Citylink Gold launches Glasgow - Aberdeen / Inverness

[jamesontheroad]

Scottish Citylink are chasing after Scotrail's first class passengers with a new brand of service between Glasgow and Aberdeen and Inverness. There'll be three round-trips a day, with roughly comparable journey times. Free wifi, snacks and hostess service; fares from £4.50 one way.

The bus, on the other hand, looks naff as freshly polished Cheshire bling, and the specially designed tartan fabric for the service sounds horrendous. Strangely, for a "first class" bus service, Citylink haven't done what I would have thought to be an obvious premium distinction, and gone for 2+1 seating... many premium intercity bus lines in other countries have made the simple sacrifice of seats and it is the one thing that can really appeal to long distance passengers.

Thoughts? Press release follows:

Citylink launches new Gold service.
5th July 2010

Scottish Citylink has launched a new luxury express coach service, offering passengers the chance to enjoy a first class rail-style journey at economy prices.

Fast, state-of the art air-conditioned coaches will match journey times by train, offer bargain fares from just £4*, as well as free wi-fi and at-seat refreshments.

The brand new Citylink Gold services will link Glasgow-Aberdeen and Glasgow-Aviemore-Inverness with six services a day on each route.

The 14-metre luxury coaches, which can carry 54 passengers, are equipped with leather seats, mahogany table trays, a servery and toilet. They also feature some of the greenest engines in Europe with low carbon emissions.

Coach attendants will give passengers the first-class at-seat rail-style service, providing free hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, snacks and fresh fruit.

Journey times between Glasgow and Aberdeen are less than two hours and 40minutes, while services between Inverness and Glasgow will take as little as three hours and 23minutes.

Citylink Gold is the latest offering from Scottish Citylink - a joint venture between Stagecoach and international transport group ComfortDelGro.

Launching the new services, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Brian Souter said: “We are offering a fast, first-class rail-style express coach service at economy prices. With such a great package, it really makes no sense to take the car and it really marks a new era for coach travel.”

Jaspal Singh, CEO of ComfortDelGro UK and Ireland, added: “Citylink Gold will provide passengers with more than just a journey it’s a great value, comfortable and modern service which I hope will encourage more people to choose coach travel as their preferred mode of transport.”

The new Citylink Gold brand also has its own tartan, which was designed and manufactured by The House of Edgar, based in Perth.

Bookings can now be made for the new services, which begin on 12 July, at www.citylinkgold.co.uk

For further information on Citylink Gold visit www.citylinkgold.co.uk

* Reservations may be subject to a 50p booking fee.

 

[rail-britain]

If I wasn't in a hurry, then yes I would consider it
However, it sounds more like it is aimed at the "premium" coach market
Equally, this now means Stagecoach offer two levels of service between these destinations; sardines £6 or salmon £4

However, those are the advance booking fares
Turn up and sardines £10 or salmon £23.50, ouch!

 

[gordonthemoron]

the Citylink website seems worse than ever

 

[jamesontheroad]

the Citylink website seems worse than ever

One of those great travel booking engines that actually defaults the passenger number as 0...

 

[rail-britain]

This now means that in effect Stagecoach are trading under four names between these cities!
megabus
Scottish Citylink
Parks of Hamilton
Citylink Gold

They are hardly chasing after rail passengers travelling First Class, there aren't that many
More than likely they are chasing after "standard" rail passengers, by offering this alternative

Although you've advised the seating is 2+1 the website shows normal seating, although I suspect the legroom is greater
The "free" snacks are also tempting!

To me this is where open access operators should apply
A company like stagecoach then startup their own such rail service, without little effort
They already operate rail services and franchises, so why not setup in competition against ScotRail
No, they have to do so in another mode, such as road or air

 

[starrymarkb]

Erm, Parks is not part of Stagecoach. The Parks coach services (not contracted work) came because the Competition commission required it as part of the ComfortDeGro/Stagecoach joint venture.... Certain routes had to be divested...

BTW that Citylink Gold coach is a Parks one At least it has the usual Parks private plate

 

[rail-britain]

Take a look at the Scottish Citylink website, Parks services are included

I am aware they are separate companies, however Stagecoach has a long history connection with Parks
When setting up Douglas was "assisted" by Stagecoach, hence the connection
Although there are no directors on both companies there are other people by other names in the background
Equally, I have seen stagecoach directors present at Parks HQ, say no more!
A similar arrangement used to exist with GRT, but since merging with Badger this arrangement ended

 

[starrymarkb]

When setting up Douglas was "assisted" by Stagecoach, hence the connection

You sure? Parks is older then Stagecoach by about 10 years!

 

[rail-britain]

When setting up (Stagecoach Express Coaches Limited T/A Stagecoach Express), Parks became their main contractor
Parks couldn't afford all the coaches required, and so "Stagecoach" became a partner (but as mentioned earlier not directly)
As part of the deal was an exchange, out of which Parks became a partner of Stagecoach with a small shareholding
With the sale of Stagecoach Express to National Express, Parks terminated all their contracts but remained on the board of Stagecoach Holdings PLC

Hopefully that makes it clearer

 

[route101]

I wonder how they will fare ? im gonna try out this service on wed , im off work and at £8 return its a steal .

 

[jamesontheroad]

I wonder how they will fare ? im gonna try out this service on wed , im off work and at £8 return its a steal .

Hopefully this isn't too late for you, but try entering 2010 as a discount code to get £10 off your first booking.

 

[rail-britain]

£10 off £8, does this mean they give you £1.50 back?

The discount code only works on the standard fares
However that is quite a discount if the advance fares are all sold out

Seem to be loads of seats for their services on Monday, I managed to enquire about 15 and all were available (quite often on megabus this is restricted to 6)

 

[route101]

I got 2 tickets for Monday . 0900 up to Aberdeen and the 1730 return from Inverness . Both for £4 each . Infact my trip adds up to £13 Bargain . I would be like if i was the only person on the coach .
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Anyone been on it yet?

 

[Stonesourscotty]

The Coaches look Awesome but i despise the positioning of the Destination Displays

 

[route101]

yeah the destys are below the windscreen .

 

[rail-britain]

That is a common location for the destination display on a single deck coach now
However at a few coach stations it does get obscured by barriers

Equally, many people don't even see the destination display on a double deck coach!

 

[route101]

When i was in the Balkans last month they dont bother with Electronic Destys , they just use placards . Just as effective .

 

[jamesontheroad]

When i was in the Balkans last month they dont bother with Electronic Destys , they just use placards . Just as effective .

Many Eurolines routes in and out of the UK do the same thing, displaying wonderful long lists of all the cities they'll be calling at.

 

[route101]

living in glasgow means i wont see any eurolines . When i was in Bulgaria there was a coach to Spain , it had a long list of Spanish cities .

 

[starrymarkb]

The Coaches look Awesome but i despise the positioning of the Destination Displays

Its mounted low to improve visibility for those on-board apparently (probably more to do with the Elite's high angled windscreen. Still looks better then the wart on the front of a Irizar PB

 

[90019]

Still looks better then the wart on the front of a Irizar PB

Oh most definately, but I'd have preferred if they'd gone for the style they use on newer Optares.

 

[rail-britain]

living in glasgow means i wont see any eurolines

You've obviously not been to Buchanan Street Bus Station at the right time!
These coaches do occasionally sneek onto cross-border services or on charter-hire

 

[90019]

and the specially designed tartan fabric for the service sounds horrendous

I wonder if it's specially designed or Lothian's leftovers?

 

[route101]

You've obviously not been to Buchanan Street Bus Station at the right time!
These coaches do occasionally sneek onto cross-border services or on charter-hire

What servces are the eurolines to Glasgow ? Isent there coaches to Poland .

 

[rail-britain]

I wonder if it's specially designed or Lothian's leftovers?

The tartan has been supplied by a business in the same business park in Perth :
http://www.houseofedgar.com/
The same company is used quite often by Stagecoach
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

What servces are the eurolines to Glasgow ? Isent there coaches to Poland

I usually see one or two eurolines coaches on the M74 every year, from the route number they are to/from London

National Express / Eurolines don't seem to have timetables on their UK websites