(20 Feb 2014, 8:13 pm)Kuyoyo wrote That's the maximum length I can honestly see them remaining on there - to be quite frank, the minimum time I'm thinking before replacement is 18 months.
Now that's more realistic.
When you consider the recent reliability, things are only going to get worse. It may not be every journey, but it's enough to have been noticed by both the enthusiast scene and customers.
How often in the past have we seen Olympians allocated? How often recently have we seen Highwaymans allocated? I'd say there has been at least three or four days this month alone where a Highwayman has been allocated to the Tyne Tees Xpress...
We've discussed the problems with coaches in the past though. For some (albeit a minority), the Tyne Tees Xpress is a local service. Coaches just aren't convenient for that type of work. The cost of coaches, as well as where they'd end up should the Tyne Tees Xpress ever justify yet another upgrade, is also something that is perhaps off-putting.