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Lothian Buses and ECB Discussion

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scotrail158713

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I travel from Tollcross out to HW several times a week and the 34 though Longstone is just painful at rush hour! If I time it right I take the X27/28 to the P&R which is much more pleasant.

Always satisfying flying along in the bus lane on Calder Road though!
I’ll be going to Heriot Watt at the weekends in a few weeks time and this thread has reminded me I’ll still be able to get an express bus there. I can’t face the thought of going back to a 25/34 again!
 

kje7812

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1 May 2018
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York or Kidderminster
I travel from Tollcross out to HW several times a week and the 34 though Longstone is just painful at rush hour! If I time it right I take the X27/28 to the P&R which is much more pleasant.

Always satisfying flying along in the bus lane on Calder Road though!
The 35 is a bit better (I have a very similar commute), and yes the X27/28 is quite good if it's dry...
 

etetetetet

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30 May 2019
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I despise the 25 with a passion. Try leaving uni at 4,5pm and you will get crowded. Especially bad on fridays; you will meet the worst of the worst, haha.

Anyone got a place where I can find old timetables? I haven't had luck...
35, 36 and 16 are the main ones but theres a massive amount of other ones i'm interested in...
 

ANWP Tom

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The Riccarton runs are a pain across 25/34/35 and atleast one being limited stop all day or diverted off that routing into town (maybe via 45 route up to currie then as per 44 to slateford and back on route, could be a little quicker, 35 especially can take a hit at chesser aswell) Putting 300 and either 34/35 via Western Approach rather than fountain park (another pig of a bottleneck)
 

scotrail158713

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The Riccarton runs are a pain across 25/34/35 and atleast one being limited stop all day or diverted off that routing into town (maybe via 45 route up to currie then as per 44 to slateford and back on route, could be a little quicker, 35 especially can take a hit at chesser aswell) Putting 300 and either 34/35 via Western Approach rather than fountain park (another pig of a bottleneck)
Yeah. The X25 goes along the Western Approach Road and the difference in journey time psychologically is massive, even if there’s only a few minutes difference in reality.
 
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Darklord8899

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6 Jul 2018
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I disagree with putting the 300 via West Approach Road permanently, as it actually takes longer running via WAR!!

I catch the 300 at 06:10 from Sightill, which is due at Surgeon's Hall at 06:32.... however, the current diversion is adding an extra 5 mins onto this (this is over and above any other issues causing delays)

Also, on the return, the normal route from Lauriston Place via West Port, to the lights at East Fountainbridge/Lothian Rd. junction takes between 4-6 mins* and a further 2- 4 minutes to get to Port Hamilton.

However, it takes about 7-9 minutes* to go from Lauriston Place down to lights at Tolcross then Earl Grey Street to the junction with East Fountainbridge, and a further 3-5 minutes to get to West Approach Road....

So I don't think this is really a good solution

The lights at Tollcross (for heading down to Lothian Road) only allow 3 cars through (or one bus and at a push a car) per cycle, which isn't really great.

* I'm usually travelling through this area between 15:30 and 17:00
 

Tom B

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27 Jul 2005
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I travel from Tollcross out to HW several times a week and the 34 though Longstone is just painful at rush hour! If I time it right I take the X27/28 to the P&R which is much more pleasant.

Always satisfying flying along in the bus lane on Calder Road though!

I recall many journeys as a standee on the lower deck of the long Tridents - quite something. On one occasion, there was an accident at the bypass roundabout and the bus diverted onto the bypass itself...!

Why do lothian not make more out of express services at peak hours? X34 for example is service which could be useful to some. Although something I noticed was the number of people who get confused with some buses ie 27 and X27, while different companies, it can become confusing for some. So maybe not X34 but X84 or something. I recall buses 50-99 were mostly express wheras those 1-49 were not.

Perhaps they could be differentiated clearly. I dunno, maybe the intermediate blind could be a yellow panel and a tramboard be used...?

I imagine making the X25 operate both ways would work pretty well with students going to uni/home

I think they run the opposite way as part route 25s. Presumably it is deemed there's more need for folk to get to the intermediate areas not served by X25. Although X25 does now also serve Fountain park...
 

ScotRail158725

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I think they run the opposite way as part route 25s. Presumably it is deemed there's more need for folk to get to the intermediate areas not served by X25. Although X25 does now also serve Fountain park...
the peak X25s & X44 west section do short 25s from Waverley - Riccarton then empty to Longstone and do the same in the other direction at the other peak so people travelling to Riccarton in the morning and back in the evening have extra 25s. Also some X33s turn into 34s at tollcross then do peak extras to riccarton then empty back to Longstone the same happens in reverse in the evening
 

A330Alex

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the peak X25s & X44 west section do short 25s from Waverley - Riccarton then empty to Longstone and do the same in the other direction at the other peak so people travelling to Riccarton in the morning and back in the evening have extra 25s. Also some X33s turn into 34s at tollcross then do peak extras to riccarton then empty back to Longstone the same happens in reverse in the evening
The part route 34-X33s are always fun, no other students seem to know where Semple Street is so they tend to leave HW pretty quiet
 

ScotRail158725

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Any ideas if any vehicles from the main fleet will be heading to LCB ahead of their big changes?
 

Tom B

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The part route 34-X33s are always fun, no other students seem to know where Semple Street is so they tend to leave HW pretty quiet

Surprised they're not screened as part route Waverley? Or is there a layover before their X33 duty?
 

Darklord8899

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6 Jul 2018
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Surprised they're not screened as part route Waverley? Or is there a layover before their X33 duty?

The part route 34's (or 35) tend to sit at Port Hamilton before heading round to Semple St. as the X33 to Mayfield
(The X33 runs Semple Street to Mayfield/Newtongrange PM
Newtongrange/Mayfield to Semple Street am)
 

ScotRail158725

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The part route 34's (or 35) tend to sit at Port Hamilton before heading round to Semple St. as the X33 to Mayfield
(The X33 runs Semple Street to Mayfield/Newtongrange PM
Newtongrange/Mayfield to Semple Street am)
there aren’t any short 35s
 

Darklord8899

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... also does anyone know if the first X33 that arrives Semple Street at 07:32 then goes on to do the short 300 from Port Hamilton 07:43 to Ingliston P+R?
 

Edirim

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17 Nov 2016
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Yes it does Darklord,
6:22 does the 300s (7:43 Port Hamiton - Ingliston then 8:35 Ingliston - Longstone)

From what I've seen the rest work as follows:
6:32 does the 33s (Off service then 8:23 Wester Hailes - Sherifhall....etc until 22:50 Wester Hailes - Sherifhall then off service to Longstone)
6:42 does the 11s (Off service then 8:19 Ocean Terminal to Hyvots Bank...etc until 17:01 Ocean Terminal - Hyvots Bank then off service to Central)
06:52 does 34s (08:20 Port Hamilton - Riccarton then off service to Longstone)
07:02 does 41s (08:31 Potterrow - King's Building then off service to Central)
07:12 does 25s (08:35 Haymarket - Riccarton then off service to Longstone)
07:22 does 25 (08:45 Haymarket - Riccarton then off service to Longstone)
7:32 does the X12 (9:09 Haymarket - Gogarburn then off service to Longstone)
 
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Darklord8899

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Yes it does Darklord,
6:22 does the 300s (7:43 Port Hamiton - Ingliston then 8:35 Ingliston - Longstone)

From what I've seen the rest work as follows:
6:32 does the 33s (Off service then 8:23 Wester Hailes - Sherifhall....etc until 22:50 Wester Hailes - Sherifhall then off service to Longstone)
6:42 does the 11s (Off service then 8:19 Ocean Terminal to Hyvots Bank...etc until 17:01 Ocean Terminal - Hyvots Bank then off service to Central)
06:52 does 34s (08:20 Port Hamilton - Riccarton then off service to Longstone)
07:02 does 41s (08:31 Potterrow - King's Building then off service to Central)
07:12 does 25s (08:35 Haymarket - Riccarton then off service to Longstone)
07:22 does 25 (08:45 Haymarket - Riccarton then off service to Longstone)
7:32 does the X12 (9:09 Haymarket - Gogarburn then off service to Longstone)

Thanks for that! Never realised that Central supplied buses for X33, had just assumed they were all from Longstone, but I guess it makes sense in the morning running dead from central to Sherriffhall
 

Edirim

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Used to just be Longstone then when the second to last service changes happened they got the run which then does the 11 (note this means the xlbs have no trouble with Mayfield loop despite what someone previously said...).

Last service changes they then got the run that goes onto the 41 and also the first x33 in the evening peak. 1625 I think it is and its a straight forward out the garage, do the run then back home.
 

Darklord8899

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Used to just be Longstone then when the second to last service changes happened they got the run which then does the 11 (note this means the xlbs have no trouble with Mayfield loop despite what someone previously said...).

Last service changes they then got the run that goes onto the 41 and also the first x33 in the evening peak. 1625 I think it is and its a straight forward out the garage, do the run then back home.
Cheers for all the info! :)
 

Auld reekie

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23 Jun 2018
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Does anyone know how many routes are subsidised on LB?
Are there any routes partly subsidised?
Thanks in advance.
 

oldman

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26 Nov 2013
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The 20 and 63 are subsidised (and the 69 which Prentice run). The council used to pay for a third bus per hour on the 38 - not sure about now.

My impression is that in commercial cities there are often supported evening/Sunday services but I don't think there are any in LothianCityland, and few routes don't operate seven days. I guess there is some cross-subsidy from the daytime service, which is a benefit of social ownership.
 

Auld reekie

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23 Jun 2018
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The 20 and 63 are subsidised (and the 69 which Prentice run). The council used to pay for a third bus per hour on the 38 - not sure about now.

My impression is that in commercial cities there are often supported evening/Sunday services but I don't think there are any in LothianCityland, and few routes don't operate seven days. I guess there is some cross-subsidy from the daytime service, which is a benefit of social ownership.
Thanks.
 

stantheman

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17 Nov 2017
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Just a few questions
Does the C134 Uni shuttle still run , it was on the finlaysmith website recently ? Was the last Trident run !!
How many B7s between 701 and 799 are still in service and of these which have original roller blinds ?
And lastly after B7s which vehicles will be the next to get the chop ?
 

SpeedbirdA350

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25 Feb 2018
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Location
Edinburgh
Just a few questions
Does the C134 Uni shuttle still run , it was on the finlaysmith website recently ? Was the last Trident run !!
How many B7s between 701 and 799 are still in service and of these which have original roller blinds ?
And lastly after B7s which vehicles will be the next to get the chop ?
Yes, C134 still operates but is ran now by LMC. Last trident was C134 on 5th April I think. B7TL were 701-825 and it's closer to 40 left but that number is going down.
 

ScotRail158725

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27 Nov 2018
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Just a few questions
Does the C134 Uni shuttle still run , it was on the finlaysmith website recently ? Was the last Trident run !!
How many B7s between 701 and 799 are still in service and of these which have original roller blinds ?
And lastly after B7s which vehicles will be the next to get the chop ?
() means LEDs ones without have blinds
(703-708), 747, (751, 754, 757-760, 762-764, 766-767) 780-781, (786-787), (790-791), 793 (ECB 20794-800) 801, 806-816, 818, 821-825 are still in service. C134 is now run by LMC double deckers
 
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