(24 Dec 2021, 2:20 pm)busmanT wrote The rail service from Hexham to Newcastle has increased in frequency since GNE started the X85 (from 2 trains per hour to 3 trains per hour) and the rolling stock has improved from the class 142s - so the train is bound to have hit passenger numbers on the X85 (as well as X84 and 685)
First time I've heard the late Peter Huntley called a failure !
Peter brought route branding in, vehicle refurbishment, reinvigorated printed timetables and, like MG, was high profile.
Peter H and MG have both spent a very large amount of money on fleet upgrades and vehicle presentation - but GNE continued pre pandemic to be the least profitable of the 3 large North East operators.
So is the X85 evidence that a Stenning copy & paste livery, tables and some WiFi isn't the solution operators thought it was?
If punters are choosing a 35 year old train (that misses town centres along its entire Tyne Valley route) over a brand new bus, then there's obviously issues somewhere that those features mentioned above can't (and won't) fix.