I think people are massively over-thinking this. Its a one-run a day service, clearly designed for a day-trip/tourist market to Whitby and Scarborough.

Not being able to use the X11 as an alternative to the X9/X10 service is not going to piss people off to the point of using the train. There's an X9 that leaves Newcastle 8 minutes earlier, and from a completely different place, and an X10 that leaves 22 minutes later. The walk to Newcastle station, waiting for a once-an-hour train to Middlesbrough (that takes longer! and will cost you £12 return) is hardly worth the tantrum.

It doesn't need to be integrated into an already simple to understand X9/X10 service. There is a frequent enough service between the two destinations and is easy to remember that it departs at xx.02 and xx.32 from Newcastle or xx.15 and xx.45 from Middlesbrough each hour. How do you integrate a one a day service into that? You really can't.

I don't understand the points about branding confusion. The service departs from different places at all the bus stations it serves and the destination will tell you where it's going. If you're suggesting "just because it's Xlines", then what about the X7 Pulsars from Newcastle to Blyth and the X12 Pulsars from Newcastle to Middlesbrough? I'd be surprised if a single customer has ever been confused enough to get those two mixed up.

If you don't want to go to Whitby or Scarborough, then use the existing services and existing ticket range available.