(24 Feb 2014, 2:53 pm)VolvoMarkII wrote I think thats the point though. The demand for that journey is pretty much non-existant. The X7 is evident of that. It is a tale of two services, with very little end to end traffic.
The X7 also provides evidence of a direct Sunderland - Peterlee/Middlesbrough express being rather profitable indeed and both Arriva North East and Stagecoach North East missing out on a trick.
Whether it's a popular decision between us enthusiasts and customers or not, service changes and new services being trialled can be extremely beneficial to bus operators (and hence customers in future - larger profits usually allow for greater investment back into the fleet) and most definitely separates the boys from the men in the industry.