(12 Jun 2024, 7:07 am)mb134 wrote It's shocking, and continues to show just how inept the current management at ANE are. The shortage of drivers has been ongoing for at least a year at this stage, and they've done nothing to rectify the situation (the easy fixes of either agency drivers, or increasing the starter rate for those with a licence as GNE/SNE have done, haven't been done). 

You also have to look at the people running it on a day to day level at Blyth. How can they think cutting 4 consecutive X7s is acceptable, leaving a 2 and a half hour gap in service? Obviously their hands will be somewhat tied, but surely there's another service they can drop in the middle of that to ensure an X7 runs.

Why would they pay agency drivers the thick end of £20/hr plus possible relocation costs if they're not being financially penilised for dropping runs? Have you also considered the possibility simply no one wants the job?