(30 Mar 2017, 7:58 am)GX03 wrote Easy enough, for the 46 from Shotley Bridge turn right following the 45 route (Consett bound) but follow the road straight ahead and it brings you to the cross roads at medomsley edge. The turning area at the hospital will easily accommodate a double decker, X71 doesn't carry that many between Consett and burnhopfield, The X72 variation carries even less.
Double deckers are shorter than full sized single deckers. Plaxtons have their length down as 10.0, whereas most streetlites/omnicities are over 11.
I believe the X72 trip is to cover number one rather than anything.
If you were to divert the 46 over medomsley, it's covering similar routes to what already exist, so I wouldn't see the point of changing it in the first place.
There's no point changing a system that works fine on paper, other than for efficiency. The main efficiency point is that there should not be any double deckers on off-peak services from consett or stanley except for the B9s which make up PVR. Honestly, the baby solo would be sufficient on day time allocation to the 70s/71s/6s.