(01 Nov 2021, 5:44 pm)Storx wrote If any route will have trouble it will be the X21 unless they reopen an outstation somewhere. It already has 18 mile dead runs in the morning / evening, if CLS goes then that'll be extended to 29 mile. That's nearly another hour added on daily doing dead runs.

Similar the 21 with it's dead runs.

It's easy enough to say to run them from Newcastle in the morning but you might aswell call it a dead run as it won't pick anyone up since no-one wants to go to CLS / Bishop, similar to Newcastle late in an evening. Wouldn't be surprised to see some of the later / early runs disappear. 

It's an interesting one that - particularly if punters are using the 21 as part of a 'spoke' coming out from a hub.

A few years back, they cut early morning 71 and 34 runs from the outlying areas, in to Chester. Obviously not as popular as they anticipated/hoped/wanted. 
Naturally, it meant there was an impact on the 21. What may have been a 'just about' viable run, picking up those transferring from a 34 or 71, suddenly didn't have those particular passengers any more. Removing the ability for those 1, 2, 3 or 4 people transferring is easily enough to take a board teetering on the brink, in to the red.
Needless to say, there were reductions in those early morning 21 runs not too long afterwards.
(It goes without saying that those passengers relying on the 34 or 71 to get to work in Chester weren't given much choice either like).

If they are going to look at curtailing some runs at certain times of the day, I think they need to make an informed decision about the knock on effect with their other services this time. 
Whether those other services come before or after a 21.