(14 Feb 2020, 8:43 pm)L469 YVK wrote I get your point. Yes the vehicles aren't exactly new on the likes of the Coaster but if you look at Arriva, you have 59 & 61 plate VDL Geminis running Blyth's "goldmine" routes (X10/ X11/308) plus any other ex London / Yorkshire cast-offs that pop up from time.
The thing is people don't really mind as they were bought for the route. Interior wise they haven't really changed and haven't really shown their age so from a passenger perspective it's not really a negative. Not to mention the Max refurbishment which made them worse imo but that's another story.
The problems come when you buy new buses for the X10 then those buses go onto the 43. Then 5 years and those buses go onto the 43 again. The x10 customers are happy. The 43 feel second rate.
(14 Feb 2020, 8:43 pm)L469 YVK wrote GNE have 8 & 9 year old B9TLs on the X1 (due to be replaced) and 7 year old B9TLs on the TVT (due to be refurbished) but in their defence, these are heavy duty vehicles and more durable than the likes of the VDL Gemini (would also say E400s too but they have come on massively over the years)
Do they really need new buses or would a refurbishment do? There's nothing wrong with either of them imo and they've still got a good 7 - 8 year in them. Give them a mid life refurb stick some USB ports in. It's as good as new and a fraction of the price.
(14 Feb 2020, 8:43 pm)L469 YVK wrote The Coaster is a very funny route as although it needs capacity from time to time (Metro off, Mouth of Tyne, Nice Weatheretc), it doesn't need it all the time and at least GNE are investing in these service with engine modifications. The Coaster also now has to compete with a very attractive 22 service betwen Churchill / Rosehill and Newcastle.
In terms of the 309 & 310, whilst a 15 minute frequency was 'nice', a 20 minute frequency is still relatively frequent and although GNE may lose out on some discretionary travellers, at least they'll only have the cost of running 21 vehicles (Cobalts & 57) on the road (rather than 25) when things are a tad on the quiet side.
From a passenger point of view there's nothing wrong with the Coaster or Cobalts. The problem is in North Tyneside in particular is that's it. The rest of the network is a shambles, either subsidised and ran by GCT at night or just doesn't exist. GNE was always the dominant player in NT but it's debateable now.
For example you've lost everything from Monkseaton. Used to be buses to Newcastle plus the circulars (the routes with the first low floor buses in the North East). Buses from Blyth to Sunderland. Buses from Cramlington to Sunderland. The 17 is a shadow of it's former self (current 11). Anything through the tunnel. Every single service update for the area is a cut someway or another.
To be fair from GNE here you can blame Nexus as much as them for giving their routes to other companies who have a tendancy to run bread vans around. The next few years I can only see getting worse now GCT have the 11, 19, 41, 42 and 42A at nights and Sundays and their 'excellent' service. Could see the lot of them scrapped entirely as GCT will wreck the credibility GNE have for them and people who need to work Sundays and evenings will just avoid them.