(05 Jan 2022, 7:55 pm)mb134 wrote I'm not sure Arriva share your appetite to nuke their Coast Road services. Along with the X21/22, they were amongst the first/only Northumbria services to be put back up to pre-Covid frequencies (ahead of the X10/11 for example) from memory. IMO the only way they reduce Coast Road frequency is if GNE win their electric bid. 

For what it's worth, I'm spending a decent chunk of time every day at the moment in and around Haymarket and both the 306 and 308 are taking decent loads whenever I see them - though I'm aware that's merely a fraction of the overall route.

It will all be a numbers game whatever is changed as a result. Either things will stay largely the same give or take some small and or behind the scenes changes. Or the depot move will be the start of a major network refresh similar to GNE had in Sept 2021. But Arriva whilst cutting PVRs do have the ability to actually 'improve' rather than make outright cuts. Some 'deadwood' services mopped up and merged into more streamlined, profitable and improved services.

But going back to 2014, would it not have been easier merging the Blyth & Ashington depots into a new superdepot in Bedlington or Cambois; additionally with an outstation in Alnwick for a small number of routes up that way?