(11 Mar 2022, 10:10 pm)DaveFromUpNorth wrote Interesting discussion about depot mergers and closures

A vital piece of information you all missed

CLS houses National Express division of GNE

Reflecting on the thoughts

Merging Washington and CLS would be the better theory but with modern depots these days it is outdoor depots rather than indoors

Sites like Follingsby Park for road connections onto A195 to Washington A194 to A1 to CLS junction seems quite a plausible suggestion

National Holidays had a depot in washington before they went bust but rebranded

If not Follingsby as a location Drum Industrial Estate A693 straight onto A1

Personally that a little more difficult to navigate to get to Washington really

Modern technology these days and timetable planning when mentioned about Seaham and Peterlee services can be quite clever if you change the method so it doesn't run empty or light run a service back so it's closer to a depot

Having indoor depots these days are major risk hazards in terms of if there is a fire the whole fleet could be lost  if it is outside you can manouve and move vehicles easily

You also have too take into account special deals  and business rates that local authorities are providing deals meaning landowners if you sign a 20yr deal etc so location is very important when planning for a new building

But remember the STAGECOACH and National Express merger is not going ahead so National  Express more than likely will stay with GNE

I don't think the NX operation at Chester-le-Street is as vital as you're assuming it is.

National Express are still running a reduced network, and to be honest, the likelihood of that recovering to pre-pandemic levels is slim to none. As with most things, NX are extremely slow to react and change, and whilst they've been napping, there's now increased competition with the rise of FlixBus in the UK and Lumo on the East Coast. On the latter, looking at fares, and I can get to London by train for as little as £3.10 more than the NX fare. 

Even if it was a hugely popular and growth area, there's nothing stopping them lifting and shifting it to operate out of another base.

Land at Follingsby is likely to be at a premium now that the Amazon sites are up and running. The only brownfield site left there is the former rail freight depot, which is likely to be earmarked for a new Metro station plus Park & Ride site.

The National Holidays depot you mention (which was on Stephenson Road) was little more than a small enclosed car park, which I think even if it was available, would be unsuitable. There is however the brownfield site next to it (formerly the Northumbria Centre), which has been vacant for 7+ years.

I think you're right about taking into account special deals though, and imo that'll be the problem with anywhere in Washington. Sunderland City Council are pulling out all the stops to get people into the development sites in and around the City Centre, so there's always the risk Washington becomes the afterthought.