(07 Sep 2017, 4:40 pm)S830OFT wrote Rothbury and Thropton passengers will get several benefits:
1. Service retimed to be hourly with all journeys to Newcastle
2. Improve punctuality - For example passenger's can continue journeys to Alwinton on service 16.
Ofcourse it's a little benefit, however it would make services a little bit more simple in those particular areas.
If you were going to run to Thropton hourly, just make the X14 go there hourly, zero need to change the service number to the X16 which would only cause pointless confusion to passengers.
Morpeth - Thropton stretch is supported and was recently cut from a hourly service, if it was busy enough to still run to Thropton every hour then Arriva may have continued to keep it going there hourly despite the cuts in subsidy.