(07 Apr 2021, 4:53 pm)L469 YVK wrote I'd strongly suggest curtailing the top end of the X21 to hourly (Ashington - Newbiggin) and introduce a sister X19 service to the X20 though. Would interwork perfectly with the X21 and solve a missing piece of the puzzle with a lower PVR.
That will never work. During the day, the main bulk of X21/22 passengers use it for local trips rather than to town. Similarly, the one bus per hour on the X20 is generally more than enough. You'd then be leaving Newbiggin with the 35 as the only regular service, which gets busy enough as it is.
Peaks are busier for the X20, yes, but then they've already got two extra trips per day to allow for that.