(05 Jan 2022, 12:29 am)peter wrote Just to clarify the changes regarding PVR's etc.
-Jesmond is going to be replaced with a minibus only depot in Walkergate including operation of the 46, 51/51A, 55 and 553/555 with a PVR of 11.
-Blyth is being redeveloped and will be operating the 43/44/45, 52/53/54, 306, 308, X7/X8/X9 with a PVR of 57. If there's only space for 58 vehicles that doesn't add up. So either we're getting service changes to free up a suitable number of spares or another service is off to Ashington.
-Ashington is going to operate the 35, X14, X15, X18, X20, X21, X22 as well as the 1, 2 and X10/11 with a PVR of around 53 (potentially the 57/57A/58 remain with a PVR of 5).
The 685 I agree it would make sense to pass over to Stagecoach at this point. The only other oddity is the 47 hospital shuttle which uses a decker atm - not sure of loadings but could be revised to minibus operation (with frequency increase).
Are these confirmed btw or just rumours (the X10/X11 in particular).
It seems a really illogical move as there's no possible way it could work with the 1/2 (they're easy 1 to Blyth, then 2 to Morpeth and reverse) and there's not enough driver hours to work it with the X21/X22/35 routes so it seems you'd have drivers driving from Ashington to drive buses literally outside of Blyth depot. Not to mention unless they've got extra running time added on the X7/X8/X9/X10/X11 then they will be constantly late since they're only on time because they swap everything around daily.
The 40's arguably would be the more sensible route since they you'd have all the Enviro's and Pulsars up at Ashington and the 43 already runs to Morpeth anyway for some driver changeovers and all the Streetlites (52/53/54) and Gemini's at Blyth plus whatever 'new' deckers (X7/X8/X9/X10/X11/306/308) they're getting. Would solve the PVR issue aswell, believe the 40's are a slightly higher PVR.