(10 May 2018, 12:24 pm)Andreos1 wrote Not wanting to split hairs in a post I tend to agree with, the BIB is the only part I disagree with.
It may be that the allocation of a vehicle picking up enhanced BSOG payments makes a route viable.
Whilst the 310 may make money and swapping it with vehicles from the X21 may not make too much sense from a financial perspective, the allocation of the B5's to the 1, should assist its margins and help maintain frequency on the quieter sections of the route.
Not only that, but there may be a case for a better mpg compared to the Omni's.
I've not been fortunate/unfortunate enough to ride or follow a B5 up the hillier sections of the route, so can't comment on the suitability from that perspective.
The B5s spent every night going up hills near Bishop Auckland, for which there are a few, with ease. The B5s to the 1 was a strong move and seems to be a success so far, but I think it offers next to nothing to swap B9s. I think that very much is splitting hairs at this stage, with the example given. The statement I gave at the end may only apply in this scenario, rather than a general rule though, I agree.