Fleet Archive 2020 12 July 2020 Repaints last week included Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 3943 (NK05 GZR) into the 2019 fleet livery. An additional National Express diagram will be in operation from Chester-le-Street Depot’s Coaching Unit from Monday 13 July 2020. As such, Volvo B11RT/Caetano Levante 3 7148 (BV69 KPK) and 7149 (BV69 KRD) have now been reinstated at Chester-le-Street. Optare Solo SR M890/Optare 652 (NL63 XZZ) has transferred to Chester-le-Street Depot from Washington, to see primary use as a ‘bait bus’ and to provide cover for the minibus services in the event of any of the three already allocated to Chester-le-Street being off service. In exchange, Washington has received Scania CN230UB/Scania Omnicity 5263 (NK56 KJY). The seasonal Toon Tour service is not yet running, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this; open-top format Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TLs 3997 (897 EYX) and 3998 (794 EYD) have been reinstated at Percy Main, and 3999 (574 CPT) at Riverside. As these vehicles are something of a novelty; they are expected to be used on frontline core commercial work on sunny days, with the aim of creating some happiness and fun during the current pandemic. Washington Depot will no longer receive the brand-new ADL Enviro 400s which were on order. They will now receive the new Wright StreetDecks instead. As such other repaints will now be prioritised, with the batch of StreetDecks for Washington not expected until September. Float/reserve Volvo B7TL/East Lancs Myllennium Vyking 3971 (PJ02 PYX) has transferred from Washington to Riverside, in a full capacity, to enable the withdrawal of Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President 6939 (PJ02 RAX) which has subsequently been sold to L&G Coaches, Birtley. Due to the early cancellation of the scholars services they were being allocated to at Riverside, dual-door Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President 6920 (LX54 GYV) and 6921 (LX54 GYW) have been withdrawn from service and subsequently sold to Walters Coaches, Oxford. The following buses have been withdrawn from service permanently, and are now being decommissioned prior to sale: - Volvo B7TL/East Lancs Myllennium Vyking 3973 (PJ02 PYZ) - Volvo B7TL/East Lancs Myllennium Vyking 3975 (PJ02 PZB) - Volvo B7TL/East Lancs Myllennium Vyking 3983 (PJ02 PZL) - Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 4976 (NK53 UOC) Due to the ‘2 metre’ social distancing rule being relaxed to ‘1 metre plus’, vans have been reinstated at Washington for crew reliefs with two or fewer colleagues travelling together. As such, Optare Solo M710SE/Optare 706 (WK58 EAE), 707 (WK58 EAF) and 708 (WK58 EAG) have all been withdrawn from service. 706 (WK58 EAE) and 708 (WK58 EAG) have subsequently been sold to ARG Travel, Bellshill, while 707 (WK58 EAF) has subsequently been sold to CEN Group Ltd, Tamworth. 5 July 2020 Repaints last week included Mercedes Citaro 0350N/Mercedes Citaro 5275 (NK07 KPG) into the 2019 fleet livery. A limited service has returned on the National Express network; Chester-le-Street Depot’s Coaching Unit are running a PVR of 2, with 3 coaches allocated, and as such, Volvo B11RT/Caetano Levante 3 coaches, 7145, 7146 and 7147 (BV69 KPF/KPG/KPJ) have been reinstated at Chester-le-Street. Scania K340EB/Caetano Levante coaches 7100 (FJ08 KMV), 7101 (FJ08 KNV) and 7102 (FJ08 KNW) have now been permanently withdrawn. Go North East has resumed the running of its AD122 Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus from Saturday 4 July 2020, to help support the opening of businesses and attractions. The return of the AD122 bus will help workers and visitors at businesses and attractions get to their destination if they are unable to use other forms of transport. Attractions opening from tomorrow include The Sill, Roman Army Museum, Vindolanda, Chesters Roman Fort, Corbridge Roman Town, Birdoswald Roman Fort and Housesteads Roman Fort, with any visitors having to book online in advance. As such, Optare Solo SR M890/Optare 635 (NK61 FJP) and 636 (NK61 FXD) have transferred from Deptford to Hexham. To facilitate this, Optare Solo M880/Optare 703 (YJ10 MFF) and 704 (YJ10 MFK) have returned to service at Percy Main, displacing Optare Solo SR M890/Optare 634 (NK61 FJO) and 696 (YJ13 HOH) to Deptford, replacing 635 (NK61 FJP) and 636 (NK61 FXD). Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 6050 (NK12 GDE), which has become a visual symbol of the company’s ‘One Team GNE’ colleague and community network being launched to build upon the great strength and team spirit shown by its team during the depths of the crisis, to work together to build even better relations across the company and the communities it serves, has transferred from Washington Depot to Chester-le-Street. Transferring to Washington in lieu is Wright StreetDeck 6301 (NK16 BXA). Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 5213 (NK54 NVH) and 5214 (NK54 NVJ) have been sold to Hodgson’s Coaches, Barnard Castle. 28 June 2020 Repaints last week included Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 5213 (NK54 NVH) and 5214 (NK54 NVJ) into a white base livery prior to disposal to Hodgson’s Coaches, Barnard Castle, and Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 6050 (NK12 GDE) into a striking ‘retro’ multi-coloured scheme. Inspired by a re-work of the company’s infamous 1985 'don't judge a bus by its colour' initiative alongside the rainbow image that has been so prevalent during the coronavirus crisis. The vehicle will become a visual symbol of the company’s ‘One Team GNE’ colleague and community network being launched to build upon the great strength and team spirit shown by its team during the depths of the crisis, to work together to build even better relations across the company and the communities it serves. Scania L94UB/Wright Solar 5212 (NK54 NVG) has now been permanently withdrawn from service at Go North East, having sustained defects uneconomical to repair. 21 June 2020 Vehicle movements last week included the reinstatement of Volvo B7TL/East Lancs Myllennium Vyking 3971 (PJ02 PYX) at Washington, in a float/reserve capacity. Ahead of the delivery of the new double-deck buses for service X1, the existing allocation of “Red Arrows” branded Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 vehicles are beginning to undergo repaint. 3971 (PJ02 PYX) will provide cover at Washington until the start of the school holidays while these repaints are ongoing. 14 June 2020 Vehicle repaints re-commenced last week and included Volvo B5LH/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 6069 (NK62 CZA) and Volvo B9TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 6085 (NL63 YHN) into the 2019 fleet livery. Both previously wore promotional liveries. With most scholars services in Tyne & Wear returning to operation from Monday 15 June, re-allocations have taken place to accommodate the operation of all of these services. The 28S service will now be operated by double-deck buses again, so Optare Solo SR M890/Optare 651 (NL63 XZY) has transferred from Chester-le-Street to Riverside. As a result, Optare Solo M880/Optare 703 (YJ10 MFF) has been taken out of service from Riverside and has transferred to Percy Main in their ‘not in service’ fleet. It remains available to be brought back into service, together with sister 704 (YJ10 MFK), if it is required. Just two vehicles are required to operate scholars services from Hexham Depot currently. As the coaches have not yet been fitted with extra PPE for driving colleagues, Scania CN230UB/Scania Omnicity 5239 (NK56 KHG) and 5240 (NK56 KHH) have been reinstated at Hexham Depot for use on these services. This has allowed for Optare Solo M880/Optare 697 (YJ59 NHH), together with Scania K340EB/Caetano Levante coaches 7100 (FJ08 KMV), 7101 (FJ08 KNV) and 7102 (FJ08 KNW) to be taken out of service. Similar 7098 (JCN 822) has transferred to Riverside, to be made available for any ad-hoc private hire/rail replacement work. Similarly, the coaches at Deptford which are normally allocated to the 4274 school service are to be used on ad-hoc private hire/rail replacement work only, with the school service instead operated by Scania L94UB/Wright Solar which have vandal screens for driving colleagues. As such; 5207 (NK54 NVB), 5208 (NK54 NVC) and 5209 (NK54 NVD) have been reinstated at Deptford. Optare Solo M710SE/Optare 708 (WK58 EAG) has returned to service at Washington, to be allocated to service H2 and hence displacing Optare Solo SR M890/Optare 652 (NL63 XZZ) to be a spare minibus at Washington which can be used on the local network in addition to the staff shuttle “taxi” services which operate between The Galleries and Washington Depot. Services 13 and 25 at Chester-le-Street will now be operated by single-deck vehicles to assist in the release of double- deck vehicles for scholars. As such, Scania CN230UB/Scania Omnicity 5263 (NK56 KJY) has transferred into Chester-le- Street’s fleet from Washington, while similar 5249, 5250, 5251, 5252, 5264, 5266, 5269 and 5272 have all been reinstated at Chester-le-Street. This has released Volvo B7TL/Wright Eclipse Gemini 3941 (NK05 GZO) to Washington and 3962 (NK06 JXE), 3963 (NK06 JXD), 3964 (NK06 JXC) and 3965 (NK06 JXB) to Riverside. Additional “hot spares” are being deployed in Gateshead this week in case of any increase in demand associated with the opening of “non-essential” shops. As such; Scania CN230UB/Scania Omnicity 5241 (NK56 KHJ), 5242 (NK56 KHL) and 5253 (NK56 KHZ) have all been reinstated at Riverside. Scania N94UD/East Lancs OmniDekka 6139 (GX03 SVJ) and 6146 (YN55 NFE) have transferred from Riverside to Percy Main, while similar 6133, 6134, 6135, 6144, 6145, 6147 and 6148 have all been reinstated at Percy Main, for the increase in scholars service requirements.