(01 May 2025, 7:40 pm)L469 YVK wrote 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.
Aye could do, I don't know the routes too well to comment there though.
The important thing to me imo is getting 6301-6314 off long distance stuff and onto town work asap. They're all shot to bits and are causing bother at both Deptford and Washington. What you replace them with there's loads of options but imo they're the biggest issues in the fleet, right now.
Consett also desperately need something newer aswell since they're relying on the battered X10 B9's and ex Yorkshire / Manchester junk and the reliability is coming with it.
Riverside is hard to comment as anything that touches that place is unreliable lately so it's hard to say whether it's the vehicles or the engineers or a bit of both.