(17 Nov 2022, 9:44 pm)mb134 wrote The dead mileage really isn't that big of an issue. Ashington or Blyth to Cramlington is no different from travelling dead from Jesmond, and the dead runs to Haymarket are no different to the previous dead runs from Jesmond to Morpeth/Ashington/Bebside/Hexham etc. I imagine they'll also look into eliminating some dead runs by adding extra peak journeys where appropriate. 

- Not just the dead runs, but also remote reliefs that need taking into account.

Euro 6 is not an issue, bar the small number of minibuses operated plus 7515-7 (which could potentially be cascaded once the 685 operation ends). 

- So how will the minibus issue be tackled? What will replace the Pulsars longer term bearing in mind that the 47 and 50's are borderline or just above at best?

Recruitment is needed anyway, and always will be. No business that wants to be successful is going to kill off swathes of profitable work just because they have a, potentially, temporary staffing shortage. 

- But the fact that a large number of drivers left Jesmond on top of Blyth & Ashington suffering minor shortages? Are they going to go to the effort to recruit drivers for work that is only marginally profitable? When they can concentrate on their core business and still turning a profit running deckers packed into Newcastle City Centre on the Ashington & Blyth 'X' routes, 43/44/45 and 306/308? And comfortably have enough staff to cover the work.

I fail to see how there is a more varied fleet to support? 5 vehicle types (DB300, E400, Pulsar, Solo, Streetlite) is not huge variation, especially compared to fleet compositions of the past - Olympians, L113s, N113s, B10BLEs, Metroriders, MPDs, E400s, Tridents, SB220s, Solos, SB200s, B7TLs all operating from the Northumbria depots simultaneously at one point from memory.

- Technically 6x if the E400MMC is counted as a vehicle type in its own class. Pulsar a bit on the heavy side for the 1/2 so StreetLites would be more suited. Likewise, although a step up for the 57/57A, they do get pretty fair loads.