Some changes from last time a little more realistic now, they should all cooperate with all fare zones, if not feel free to correct me.
Few things here;
Service X22 - Service Frequency increased to every 30 minutes
I forgot to mention this when originally addressing your ideas, but I think maybe running it via the old McGills X22 route to Dalmahoy, then running it down Dalmahoy Road, Ratho Main Street, Baird Road, & Harvest road, then via the old McGills X24 route would work better. Maybe running buses via Harvest Drive, Station Road, & the A8 heading towards Livingston could be a good idea! As for frequency, I think every 60min would satiate.
Service X23 - No longer calls at Ingliston P&R or Edinburgh Airport
Still don’t see much point to the X23. X18 works well enough between Edinburgh & Broxburn, 72 & 902 get the job done between Broxburn & Livingston, & the 16/31/72/73/X27/X28 are all great links from Livingston to St. Johns. I also don’t think that every 20min would work as the old McGills X24 wasn’t very busy at all (with the exception of the morning peak into Edinburgh but thats about it) & it was every
30min.
Service X24 - New route from Livingston onwards via St. John's Hospital, Fastlink, Dechmont, Bathgate, and Armadale
As other members have stated, the Armadillos would be happy (yes, that’s my nickname for people in Armadale, no, it isn’t meant to be offensive).
Service 200 - Renumbered 71, Balerno to Bathgate, extended to Hunter's Tryst via Currie, Juniper Green, Collinton and Redford. Now omitts Dechmont via A89. Every 40 minutes
I’d prefer maybe Oxgangs Library over Hunters Tryst, & I also think that most journeys should terminate at Balerno, with every 3rd journey going to Oxgangs (providing a bus every 2 hours along that corridor). Another thing to be stated is that I think running through Livingston Village & direct down Starlaw Road into Bathgate could be an interesting way of doing things. I would also like to say that the 2__ prefix is no longer used, so just being the 71 works well enough.
Service 201 - Renumbered 73, Blackburn J4M8 to Broxburn East Mains Ind. extension of current LCB 73 giving East Mains Ind. and Lidl connection to the Centre via Broxburn Main St., Uphall, Uphall Station, Pumpherston, Craigshill, The Centre, St. John's, Livingston Village, Eliburn, Seafield and Blackburn
I think the current 73 route is good enough.
Service 202 - Remembered 75
Honestly, I think Fauldhouse to Bathgate would work well enough.
Service 203 - Renumbered 72, extended to Queensferry (Scotstoun) via B800, Queensferry (Echline), Queensferry, and Dalmeny Railway Station
I think keeping the 72 as is currently & increasing the 63 to every 60min would work well enough. I do however think that it should be every 30min between Broxburn & Fauldhouse (hourly between Broxburn & Kirkliston, hourly to East Mains).
Service 204 - NEW ROUTE Linlithgow to The Centre via Torphichen, Bathgate, Wester Inch, Blackburn, Loganlea, Addiewell, West Calder, Polbeth and Dedridge West. Renumbered 76
YES.
Service 205 - NEW ROUTE Fauldhouse to Carmondean Centre (For Livingston North Railway Station) via Stoneyburn, Addiewell, Loganlea, Addiewell, West Calder, Polbeth, Dedridge West, The Centre, Livingston FC, St. John's Hospital and Alderstone Rd. Renumbered 74. Every 30 minutes in peak times (stated in quoted post) otherwise every 40 minutes
The 74 becomes the 73 at Livingston, so that would not work.
Service 206 - NEW ROUTE Blackridge to Livingston South via Armadale, Bathgate, Boghall, Tesco Distrubution, Livingston Village, St. John's Hospital, Ladywell, Howden and the Centre. Renumbered 70
I really like this! I do think maybe rerouting it via Carmondean would get the job done a bit better though.
NEW SERVICE 77 - Broxburn East Mains Ind. to Linlithgow via Broxburn (Hoban Sq.), Broxburn Main St., Uphall, Dechmont, Tesco Distribution, Boghall, Bathgate amd Torphichen. Every 30 minutes
Every 60min seems a bit more likely.
NEW SKYLINK SERVICE 300 - Fauldhouse to Edinburgh Airport via A71, West Calder, Polbeth, The Centre, Fastlink, A89, Newbridge, Ratho Station and Ingliston P&R. Every 15 Minutes
I think that (& this is also valid for the SoC 34A) a bus shelter should be introduced next to Breich Station. Aside from that, see those last 3 words? Yeah, that isn’t happening. Liking the route though!
Service change Mock (Easter 2024)
Let’s see how this one does!
43 - Revised timetable to co-ordinate with new service 63 and extended 72 for connections to Kirkliston and West Lothian
I do not understand why everyone is so persistent on the 72 extending to Queensferry!
63 - New Service (Chesser to Queensferry) via Kingsknowe, Wester Hailes, Calder, Hermiston Gait, Gyle, Newbridge and Kirkliston
40 minute service running Monday to Saturday during the day, with a 60 minute frequency during the evening and Sundays running from The Gyle.
Loving this idea! Let’s hope that Lothian do this if they get their hands on the tender!
72 - Extended from Kirkliston to Queensferry Terminus, frequency increased to every 30 minutes Monday to Sunday during the day. Fauldhouse to Livingston section replaced with new service 75
Again, don’t understand the idea of the 72 going to Queensferry. Otherwise, I do think that having the 72 curtail at Livingston would be a much better idea, & you can copy past the thing I said about the 72’s frequency from a few paragraphs up here.
73 - Frequency increase to every 30 minutes. No change to route.
I don’t think there’s demand for it to be every 30min. It gets busy, don’t get me wrong, but not busy enough to be every 30min.
Maybe every 40min.
74 - Frequency increase to every 30 minutes, buses now terminate at Fauldhouse Station
1. Copy/paste what I said about the 73.
2. Remember what happened with that Gemini 2 outside Fauldhouse Station back a few years ago?
75 - New Service (Fauldhouse Station to Livingston) via Longridge, Whitburn, Blackburn, Seafield, St Johns Hospital, running a 30 minute frequency Monday to Sunday
@SoloSR334022 this bus could maybe be one that could go to Carmondean Centre!
X17 - New Service (Edinburgh to Livingston) via Haymarket, Corstorphine, Gogar, Ratho Village, Bonnington, Wilkieston, A71, Fastlink. Running a 30 minute frequency Monday to Sunday.
This is identical to SoloSR334022’s X22, so just add what I said about it in here.
X18 - Buses extend to Fauldhouse during Peak Times Monday to Saturday, if demand is viable a full time extension will be considered.
The 72 exists & it’s timetable combines with the X18, so that won’t happen.
X27 - Frequency increase to every 30 minutes, revised route in Livingston, buses now run via Dedridge West, and omit Knightridge running direct via Houston Road, Carmondean Centre and Deans South.
Route; no.
Frequency increase; yes.
X28 - Frequency increase to every 30 minutes, no change to route. but now provides a 15 minute service for Livingston to Edinburgh via A71
I don’t understand why Lothian Country made it every 20 minutes when combined with the X27 in the first place when every 15min worked well enough!
X40 - Later evening journeys running on a commercial basis will be trialled out. Bus stops on Gilmerton Station Road will also be implemented to provide connections for Lothian Service 31
I’m surprised that there isn’t a small Park & Ride at the junction at Lasswade Road/Gilmerton Station Road, even if tiny!
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Now, I shall come up with my own concept for Lothian Country changes;
Unchanged services; 43, 73, X18
Rerouted services; 72, 74
Services with updated frequencies; 72, X27/8, X40
New services; 63, 71, 75, 76, 78, X17
63; New service between Queensferry & Chesser via Kirkliston, Newbridge, Gyle, Edinburgh Park, The Calders, Westside Plaza, Gillespies Crossroads, & Kingsknowe. Buses will run every 40min on weekdays, & every 60min on weekends.
71; New service between Bridgend & Armadale via Ecclesmachan, Dechmont, & Bathgate. Buses will run every 60min Mon-Sat & every 90min Sundays.
72; Frequency increased to every 30min between Livingston & Broxburn. Every other journey operates to East Mains. Buses will curtail at Livingston Bus Station, & new service 75 will cover the western half of the route.
74; Extended to Carmondean via St. John’s Hospital & Livingston North Station.
75; New service between Fauldhouse & Livingston via 72 route. Every other bus will become service 73 at Livingston Bus Station (& vice versa). Buses will run every 30min daily.
76; New service between Deans & Linlithgow via Tesco Disb. Centre, Bathgate, & Torphichen. Buses will run every 60min daily.
78; New service between Fauldhouse & Bathgate via Whitburn & Armadale. Buses will run every 60min daily.
X17; New service between Edinburgh & Livingston via Haymarket, Gorgie, Hermiston P&R, Dalmahoy, Ratho, Newbridge, Broxburn, & Fastlink. Buses will run every 30min Mon-Sat & hourly on Sundays.
X27/8; Individual frequencies increased to every 30min to make a service every 15min between Edinburgh & Bathgate.
X40; Saturday frequency increased to every 60min.
This is a bit of a bonus, but I was thinking that the SD Travel 6 could be made into a circular bus through Whitburn, with the Whitburn to Armadale section being covered by my service 78, & the McGills Midland Bluebird 29 being renumbered to the 79 & extending to Bathgate all day.
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The 31 is usually packed every time I get on it, especially at the city centre to Midlothian side.
That's interesting, I find it's usually fairly quiet on the Murrayfield side. I wonder if there's anything could be done to help the Midlothian side without providing excess capacity on the Murrayfield side?
If the 25 is only needing an increase on the Heriot-Watt side then you could run some (all?) 31s from the City Centre out to Heriot-Watt as an alternative to increasing the 25? But then I'm struggling to think of anything to replace the 31 to East Craigs without splitting the route (so 31 Bonnyrigg - City - East Craigs every 20 mins, and 32 Roswell or Polton Mill - City - Heriot-Watt every 20 mins, combining to give every 10 mins between Bonnyrigg centre and Edinburgh Centre. That would increase the Midlothian side from every 15 to every 10 mins, decrease the East Craigs side from every 15 to every 20 mins but it's mostly covered by the 12 and 26 anyway, and increase the direct service from Princes Street to Heriot-Watt from 5 to 8 buses an hour).
Here, what if;
25 • East Craigs to Restalrig
• 31 route to Haymarket, 25 route to Restalrig
• Every 20min Mon-Sat, Every 30min Sundays & Evenings, Every 10-15min Mon-Fri Peak
• Journey time; 63min (EC-R), 62min (R-EC)
• Based at Central (Allocated to Gemini 2s)
• PVR; 7 (Mon-Sat), 5 (Sunday + Evenings)
31 • Heriot-Watt to Bonnyrigg or Polton
• 25 route to Haymarket, 31 route to Midlothian
• Every 12min Mon-Sat, Every 15min Sundays, Every 20min Evenings
• Journey time; 95min (B-HW), 96min (P-HW), 95min (HW-B), 95min (HW-P)
• Mixed evenly between Central & Marine (Allocated to E400MMCs & E400XLBs)
• PVR; 17 (Mon-Sat), 14 (Sunday), 9 (Evenings)
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Going back to Blindwells. I always thought the more likely option would be to take the 26 away from Seton Sands, send it through Port Seton as per the X26 and down to Blindwells. The current 26 Tranent journeys would be removed. Frequency could still be at every 12 minutes. I also think the X26 could extend to Blindwells from the next service change actually. The X5 similarly could also divert to serve?
I would simply replace the current Tranent journeys on the 26 by introducing a 114. This would be as per the 124 between Semple St and Levenhall but then run via the current 26 Tranent route from there.
This would mean only the terminus at the Caravan Park loses out on having a bus service, not something that I would say is a disaster. I’m also not saying that’s exactly how it would work, but something along those lines nonetheless.
I do agree I think East Lothian needs a bit of a rethink. There’s an opportunity to make ECB more profitable but it has to be done in the right way. I also think Musselburgh depot is too small to be able to handle what realistically would be needed for it to work.
Well, if we’re going with the concept of having all Tranent journeys on the 26 curtailing at Musselburgh Grammar School, & having a new local service (I’m thinking 104) between Eastfield & Tranent, then the new local route could reroute into Blindwells, & also having the PoH 112 doing the same. I still think that even Prestonpans is a bit far out for LB, so I was thinking the following;
26 - all journeys curtail at Strawberry Corner. 124 will be rerouted & new services 104/X4 will be introduced to make up for this.
X26 - withdrawn & replaced by new service X4.
104 - every 30min daily* between Eastfield & Tranent via Musselburgh, Pinkie, Westpans, Prestonpans, Cockenzie, Port Seton, & Blindwells. *buses will only go as far as Musselburgh Tesco on Sundays & in the evenings.
124 - rerouted between Levenhall & Preston via route of 26 Tranent journeys to partially replace service 26. Services 106/108/113 will continue to provide a service between Levenhall & Wallyford, & services 111/111A/112 will continue to do the same between Wallyford & Prestonpans.
X4 - every 60min daily & every 30min during Mon-Fri peak between Haymarket & Seton Sands via Abbeyhill, Meadowbank, Portobello, Eastfield, Musselburgh, Levenhall, & Prestonpans. See stopping pattern below.
X5 - buses will now divert via Blindwells Estate.
112 - buses will now divert via Blindwells Estate.
