(10 Jul 2014, 6:03 pm)aureolin wrote X84/X85 seem really popular, but I've only used it twice each way. Both in the last fortnight. I had noticed that there is very little movement with alighting out of Newcastle on both services. My trip on both the X84 and X85 actually had no alighting until Corbridge. The way back is a different story. Although I only used the X85 twice to travel back, I had noticed that it tends to pick passengers up all the way to Heddon travelling on to Newcastle. The only concern I had is that although the services were really popular (27 on one trip), the most fare paying customers picked up in a single trip was 4.
I don't think competition is a vicious circle mind, and I think the creation of the X84/X85 may back that up? We arguably wouldn't have the service if GNE didn't see a gap in the market. In this case Arriva not looking after their customers.
I do think at the same time though that GNE have neglected customers in North Sunderland and Co. Durham for example. North Sunderland has been chopped and changed more times than a butcher's meat cleaver, and even had things like SimpliCity thrown at it. Customers have remained loyal to Stagecoach though it would seem? Perhaps something Stagecoach are doing right? I don't know. County Durham is a similar story, and customers are quite heavily under-served. Sure enough there's the angel and Prince Bishops services, which are quality services in my opinion. Problem is though that it only goes into Durham Bus Station. There's no connection so customers living in Durham can't really take advantage of them.
The 685 is normally quite busy between Hexham and Newcastle, but between Newcastle and Hexham it's quiet. When I caught a Stagecoach service (1428 dep) but it was only be a two other people who were fare paying passengers from Hexham to Newcastle. I paid £2.35 from Hexham to Newcastle, someone else paid £4.75 from Hexham to Newcastle, then someone £3.25 between Heddon and Newcastle. Most of the other ones were OAPs with a few Arriva Triple Tickets boarding (they were obviously allowed because the driver keyed in ''Use Arriva''). So the total cash for that was £10.30 so not bad really.
Going from Newcastle to Hexham was a different story. I was the only fare paying passenger from Newcastle (I paid £2.50) until Corbridge where a child paid £1.20 to Hexham. So thats only £3.70.