(29 Oct 2023, 12:07 am)Unber43 wrote When Ive passed Deptford and Riverside theyve had plenty of spares parked up. atleast 7/8

How do you know they're parked up spare though? They might be needing engineering attention, it's very common for multiple buses per day being off with defects.

(29 Oct 2023, 9:45 am)Storx wrote I don't believe they actively replace them at Blyth do they? It's more just swapping things around as a few of them have 10 minute layovers, so the bus with 10 minutes layover goes onto the X10 running 10 minutes late or whatever, then the 10 minutes late X10 drops onto the 308 and leaves on time.

To be fair, GNE could easily do it in places like Gateshead, Park Lane, Eldon Square (10/10A/10B/21/X21/X10) or (6/X30/X31/X45/X46/47), Consett etc if everything wasn't painted in different colours for the sake of it without much too hassle as long as there's a driver ready to go out and they were trained for the routes.

The X10 has a 18 minute layover at Eldon Square for example, but it'll just sit there while the X21 is running along 15 minutes late or whatever.

I mean I'd class it as actively swapping them? They could just sit there and let things get later and later, but swapping the vehicles available to them by using layover is actively trying to improve service. Same with if GNE were to do it at Consett as you've suggested - I think doing it at Eldon Square might be a bit different, realistically in your X10 example there's a fair chance the bus it's replacing on the X21 probably can't hack an X10.

I think it's also different to the Deptford example. Since the bus station is literally attached to the depot it's far easier for them to fetch a bus that engineering have finished with, and it's very easy for them to steal a bus from the depot if a breakdown has happened somewhere.