(17 Feb 2015, 4:17 pm)Andreos1 wrote Not sure, but I think they need to do something to up their game.I'd like to see an Arriva expansion. As I live somewhere with no GNE service, if I wanted to go to most places south of the Tyne I'd need to buy two Teencard singles then maybe a GNE day ticket then use my Teencard to get home, costing quite a bit for something that if Arriva operated the services, would cost far less.
I had been wondering if they could extend some of their services over the river into Gateshead.
Apart from the X2, the last regular service in there may have been the Clara Vale route way back when.
If they extend into Gateshead, it may assist the X2 and add numbers in the way of punters who hop on any service over the river.
Depending which services they extend, it 'may' take passengers off the Metro
So it could be a route which competes with the 19, but extends into Gateshead, either as a new service or amalgamation of an existing one.
Not sure we will see anything to the Metrocentre very soon like.
Edit: I also don't see what the problem would be in trying, they've got cascades coming from London every year and if there was expansion up here I'm sure they would be able to source additional vehicles, in order to run competing services. This is a massive company we're talking about, I'm sure they wouldn't miss the money if it did fail, but surely there is a lot more to gain?