I really don't think there is a need for the X46 to be operated throughout the day, given that it is merely a positioning journey in the mornings and evenings so buses aren't running dead from Crook, and in an attempt to try and gain some revenue from operating a service.
I think, in terms of allocations, a service like this (while I don't think it would be justifiable throughout the day, even when competing with Arriva's 46) should be operated by Chester-le-Street as opposed to Crook. It could interwork with the 13/14 journeys that interwork with the X22 (if it was hourly - as the X22 currently is, making it easy to work around in terms of timetables), allowing the X22 to become completely standalone, and then have the 13/14 and X46 operate in the Durham area only, but the only problem with that is that driver changeovers couldn't occur in Chester-le-Street as they currently do with the X22, meaning a van might have to be used to commute from the depot to Durham in order for driver changeovers to take place. Merely a suggestion, if this was to happen, but I don't think Go North East will enter that area of Durham. If they do, I think they could attempt to compete with Arriva's 56 between Durham and Bishop Auckland at peak-times, as that service in particular appears to suffer a lot of neglect from Arriva, and this could possibly provide Crook depot with some more work; the allocation could be some cascaded ''Prince Bishops'' Solars. Just a thought.
Go North East: Service Suggestions