(24 Aug 2022, 4:54 pm)toward6931 wrote yes would make sense that darts go to hartlepool, so that's the 2 (correct me if I'm wrong)at Sunderland swapped for 2 E200s, even if they are terrible Sunderland allegedly has a healthy spare vehicle ratio, however many at south shields swapped 1 for 1.

ideally services 1 and 36 as you suggest get jointly operated like the 62/63 in Newcastle. maybe 2/3 ALX 300from Stockton go to hartlepool in return for E200.

Hopefully either an investment of maybe 10-20 new short wheelbase MMCs per year for the next 3 years should be made which I would suggest for the CAZ coming split between Newcastle and Sunderland the first year, followed by Stockton and hartlepool the second year and then Newcastle and Sunderland the third year. thereby allowing the same amount of troublesome buses to be scrapped with hartlepool getting the 1st pick of any cascade until the problem has been sorted.

or as sadly is probably the most likely outcome is that whatever cascades are made through the group hartlepool tries to grab and see what it can use.

I don't want to be a doom and gloomer here but remember Stagecoach South Shields / Sunderland and Stagecoach Teesside / Hartlepool haven't had any cuts in relationship to the end of the Covid bailouts yet.

There will be cuts at both, the 18 and 30 were definitely on the chopping block at Sunderland / South Shields before the extension came in last minute. Hartlepool has always been a weak depot so wouldn't be surprised to see a few cuts there aswell. Isn't there a few hourly services which only operate 9am - 5pm, never the sort of services that will be money makers.

Once they eventually come in, I wouldn't be surprised to see there's enough to get rid of the MAN's.