(10 Apr 2023, 9:21 pm)Storx wrote Aye can't disagree to be fair with you.Holbrook E400 EH were the only ones mentioned as a cascade, and that isn't set in stone, and it's only 15 vehicles. If the E400 EH from Walkergate came as well that would cover the Scania withdrawals. Of course that would convert such routes as 3/12/13/16/20 to double deck, which would inevitably lead to frequency reductions.
Guessing it depends whether they see a long time future there though. There's loads of MMC's coming spare soon including about 20 MMC's at Oxford in the same batch as the 16 plates at Walkergate / Slatyford. They could easily come up here and displace the Hybrids which there's talk of them going to Sunderland (rumours ofc) which in turn will see of the Gas Buses and E300's out of Sunderland to displace the ALX300's and Darts.
Maybe they might see a chance of getting electrics here in the future instead and don't want to invest in Diesel buses for Newcastle possibly? I know some of their Teesside routes are on the list for the Hydrogen routes but it's all gone a bit quiet that.
The E300's, of which more are to come are to facilitate the withdrawal of MANviro 200's so wouldn't predict any E300's leaving too soon.