(09 Oct 2022, 2:40 pm)Storx wrote In fairness the better idea would've been to build the super depot which was always planned and rumoured to be at the North of Cramlington and merge Blyth and Jesmond depots together.

Blyth is an old depot in a space which at some point there's plans for redevelopment and Jesmond has been sold.

Arguably Cramlington would be a better place for most anyway the

43 (interworks with 44/45), 52/53 (interworks with 54), 57 (possibly interwork with 51), X8/X9 (interworks with the X7), X10, X11 are all from Cramlington

Other than the 306/308, 46/46A, 685 and 55 you've pretty much got everything sorted and it's not a million miles away to South Beach, 5 minute drive for the 306/308.

In hindsight though going back nearly 10 years and with an Alnwick outstation, would a merger between Blyth and Ashington with a depot around Bedlington or Cambois not have been a good option?

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Arriva do have a fairly strong local network in North Tyneside. If the shoe was on GNE's foot right now wanting to close Percy Main and move PM's operations to Riverside, they'd have good reason to with only the 19/41/41A left.

But it doesn't make sense Arriva shutting shop in Newcastle & North Tyneside.