(27 Nov 2025, 7:36 pm)PH - BQA wrote Arriva literally have an order in for 31 new deckers, which is public knowledge - if the opportunity arose I'm sure they'd be minded to redistribute those to 'take over' on the Coast Road. They're in a far better position than GNE in that regard. 

If GNE really wanted to utilise resource better, then they'd look at why they're parking up a bus in Blyth for 25 minutes each trip.

Very true, but the order would have to be to 'add' to the fleet and not allow the likes of the 17 plate E400MMCs to go to Yorkshire.

But your point about the 25 minute layover....the 307 & 309 do pick up well in High Farm (despite it causing extra PVR on service 309) because excluding the less frequent 350/351, GNE effectively have the monopoly. It's also quite a densely populated area.

GNE re-routed the 309 thinking it would just be an extra couple of minutes. But both the 307/309 literally stop at every stop to the extent that time can't be recovered, especially on the 309.

We'll just have to see what happens.