I need to get up to Newcastle in the morning (ironically to pick up some car parts from Mercedes), and I'm seriously contemplating just getting an Arriva day ticket and slumming it on the X12 since I have more faith it'll get me there.
The first X21 from West Auckland only goes as far as CLS, the second is apparently running (but on the off chance it runs will probably be infested with the youth), the third is cancelled, the next two supposedly run but get there after 11, so that's barely even the morning!
RE: Disruptions and driver shortages