RE: Stagecoach North East Latest News
(11 May 2023, 8:55 pm)col87 wrote I wonder if all depots are going to be seeing cuts then. Already rumours that the 6/7 in Hartlepool are going to be cut from 10 to 12 minutes which don’t seem much but half the time they can often run late as it is but that would probably see either 2 of the remaining Manviros off or some the worse E200. I can’t see what else they could do to the rest of the Hartlepool network as it already been cut right down to the bone unless the 3 goes hourly and 1 to every 20 - 30 minutes which would just be a disaster as they already get quite full but if an investment company now own Stagecoach I don’t see them spending much and can just see them asset stripping rather then spending money which goes back to what’s going to happen in Sunderland or rumoured to.
There was a suggestion about Go North East buying Sunderland well apparently they tried to buy Hartlepool and Stagecoach turned them down so if they couldn’t even get Hartlepool then they got no chance with Sunderland although it depends if the new ownership are willing to sell I suppose.
It's a steady decline to be honest. Going from 10 to 12 to 15 mins might not seem a lot, but if that sets off a chain reaction for demand then it's only a matter of time before evening and Sunday services get cut. Going from every 30 minutes to hourly on evenings/Sundays is much worse than daytime frequencies. That's what I see as the final straw for urban town-estate routes. Then it's just a viscous cycle...
(11 May 2023, 9:02 pm)Unber43 wrote I think GNE possibly buying Hartlepool and SUndlerand Depots would be a great move. It would help with weekly/ monthly tickets, massive frequency increases espically around Southwick, A690, Sheilds
Personally don't ever think that will happen in the short term. GNE are trying to cut costs, not expand. Seeing as they've pulled out of Hartlepool a while ago with the X5/X6/X7/X35/55 (or whatever - so many numbers over the years!) suggests they don't want in on Hartlepool. GNE buying Stagecoach's Sunderland depot would probably be refused by the CMA in the first place...