(01 Oct 2024, 8:08 pm)L469 YVK wrote Heard on the radio the other day, Arriva advertising the 306 & 308.....no mention of GoNE's 307 & 309 services.
Surely by now, both Arriva & GoNE should be operating the 306, 307, 308 & 309 under a fully joint & coordinated brand and dedicated service delivery leads from both operators. X39 should also be part of this too IMO.
If anything....the Coast Road services should be (with backing from both operators & NECA) a good taste of what franchising could be and put it in a positive light.
Arriva seem to have picked up their game since the takeover, would you really want to associate yourself with Go Ahead at the moment?
Being serious though, I think maybe it's a sign that Arriva are seeing opportunities in the North East and want to rebuild their reputation after a tough few years. You can't blame them for taking the opportunity to build their own business. Returning the Ashington services to regular timetables is another sign that of that.