(29 Aug 2016, 3:26 pm)L469 YVK wrote Although I don't think the Northerns / TENS are due yet, Dan came up with the thought a few weeks back that given the current situation on the TEN as well as other general issues around Riverside such as the TTX. If yous were both right, it could work out like this:

* 16 + 2 spare new deckers for TEN services 10/10A/10B/10X.

* 6071 - 6080 to Stanley for Northern Services 6 / X70 / X71 + 6081 as a spare vehicle.

* 6084 remains at Riverside as a spare for the X9 / X10.

Option 1 for 6082 / 6083:
* 6082 to Stanley as an additional spare vehicle.

* 6083 to Percy Main and either gets new vinyls for the Cobalt Clipper (thus forming the PVR of 16) with 6116 or  6117 going back as spare vehicles or 6116 gets branded with 6083 going red and acting as a spare alongside 6116 or 6117. One consideration for the decision would be 6083 not having USB charging sockets like 6101 - 6117 but nevertheless not too big of an issue.

Option 2 for 6082 / 6083:
* 6082 - 6083 to Percy Main and either get new vinyls for the Cobalt Clipper with 6116 and 6117 going back as spare vehicles or 6116 and  6117 get branded with 6082 and  6083 going red and acting as a spares.

* This option reflecting upon Friday and Saturday just gone, would give an opportunity to increase the PVR of the 309 & 310 to 17 vehicles consequently meaning that excluding peak times, curtail times (early evenings on Saturdays etc) and Sunday daytimes, the 309 & 310 could operate independently of each other with a 10/7 split and buses going back and forth from either Blyth or North Shields retrospectively but still combining accordingly as per now between Cobalt South and Newcastle.
 
The benefit of this would be that should any major or critical disruption occur on one route like seen on Friday and Saturday, this won't affect the other route and allow a continuity of service on the shared corridor between Cobalt South and Newcastle. Should anything happen to service 310, some 309 journeys could divert via High Farm to pick up passengers waiting for the 310. If the shoe was on the other foot, some 310 journeys could operate a partial diversion via New York Way, Silver Fox Way and Cobalt Travel Centre subsequently joining back onto normal route from Cobalt South to Newcastle thus allowing some sort of a service to operate via the Cobalt (well some parts excluding the Village Hotel and Quicksilver Way) if needed.

Although the disruption seen is rare, serious (but less than seen) could still occur at times.