(18 Apr 2016, 11:42 am)Andreos1 wrote The comparison was made with regard to them both being Middlesbrough to Whitby services.
I actually pointed out the differences between two in my post - with the X4/4 'going around the houses'.

The majority of those travelling between Boro and Whitby will use the X93.
However, apart from the odd location, like Guisbrough, it isn't going to pick up the additional custom en-route, to make a difference to its revenue.
You can even say the X93 has the 5 as competition between Boro and Guisbrough, so loads are diluted between those services.

With the X4 going around the doors, it has local and longer distance fares. Unlike the X93, it passes through enough settlements to pick up additional passengers.

This additional custom has lead (whenever I have used it or the X3) to standing loads.
Appreciate it won't be like that all the time and I don't profess to be a regular.

However, what you said about the year round custom on the X4, adds weight to my point about the X93.
It needs to increase revenue if it is ever going to see the investment in new vehicles.
How does it do that, without the journey time increasing in order to attract a larger market?

I think you have cross purposes here.
The X4/4 received 14 new StreetLites in September 2014 which it shares with the X3/X3a. The X93 received 6 new stock-built Volvo B9TLs in January 2015 to work the 5 all-year round workings plus Whitby's Summer-only board which is 3 Whitby-Scarborough-Whitby trips.
In the summer, Redcar also operate 2 vehicles on the service which do the 2 additional morning trips from Middlesbrough, two shorts each between Whitby and Scarborough and the afternoon extras from Scarborough to Middlesbrough. To cover these they have the 3 B7TLs modified to mini-MAX spec. 

What is now being looked at is something more long-term as the summer vehicles.