[Archive] Arriva North West - Birkenhead Depot

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: Arriva North West - Birkenhead Depot

(05/07/2012 17:39)K853 MTJ Wrote:  People always say the Solos at St Helens are too small for the majority of routes...
I doubt they will have been dropped, that is of course if they were on the official order books in the first place! If they were though, I expect they'll turn up elsewhere. However surely if they do turn up elsewhere, won't one end up having dual purpose seats seeing as it will have been taken from the Runcorn order?

I personally think they're ideal for what they operate now - the 312 and the 35/A - but I'm sure others would indeed disagree upon that. Other than those routes though, yes, they're largely unsuitable. The thing is, as 58 plate vehicles, if they were transferred out and replaced with the likes of further Darts, that would again be a hugely innapropriate swap and I'd personally say unfair upon St Helens based passengers. If Solos were to go from any garage, theoretically of course, then I'd expect appropriately aged vehicles to transfer to those garages in return.

If they were on the original order, then I suspect the reduction in garage allocations for them may have been decided for a while so it may be the case that the one Runcorn should have received is to standard spec. Otherwise, I suppose it would be an added bonus for the garage it turned up at!