(09 Jan 2015, 6:41 pm)Kuyoyo wrote Exactly - you can't do better than a combined 10 minutely Ashington-Newcastle service. Plus, even if you did put a half hourly service along those lines via North Seaton, people are still going to use the hourly X20 due to its quicker journey times even if it isn't Sapphire or MAX (at present).

They may combine every 10 minutes but:
- Passengers on the X21 are having to suffer longer journey times because of it and poor reliability.
- It doesn't truly combine in Bedlington leaving 15 minute gaps causing reliability problems on the X22.
- The X20 can be a very unreliable service at times.
- The vehicle type is not suited to the X21 / X22 unlike the heavy duty B9TL.
- Limited connections south and west of Newcastle.
- No radio control in event of breakdowns, emergencies or delays.
- The X51 / X52 would only take 52 minutes from Ashington to Newcastle (or just under or over 1hr mark during peaks) 
- The X31 / X32 was proven and well used and the X51 / X52 would offer a similar format.
- The X51 and X52 would offer a more frequent service than the X21 (upto every 15 Mon to Sat / 30 eve and Sun) and provide the most frequent and fastest service between Bedlington Red Lion and Newcastle.

It's like if I was travelling to Blaydon, Ryton or Crawcrook from Newcastle, I would use the most frequent and fastest combined group of services (TEN) then if I wanted any local links along route such as Scotswood Rd or Newcastle Business Park, I would use less frequent Toon Link service 11. I wouldn't expect GNE to come up with silly detours and combined frequencies for the sake of it