(31 May 2025, 7:29 am)DaveFromUpNorth wrote the "premium service" is already covered by Nat Express Megabus between Newcastle to boro
Not much use if you want to go to the spots inbetween though. If you want to grow buses then you need to create a decent alternative to cars and a conventional bus with a screaming turbo for over an hour struggling down the A19 isn't that.
Stagecoach in Scotland nails routes like these perfectly ie the X54/X54A/X59/X59A from Edinburgh to St Andrews / Dundee which aren't a million miles away in distance and yet run every 20 minutes combined and serve arguably serve less population aswell.
It's not like Riverside don't have a coach department either so there's no issues there ie. you don't want 4 random coaches for maintenance issues etc.