AndrewTaylor95
Member
SPT don't have a say on when the card can be used, they only issue them to people in the Strathclyde region, the scheme is ran by Transport Scotland.
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Scottish Citylink
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The printed AIR timetable dated April 2022 says NEC holders travel free except on N900 journeys shown in the timetable.
Buzby
Member
As SPT is the issuer (on behalf of TS who pay for the admin) the terms of use are therefore what SPT state on their website (which I already quoted). If variance exists because Citylink first rejected then accepted Scotia cards that is up to them. Night Services are explicitly excluded too so who would you like to blame for not following the rules?
The current Citylink help page has this to say:
The bolding is mine. This does not indicate that there are any exceptions, however the conditions of carriage say:
There is clearly a contradiction here as one part of the site says all services are included and the CoC says they aren't. This is an issue that Citylink really needs to address as there's potential for confusion as we've seen here in this thread! If the entitlement card issuers, ie council's/SPT are saying different things, this is making matters worse.
The bolding is mine. This does not indicate that there are any exceptions, however the conditions of carriage say:
There is clearly a contradiction here as one part of the site says all services are included and the CoC says they aren't. This is an issue that Citylink really needs to address as there's potential for confusion as we've seen here in this thread! If the entitlement card issuers, ie council's/SPT are saying different things, this is making matters worse.
From the Citylink Christmas timetable information,, it gives us some clues:-
roadierway77
Member
If there are certain 900 journeys that are excluded, the PDF timetable does not specify, so isn't exactly very clear if there are indeed any journeys that NEC cards aren't valid on. I've emailed Citylink regarding this and will update when I hear back.
As does this:
Currently departures from the Airport are at quarter past and 25 past from Glasgow. There aren't any short buses to Livingston either.
roadierway77
Member
I've received a reply from Citylink:
So that answers the question - NEC cards are accepted on all Citylink services at all times and hopefully the Conditions of Carriage will be updated in due course.
That's great to hear, I am sure that they be changed, Citylink seems to be good with these things.
I think that the evening services refer to the N900 which were the previous night buses, but they seem to not exist anymore. Glad to see such a good change.
Thanks - that settles the matter, then.
It's also good the Citylink have acknowledged your enquiry so quickly, so credit where credit's due. It'll probably take a wee while for the site to be updated; I imagine it's not the sort of thing that the customer service team will have access to.
Presumably because night buses in Glasgow have premium fares.
Stan Drews
Established Member
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That is correct. That is effectively the defining factor with night services.
If an operator runs a 24h service with the same number/fares throughout, then NEC (National Entitlement Cards) are accepted.
However, if through the night some journeys charge a premium fare, usually prefixed with an N, then NEC would not be accepted.
For example, because McGill’s run the hourly night buses to Paisley as N38s with a premium flat fare of £5, NEC cards can’t be used. But, if they were just normal 38s, with the usual daytime fares, they would be valid.
Am I right that the night services were originally listed separately as N900 with a premium fare? But now they're just part of the normal timetable with normal fares. That'll be why passes are now valid. The rules exclude any premium fare service, so they're still not valid on, say, Lothian night buses.
Jordan Adam
Established Member
Indeed, presumably when the N900 became the 900 is when they also changed to accepting National Entitlement Cards. The increase in under 22 passengers using the service because its free likely makes up for any of the lost revenue anyway.
It looks like the updated timetable for the 902 is on Traveline, personally I am using Traveline Scotland specifically. The route itself is not changing. Annoyingly, the PDF timetable is out of date so this is all based of the information it is showing:
Hourly departures Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport from 7:20 till 18:20. Further departures at 19:20, 21:20 and 23:20 operating to Livingston only. There is also one part route departure from Coatbridge to the Airport at 6:42.
In the opposite direction there are two buses from Chapelhall to Glasgow at 6:20 and 8:41, as well as a 6:43 from Livingston to Glasgow. Then, departures from the Airport to Glasgow are at 6:35, 8:20 then hourly till 19:20, then one more at 20:30. Livingston to Coatbridge coaches operate at 20:32 and 00:32, plus one Livingston to Glasgow coach at 22:32.
In other words, later buses to/from Livingston and Glasgow, some removals of earlier runs, retimings and an extra bus at 8:41 from Chapelhall.
Hourly departures Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport from 7:20 till 18:20. Further departures at 19:20, 21:20 and 23:20 operating to Livingston only. There is also one part route departure from Coatbridge to the Airport at 6:42.
In the opposite direction there are two buses from Chapelhall to Glasgow at 6:20 and 8:41, as well as a 6:43 from Livingston to Glasgow. Then, departures from the Airport to Glasgow are at 6:35, 8:20 then hourly till 19:20, then one more at 20:30. Livingston to Coatbridge coaches operate at 20:32 and 00:32, plus one Livingston to Glasgow coach at 22:32.
In other words, later buses to/from Livingston and Glasgow, some removals of earlier runs, retimings and an extra bus at 8:41 from Chapelhall.
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AndrewTaylor95
Member
All quite positive then, the 22:32 departure from Livingston to Glasgow is quite good.
gingerheid
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That's an interesting set of changes. As an airport service it's now only useful for flights leaving Edinburgh after at least 9am (entirely missing the first wave), and arriving back by no later than 6pm or so (again missing a large part of the operating day of an airport). As an airport staff service ... *highly dubious face*.... I suppose it might be useful for some people?
It looks like they're directing the service more towards being a service to Glasgow and away from being an airport service in the traditional sense? I presume this is where they feel they're finding success?
It looks like they're directing the service more towards being a service to Glasgow and away from being an airport service in the traditional sense? I presume this is where they feel they're finding success?
Scotrail314209
Established Member
Being at the airport every day, whenever I see the 902 it always seems to be pretty light-loaded when leaving Edinburgh Airport.
I think most people coming from Livingston will drive in or use the train/tram and those from Coatbridge/Airdrie might use Maxim Park for the AIR service or just drive.
computerSaysNo
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Going through Broxburn and Uphall is going to add quite a lot of time on, are you sure this is correct?
The timetable is now available here:-
overthewater
Established Member
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Thankfully the service has been speeded up from Glasgow to Livingston, Its a cut of 10mins even with the service going via Harthill village.
I wonder if it's going via Broxburn to get more passengers, alot of staff tend to just get X18 and swap over to the 747 at Ratho so the fares will need to be pretty cheap to compete.
I wonder if it's going via Broxburn to get more passengers, alot of staff tend to just get X18 and swap over to the 747 at Ratho so the fares will need to be pretty cheap to compete.
At what times? Comparing both timetables I can only see a 5 minute reduction.
Stena Galloway
Member
Citylink have registered to operate the 23 from Shotts to Whitburn commencing on the 4th of December.
I thought Citylink was intercity, not local.
Obviously there is going to be an operator running it on behalf, presumably Parks or WCM
This is the timetable for the Citylink 23 service
cammyeaston
Member
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Well that timetable isn't ambitiously tight at all! Can forsee plenty delays occurring on that route.
MasterSpenny
Member
One of the Scottish Citylink coaches has gained a Christmas livery (not my photo)
www.flickr.com
HSK659 (Citylink Christmas 2023) (NS)
Seen at Maxim Park, EuroCentral today is Park's of Hamilton Plaxton Panorama bodied Volvo B11RLE(T) HSK659 in an overall wrap for Scottish Citylink's Christmas Jumper livery.
www.flickr.com