(13 Jul 2026, 11:50 pm)col87 wrote So basically it couldn’t be done then which potentially stops new services from outside the NEMSA  going into the area from being started. I really don’t know how this helps anyone at all and I don’t think it’s been thought through properly.  

In the example I used it seems it would be easier to just do weekly or twice weekly coach excursions instead and look at starting an express coach service to other areas instead.  I think this could potentially kill some of the independents rather then help them, look at Northstar taking a risk on new routes which they won’t be able to do and now potentially could lose them to Go North East who didn’t want to do some of them in the first place.

I think the main problem is that the sort of service that you are envisaging just isn't viable as commercial services, otherwise they would be running now.

Tyresmoke:
You are assuming that the south end of the X10 would be a loss-maker. But unless GNE is being daft (which I doubt), the X10 must be generating revenue that makes it at least cover its costs plus a modest profit, on the basis of passenger fares and ENCTS reimbursement etc etc. All that revenue remains there in the future, and so this is a potential net fund-generating service for the franchised world.
We need to adjust from the sense of publicly secured services always being loss-makers; designing the franchised network will require a good sense of what is financially viable.

(And I'm pretty sure there are Peterlee people using X10 to travel to/from Teesside...)