(20 Aug 2023, 4:05 pm)mb134 wrote Maybe in the middle of January deckers aren't needed on the X93, but I was down there early March and the X93 I got definitely required one. 

Even aside from that, what Ashington boards? Realistically you'd probably need to send down at least 3 to cover the X94, probably 4 so there's a spare. 

Single decks couldn't cope with any X14/15/18 board in the summer for a start. There's maybe one X20 board, but even then that's left people in North Seaton recently when a Pulsar had to be allocated. There's already more than enough single deckers there for the 1/2 and the one 35 board which is booked a Pulsar. Then you get to the X21/22 boards. No Saturday X21 board is a pleasant experience with a single decker, and despite it being the summer holidays the AM peaks still get busy and the loads throughout the day are pretty healthy too, and anecdotally passenger numbers have continued to grow with the current £2 fares.

You'd still have the B9 Decker's to run those few boards though.

X21/X22, I was more thinking though and the 35 during school holidays. They're coping alright now really, sure they could get away with another 2 if need be. 

Guess it depends what other investment happens, imo I still don't think it wouldn't be a bad replacement for the time being to get some DB300's (from London) for Blyth to see out the remaining Enviro's once the 43/44/45 changes come, if they're anything like the last lot, the B7's, I can't imagine many would complain - there should be a few released before next Spring and then the Blyth Enviro 400's (15 Plates) could go down to Redcar aswell to replace the B7's so they might not need as many and send 7609/7610 home in the process.

So you'd end up with

Redcar (Summer)
4x Enviro 400 MMC
4x Enviro 400 (15 Plates)
6x Volvo B9's 

Ashington (Summer)
4x Enviro 200 MMC
4x Enviro 400 (14 Plates at Blyth)

Redcar (Winter)
4x Enviro 400 (15 Plates)
4x Enviro 200 MMC
6x Volvo B9

Ashington (Winter)
4x Enviro 400 MMC
4x Enviro 400 (14 Plates at Blyth)

Blyth
2x DB300 (7609/7610)
8x or 14x DB300 (Ex London) - X7/X8/X9 with/without Pulsars (operationally be easier without them).

If Redcar can't run it with those buses then there is something wrong with the engineering imo. If the 15 Plates proove reliable then just reduce the Enviro 200/400 swap at Ashington.