(25 Jan 2016, 10:57 am)Andreos1 wrote Apart from the ECML between York and Newcastle, there is very little competition.
North of Newcastle, VTEC and XC share the load.
With TPX getting an extension, I suppose you could argue there will be some competition up there in the future.

The Scotrail service along the Tyne Valley is just an extension of the Northern services and isn't really competition.

You could argue GC compete with Northern on the Durham Coast line.

Mind, when GC applied for their open-access routing, NX or GNER (can't remember who had it at the time), argued that the competition would down the ECML would harm their business.

However, when you look at who owns these toc's, there isn't much competition at all.
Northern (soon to be), XC and GC are all owned by Arriva/DB.
Obviously you have the Metro, which competes with Northern on the Newcastle - Sunderland line, which is operated by Arriva's parent company.
VTEC is Stagecoach/Virgin.
TPEX is First.

So despite there being some slight competition in some areas, 66% of the rail network in the NE will be Arriva/DB owned/operated from April onwards.

What kind of number would that be if you took into account Arrivas bus services in the area, they pretty much seem dominate West and South of Durham, South Northumberland, Darlington, Middlesbrough and Cleveland over to Whitby