(20 Feb 2014, 8:32 pm)Kuyoyo wrote It's funny, because the same debate was had on another forum and the end result was that Coaches can be used on local work (look at the Scottish Citylink routes, especially those services into Fort William to Glasgow/Inverness), although I would argue that the X9/X10 aren't strictly local services, more limited stop express. Very similar to Stagecoach Fife's X8/X24/X26/X27 from Fife into Glasgow and X52/X54/X58/X59/X60 into Edinburgh which use Coaches (and trust me, the X54 uses B7R/Profiles and does act in places as a local service).
Aren't B7R Profiles step entrance? If so, unsuitable for the Tyne Tees Xpress!
Low floor coaches would be the only suitable replacement for the current allocation, and they're pretty damn expensive. The Tyne Tees Xpress isn't exactly one of the "top dogs" - services like the Angel are at the top of the league.
Given that GNE would struggle to cascade low floor coaches, GNE would have to make sure that the investment cost could be spread out across 15 years on the TTX alone.