(11 Jan 2015, 6:21 pm)Dan wrote The majority of customers on the X1 were (and possibly still are) OAPs. The reason the X1 got these passengers was because the X1 was timed five minutes in front, and this was therefore the main reason why the X1 was successful.

Arriva had the upper-hand with the onward connections in Darlington, which is why they had more fare-paying customers anyway... Go North East got the ones who could come in on a Go North East bus into Bishop Auckland, and the ones who wanted a direct bus to Middlesbrough.

If the X1 if mostly OAPs - explain why it's getting new buses rather than just simply refurbishing its present allocation for its 'MAX' upgrade? The X1 is now the premier service from the Wear Valley into Darlington since they extended it to Tow Law and cut the 1 back to Bishop Auckland during the day.