(30 May 2016, 6:25 pm)biglugs@yahoo.com wrote Well the x7 certainly isnt a express from Peterlee to boro
(30 May 2016, 6:30 pm)Jimmi wrote These days the 'X' prefix seems to represent a 'limited stop' service in most cases which the X7 certainly is, obviously it's not as fast as the X9/X10 from Peterlee to Middlesbrough but it certainly gets from say Wingate to Middlesbrough a lot faster than the 21A does.
As Jimmi points out, there are sections of the X7 route which are direct with a limited stop (or express if you will) service between points. It was, although with the introduction of the X21 I don't know if it still is, the fastest available service between Sunderland and Peterlee; and after Wingate and Station Town, the service rejoins the A19 to offer a quicker service from that area down to Stockton and Middlesbrough.
As I stated in my reply to your suggestions, services with the prefix 'X' implied that the service was an express 'once upon a time'. Back in the days of yonder, when more people used bus services than today, variations existed on services operating between Point 'A' and Point 'B'. To provide an example, there were once two regular services which operated between Newcastle and Hartlepool: the 231 - which operated via Chester-le-Street, Houghton and Peterlee; and the X5 which operated via Washington, Houghton and Peterlee. Between Houghton and Peterlee, they both followed similar routes, however one was an express service which mainly stopped at timing points (with a few added stops here and there) while the other stopped at just about every bus stop on route. The stopping service took just shy of two hours from point-to-point while the express service took just shy of 90 minutes.
I understand the meaning of the prefix 'X' has become somewhat diluted over the years and, on some services, it might be argued that the prefix is irrelevant. However, I don't think it's unreasonable to ask about the justification or rationale about why you want to renumber certain services with a prefix which may suggest that the service is quicker than the service offered presently.
With all this in mind, I'll ask the question once again: Do you intend the X42 or X65 to be express services or not? If not, why not just renumber them 42A and 65 if you strongly believe these services require renumbering?