(19 Feb 2022, 8:08 pm)L469 YVK wrote I wouldn't say Blyth's routes are exactly hard with the exception of a few twists and turns on the X8. A batch of StreetDecks would replace the DB300s fine for Blyth's work.
Ashington's X21/X22 is another story. But after seeing GNE use them fine on the X1 including recent extensions to Dalton Park & Peterlee, I reckon they'd just cut it.
It's a bit derailed this but not sure the X21/X22 is any harder than the X10/X11 like. Both very similar routes. One blast from Cramlington / Bedlington to Gosforth Park then meandering around streets for the rest of the route. Agreed they're not the hardest in the world but harder than almost all of the GNE and Stagecoach network and the Gemini's are getting on now. Well built buses, the Streetdecks are just the newer version pretty much anyway and some of the GNE examples in comparison are awful for reliability.