Vehicle Details
Registration: YJ10 MFO
Chassis: Optare Solo M880
Bodywork: Optare
Depot: United Coaches, Motherwell
Livery: Little Coasters
Year new: 2010
Vehicle History
June 2020
Go North East
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From Monday 1 June 2020, in line with guidance from the government, Go North East's bus services will start returning to what can be considered a 'normal' level of service on weekdays (albeit still reduced on weekends), also with some minor changes which had originally been planned to take place from 17 May 2020. As such, this vehicle has now been reinstated at Percy Main.
April 2020
Go North East
Following completion of all required vehicle re-allocations; this vehicle has been temporarily withdrawn from service due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been officially delicensed (SORN'd), enabling Go North East to obtain a tax refund.
June 2019
Go North East
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Following repaint, this vehicle has received "Little Coasters" branding.
June 2019
Go North East
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As a result of recent service changes and consequent re-allocations, this vehicle has lost its "Black Cats" branding having been repainted into a new two-tone blue base livery.
May 2019
Go North East
In line with service changes and the introduction of new brand identities, there were a large number of vehicle re-allocations which took place on Sunday 19 May, the significance of which have been likened to the South Shields and Bishop Auckland depot closures in 2005 and 2006 respectively. This vehicle has transferred from Deptford Depot to Percy Main, in order to operate "Little Coasters" service 11 and act as a spare vehicle for "Little Coasters" services 40/41/42.
May 2019
Go North East
Upcoming vehicle transfers will see this vehicle re-allocated to Percy Main to be allocated to services 11 and 40/41/42. As such; ahead of this transfer taking place, this vehicle has been fitted with free Wi-Fi.
June 2017
Go North East
This vehicle has received "Black Cats" branding. "Black Cats" is the new brand identity being introduced to encompass a variety of different frequent services in and around the city of Sunderland, promoting the cheap and competitively priced day and weekly tickets available for travel in the city (£3.65 for a day ticket, and £12.15 for a weekly ticket).
June 2017
Go North East
Following temporary loan to Peterlee Depot, this vehicle has returned to service at Deptford.
June 2017
Go North East
This vehicle has transferred from Deptford Depot to Peterlee, on temporary loan, to alleviate vehicle shortages.
April 2017
Go North East
Following temporary loan to Peterlee Depot, this vehicle has returned to service at Deptford.
April 2017
Go North East
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This vehicle has transferred from Deptford Depot to Peterlee, on temporary loan, to alleviate vehicle shortages.
November 2016
Go North East
This vehicle has entered service at Deptford Depot.
November 2016
Go North East
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Prior to entering service, this vehicle has been repainted into a plain red base livery. It has been repainted into the same shade of red which is used on the Scania L94UB/Wright Solar vehicles allocated to service 39 at Deptford, as well as the new Optare Solo SR M925/Optare vehicles allocated to service 33 at Deptford. It is thought that this vehicle will join them on service 238, and branded under the same network identity, once prepared for service.
October 2016
Go North East
Since the withdrawal of Oxfordshire County Council subsidies on 20th July 2016, Thames Travel has been operating the Bicester Town bus services 22 and 23 on a commercial basis. These services run at a loss of approximately £4,500 per week and therefore this decision was a temporary arrangement, while Thames Travel continued discussions with several local stakeholders to pool existing finances and resources to safeguard the longer term future of the services. The company’s proposal included extended operating hours to better meet the needs of commuters using rail services, offering improved daily links to the new Park & Ride site and providing a frequent service between the town centre, two rail stations and Bicester Village. Unfortunately, while some stakeholders were supportive of the company’s proposals and were prepared to provide some funding for the services, others chose to pursue their own commercial interests and therefore services 22 and 23 were withdrawn from the end of service on Saturday 3rd September 2016. The Optare Solos allocated to these services are now hence surplus to requirements at Thames Travel, and have hence been acquired by Go North East, to allow for the withdrawal of further Transbus Mini Pointer Darts from the fleet. This vehicle was new to Thames Travel in May 2010 as fleet number 910 and was later re-numbered fleet number 706. As the Go-Ahead Group purchased the company in May 2011, it is currently fitted with non-standard Mobitec destination displays. These are planned to be removed prior to entry into service at Go North East.
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April 2018
Go North East
This vehicle has received a promotional livery to celebrate 50 years of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1968 - 2018).
April 2018
Go North East
Following temporary loan to Washington Depot, this vehicle has now been withdrawn from service.
April 2020
Go North East
In order to combat the changing demand for bus services in the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this vehicle has transferred from Consett Depot to Riverside.
April 2009
Go North East
This vehicle has been repainted into a plain cream base livery, also gaining a small "Coaster" logo below the windscreen in the process.
April 2009
Go North East
This vehicle has received "Coaster" branding, with sub-branding for service 1 (Gateshead - Whitley Bay).
April 2019
Go North East
In order to provide a higher-specification vehicle on service X30 (Stanley - Newcastle), this vehicle has transferred from Saltmeadows Road Depot to the Hownsgill Depot.