Arriva Midlands

[Trainman40083]

Yes there was I forgot about that I don't think it said specifically it was arriva though but I mean can't really be anyone else as trent routes are either too long or just been replaced (Mickleover) I mean allestree has 2017 buses but I don't think they would just make 1 route out the depot electric

Now I thought the Arriva Alvaston and Sinfin routes. But just as likely as the Mickleover, Allestree and Harlequin...Time will tell. Maybe Derby will be the last City in the UK to get any.

 

[Travelmonkey]

All depends on local priorities although Derby does seem like it's lower on the pecking order. We also have the EM mayor who may want to accelerate the process to ectrify,

 

[Trainman40083]

All depends on local priorities although Derby does seem like it's lower on the pecking order. We also have the EM mayor who may want to accelerate the process to ectrify,

By making key sets of traffic lights, bus priority

 

[Kaliwax]

If those E200MMCs at Laird Street, Birkenhead haven't been sold to Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, maybe they could be moved around to other depots, to replace older buses, they would be just under 2 years old when franchising kicks in Liverpool

 

[tfw756rider]

first of the evoras at shrewsbury has turned up (as of the 7/1/26), BU75 WLN it seems to be although the photo ive seen is quite blury, its in plain white at the moment.

Wow, Arriva Midlands North Shrewsbury depot is finally getting new buses! At about the right time too, as they seem to (with the exception of some similarly-aged transfers) have about 15 years of one fleet, then about 15 years of another (rather than getting new buses more frequently).

So, after the "Dennis Dart, Mercedes minibus and Optare" era,

and then the "mostly Optare Versas and a few Solos" era,

they're now starting to enter the... "eVoRa and Optare"? era.

Nice to see "BU" area identifier registrations returning though, a few years after the last BU03 Hxx Solos were withdrawn.

 

[Trainman40083]

Bus lists on the web seems to show a few EvoRas for Midlands North.

 

[BusLink61]

Wow, Arriva Midlands North Shrewsbury depot is finally getting new buses! At about the right time too, as they seem to (with the exception of some similarly-aged transfers) have about 15 years of one fleet, then about 15 years of another (rather than getting new buses more frequently).

So, after the "Dennis Dart, Mercedes minibus and Optare" era,

and then the "mostly Optare Versas and a few Solos" era,

they're now starting to enter the... "eVoRa and Optare"? era.

Nice to see "BU" age identifier registrations returning though, a few years after the last BU03 Hxx Solos were withdrawn.

I’ve read some speculation that the fleet movements from the Evoras arriving at Shrewsbury will see some Versas moving to Tamworth to replace their (newer) Citaros…

 

[EnviroExplorer]

I’ve read some speculation that the fleet movements from the Evoras arriving at Shrewsbury will see some Versas moving to Tamworth to replace their (newer) Citaros…

It’s not my place to share the exact details as the information was shared with confidentiality, but last I heard from a staff member that is the case. The older Citaros and Pulsars, and remaining E300 are due to go imminently, but that is pending the replacements being available, which should be said Versas. The 2012 Citaros are also due to leave a bit later, all in the name of standardisation.

Despite the constant mentions of their silence, Electric buses are still coming for the 110. I have it on good authority progress has been made on determining installation of chargers but the chances are there’s a lot of hurdles to be overcome that are out of Arriva’s hands before this can progress further, after all it’s hardly a large site.

 

[Trainman40083]

It’s not my place to share the exact details as the information was shared with confidentiality, but last I heard from a staff member that is the case. The older Citaros and Pulsars, and remaining E300 are due to go imminently, but that is pending the replacements being available, which should be said Versas. The 2012 Citaros are also due to leave a bit later, all in the name of standardisation.

Despite the constant mentions of their silence, Electric buses are still coming for the 110. I have it on good authority progress has been made on determining installation of chargers but the chances are there’s a lot of hurdles to be overcome that are out of Arriva’s hands before this can progress further, after all it’s hardly a large site.

Maybe they will need a bigger depot, out of town

 

[BusLink61]

It’s not my place to share the exact details as the information was shared with confidentiality, but last I heard from a staff member that is the case. The older Citaros and Pulsars, and remaining E300 are due to go imminently, but that is pending the replacements being available, which should be said Versas. The 2012 Citaros are also due to leave a bit later, all in the name of standardisation.

Despite the constant mentions of their silence, Electric buses are still coming for the 110. I have it on good authority progress has been made on determining installation of chargers but the chances are there’s a lot of hurdles to be overcome that are out of Arriva’s hands before this can progress further, after all it’s hardly a large site.

Yes it makes sense for the fleet standardisation. Derby lost its Omnicities to similar aged pulsars with fleet standardisation so Citaros potentially being lost to older Versas would equate.

E300 3583 has until March (at the very latest) with MOT. Others I’d expect to go soon are the Ex Yorkshire E200’s - I got the sense that they were short term additions for Tamworth. Other similar E200’s at Yorkshire have been withdrawn.

The 12 plate Citaros will be useful as driver trainers with that being the vehicle preference in many Arriva divisions across the country.

I was thinking over the situation with the 110 getting electrics - I think more will be done with getting the electric infrastructure and buses in at Tamworth when Leicester has had theirs sorted (if charger are still awaiting installation there!) Arriva may be doing a depot at a time rather than have multiple depots partly constructed with chargers.

 

[derbyveg]

3710 is supposedly meant to be leaving derby after an accident a few days back. Unsure if itll be heading to another garage or scrap.

 

[BusLink61]

Pulsar 3768 (CX58 EUP) didn’t last long at Derby, it’s transferred to Tamworth garage and tracking on their locals this morning.

 

[derbyveg]

Pulsar 3768 (CX58 EUP) didn’t last long at Derby, it’s transferred to Tamworth garage and tracking on their locals this morning.

Was only on loan, never permanent.

 

[isaac27]

Anybody know what’s tracking as yj61fef at Tamworth this morning?

 

[Russel]

I’ve read some speculation that the fleet movements from the Evoras arriving at Shrewsbury will see some Versas moving to Tamworth to replace their (newer) Citaros…

Oh fantastic, more rubbish coming to Tamworth.

What did Shrewsbury do to the Versas, each one that Tamworth has got so far all smell of wet dog...

Absolute joke.

 

[Ballyheigue]

Oh fantastic, more rubbish coming to Tamworth.

What did Shrewsbury do to the Versas, each one that Tamworth has got so far all smell of wet dog...

Absolute joke.

I'm guessing possible flood water issues when going through large areas of water as there has been a fair bit of flooding down that way over the years.

 

[BusLink61]

3710 is supposedly meant to be leaving derby after an accident a few days back. Unsure if itll be heading to another garage or scrap.

3710 has now transferred to Tamworth according to bus times.

Oh fantastic, more rubbish coming to Tamworth.

What did Shrewsbury do to the Versas, each one that Tamworth has got so far all smell of wet dog...

Absolute joke.

It could be much worse in my view, I’d rather have them than have some of the other buses which were on offer, although Pulsat’s are my number one for second hand ‘old’ buses within Arriva. Versas will still be an improvement with the current fleet having random liveries and bus types.

I can’t comment on the wet dog smell having not ridden those examples but ultimately we will find out if it’s an inconvenience with all or just some of them. You never know it could be rectified before they enter service, so I have hope for the Versas!

 

[Travelmonkey]

Oh fantastic, more rubbish coming to Tamworth.

What did Shrewsbury do to the Versas, each one that Tamworth has got so far all smell of wet dog...

Absolute joke.

Staffordhire has always been a bit neglected I am suprised they haven't done like they did with Delta Way Cannock and palm it off to someone else,

 

[joieman]

I spotted Sprinter 1001 in Loughborough town centre on the LC16 yesterday evening, having been repainted blue.

 

[Trainman40083]

I spotted Sprinter 1001 in Loughborough town centre on the LC16 yesterday evening, having been repainted blue.

Yes it seems Arriva Derby no longer use mini buses on their Nottingham University contract. I guess some of the 3 minibuses that were in Derby have been released.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Feb 2026 ==

Yes it seems Arriva Derby no longer use mini buses on their Nottingham University contract. I guess some of the 3 minibuses that were in Derby have been released.

Correction, there were 4. 1001/1003 in hopper livery, 1008 in Arriva blue and 1124 in Click livery

 

[derbyveg]

3710 has now transferred to Tamworth according to bus times.

Its a decent Pulsar in fairness, the accident damage isn't that bad so it should be out soon enough, I wonder if Derby's got anything in return.

 

[BusLink61]

It’s a decent Pulsar in fairness, the accident damage isn't that bad so it should be out soon enough, I wonder if Derby's got anything in return.

I think this will be a welcome addition for Tamworth - it’s a tidy example (externally at least) with it being one of the examples painted early last year when it came to Derby.

 

[Russel]

I can’t comment on the wet dog smell having not ridden those examples but ultimately we will find out if it’s an inconvenience with all or just some of them. You never know it could be rectified before they enter service, so I have hope for the Versas!

I'm not sure, the Versas Tamworth has had for a while now all have the same smell, internally they just look and smell dirty.

Will these ben allowed into the Birmingham clean air zone? I don't believe the Citaros are.

Staffordhire has always been a bit neglected I am suprised they haven't done like they did with Delta Way Cannock and palm it off to someone else,

To be fair, Tamworth at one point did very well, in 2008 it had a brand new batch of B9TL Geminis and Scania Omnilinks, 2012 it got the Citaros and in 2014 it got the E400s.

I do wish the B9s were kept instead of being replaced by the E400s, they've always felt a bit of a downgrade, even in Sapphire spec.

 

[Trainman40083]

I'm not sure, the Versas Tamworth has had for a while now all have the same smell, internally they just look and smell dirty.

Will these ben allowed into the Birmingham clean air zone? I don't believe the Citaros are.



To be fair, Tamworth at one point did very well, in 2008 it had a brand new batch of B9TL Geminis and Scania Omnilinks, 2012 it got the Citaros and in 2014 it got the E400s.

I do wish the B9s were kept instead of being replaced by the E400s, they've always felt a bit of a downgrade, even in Sapphire spec.

The Volvo B9 was always a pretty solid bus.

 

[SSmith2009]

I'm not sure, the Versas Tamworth has had for a while now all have the same smell, internally they just look and smell dirty.

Have they been retrimmed in e-leather or still have fabric seating?

If they have fabric it could be that water ingress or spillages has got into the cushions hence the 'wet dog' smell, some of the Leicester ones had this but when retrimmed the smell went.

 

[Russel]

Have they been retrimmed in e-leather or still have fabric seating?

If they have fabric it could be that water ingress or spillages has got into the cushions hence the 'wet dog' smell, some of the Leicester ones had this but when retrimmed the smell went.

Fabric, but so are the many Pulsars that seem to come and go and I don't recall the same smell on them.

 

[BusLink61]

I'm not sure, the Versas Tamworth has had for a while now all have the same smell, internally they just look and smell dirty.

Will these ben allowed into the Birmingham clean air zone? I don't believe the Citaros are.



To be fair, Tamworth at one point did very well, in 2008 it had a brand new batch of B9TL Geminis and Scania Omnilinks, 2012 it got the Citaros and in 2014 it got the E400s.

I do wish the B9s were kept instead of being replaced by the E400s, they've always felt a bit of a downgrade, even in Sapphire spec.

Regardless of whether the Versas are complaint or not (I don’t have a way of finding out), they will be able to continue using the pulsars on the 110 as a single deck alternative.

I would think there will be newer Pulsars left which won’t be affected by the Versa fleet movements. I personally would keep all the Pulsars Tamworth have currently as they are definitely holding them up in terms of reliability and appearance, now that the oldest ones have gone!

Have they been retrimmed in e-leather or still have fabric seating?

If they have fabric it could be that water ingress or spillages has got into the cushions hence the 'wet dog' smell, some of the Leicester ones had this but when retrimmed the smell went.

Unsure if the fabric is a newer retrim, they could have been done when they were painted into the journey mark livery potentially, although with some buses Arriva refurbished either the livery or the seating and not both.

I do hope to see Versas 2985/86/87 included in the movements to Tamworth, they will be a bit closer to where they originated from - they were brand new to Burton for the X38 in their superior Interurban livery and branding (which in my view really suited them) I remember it well!

 

[Russel]

Regardless of whether the Versas are complaint or not (I don’t have a way of finding out), they will be able to continue using the pulsars on the 110 as a single deck alternative.

Ah true yeah.

I would think there will be newer Pulsars left which won’t be affected by the Versa fleet movements. I personally would keep all the Pulsars Tamworth have currently as they are definitely holding them up in terms of reliability and appearance, now that the oldest ones have gone!

The 58 plate Pulsar still in Interurban livery still looks quite smart and really makes Journey Mark look poor in comparison.

 

[Trainman40083]

Regardless of whether the Versas are complaint or not (I don’t have a way of finding out), they will be able to continue using the pulsars on the 110 as a single deck alternative.

I would think there will be newer Pulsars left which won’t be affected by the Versa fleet movements. I personally would keep all the Pulsars Tamworth have currently as they are definitely holding them up in terms of reliability and appearance, now that the oldest ones have gone!


Unsure if the fabric is a newer retrim, they could have been done when they were painted into the journey mark livery potentially, although with some buses Arriva refurbished either the livery or the seating and not both.

I do hope to see Versas 2985/86/87 included in the movements to Tamworth, they will be a bit closer to where they originated from - they were brand new to Burton for the X38 in their superior Interurban livery and branding (which in my view really suited them) I remember it well!

Well, taking just one Versa example...

 

[Russel]

Well, taking just one Versa example...

Ouch.