(24 Oct 2020, 5:52 pm)L469 YVK wrote It goes to show the vulnerable state that Arriva is in if they're cancelling new vehicle orders. Newcastle CAZ has been postponed but by how much I don't know. Regardless, Arriva are going to have to upgrade their fleet eventually (not perhaps within the 18 months given the circumstances).

Can see a lot of service cuts to the services "that have been that way for 25 years" happening. A lot of streamlining & downsizing. In response to claims that ANE have made more profit than GNE, yes but at what expense? GNE have invested heavily over the years.

I can see Arriva broken and sold within the next few years as they don't have the capacity going forward. Ashington depot would thrive under GNE though if they got it. Big expansion of "X-Lines" and also a similar demographic to Consett & Stanley in the sense of the area being a "commuting" as well as ex mining.

It's not a 'claim' that Arriva North East make more profit than GNE it's a fact.

It's the only fact in the whole thing you've wrote there, the rest of it is assumptions at best. Also most of the buses in Northumbria which operate into Newcastle are Euro 6 already. Investments doesn't affect profits so that's irrelevant, if anything that should increase profits not vice versa since patronage should go up.

If your going to make claims such as, 'Arriva don't have the capacity going forward,' then you need to back it up with evidence which I must've missed somewhere. Cancelling an order of 7 buses isn't that. You don't tend to spend money during a pandemic when your profits are down when you don't need too it's just suicidal.