(23 Apr 2022, 10:53 am)L469 YVK wrote The late evening X45 (11.35pm) is known to get good passenger numbers. Arriva could seriously do with adding later services to Blyth & Ashington nearer or just after 11.30pm. My friend who lives in the Cramlington area had to end up getting the slow 52 home after the Wolves match as the queue for the 11.04pm 43 and 11.10pm X11 looked like they'd be full buses meaning if he let the 52 go in favour of the 43/X11, he could've ended up out of pocket for a taxi. I don't know if Arriva would've had 'hot-spares' ready to pick up any passengers left behind that night though?

Think you misread that there, the evenings ones were in towards Newcastle. Half of them are dead. I know the Arriva expresses are really bad for it. Your lucky if 4 people get off all the last expresses coming into Newcastle and it's the same throughout the whole route pretty much. Compare that to say the 20, 21, 53, 54, 56, 93, 94, 306, 308 etc which pick up people at both ends because of Tynemouth, Whitley Bay, Sunderland, Durham, Chester Le Street, Concord, Low Fell which have people at night aswell or are loop services.

It's why the Arriva services will struggle in the evening imo as you need to pretty much half the out loads not to mention keeping the depot open an extra hour etc.