(11 hours ago)Busadvocate wrote Most attracted bids from 2 big firms, with an unknown SME unsuccessfully bidding for a handful on Teesside. Presumably the big 2 will be all be Arriva and Stagecoach; I wonder why Arriva did not bid for all of them? Services 1&2 seem just as operationally feasible for them as they are for Stagecoach. Stagecoach did not bid for the Darlington 16/17/18.

The contract values suggest they are min cost contracts. The passenger revenue on some of them will be fairly sobering - I doubt if there are really all that many potential bus users in School Aycliffe ...

Imagine Stagecoach didn't bid for the 16/17/18 was because the Yutongs would be unable to get under the bridge at Albert Hill on the 18 although the same problem may eventually be fall Arriva if Darlington does go fully electric although could shift it to Stockton Depot I suppose.

School Aycliffe is an awkward one given parts fall under Darlington/Tees Valley whilst parts fall under County Durham, in an ideal world the Darlington to School Aycliffe service would be merged with the Aycliffe Town Service 17 but doubt that would happen especially as the latter only runs between 9am to 2pm on Monday to Friday, wouldn't be entirely surprised if Arriva tried to divert the 8 via School Aycliffe in a similar vain to the Darlington to Stillington route being bolted onto the 10 route although would mean no bus through parts of Aycliffe Village.

My guess would be Hodgsons as being the SME but could be wrong.