(26 Jul 2020, 10:15 pm)deanmachine I’d speculate promises from Volvo that the B5TL was a suitable replacement to the B9TL with its twin turbos and fancy tech. Clearly not in the same league when it comes to hauling double deckers at speed. It’s all well and good having the same performance, but useless if it can’t be had reliably, and reliability would be hard to test on a demonstration, you’d have to rely on promises from Volvo. 

It’s a shame really, Volvo have effectively lost their hold as being the go to double decker chassis in the UK due to the B5TL being nowhere near as good as it’s predecessors.

(26 Jul 2020, 4:20 pm)Dan Semi-related; ahead of the coaches transferring north, X9|X10 branded Volvo B5TLs 6308 - 6314 have now been taken out of service at Riverside, and generic X-lines branded 6334/35 have transferred to Chester-le-Street.

6308 - 6314 have been taken out of service to be repainted and also to allow for some mechanical upgrades to be completed prior to their transfer to Chester-le-Street, ironing out a couple of the recent niggles they've had while operating the X9/X10 services. Taking their place on the X9/X10 services until the coaches transfer north are Volvo B9TLs (6043/44 from Riverside's own fleet allocation, 6048 from Hexham's allocation, 6084-86 from Deptford's allocation and 6099/6100 from Percy Main's allocation).

Go North East: 6085 / NL63YHN by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

(27 Jul 2020, 7:16 pm)Arcticrossy92 100% should of got the 3 open toppers on there, going down the A19 with no roof! The Dream.

(29 Jul 2020, 3:21 am)Big O I never liked the idea of the B5 having such a small engine, it’s ridiculous and provides a false economy. What they should have done was to redesign the B9 if anything. The B9 with its Renault engine is such a robust vehicle and despite it being thirsty it pays you in its reliability.

Had Firstbus been successful in their attempt to get Wright to body the N230UD, you would of had a real bus there. It’s a shame because on a route such as the X9 and 10 no manufacturers are going to make a bus near reliable for its needs and I think the Coaches are the way forward.

(26 Jul 2020, 4:20 pm)Dan Semi-related; ahead of the coaches transferring north, X9|X10 branded Volvo B5TLs 6308 - 6314 have now been taken out of service at Riverside, and generic X-lines branded 6334/35 have transferred to Chester-le-Street.

6308 - 6314 have been taken out of service to be repainted and also to allow for some mechanical upgrades to be completed prior to their transfer to Chester-le-Street, ironing out a couple of the recent niggles they've had while operating the X9/X10 services. Taking their place on the X9/X10 services until the coaches transfer north are Volvo B9TLs (6043/44 from Riverside's own fleet allocation, 6048 from Hexham's allocation, 6084-86 from Deptford's allocation and 6099/6100 from Percy Main's allocation).

Go North East: 6085 / NL63YHN by Daniel Graham, on Flickr

(29 Jul 2020, 6:16 pm)James101 The B5s have been a particularly weak link in the chain of buses on the X10. The Volvo Ollys, then B7s, then B9s all had about 7 years tenure on the route before being replaced about half-way through their service life, which sounds about right for the nature of the X10. The B5s haven’t managed 3 years.

 I agree the interdecks are the right choice for the X10 right now. Just hope it works out for GNE as it’ll be hard to spin a future downgrade to buses should the need occur. 

(29 Jul 2020, 6:16 pm)James101 I agree the interdecks are the right choice for the X10 right now. Just hope it works out for GNE as it’ll be hard to spin a future downgrade to buses should the need occur.

(28 Jul 2020, 11:40 pm)streetdeckfan I wonder what GNE's stance be on seatbelts for X9/X10 passengers once the coaches are rolled out

(29 Jul 2020, 7:31 pm)omnicity4659 If they're fitted with seatbelts then there is no stance other than the law - the onus is on you to wear them.

What's the situation for under-14s to wear them? I know I'd be liable for any action caused by them not wearing them in my car, would the same apply to a PSV driver?

(29 Jul 2020, 7:22 pm)mb134 I'd imagine this is likely one of the biggest worries about the X9/X10 at the moment. Going forward, post-Covid, will it be able to justify new coaches a few years down the line once these ones start showing their age (bearing in mind they're already 5)?

I'd suspect not, and I also think it unlikely that they'd find 7 in good enough nick on the second hand market as they have this time around. So then it's back to deckers, and I wouldn't like to think what's going to be on the market then - a 1.2 litre engine from a Corsa with 10 turbochargers trying to power a decker seems likely going from the trends of the past decade. 

Of course, I definitely believe the coaches going on will improve reliability and it's what the service has been crying out for for years. It's just whether post-Covid there will be sufficient passenger numbers to justify similar investment in the future, especially given the improving rail network along the same corridor.

(29 Jul 2020, 8:39 pm)L469 YVK Coaches have quite a long shelf life compared  to normal double deck buses. They're designed for long distance work. I reckon GoNE will keep them until they're at least 10-12 year old.

(29 Jul 2020, 8:59 pm)mb134 Yes, which is what I mean. In a few years time, companies will have had time to determine whether or not office/home working is preferable, as well as punters deciding whether they prefer the improving rail service etc. Bring all that together and I very much doubt that by 2025, say, the X9/X10 will be in a position to command brand new coaching stock - although I'd love for the route to prove me wrong on that!

(30 Jul 2020, 11:28 am)GuyParkRoyal Registration for X9/X10 with date for service change.

PB0003954/823 Registered (Short notice)
GO NORTH EAST LIMITED
Route: Newcastle Newgate Street to Peterlee Bus Station
Service number: X9 (X10)
Service type: Flexible Registration, Limited Stop, Normal Stopping
Effective date: 05 Sep 2020

(30 Jul 2020, 2:36 pm)idiot Flexible registration? Does that mean different routes because of traffic congestion?

(30 Jul 2020, 2:42 pm)Stanleyone Chance to be starting outside Laus202 restaurant.

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More than likely or does evening X10 cover both routes?