(07 Aug 2021, 9:05 pm)DeltaMan wrote I don't know how you can say that with a straight face. The 71 service operates out of Chester-le-street, which is also the terminus for 71, which means drivers and vehicles are used as efficiently as possible. They only use two buses for the 60 minute service and the vehicles are cascaded, so it's just the running costs which need to be paid. If anybody needs to learn how to schedule I don't think it's GNE....
You are right, Chester is the terminus. It is close to the depot too.
Remember when Deptford had the route (one of the small periods of time when someone realised the 71 wasn't working) and there was a lot more dead mileage?
So yes, that is an improvement.
Quite what that's got to do with running the service in to the ground, I'm not sure.
(08 Aug 2021, 12:17 am)Train8261 wrote Seems easier as you get the 4 towards Heworth and the X1 to Newcastle both pull in at the same time roughly
They encourage transfers between the two services and have done since the M1/4 replaced Newcastle terminating services across a portion of its route.
Keeping them at the same stand (or at least on the stands next to each other) , makes it a lot easier and arguably, more attractive) to transfer between the two services.