(28 May 2025, 6:14 pm)GrahamD83 wrote I imagine they will be cascaded to other depots within Stagecoach, hopefully some stay in the North East. The oldest vehicles will likely be withdrawn.
The plan was to send a majority of the fleet to Hartlepool to help with capacity and get rid of the less reliable and older buses in the fleet but from what a driver told they will be going to Slatyford with some of there buses going to Hartlepool which doesn’t really help much as your replacing knackered buses with more knackered buses. Saying that I don’t think the managers have much of a clue most of the time as things seem to constantly be getting changed.
I would personally hold fire on all movements though and concentrate on Hartlepool since Stagecoach know for sure they will continue to have the depot and services there in the long term which can not be said with any certainty for South Shields or the Two Newcastle depots or Sunderland. Rebuild the pits and invest in Hartlepool with full size buses and invest in the network and you could make a nice profit especially as since Arriva don’t seem interested they are gaps in the market especially to areas like Dalton Park and likes of Easington Village and Hordon