Lothian Buses & First Scotland East

[Mal]

RE: Lothian Buses & First Scotland East
York Place in Edinburgh has now re-opened to buses and general traffic so buses can return to normal routes. The only roadworks causing diversions are from Shandwick Place to Haymarket. Hopefully they will be completed by November, though early October has been mentioned. I'm going back late this month. so will see for myself then.

Mal

[Metroline1511]

RE: Lothian Buses & First Scotland East
This seems as good a place as any to report the announcement that the Edinburgh tram route has been confirmed as opening next May. We can then wait and see what difference this makes to bus services in the area.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/e...-1-3096743

[YSV-205]

RE: Lothian Buses & First Scotland East
Can anyone supply or give a link to an up to date First Scotland East fleet list please.

[bramptontrev]

RE: Lothian Buses & First Scotland East

(25/03/2013 11:16)Mal Wrote:  Have just had an E-Mail from Lothian Buses that their Open Doors event is on 28. September. I've got my coach tickets booked!! (Go to their website for details of last years event. It's very interesting!)

Mal

I went along - very good.

This event is in conjunction with Edinburgh Open Doors Day http://www.cockburnassociation.org.uk/de...p?page=33.

There was a depot open doors day the same week-end last year (2012).

So will there be one in 2014? Have to wait and see but if you are interested put a provisional date in your diary and check on the Cockburn Association website as the list of particpants appeared there first before the Lothian Buses website.

[bramptontrev]

RE: Lothian Buses & First Scotland East
Unusual working on X95 today. Volvo Gemini B9 double deck 37134 seen on A7 at Carlisle Kingstown near M6 J44 heading into Carlisle at 1235. Usual vehicles are Enviro single decks.

[bramptontrev]

RE: Lothian Buses & First Scotland East

(14/10/2013 11:43)bramptontrev Wrote:  Unusual working on X95 today. Volvo Gemini B9 double deck 37134 seen on A7 at Carlisle Kingstown near M6 J44 heading into Carlisle at 1235. Usual vehicles are Enviro single decks.

Same journey today, Tuesday, was operated by Volvo B7 Gemini double deck 32670.

[Mal]

RE: Lothian Buses & First Scotland East
Shandwick Place re-opens on Sunday 19. October to buses, taxis and bikes and all buses will return to their usual routes. This means that all tramwork diversions are over at last and will be excellent news for all Shandwick Place businesses that have fared very badly for more than a year with some going unfortunately going under.

Mal

[DunsBus]

RE: Lothian Buses & First Scotland East

(15/10/2013 13:06)bramptontrev Wrote:  

(14/10/2013 11:43)bramptontrev Wrote:  Unusual working on X95 today. Volvo Gemini B9 double deck 37134 seen on A7 at Carlisle Kingstown near M6 J44 heading into Carlisle at 1235. Usual vehicles are Enviro single decks.

Same journey today, Tuesday, was operated by Volvo B7 Gemini double deck 32670.

I think the reason could be because that journey serves Gala Academy on its way to Edinburgh and the deckers can provide the necessary capacity without the risk of overcrowding,

Speaking of Geminis. Lothian lost one of theirs on Monday night after 390 (SN11EDX) was destroyed by fire in the Oxgangs area of the city while working service 4. The cause of the fire was arson and the police are hunting for a teenager who was seen leaving the bus at Oxgangs Library shortly before the fire started; the driver and passengers managed to escape without injury. The damage to 390 is very severe and has reportedly affected its structure - early indications are that it will be written-off.

[DunsBus]

RE: Lothian Buses & First Scotland East
Up in Edinburgh, Stagecoach have announced a new service between the city centre and South Queensferry, the 40 & 40A, which commences on 3rd March. Both services follow the same route between Edinburgh and the Burnshot flyover, then service 40 runs a loop via Echline, South Queensferry town centre, South Queensferry Tesco, Scotstoun Estate, Dalmeny and back into Edinburgh; service 40A follows this route in the opposite direction. A combined daytime frequency of every 15 minutes is provided, rising to every 10 minutes during peak hours. At nights and on Sundays a combined 30-minute frequency is provided. The buses to be used are nine 59-plate Enviro300s which have been branded for the service and will feature wi-fi while the service will be run by Dunfermline depot, with placing journeys between Dunfermline and either the Forth Bridge south access/exit and Scotstoun Estate run as service 55A.

Further details are available here: http://www.stagecoachbus.com/queensferry.aspx

First's response to this development has been a rather drastic one; in a repeat of what happened in Devon last year, they have announced that they are to withdraw from the route rather than compete head-on. No date has as yet been given for the LDO of First's 43, a long-standing service which dates back to the days of the pre-nationalised SMT and which saw off competition from Lothian on the Edinburgh-South Queensferry corridor in the early 1990s, but I suspect it will probably be around late-April allowing for the statutory notice period. Livingston depot, which currently operates the 43 after spells operated by New Street, Westfield, a joint operation between Westfield and Dalkeith on the short-lived service 88, Livingston and Linlithgow, has been told that it is to lose all of its Geminis when the 43 comes off. I suspect there may be more to this than meets the eye.

[Metroline1511]

RE: Lothian Buses & First Scotland East
Given that route 43 is a throwback to when First had a depot in Westfield Avenue in Edinburgh, it does seem to be an out-of-date route. It does not connect with any of the Livingston or Falkirk (or Borders) network so is a bit out of place for First now.

Some hot news (well for me anyway!) is that I am spending a few days in Edinburgh at the end of July, and can ride buses and trams there then! I have deliberately arranged it to coincide with part of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where there may be some extra bus services of interest.

Things will also have changed as I last went to Edinburgh in May 2012, just before First pulled out of Dalkeith and Lothian Buses enhanced their servies to compensate.