(26 Apr 2025, 7:36 pm)L469 YVK wrote Only problem is, would there be anyone left at GNE willing to drive them? If Percy Main can't take the infrastructure, then it's off to Riverside and we all know how the CLS move went down!
They'll have to find some way to make it work there eventually as there needs to be a depot in North Tyneside for franchising anyway. The obvious choice would be for NECA to build a new site and just lease it back to GNE until the franchising comes in.
They've already got the land where the Howdon Metro Depot is currently to build this depot so there's no land costs needed as that's coming surplus to requirements soon anyway. Heck they could potentially just convert the existing building to do buses instead and use some of the space where the Metro tracks are to park buses instead.
It could potentially cheaper than buying a depot, then having to build a new depot pretty much instantly anyway with the inconvenience coming in during franchising rather than being prepared and the Metro land is pretty much worthless.