(28 Jun 2022, 10:07 pm)User2613 wrote The upcoming cuts got me thinking about how much of a success xlines has or hasn't been. Since it was introduced there have been the following changes.

X6 dropped from the brand.
X21 reduced back to half hourly from every 15 minutes to Durham.
X9 withdrawn.
X10 reduced to 2 hourly on Sundays.
X47 dropped from the brand.
X45/46 reduced from 4bph-3bph then x46 withdrawn. 
X30 extended to Consett then extension withdrawn.
X30/31 frequency reduced from every 15 minutes to half hourly.
X20 upgraded from minibus to full size singles.
X20 Sunday service introduced then withdrawn between Sunderland and Durham.
X72 introduced.

Bearing this in mind I am interested to hear as to whether people believe xlines has been a success or not and to what degree. This is intended as a debate not just a p*ssing contest. Feel free to let me know if I have missed any changes and I will amend the list.

I'm probably going to repeat things I've said already on the forum and other people have said here and elsewhere.

The short answer is no. It hasn't been a success. 
The longer answer probably needs more analysis than I can offer on here, but in a nutshell we were told repeatedly that titivations, replacing new tables with newer ones and paint jobs was going to attract punters post-lockdown.
It was never likely to work and it hasn't. 

Quite why those things coupled with an X prefix would convince even the most open minded of bus users to stick with it beyond the first ride (when those punters would see through the fur coat to see no knickers) is beyond me.
Regardless of all that. If the bus doesn't take people to the places they need to be, it won't work. Pandemic or otherwise. *

Im looking at the time, effort and money spent on these routes and struggle to see how any of it was justified.

A brave attempt, but ultimately flawed.
5.5/10.

*on a slightly connected note. Someone shared MG's tweet about a P&R site near the Angel yesterday, alongside a photo of cars stuck in traffic coming up from TVTE. Brilliant idea. Stick one there. Got no issue with one being there.
Just make sure the buses go to the places the cars/people are going to and from. Not where the operator insists on taking them to and from.

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(29 Jun 2022, 9:44 am)Aaron21 wrote But the X9 didn't have enough passengers so it was withdrawn

I think it's easy to say it didn't have enough passengers.
At times, it clearly did. On the other hand, I do think its temporary withdrawal during covid had an impact. 

To sum the situation up: If the operator is struggling for vehicle and driver resource and its possible to combine loads and save money at the same time as sorting out vehicle and driver issues... Then merging the two is an easy way out.

I'd just hope they thought about those passengers now inconvenienced by the merger and who don't have the loyalty towards the longer/more restricted  (soon to be even more restricted!) X10, than they did towards the flexibility the combined X9 & X10 offered.