Service Suggestion – Reimagining the Coastliner X93/X94 Corridor

Following a journey on the X93 yesterday from Scarborough to Middlesbrough, I came away thinking that whilst the route offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, there is an opportunity to simplify the network and provide a clearer range of services for different passenger markets.

One thing I particularly noticed was the changing passenger loads throughout the journey. The bus left Scarborough with an almost full seated load and, by the time we reached Robin Hood's Bay, it had become completely full with standing passengers. On arrival in Whitby, a significant number of passengers alighted, clearly demonstrating the strong local demand between Scarborough, the coastal villages and Whitby. However, after departing Whitby towards Middlesbrough, the bus once again left with a full seated load, showing there is also strong demand for longer-distance journeys between Whitby and Teesside.

To me, this highlights that the current X93 is trying to serve two very different passenger markets:

Longer-distance passengers travelling between Middlesbrough, Whitby and Scarborough.
Local passengers making shorter journeys between Whitby, the coastal villages and Scarborough.

Because the X93 currently stops at virtually every stop along the route, it attempts to fulfil both roles at once. Whilst this provides good accessibility, it inevitably increases journey times for passengers travelling longer distances.

Based on what I observed yesterday, I also think there is sufficient demand to justify increasing the frequency between Whitby and Scarborough to three buses per hour, with each service having a clearly defined role.

Proposed Network
X93 – Coast Express

Role: Fastest end-to-end service.

Route

Middlesbrough Bus Station
Ormesby Roundabout
Nunthorpe
Guisborough
Scaling Dam
Whitby
Robin Hood's Bay
Peasholm Park
Scarborough Railway Station

Purpose

Fastest journey between Middlesbrough, Whitby and Scarborough.
Designed for commuters, leisure travellers and longer-distance passengers.
Limited stopping pattern improves journey times and reliability.
X94 – Coast Limited Stop

Role: Intermediate service balancing speed and accessibility.

Route

Middlesbrough Bus Station
Ormesby Roundabout
Nunthorpe
Guisborough
Aislaby
Whitby
Robin Hood's Bay
Cloughton
Peasholm Park
Scarborough Railway Station

Purpose

Maintains links for communities such as Aislaby and Cloughton.
Offers a good compromise between a fast journey and local accessibility.
93 – Coast Local

Role: Local stopping service between Whitby and Scarborough.

Route

Whitby Bus Station
High Hawsker
Robin Hood's Bay
Fylingthorpe
Fylingdales (The Flask Inn)
Cloughton
Peasholm Park
Royal Albert Drive
Newcastle Parade/Packet
Valley Road
Scarborough Railway Station

Purpose

Provides comprehensive local links between Whitby and Scarborough.
Directly serves Scarborough's North Bay, sea front and South Bay, improving access to attractions, hotels, guest houses, caravan parks and residential areas.
Creates journey opportunities that don't currently exist by allowing passengers from Whitby and the coastal villages to reach Scarborough's seafront without changing buses.

Reduces the need for passengers to connect onto East Yorkshire's Beachcomber 99/100 to access the North Bay and South Bay.
Provides convenient interchange with the X93 and X94 at both Whitby and Scarborough.

Proposed Frequencies

Service Frequency
X93 Every 60 minutes
X94 Every 60 minutes (30 minutes after the X93)
93 Every 60 minutes
Combined Frequency
Middlesbrough – Whitby: 2 buses per hour (X93 + X94).
Whitby – Robin Hood's Bay: 3 buses per hour.
Whitby – Scarborough: Up to 3 buses per hour, giving passengers the choice of an express, limited-stop or local service depending on their destination.
Why I Think This Would Work

I don't see the proposed 93 as simply being a slower duplicate of the X93 and X94. Instead, it would fulfil a completely different role by focusing on local travel and creating new journey opportunities.

The X93 would cater for longer-distance passengers wanting the quickest journey between Middlesbrough, Whitby and Scarborough. The X94 would continue to serve intermediate communities without significantly increasing journey times. Meanwhile, the 93 would strengthen local connectivity by linking Whitby and the coastal villages directly with Scarborough's North Bay, sea front and South Bay—areas that are currently not directly served by the Coastliner corridor.

Based on the passenger loading I observed yesterday, there already appears to be demand for three buses per hour between Whitby and Scarborough. A clearer hierarchy of Express, Limited Stop and Local services would make the network easier to understand, improve journey times for longer-distance passengers, strengthen links for local communities and create additional leisure travel opportunities along the Yorkshire Coast.