(10 Dec 2013, 7:56 pm)tyresmoke wrote No everything runs from Jesmond, though I'm told that one does run light from Hexham to Carlisle to pick up service. Looking at the timetable I can't work out how they work. I think it might be the 0926 arrival in Hexham running to Carlisle to run the 1107 back to Newcastle. I'm not sure what would do the 0927 short back to Newcastle though, possibly one off a scholars working?
It must be uneconomic then, with the equivalent of three light runs a.m. Jesmond to Hexham and one to Carlisle, plus three in the evening Hexham to Jesmond. It's just Arriva's obsession with competing with Northern's Tynedalexpress. Although I generally agree with competition and am opposed to the Tyne & Wear "Quality Contracts" which would in the long run be unaffordable and give a worse service than now, Hexham to Newcastle is an example of where competition becomes silly, even more so than Arriva's 1/X1 v Northern's OK1 was.