(13 Mar 2021, 5:08 pm)RobinHood wrote On Weekends though, when it is more likely to be used, it will be full of zero fare paying passengers, whom on average will earn GNE significantly less in revenue than if they paid normal fares.
I recall when the X60 was withdrawn, Arriva were crystal clear that ENCTS killed the service. I really cant see what has changed in the meantime.
Fair play, trying something new, but even super fast links to Whitley Bay from Durham (example) or really fast link to Seahouses/Bamburgh from Newcastle etc somewhere like that would have provided more lucrative options. Its not painfully long, a few trips per day could operate to make worthwhile (i.e. spend a few hours at the coast rather than half a day).
The more I view it, the more it appears to be a bite at Arriva, similar to the 21 extension to Brandon. Stick a bus on (funded by the tax payer) and see what happens.
Arriva tried this a few years ago on the X16, running fast from Newcastle and Morpeth to Alnwick before switching to the X18 route to Belford.