(05 Jun 2023, 8:14 pm)Andreos1 wrote You've got to remember that there's a population of people living and working beyond Saltburn and the wonders of the railway line. 

Brotton, Loftus, Skelton - all not connected to the rail network and with a population that won't and don't need to travel by train unless they're off somewhere exotic like York. 

Not sure that Cleveland Retail Park or Eston Tesco are that much of an appeal for anyone in East Cleveland either.
Particularly when you pass an Asda, Skelton retail park, Morrisons and Tesco to get to any of those places (rail, road or bus).
With Guisborough just a few minutes west.

Aye no arguments, but surely a proper express for them would be the answer rather than going on a magical mystery tour around Saltburn and Redcar, two places they probably don't want to be at either. The X3/X3A in particular is one hell of a magical mystery tour of an express and has little purpose to the West side, it's no wonder it's struggling imo as it just duplicates the X4 or 5 but longer, long distance.

There's absolutely no need for the X3/X3A to go West of Marske, it'd arguably be better bolted onto the end of the 81. There's no lost links bar the 1 small village South of Skelton. Least then it might have more a purpose.

Something like - https://www.google.com/maps/dir/54.53861...?entry=ttu

It does everything the X3/X3A does for East Cleveland and is more useful with the X2/X3 terminating at New Marske / Marske instead.