I was on the ground in Newcastle too, I think an extension to local services would have been a better use of resource than dedicated services.

Our last buses to Wallsend cross over the city at around 2300 and 2320, and there were reports of Byker terminating services being inundated with requests to go to Wallsend etc.

Our SF1 drivers, drafted in from numerous depots, would have been better utilised covering and strengthening the likes of the 39/40.