(20 Dec 2021, 2:21 pm)Ambassador wrote Are we not just seeing an element of realism here from GNE? (apologies Mods if this goes off topic)

The market is struggling. If you can't convince pre-pandemic Customers back, you aren't going to attract new ones no matter how many bells and whistles you put on things.

Commute numbers are down, hybrid is here to stay permanently and less days in the office make a car more affordable if you're only running it a few days a week versus 5 - so there's your commuter market hit.

The pandemic has ironically strengthened hyper local behaviours so people are returning to their local high street, rediscovering their local area and they don't need to trek in to a large conurbation when they can get what they need locally and the rest from online - so there's another market gone.

Pensioners are being hit with high inflation and less disposable income so although the bus is free they aren't out and about as much as they don't have the money - added in with a general nervousness around the pandemic of course.

You're then really left with leisure passengers who might use the bus, might use uber, might get a lift, might get a train - they aren't committed to one mode of transport.

There probably can be questions raised around the deal to lose the Streetdecks for the Coaches but there's an element here of speculate to accumulate and we all call for GNE to try stuff and I'll hold my hands up - I was calling for Oxford Tube style services since Day 1 - but the market has changed, it hasn't recovered and will take a long long time to - if ever.

I agree with a lot of what you have said here. 
However, if we look at the bigger picture - I'm struggling to see what positive measures have been put in to place beyond a re-brand, Dalton Park and the coach allocation.

* There's nothing at the southern end of the route that connects from its own operations. 
Even in the places where there are connections, I don't see any obvious promotion/timetabling between say a local Peterlee service and the X9 or a 65 to/from Dalton Park with the X10. 
* Then there are ticketing implications for passengers looking to make those changes. Is it obvious which of the many ticketing options is the right one for them?
* Pricing/timing vs the train (as has been pointed out already) isn't weighted in GNE's favour.
* Re-routing of the service to suit passenger needs hasn't happened. 
* Timetable tweaks or adaptations haven't been implemented to suit customer needs. 

Then there's been years worth of road works at Testos and Wynyard/Norton.

I accept the pandemic has played a part, however I'm of the belief that GNE need to hold their hands up and say they've not done enough.
We've essentially got the same service as we had when it was a joint operation 30 years ago and somehow, it's expected to work now as it did then.