(15 Nov 2022, 7:04 pm)Malarkey wrote I think potentially the X47/X77/X78/X82/X77 & X88 are best fit PVR wise however not all these services require Double-Deckers otherwise I'd say the 1/22 or 38 are contenders however i'd say with peak time workings included PVR's may be tight at 15 which is the "Magic Number" I've heard.

yes could definitely see sense in 1 or 2 of the X47s and X78 AND X82 each getting allocated maybe 2 Deckers,

although as the 62/63s routinely get allocated occasional single decks and more rarely an E200 which is totally unsuited that get awfully overcrowded, especially now the 62 has had its route extended even longer to cover throckley. ideally if 20 new MMCs get delivered these should go to slatyford for that is where the bulk of 62/63 services run out of now. 

i would advocate that 4 or 5 of the E200s from slatyford are replaced by E300s and go south to either Sunderland or shields allowing those depots to release vehicles to hartlepool. and maybe 6 of the older double decks get put on an X47/X78/X82 Duty as they are getting busier compared to before the pandemic, especially the X47. i would say 2 of those single decks could be cascaded owing to the age of the double decks replacing them and the age of the other single decks.

i think walkergate needs around 3 more double decks as a spare E200 regularly ends up on the 22 which a lot of the time is rammed and i think the 2 NK60 Deckers that went to Stockton in return for 2 E300s need to be replaced 

the spare double decks could then maybe split between Sunderland for building up a couple of the E service workings as i have been told they are getting busier and Stockton with maybe a handful of those earmarked for temporary hartlepool duties when tall ships etc are on.

i know the last ten years i have seen a lot more people in the Newcastle area commute by bus and i think with the cost-of-living crisis that number will rise a lot more, i can imagine in particular the 62/71 service get a lot busier as there has been 2 decent sized housing estates built very close to those routes with another 1 planned