldn't tell you if it's being used.

(22 Mar 2015, 12:18 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Angel, Saltwll Park, Citylink and 6084 (not 6094 as I previously stated) are currently being used. As i don't know what a B9 is, I couldn't tell you if it's being used.

6084 is a Volvo B9TL. You had a Volvo B5LH - which is pretty similar in terms of cab layout etc.

(22 Mar 2015, 12:18 pm)MurdnunoC wrote Angel, Saltwll Park, Citylink and 6084 (not 6094 as I previously stated) are currently being used. As i don't know what a B9 is, I couldn't tell you if it's being used.

Have they said why they're so keen to recruit a massive number of drivers?
Is it down to turnover/natural wastage, existing staff being stretched to the limit or is this the start of a massive growth in services and routes?
Not sure why they would need such a big event, for any other reasons other than the ones above.

(22 Mar 2015, 12:27 pm)Andreos1 wrote Have they said why they're so keen to recruit a massive number of drivers?
Is it down to turnover/natural wastage, existing staff being stretched to the limit or is this the start of a massive growth in services and routes?
Not sure why they would need such a big event, for any other reasons other than the ones above.

Might just be looking for younger employees. Chances are they are just looking for people to replace the older drivers in years to come.

Trying to recruit 300 struck me, thinking they're perhaps looking at expansion?

300, from their own figures, would be almost 20% of their existing workforce, which is a massive turnover if it's simply to cover attrition? That being said, their new approach to recruitment is a massive positive in my opinion - looking for customer service experience as a must have, rather than the PSV licence.

(22 Mar 2015, 12:36 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Might just be looking for younger employees. Chances are they are just looking for people to replace the older drivers in years to come.

According to the website, approx 1600 members of staff are GNE drivers.
They have said that this recruitment drive is to get 300 drivers on board.

That is a canny percentage of staff to be added to the work force - or to be taken on, to replace those on the verge of retirement, not forgetting the shadow of QCS looming in the background.

The thought just came to me earlier on and wondered if there had been an official line given.

(22 Mar 2015, 12:52 pm)Andreos1 wrote According to the website, approx 1600 members of staff are GNE drivers.
They have said that this recruitment drive is to get 300 drivers on board.

That is a canny percentage of staff to be added to the work force - or to be taken on, to replace those on the verge of retirement, not forgetting the shadow of QCS looming in the background.

The thought just came to me earlier on and wondered if there had been an official line given.

Maybe expansion in that case. Unless I've gotten myself confused again, with QCS - they can pick up extra work in other areas if they're given it or something? So Chester-le-Street might become ruled by Stagecoach, etc.?

They may be recruiting extra employees in the case of this. Didn't realise that was what you were hinting at in your first post.

(22 Mar 2015, 12:36 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Might just be looking for younger employees. Chances are they are just looking for people to replace the older drivers in years to come.

They're not recruiting drivers today to replace drivers in a few years time, it takes about 3-4 weeks to do driving and cpc side then 2 weeks with a mentor. Thinking we've had at least 6 new drivers in as many weeks.Not sure why 300 drivers are needed.

(22 Mar 2015, 12:58 pm)nk55 wrote They're not recruiting drivers today to replace drivers in a few years time, it takes about 3-4 weeks to do driving and cpc side then 2 weeks with a mentor. Thinking we've had at least 6 new drivers in as many weeks. Not sure why 300 drivers are needed.

Noticed quite a few new drivers in Chester-le-Street, whom I'd never seen before.

I think this 300 drivers thing seems to be puzzling everyone...

(22 Mar 2015, 12:50 pm)aureolin wrote Trying to recruit 300 struck me, thinking they're perhaps looking at expansion?

300, from their own figures, would be almost 20% of their existing workforce, which is a massive turnover if it's simply to cover attrition? That being said, their new approach to recruitment is a massive positive in my opinion - looking for customer service experience as a must have, rather than the PSV licence.

I noticed the customer service patter too.
Someone can be the best driver in the world, but if you can't communicate and present a professional image (being the contact between depot and customers), then there is no point doing the job.

(22 Mar 2015, 12:55 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Maybe expansion in that case. Unless I've gotten myself confused again, with QCS - they can pick up extra work in other areas if they're given it or something? So Chester-le-Street might become ruled by Stagecoach, etc.?

They may be recruiting extra employees in the case of this. Didn't realise that was what you were hinting at in your first post.

No, wasn't hinting at anything.
Three possible reasons I can think of, but whichever reason is the official one - QCS is there lurking regardless.

There are a whole lot of questions still hanging with regard to QCS, so to recruit up to 300 new employees, leads to a lot more questions than answers.

(22 Mar 2015, 1:00 pm)MarcTheA4 wrote Noticed quite a few new drivers in Chester-le-Street, whom I'd never seen before.

I think this 300 drivers thing seems to be puzzling everyone...

There seems to be a load of new faces at Chester-le-Street. I seem to see a new face every time I travel through that way these days.

(22 Mar 2015, 1:05 pm)aureolin wrote There seems to be a load of new faces at Chester-le-Street. I seem to see a new face every time I travel through that way these days.

Same here. I don't really talk to many drivers these days, but I have seen a few I've never seen before over the past weeks.

Figured I may as well tweet GNE to see if they could provide any answer.

''We are planning for the future and also replacing drivers who have left the company.''

I think these 300 New Drivers will be to cover for Stagecoach Work, if they do indeed move out of the area following the implementation of QCS, could it be anything else, I dont think it will be.

I honestly don't think it's got anything to do with QCS. I think it's more likely that the company are looking into their own plans for expansion...

(22 Mar 2015, 1:29 pm)Malarkey wrote I think these 300 New Drivers will be to cover for Stagecoach Work, if they do indeed move out of the area following the implementation of QCS, could it be anything else, I dont think it will be.

That would be working blind...nobody has confirmed that SC is pulling out of the area? Yes there have been threats made but no confirmation of the threats becoming true.

(22 Mar 2015, 1:33 pm)aureolin wrote I honestly don't think it's got anything to do with QCS. I think it's more likely that the company are looking into their own plans for expansion...

I think a large part of it will be to cover the current driver shortage across all depots. Nobody has enough drivers and that's not just GNE, Arriva and Stagecoach have the same problem, as do many independents.

(22 Mar 2015, 1:33 pm)aureolin wrote I honestly don't think it's got anything to do with QCS. I think it's more likely that the company are looking into their own plans for expansion...

Cue a massive stampede in the 'orders and predictions' thread about which vehicles are likely to arrive, what they will replace and where the X1 branded deckers will be cascaded to.
Ah, and a stack of posts in the 'route suggestions' thread, about which towns and villages (apart from the Galleries), which will benefit from these expansion plans .

(22 Mar 2015, 1:35 pm)Robert wrote That would be working blind...nobody has confirmed that SC is pulling out of the area? Yes there have been threats made but no confirmation of the threats becoming true.

Totally agree.
As I mentioned earlier, QCS is lurking - which generates enough questions, without the expansion plans.
However, I QCS does come off and staff are to be tupe'd over, are the budgets, figures and finances planned previously - completely out of the window?

(22 Mar 2015, 1:38 pm)tyresmoke wrote I think a large part of it will be to cover the current driver shortage across all depots. Nobody has enough drivers and that's not just GNE, Arriva and Stagecoach have the same problem, as do many independents.

I guess driving buses just isn't a career path being pushed to younger people, these days, which explains why drivers are leaving but there isn't a great deal of new recruits.

Go North East has completely modernised its recruitment process recently, with periodical events planned at the Metrocentre and Stadium of Light (at the very least) again in future. The new process should appeal a lot more to younger people - and it really shows what the company is all about. There are many advantages to working for a bus company, some of which potential applicants won't be aware of prior to applying, and these are really being promoted at the moment. Go North East also wishes to attract more females to the company, and we've seen this being pushed recently too.

I'm sure we can speculate on possible plans for network expansion until we're blue in the face. No doubt Malarkey will give us some suggestions in the relevant thread.  

(22 Mar 2015, 1:38 pm)tyresmoke wrote I think a large part of it will be to cover the current driver shortage across all depots. Nobody has enough drivers and that's not just GNE, Arriva and Stagecoach have the same problem, as do many independents.

It makes you wonder what is going wrong? 

The rates of pay obviously differ between company, but it's not a bad hourly rate. At least the big three are paying well above the living wage. Not to mention the amount of money you'd save in travel for your kids and partner. If you've two kids of school age, then there's £1200 a year you've saved just by taking the job.


Is it perhaps the shifts? I've literally no idea how they work, but I know that you tend to start to hear grumbles if people have to work the majority of weekends, a load of back shifts, etc.

(22 Mar 2015, 1:47 pm)Dan wrote I'm sure we can speculate on possible plans for network expansion until we're blue in the face. No doubt Malarkey will give us some suggestions in the relevant thread.  

I never thought. All 300 drivers will be required to provide a 10 minute frequency between Dumfries and Hartlepool, via Washington Galleries and Lambton.

(22 Mar 2015, 1:49 pm)aureolin wrote It makes you wonder what is going wrong? 

The rates of pay obviously differ between company, but it's not a bad hourly rate. At least the big three are paying well above the living wage. Not to mention the amount of money you'd save in travel for your kids and partner. If you've two kids of school age, then there's £1200 a year you've saved just by taking the job.


Is it perhaps the shifts? I've literally no idea how they work, but I know that you tend to start to hear grumbles if people have to work the majority of weekends, a load of back shifts, etc.


I never thought. All 300 drivers will be required to provide a 10 minute frequency between Dumfries and Hartlepool, via Washington Galleries and Lambton.

I think people go into the job and get put off by the public.  Whilst most of the time the public are friendly, you only have to look at the GNE/ANE Facebook pages to see how quickly they can turn on you.  I personally think people can only take so much of getting abuse off people and that is why some don't last long in the industry.  If you're nice to the public, they're generally nice back, but it's hard to put on a smile when you're getting blamed for something which isn't your fault (running late, breakdowns etc.)

(22 Mar 2015, 1:35 pm)Robert wrote That would be working blind...nobody has confirmed that SC is pulling out of the area? Yes there have been threats made but no confirmation of the threats becoming true.

While these threats havent been confirmed by a representative of Stagecoach, why would they confirm that they are true, if they did then that put the entire companies North East Operations into Disrepute which of course they would want to avoid, because of potential implications that it would have on the Company.

But whats to say The Go-Ahead Group and Stagecoach havent already held discussions regarding a potential takeover of Stagecoachs North East Service Operations though if QCS was to be implemented in the near future, we have seen First takeover Western Greyhounds Operations, and Stagecoach/Stagecarriage takeover Leven Valleys Operation in the past month so what is to say the above cant happen.

We dont know what is going on behind closed doors now do we, I would imagine if an agreement is in place between both operators then that wouldnt be announced until after QCS is confirmed, with the final report which was expected to be published in May, now expected to be published by 31/10/15, This gives Go-Ahead plenty of time to prepare for a potential takeover, along with finding New Drivers etc.

With reference to comments about an expansion of operations into other areas for example Northumberland, which I would say is the most likely failing that I am completely wrong in what I think above, but would that not be a commercial risk in the long run, particularly if your planning on taking on upto 300 New Drivers to cover those operations.

Dan do you know when the X66 Streetlites will get branded?

(22 Mar 2015, 3:54 pm)Michael wrote Dan do you know when the X66 Streetlites will get branded?

Probably as soon as possible