When did Scottish Citylink loss its routes?

[overthewater]

It's 40 years since Scottish Citylink become it's own company and operated many routes throughout Scotland including routes operated by Stagecoach Express and McGills Today. So my question is this, when and how did Western and Clydeside Scottish managed to grab back the routes? Of course the last route Citylink lost was Inverclyde to Glasgow in 2006?

In the mid 80s Scottish Citylink operated the X36, X76, X77, X7, they even had Largs to Glasgow service via Beith.

 

[GusB]

It's 40 years since Scottish Citylink become it's own company and operated many routes throughout Scotland including routes operated by Stagecoach Express and McGills Today. So my question is this, when and how did Western and Clydeside Scottish managed to grab back the routes? Of course the last route Citylink lost was Inverclyde to Glasgow in 2006?

The Citylink network was largely a reaction to the influx of independent operators that sprang up as a result of the de-regulation of express services in 1980; operators such as Cottar's, Park's, Newton and Stagecoach picked up quite a bit of the market. The Scottish Bus Group already had a network of long-distance services that were operated by SBG subsidiaries, but sought to bring them under a the unified Scottish Citylink brand (as it had already done with the cross-border services) and at the same time there was a fairly major upgrade in the quality of coaches that were used.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by a loss of routes, but some consolidation of services was inevitable. I don't know for sure, but it's possible that the new Citylink entity decided that certain routes weren't core to its operations. You mentioned Clydeside - it had its own network of Quicksilver services.

The only route I'm aware of Citylink losing was the 560 (Inverness - Aberdeen) which was taken over by Bluebird Northern (while still accepting Citylink tickets).

Also, you need to bear in mind that Citylink contracts were eventually opened up to non-SBG operators. Highland didn't take too kindly to losing its Citylink routes to Rapson and launched its own long-distance services.

In the mid 80s Scottish Citylink operated the X36, X76, X77, X7, they even had Largs to Glasgow service via Beith.

Would you explain what these routes were? Where did they start and finish?

 

[overthewater]

Would you explain what these routes were? Where did they start and finish?

Old Citylink Routes:

* 501: Glasgow - Ayr
* 580: Glasgow - Kilmarnock - Cumnock
* 589: Glasgow - Linwood
* 591: Glasgow - Paisley - Foxbar
* ???: Glasgow - Irvine
* 593: Glasgow - Bishopton
* 597 /598: Glasgow - Beith - Largs
* 599: Glasgow - Kilmacolm

Nearly all of these services are now covered by Stagecoach West Scotland X36, X76, X77 or Mcgills X7.

 

[greenline712]

Was this to do with Stagecoach being a part owner of Citylink?
Did they decide to move the "local" routes into their existing networks; thereby leaving Citylink to concentrate on the long distance work?
My memory is that Citylink had none of the (relatively) short routes from the early 2000s.

 

[Metal Mickey]

Old Citylink Routes:

* 501: Glasgow - Ayr
* 580: Glasgow - Kilmarnock - Cumnock
* 589: Glasgow - Linwood
* 591: Glasgow - Paisley - Foxbar
* ???: Glasgow - Irvine
* 593: Glasgow - Bishopton
* 597 /598: Glasgow - Beith - Largs
* 599: Glasgow - Kilmacolm

Nearly all of these services are now covered by Stagecoach West Scotland X36, X76, X77 or Mcgills X7.

It was Henry Crawford of Neilston who originally operated the X36 with no route number.

The X7 was previously operated by Dart Buses who went bust many years ago and First Glasgow stepped in at the 11th hour to ensure that operation continued. Then after First withdrew, Slaemiur operated it before McGill’s took it on and extended it from Kilmacolm to Greenock (they may have acquired said operator).

 

[Dwarfer1979]

Since the original poster was referring to routes run in the mid-80's is it as simple as the break up for privatisation, which happened in 1990/1991, and that these services simply weren't transferred to Citylink when it became a fully independent business and were left with their local operating company who had previously run them under the Citylink brand when it was all SBG. Probably due to their more local express nature rather than more strategic long distance services, though Scottish Citylink has always been a bit more hybrid in its nature in that sense than National Express ever was.

 

[GusB]

Old Citylink Routes:

* 501: Glasgow - Ayr
* 580: Glasgow - Kilmarnock - Cumnock
* 589: Glasgow - Linwood
* 591: Glasgow - Paisley - Foxbar
* ???: Glasgow - Irvine
* 593: Glasgow - Bishopton
* 597 /598: Glasgow - Beith - Largs
* 599: Glasgow - Kilmacolm

Nearly all of these services are now covered by Stagecoach West Scotland X36, X76, X77 or Mcgills X7.

I think you've more or less answered your own question. Those routes are inter-urban rather than inter-city (we could argue for months about the difference, but that's probably a subject for a separate thread); either way, shorter services like that weren't really core to Citylink's business so it's no great surprise that it let them go.

As a matter of interest, did those routes eventually fall under the "Clydeside Quicksilver" banner?

Nevertheless, it's interesting to have a partial list of Citylink services in the early days; does anyone have a complete list? From seeing various photographs I note that services were mainly numbered in the 5xx range; when did the change to 9xx happen? Aberdeen - Inverness was 540 and then it changed to 960 (I'm assuming there's some connection with it running along the A96).

It's moments like this when I wish I'd kept the timetables that I had a habit of accumulating in my jacket pockets!

 

[gingerheid]

The X77 replaced the Citylink service in 2003.

Largs ran in 1988 under Clydeside, and then briefly again more recently prior to McGills as an extension of the dying Gourock service, which lasted until about 2006/7.

The old 504 East Kilbride - Edinburgh with many starting points was very on and off for a long time, before finally dying as a 904.

I have timetables for many of the mid 90s routes; will try and dig them out. They include a Citylink 585 timetable!

 

[318266]

Old Citylink Routes:

* 501: Glasgow - Ayr
* 580: Glasgow - Kilmarnock - Cumnock
* 589: Glasgow - Linwood
* 591: Glasgow - Paisley - Foxbar
* ???: Glasgow - Irvine
* 593: Glasgow - Bishopton
* 597 /598: Glasgow - Beith - Largs
* 599: Glasgow - Kilmacolm

Nearly all of these services are now covered by Stagecoach West Scotland X36, X76, X77 or Mcgills X7.

The 501 is presumably the truncation of the former 501 which interworked with the 500 to provide a half-hourly Glasgow-Edinburgh service (the 500 being Gourock - Greenock - Port Glasgow - Glasgow Airport - Glasgow and onwards to Edinburgh), which along with the 580, 585 and 597/598 got absorbed into Stagecoach's operation (I believe it might be roughly when Stagecoach acquired a portion of Citylink in the 2000s)

The 589/599 ended up through Clydeside and Dart Buses into the hands of First Glasgow's Alexander PSs, subsequently Slaemuir Coaches' with ALX300s, and upon their acquisition - McGill's.

The 591 also stayed with Clydeside, becoming Arriva Scotland West's X21 - the route, in a somewhat bastardised form, still exists as the XP21/X21 today, albeit is not well used and I would not be surprised if it is withdrawn in the near future. I imagine the 593 is roughly what the X23 is today, although truncated to Erskine.

 

[overthewater]

The X77 replaced the Citylink service in 2003.

Largs ran in 1988 under Clydeside, and then briefly again more recently prior to McGills as an extension of the dying Gourock service, which lasted until about 2006/7.

The old 504 East Kilbride - Edinburgh with many starting points was very on and off for a long time, before finally dying as a 904.

I have timetables for many of the mid 90s routes; will try and dig them out. They include a Citylink 585 timetable!

Citylink were still running a proper service to Ayr in early 2000s? Tech the Largs went direct unlike the 901 extension. It seems East Kilbride was 982 and X12 along with 904

I think you've more or less answered your own question. Those routes are inter-urban rather than inter-city (we could argue for months about the difference, but that's probably a subject for a separate thread); either way, shorter services like that weren't really core to Citylink's business so it's no great surprise that it let them go.

As a matter of interest, did those routes eventually fall under the "Clydeside Quicksilver" banner?

Nevertheless, it's interesting to have a partial list of Citylink services in the early days; does anyone have a complete list? From seeing various photographs I note that services were mainly numbered in the 5xx range; when did the change to 9xx happen? Aberdeen - Inverness was 540 and then it changed to 960 (I'm assuming there's some connection with it running along the A96).

It's moments like this when I wish I'd kept the timetables that I had a habit of accumulating in my jacket pockets!

The trouble with a list is, it was so complicated as many of the trunk routes were integrated into cross boundary routes. Megabus simplify the network and made it alot easier.

* X14 : Edinburgh - Glasgow - Airport By Nov 84 that had become 500
* 520 Glasgow - Fort William - Uig
* 525/975 371 373: Glasgow - Oban

* 547/ 908/ 555/908/515-557/807 Glasgow - Inverness OR Aberdeen with a change over at PERTH
* 372/375/ 378/557-515/ 557-807: Edinburgh - Inverness or Aberdeen with a change over at PERTH
Both were every 2 hours but every 4 hours were direct. Many started/finished in England

* Newtons Travel linked to citylink: Wick - Inverness - Glasgow or Edinburgh 3 journeys a day.

* 980/985 Falkirk - Glasgow - Ayr hourly.

I think by 1988 most of the 500 numbers started moving to 900s. It sound like Clydeside and Western Scottish like the "Citylink" concept more and just borrowed the branding, while the like's of Midland preferred "Bluebird Express and Fife liked "Cityliner"

 

[gingerheid]

Citylink were still running a proper service to Ayr in early 2000s?

I could be wrong. I think I remember where I was working when they stopped, and based it on that!

 

[DunsBus]

I remember Lowland withdrew from Citylink work post-privatisation, one of a few former SBG companies to do so.

 

[gingerheid]

I was out by a decade! I have timetables for:

1984

585 Ayr - Greenock
597 Glasgow - Kilbirnie - Largs
598 Glasgow - Kilbirnie - Dalry - West Kilbridge - Largs

 

[overthewater]

Turns out Citylink were still running the 501 in 1993. So that makes me wonder was this when Western Scottish started running the X76 and X77. This is a few years after Privatisation and the company being old out with government hands, so some horse trading was clearly happening.

Infact over the next few years citylink went on to streamline its routes with most of Dundee - Aberdeen journeys becoming flyers.

 

[GusB]

Turns out Citylink were still running the 501 in 1993. So that makes me wonder was this when Western Scottish started running the X76 and X77. This is a few years after Privatisation and the company being old out with government hands, so some horse trading was clearly happening.

Infact over the next few years citylink went on to streamline its routes with most of Dundee - Aberdeen journeys becoming flyers.

1993 was the year that Citylink was purchased by National Express. Prior to that there were competing Caledonian Express routes, so rationalisation was inevitable.

Memories are a bit hazy now, but I recall that there was some upheaval and a change of contractors on certain routes. I often used to catch the last Aberdeen-bound service from Edinburgh and one day it was suddenly operated by Park's (using brand-new coaches in plain dealer white); drivers would overnight in Aberdeen and return in the morning. "Flyers" certainly existed but they weren't very frequent; I seem to recall that they ran mainly on Fridays and Sundays, probably catering for students.

Another fact that one should bear in mind is that Stagecoach acquired Western in 1994. Stagecoach had divested its "intercity" routes five years previously (to National Express) and was very much focussing on "local" operations rather than long distance routes.

 

[overthewater]

I've done some more digging it seems it was Stagecoach who made a grab for the Ayrshire routes. On 4th December 1994, X77 come about operating the same route as 501. I dare say once Stagecoach got hold of Western Scottish they show the potential and went after the routes. I take it X76 come in shortly afterwards and then of course the M77 opened from Newton Mearns to M8. Stagecoach also brought brand new coaches and also tried to extend the service to Stranraer. http://www.photo-transport.co.uk/buses/stranraer/photos2/photos2.htm

Of course the trouble with the flyers was, the road network wasn't completed yet. Case in point Dunblane never got its bypass until 1990.

It looks like it was Citylink who give up a lot of it's routes once someone else come along.