(01 May 2025, 7:08 pm)Storx wrote Not too sure, don't use the routtes much really. It's quite hilly over there though. They'd probably be alright though since it's not constant 60/70mph.
If, and big if, you wanted to move the E400MMC's I'd say do this:
X21 70 Plates -> Washington (50/X1)
50 16 Plates -> Riverside (51/52/93/94)
X20 B5TL -> Riverside (51/52/93/94)
62 Plate B9TL's -> Deptford (X20)
Angel Streetdeck's -> Consett
It means the two depots which are struggling right now get more newer vehicles and the really knackered vehicles are at Riverside doing easy work. It also gives Washington the ability to switch things around and a decent reserve for the X1, as the 50 isn't a badly loaded service tbh.
Consett gaining 16 Streetdeck's for a trade off for the MMC's is probably a fair compromise and means you'd have enough buses to actually do the work, with the X5/X15 upgraded in the process which would also release the E200MMC's to do a route which deserves them, 60 maybe?
As a starting point, I'd go for this to keep the E200MMC & E400MMC together:
Routes:
- X30/X71 moved to Riverside, interworks with 1x X21 per-hour so that meal breaks can happen in Gateshead.
Driver 1 would do GHD > WA > GHD (X21) with Driver 2 then doing GHD > NCL > CON > NCL > STA > NCL > GHD (X21>X71>X30>X21). There'd be over 20 minutes layover in Consett which would allow things to get back on time should anything happen on the earlier X21.
- Evening & Sunday X30's either remain Consett operated using single deckers, or move to Riverside if alternative interworking pattern can be formed.
- 12 moved to Consett interworking with 6.
- X45 interworks with 1x X32 per-hour and X73.
- X70 interworks with the other X32 per-hour. X70 serves Lobley Hill estate instead of X32.
- X31 dropped.
Vehicles:
- All E400MMC at Riverside for X10, X21, X30, X71.
- All E200MMC to Consett for 6 & 12 with X66 getting stop-gap until EV's arrive.