(06 Oct 2020, 6:52 am)Dan wrote Is there any evidence of this, or is this just speculation? Isn't this something Go North East has done for several years now, just never formally 'branded'?

Due to PSVAR, there's been a huge surge in demand for ex-National Express coaches. It's only until recently that the market has been truly awash with coaches, due to the collapse of National Holidays. Go North East has still managed to sell a fair number of coaches within the last six months.

The irony being that these 'unwanted' coaches probably turn a bigger profit on rail replacement work than they do on National Express work - and, as has been evidenced recently, Go North East has been the major player in the North East bus scene, in terms of providing vehicles and drivers for these rail replacements.

Almost all of Go North East's National Express coaches are in use - nine on National Express work, with the majority of the others being allocated to scholars and/or scholars duplicates (ironically mainly for Arriva North East).

I’ll happily admit to it being complete speculation.  

My post was more about getting some debate going rather than the usual slagging off of Arriva.  You will see it’s more or less the same comment that was made further up the thread. No one bit on that comment, although there are a couple on here who have an opinion on everything. I also note that you managed to get in a dig at Arriva. The fact that at the moment GNE is able to provide these dupes because of an excess of drivers / buses due to a reduction in overall services . What happens when the need for dupes end? The buses maybe sold, what about the jobs?

its interesting to note that you have only replied to the coaching side of my post...