(12 Sep 2023, 7:52 am)Shrek wrote I doubt Arriva will let any other routes go in North Tyneside. The rest of the old Jesmond operation which remains is profitable and they will need to keep all the profitable routes to maximise any sale. If GNE or Stagecoach started sniffing around any of them, I expect Arriva would make those routes priority to hold them. The 51-55 were less profitable and the cost of investment to keep them running just made no sense. GNE and Stagecoach had the necessary resources so can make them profitable and get good PR from them too.But....if Arriva struggle for drivers at Blyth once any ex Walkergate staff take their £££ and head to Stagecoach or GNE, I could possibly see them give up the 306 (depending if Arriva could interwork the 308 with something else).
Would actually fit in perfectly for Stagecoach becuase if they kept the evening 54/354 tender, the evening 306 could perfectly be interworked albeit with a small amount of dead running to either North Shields or Whitley Bay.