(26 Dec 2017, 1:28 pm)Jimmi I'd personally make the first departure from Teesside later than the X55 departed (which was about 07:15), I'd think the absolute earliest it should depart is around 08:30 arriving into York around 10am, ideally you would want the last trip from York to be sometime after 6pm (the 18:32 CrossCountry service towards Newcastle and beyond is usually fairly busy). If you were going to do multiple trips a day, I would run it from Middlesbrough rather than Stockton to potentially entice a few people from York to travel to Teesside as well (Middlesbrough sounds more appealing than Stockton to most), if you went with my idea of calling at Thirsk, you could possibly possibly do something like this:
Middlesbrough Bus Station
08:30 - 12:00 - 15:45
Thirsk Market Place
09:02 - 12:32 - 16:17
York, Station Avenue
09:45 - 13:15 - 17:00
York, Station Avenue
09:55 - 14:25 - 18:25
Thirsk Market Place
10:38 - 15:08 - 19:08
Middlesbrough Bus Station
11:10 - 15:40 - 19:40
I'd also have it stop at Exhibition Square before/after Station Avenue in York as Station Avenue would allow somewhere to lay over and turn the bus round.
I get what you say about Middlesbrough being more appealing(Middlesbrough and appealing in the same sentence?!), but a Stockton terminus could be offered for very little extra cost and offer a greater chance of increasing revenues.
As well as picking up punters fro Stockton and Thornaby (two locations that punters can use the train from and essentially where the competition is), it could also attract those transiting between Middlesbrough and Stockton.
'Illegitimis non carborundum'
