(02 Aug 2023, 10:57 pm)stagecoachbusdepot wrote That's a pretty generous heaping of credit onto GNE who themselves virtually abandoned North Tyneside not so long ago (lets hope the orbit rockets fare better than the little coasters did).
You're comparing apples with oranges. With the extent to which Arriva were previously present, and with the Metro covering the coast, there was never enough market share - as the market stood at the time (historical context) - for Go North East to develop much of a network, and so they arguably cut their losses and concentrated resources elsewhere.
Now that the market dynamic has undergone a paradigm shift, and Arriva have *actually* abandoned their network and customer base, Go North East have capitalised on the opportunity to gain a foothold. Quite simple.