(22 Jul 2014, 11:15 am)Dan wrote I could be wrong, but I believe it's operated commercially by Go North East.
Judging by information that I have available; in spring 2010, nPower re-located from Newcastle, Gateshead and Peterlee to new state-of-the-art offices at Rainton Bridge Business Park near Houghton-le-Spring.
As such, transport had to be provided from the sites nearby the previous buildings to the new building - with nPower turning to Go North East to provide said transport.
I think the contract was for Go North East to operate the services commercially, with nPower giving Key Cards to all existing and new employees who started there. In with the contract was the transport between (iirc) Newcastle Airport and nPower for conferences which are occasionally held at Rainton Bridge.
Slight error in the above, no employees where or are being given key cards. Employees are expected to pay for their own travel.
Initially the services where run privately for about 3 months before becoming public. npower did negotiate with GNE to run the 3 services 921/922/923 & H1 Houghton Link service as a result of the relocation from Team Valley/Newcastle & Peterlee offices back in 2010 with GNE, a wise choice considering. npower still pay GNE to run these services and could be why there was investment in the X1 fleet to double deckers after about a year of them being run with Yellow Bus initially. Also makes sense for npower to use GNE for conferences etc as part of any ongoing contract.
Obviously since then services during the day to Rainton have been expanded and other companies & their employees benefit form these services.