Arriva North East

[kuyoyo]

RE: Arriva North East

(30/07/2014 22:36)kuyoyo Wrote:  Fleet moves as a result of 7501-9 re-entering service and 7522-8 entering service are as followed:

DAF DB250/Optare Spectra
7482/3 Ashington to Disposal

Volvo B10BLE/Wright Renown
4501/2/5/6/8/9/13 Ashington to Stockton

DAF DB250LF/Alexander ALX400
7466 Ashington to Blyth
7480 Ashington to Durham

Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini
7490 Ashington to Redcar/Whitby

Dennis MPD
221 Durham to Yorkshire (MOT expired)
1712 Blyth to Reserve
1753/5 Stockton to disposal

DAF SB220LF/Plaxton Prestige
4001/6/62/3/9 Stockton to disposal

AlexanderDennis Enviro400s
7501-9 Sapphire refurbishment to Ashington
7511-3 Under Repair (Max refurbishment)
7522-8 New to Ashington

DAF SB3000/Plaxton Prima
1208 Removed from Fleet (sold)

Of these moves:
4508 has moved to Stockton
7490 has moved to Redcar, 7491 has since joined it in an additional move
7466 has gone to Jesmond instead of Blyth
221 has already returned to Yorkshire from Durham
1712 remains in use
7483 was taken out of service but has now returned to use, presumably to fill the void left by 7491's move

Streetlite 1550 has now additionally arrived at Stockton depot ready for driver familiarisation and engineering inspection (which it is presently undergo). This one is also likely to be used to test the 'Next Stop' announcements work.

[Metroline1511]

RE: Arriva North East

(31/07/2014 21:54)kuyoyo Wrote:  In a surprising development, former MAN EcoCity Demonstrators WX61FXO (which saw use with North East and Stagecoach Merseyside), WX61HSL (which was used by North West and Go North East) and WX13GHN have been purchased to upgrade operation of service 21 (Darlington - Peterlee) from Solo operation to full size operation. They are expected to become 4812-14.

It seems rare for Arriva or other major operators to buy ex-demonstators. Darlington is a logical place as they already have EcoCities. I rode a Solo on route 21 last May, and remembered Tigers on that route in 1998.

[kuyoyo]

RE: Arriva North East

(09/08/2014 21:06)Metroline1511 Wrote:  It seems rare for Arriva or other major operators to buy ex-demonstators. Darlington is a logical place as they already have EcoCities. I rode a Solo on route 21 last May, and remembered Tigers on that route in 1998.

They are now not for use on the 21, instead they are apparently to be used on the 8 (Darlington-Ferryhill-Spennymoor) and 8A (Ferryhill-Spennymoor) with spare Pulsars likely to appear on the 21 (alongside OmniCitys on the 21a), meaning Peterlee will be served by quite modern vehicles (Pulsars on 21/22/24, Streetlites on 23, OmniCitys on 21a).

[Metroline1511]

RE: Arriva North East

(09/08/2014 21:58)kuyoyo Wrote:  They are now not for use on the 21, instead they are apparently to be used on the 8 (Darlington-Ferryhill-Spennymoor) and 8A (Ferryhill-Spennymoor) with spare Pulsars likely to appear on the 21 (alongside OmniCitys on the 21a), meaning Peterlee will be served by quite modern vehicles (Pulsars on 21/22/24, Streetlites on 23, OmniCitys on 21a).

Arriva have decided to keep the Ecos on Darlington town routes then. I can agree about Peterlee being served by modern buses. I changed onto route 21 from a Go North East Volvo B9TL, which I think was 12-reg!

My first Arriva Sapphire ride anywhere in the country is destined to be on route 7 in a couple of weeks! I shall sample Arriva Max the previous day in Wakefield.

[kuyoyo]

RE: Arriva North East

(09/08/2014 22:26)Metroline1511 Wrote:  Arriva have decided to keep the Ecos on Darlington town routes then. I can agree about Peterlee being served by modern buses. I changed onto route 21 from a Go North East Volvo B9TL, which I think was 12-reg!

My first Arriva Sapphire ride anywhere in the country is destined to be on route 7 in a couple of weeks! I shall sample Arriva Max the previous day in Wakefield.

No, 4801-11 are for the town services - 4812-4 (the ex-demos) will be used on out-of-town services 8/8a (8a being the only Darlington-operated service that doesn't ever serve the town of Darlington).

[126th street]

RE: Arriva North East

(09/08/2014 21:06)Metroline1511 Wrote:  It seems rare for Arriva or other major operators to buy ex-demonstators. Darlington is a logical place as they already have EcoCities. I rode a Solo on route 21 last May, and remembered Tigers on that route in 1998.

It is unusual, but the pair of EcoCity demos have been sitting at Caetano's yard near Leicester for a long, long time and I imagine Arriva will have got a pair of hardly-used buses for a very good price.

[kuyoyo]

RE: Arriva North East
Update

Further StreetLites confirmed to have arrived are Redcar's 1567/8.

Launch dates for the Stockton's 'Sapphire' services 5/5a is now confirmed to be 15th September. Redcar's date is yet to be officially confirmed yet.

OmniCity 4653/9, Enviro400 7513 and Gemini 7616/23 are currently away at Bus & Coach World Blackburn for refurbished to 'MAX' specification. Just 7615/17/21/25 remain to be done. The launch date for the X10/X11 (originally expected to happen back in June) is set for the end of this month (although I'm not expecting it to be).

[kuyoyo]

RE: Arriva North East
Introducing 'MAX' X10 and X11

Photos @ Steven Hodgson

[kuyoyo]

RE: Arriva North East
Now, it's North East's turn for what remains of the new order to be delivered. MAX-spec Enviro400s NK64EER, NK64EES,NK64EET and NK64EFM have arrived in the last 2 days, these being 4 of the 5 for the X18 (Newcastle - Alnwick - Berwick). At present, the PVR is 6 however that is said to be decreasing to 5 in October with the Northumberland County Council Cuts.

Also delivered today is the first of the 10.8m Streetlite - Jesmond-bound 1588 in 'Hybrid' livery for 'Coastliner' 306 (Newcastle - Tynemouth or Whitley Bay) (livery to tie-in with 7801-10 on the 308). Note, these 18 10.8m examples weren't due until the end of September - making them 4 weeks early.

[bramptontrev]

RE: Arriva North East
The 685 was interesting today (Thursday) in Brampton as 2 VDLs were in use:
- cream fronted 1412 NK09BRV was operating the 1707 Carlisle to Newcastle (arr 1918)
- a blue front 61 plate VDL was operating the 1407 Carlisle to Newcastle (arr 1618).