Lothian Buses and ECB Discussion

[ScotRail158725]

I've always meant to get on the Ensign ins/outs list, where do i find it?

Ensign Bus Sales/Fleet Movements | The Bus Forum

Thought this would be a good idea seeing how many ex London buses move through here monthly, and I will report every month of the movements, if this thread is not in the right place feel free to move

tangytango.proboards.com

 

[CN04NRJ]

I've always meant to get on the Ensign ins/outs list, where do i find it?

You can sign up to Ross' email list he sends out monthly;

Here or if that link doesn't work join his Google group here

 

[Stan Drews]

Looks like at lest 12 deckers have gone to Stagecoach Newcastle for duplicate work. Looks like a load of ECB deckers with their destination equipment painted out.

20794-800 have actually gone on loan to Stagecoach at Holbrook depot, for Supertram Replacement work. I assume they simply stopped off at Slatyford to refuel.

 

[Q_Okolo12]

Earlier on in the thread it was mentioned that the new management could convert some decker routes into single routes within the city. Now I know nothing is confirmed at this stage but I do have some routes in mind (this is all based on observation from a regular bus user within Edinburgh. Someone who works for the company and has a better idea of the routes could correct me on this).

Routes: 4, 5, 15, 22 (although most likely much later after the tram development is finished), 33, and 41.

Again this is only my opinion. Feel free to correct me on anything.

 

[Auld reekie]

Earlier on in the thread it was mentioned that the new management could convert some decker routes into single routes within the city. Now I know nothing is confirmed at this stage but I do have some routes in mind (this is all based on observation from a regular bus user within Edinburgh. Someone who works for the company and has a better idea of the routes could correct me on this).

Routes: 4, 5, 15, 22 (although most likely much later after the tram development is finished), 33, and 41.

Again this is only my opinion. Feel free to correct me on anything.

I would be surprised if the 22 went back to single deckers.

 

[Bus9120UK]

I would be surprised if the 22 went back to single deckers.

Agree. 22 I think is way to busy to get Single Decks anyway, you should see the 22 in the mornings!

Earlier on in the thread it was mentioned that the new management could convert some decker routes into single routes within the city. Now I know nothing is confirmed at this stage but I do have some routes in mind (this is all based on observation from a regular bus user within Edinburgh. Someone who works for the company and has a better idea of the routes could correct me on this).

Routes: 4, 5, 15, 22 (although most likely much later after the tram development is finished), 33, and 41.

Again this is only my opinion. Feel free to correct me on anything.

41 gets single deckers every now and then, so that may be possible. The 4, 5, 22 and 33 I think would stay double deck whilst the 15 and 41 could go to singles.

 

[overthewater]

Is the 22 STILL right now with covid19 on? and remember within a year or so the trams will be heading down to Leith so isnt the plan to curtail more routes?

 

[scotrail158713]

I would be surprised if the 22 went back to single deckers.

Agree. 22 I think is way to busy to get Single Decks anyway, you should see the 22 in the mornings!

I agree - but only for just now. I do agree with @Q_Okolo12 in that it is more likely to occur after the tram extension.

 

[route101]

Why would you want deckers on them routes?

 

[TheEastCoaster]

Agree. 22 I think is way to busy to get Single Decks anyway, you should see the 22 in the mornings!


41 gets single deckers every now and then, so that may be possible. The 4, 5, 22 and 33 I think would stay double deck whilst the 15 and 41 could go to singles.

15 and 41 could work as singles, since the 43 covers the Barton-West End section and the 11 to City - Fairmilehead and 124 City - Portobello so they have doubles already running on parts of said route

speaking of 124, is the X24 forever gone at this point? Surprised they didn’t bring it back for peak times since the X5 and X7 are now back

 

[Jordan Adam]

speaking of 124, is the X24 forever gone at this point? Surprised they didn’t bring it back for peak times since the X5 and X7 are now back

The Express peak services are some what obsolete at the moment, there's not a morning/evening peak time anymore like there was pre-covid. Buses are generally busiest off peak now.

 

[stantheman]

As posted a few times, fleet numbers between 66-95 have appeared on https://finlaysmith.co.uk/ with 77 showing as being parked at Central. There's a few missing in this range (e.g 90) but I think these are the most likely fleet numbers.

What do they replace and on what routes ?

 

[CN04NRJ]

What do they replace and on what routes ?

Wish I knew, hopefully they will go on the 30 as previously suggested by a few people.

 

[Lothiangem22]

Wish I knew, hopefully they will go on the 30 as previously suggested by a few people.

I think the 30 is a sensible option. The new singles appear to have much more seated capacity than the 7900’s and going by recent weeks the 30 certainly needs more capacity.
I’d also imagine since Lothian are running the single deck night buses from longstone this would suggest to me that no singles will be at central for the time being - would be silly to split the night bus operation otherwise surely?

 

[90019]

Is the 22 STILL right now with covid19 on? and remember within a year or so the trams will be heading down to Leith so isnt the plan to curtail more routes?

It's not so much in Leith, but over the rest of the route, where the tram only competes to a point at some stops.


The 41 gets very busy during the evening peak (I've never driven it during the morning peak), so a change to single deck would be a mistake, imo.

 

[CN04NRJ]

I think the 30 is a sensible option. The new singles appear to have much more seated capacity than the 7900’s and going by recent weeks the 30 certainly needs more capacity.
I’d also imagine since Lothian are running the single deck night buses from longstone this would suggest to me that no singles will be at central for the time being - would be silly to split the night bus operation otherwise surely?

I was thinking along the same lines. Off topic but do you know if the single deck night bus journeys will be done by all of us or night rota staff as some of them are only one or two journeys?
I'm on annual leave and back Monday so haven't seen the rotas.

 

[Lothiangem22]

I was thinking along the same lines. Off topic but do you know if the single deck night bus journeys will be done by all of us or night rota staff as some of them are only one or two journeys?
I'm on annual leave and back Monday so haven't seen the rotas.

I haven’t actually had a proper look though haven’t heard of anyone with a nightbus duty yet

 

[tbtc]

Looks like at lest 12 deckers have gone to Stagecoach Newcastle for duplicate work

Apparently headed down to Sheffield for tram-replacement work (a contract currently run by Powells that Stagecoach are taking over)

 

[Siemens Trains]

The 41 gets very busy during the evening peak (I've never driven it during the morning peak), so a change to single deck would be a mistake, imo.

I think that's right. The 41 can be very quiet sometimes but it's difficult to predict. They tried singles on Sundays a few years ago and ran into capacity problems occasionally (although there was no parallel 43 in those days). The service isn't frequent enough to expect passengers who are denied boarding just to wait for the next 41, and if you're going to Cramond there isn't a realistic option of catching a 43 and changing to anything else en route.

 

[TheEastCoaster]

and if you're going to Cramond there isn't a realistic option of catching a 43 and changing to anything else en route.

real talk, they should have another route running up to Cramond, maybe re-route a few 31’s

 

[ScotRail158725]

Apparently headed down to Sheffield for tram-replacement work (a contract currently run by Powells that Stagecoach are taking over)

So whats happening is 12 Ex Lothian B7TLs have gone to Stagecoach Sheffield to take over tram replacement from Powell’s who are using 18 Ex Lothian B7TLs on that very tram replacement? lol

 

[OmniCity999]

So whats happening is 12 Ex Lothian B7TLs have gone to Stagecoach Sheffield to take over tram replacement from Powell’s who are using 18 Ex Lothian B7TLs on that very tram replacement? lol

Couldn't write it. Imagine Stagey will top it up.

 

[cnjb8]

So whats happening is 12 Ex Lothian B7TLs have gone to Stagecoach Sheffield to take over tram replacement from Powell’s who are using 18 Ex Lothian B7TLs on that very tram replacement? lol

Stagecoach were going to use Enviro400s on loan from Manchester but they have had to return because of schools being back

 

[ScotRail158725]

Couldn't write it. Imagine Stagey will top it up.

That tram replacement route has probably seen more B7TLs on it than stuff such as the 20

 

[overthewater]

real talk, they should have another route running up to Cramond, maybe re-route a few 31’s

31's doing that is pointless it woudl get caught in the bad traffic going up to Cramond, worse still it would need 2 buses just to give 30mins service for what? it would be double the time to get to the city. They used to bus down to Gyle the old 24 but lothian lost the tender it went to E&M... we all know what there like and all the customers disappeared.

Has it been really 18 years since the old 41/42? the 42 diverted off Davids main and went to Cramond via the back road.

 

[duncanp]

I have just spent 10 days on holiday in Edinburgh, and would have thought that extending the 42 from Craigleith to Cramond would be the easiest way of providing extra service to that area.

Can anyone from Edinburgh explain to me what the benefit is of closing the road between Silverknowes road between the roundabout and the promenade, in the name of "Covid-19 security" ?

This means that service 29 has to turn at the roundabout instead of going all the way to the promenade.

 

[Siemens Trains]

I have just spent 10 days on holiday in Edinburgh, and would have thought that extending the 42 from Craigleith to Cramond would be the easiest way of providing extra service to that area.

Can anyone from Edinburgh explain to me what the benefit is of closing the road between Silverknowes road between the roundabout and the promenade, in the name of "Covid-19 security" ?

This means that service 29 has to turn at the roundabout instead of going all the way to the promenade.

I don't think they particularly need the extra service if there's capacity on the 41 (ie not switching to single deckers). Cramond isn't sufficiently good bus territory to justify running something on Cramond Road South solely as a short cut for them to access D Mains.
Think Silverknowes Road and Marine Drive were closed due to large numbers of pedestrians and cyclists from the nearby housing estates taking daily exercise down to the prom. Social distancing became a challenge. Nobody lives along these roads so cutting the 29 short wouldn't have been an issue for anyone during the proper lockdown. In the event of restrictions easing maybe some folk will risk using a bus for recreation again and the 29 route could be reinstated. But what are they going to do on arrival at the esplanade? Go for a walk? They can do that from Silverknowes Parkway.

 

[duncanp]

Thanks for the reply.

It's just that there is nothing to stop pedestrians and cyclists using Silverknowes Road and Marine Drive for exercise at the moment,and indeed plenty were doing so when I was there, so I don't know what the closure achieves.

With the colder weather, fewer people will be exercising outdoors, so the road could be reopened, and the 29 bus reinstated.

 

[CN04NRJ]

All of the open top tridents are now listed for sale on the Lothian Fleet Sales facebook page.

 

[scosutsut]

Logical I guess, apart from the odd parade and a jaunt on the 124 during the 3 days if summer we sometimes get they weren't exactly overworked.