(09 Oct 2015, 7:27 am)northern156 wrote Eh? How do you figure that one out?

I reckon if the 85/685 was operated by one company throughout and based more centrally (like it was at Hexham) it'd cause a lot less dead mileage (take one board a day that goes light from Jesmond to Haltwhistle! There's more than that too!) and would give scope for fleet standardisation across the route.

As I have stated before, I think the shortfall of the route is not having deckers. As far as I am aware, the only thing stopping deckers on the 685 route (note, not 185) is the low trees outside of Corbridge - where hardly anyone uses!

Plug sockets is definitely needed on the route, as is Wifi - Stagecoach have Wifi on their ADL E300s so it is entirely possible.

Mind you, after saying all of that, it's worth remembering that the majority (if not all) of the route is not subsidised - ran as a commercial venture. It's fair enough other routes having money thrown at them in the likes of Newcastle but still, an operator as big as Arriva should be able to cope.