The x21 is looking dire. If my fingers are doing the sums correctly, there are all of 2 X21's running between Durham and Newcastle between 9am and 1pm, tomorrow.
Now some people might want to sweep that under the carpet as not at all interesting but a 25% hit rate on a supposedly premium service is shockingly poor.
Unsurprisingly, I've never seen the X12 as busy as it has been, recently, on the Durham to Newcastle stretch. A few months ago I wouldn't have been surprised if Arriva had abandoned it for mostly carrying fresh air but that is no longer the case.
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages