Lothian Buses and ECB Discussion

[overthewater]

There was two more changes in 2002 and the law big bang changes were in July 2003.

 

[tbtc]

Reading these reminds me that First's demise in Edinburgh was never inevitable - they had Lothian on the back foot - although I'd forgotten just how scaled back some services were (e.g. the 5 only every twenty minutes and only as far as Morningside).

If First had just maintained a stable network, rather than faffing about with all of their revised services, they had a presence on pretty much every busy corridor in the city, they'd have been in a situation like Stagecoach are now in Sheffield/ Liverpool/ Plymouth where they competed on the busy routes and left the incumbent to run the less profitable peripheral services.

Instead, First went gung-ho - overplayed their hand and ended up losing it all.

 

[Darklord8899]

Noticed new ticket machines (finally) on both the 300 to work and the 300 back home today.
So I'm guessing SkyLink is now accepting contactless?

 

[SpeedbirdA350]

Does anyone know when they scrapped the 28 service? I know it went Slateford Rd, Stockbridge etc and this was in the 90s, perhaps mid 90s but I can't recall. I'm trying to think of the whole route it took and my mind is going blank.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Noticed new ticket machines (finally) on both the 300 to work and the 300 back home today.
So I'm guessing SkyLink is now accepting contactless?

New ticket machines have been fitted to LC, Skylink and ECB but haven't had the contactless feature activated yet

 

[kje7812]

The 34 I got this morning had a new machine.

 

[smtglasgow]

Instead, First went gung-ho - overplayed their hand and ended up losing it all.

I was starting university in Glasgow when the bus war started, so my memories of the ins and outs of it all are very vague. Didn’t First cut back in its West/East Lothian heartlands to provide the buses (and staff) for the new services? At the time Lothian seemed a bit old fashioned – still very much a traditional municipal operator – and it wasn’t until their streamlined Overground-style network had gone through a few revisions that they seemed to start powering ahead.

 

[tbtc]

Does anyone know when they scrapped the 28 service? I know it went Slateford Rd, Stockbridge etc and this was in the 90s, perhaps mid 90s but I can't recall. I'm trying to think of the whole route it took and my mind is going blank.

Hi - see post 785 - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/lothian-buses-and-ecb-discussion.151391/page-27#post-3611745 - hope that's of use

I was starting university in Glasgow when the bus war started, so my memories of the ins and outs of it all are very vague. Didn’t First cut back in its West/East Lothian heartlands to provide the buses (and staff) for the new services? At the time Lothian seemed a bit old fashioned – still very much a traditional municipal operator – and it wasn’t until their streamlined Overground-style network had gone through a few revisions that they seemed to start powering ahead.

That's how I remember it - First threw whatever resources they could at Edinburgh (to the detriment of the "Lothians" services). From memory, they gave up on Penicuik first (other than the "Lowland" 62) but I don't have a chronology of what was withdrawn when.

I think there was a period when the South Queensferry service ran through to somewhere in Midlothian (say Polton for argument's sakes) - shared between Livingston and Dalkeith depots - but the Livi buses didn't have Polton on their destination blinds and the Dalkeith buses didn't have South Queensferry on theirs, so no bus on the route could show the two termini - seems like a throwback to the cowboy age.

Once Lothian introduced the flat fare and beefed up the core services they had the upper hand, but it took a while - I remember the modern looking low floor First buses with vivid pink whilst the antiquated maroon Atlanteans that LRT were operating looked like something from a museum. In hindsight those Darts didn't last long and probably rattled more than the twenty year old 'deckers they were competing with, but First looked like the future (back then).

 

[overthewater]

Im sure i have the first services changes leaflets if people want to see those?

 

[Bungle965]

It was mentioned that the contractless feature is a long way down the list in their priorities, something which it arguably should not be however it would make sense for it to be those that serve Edinburgh Airport to be the ones that get the feature first.
Sam

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

according to bus lists on the web ECB are due at least 5 of the ex londoners, can someone confirm? I assume if true these are replacing 794-800

 

[MrHopefull]

according to bus lists on the web ECB are due at least 5 of the ex londoners, can someone confirm? I assume if true these are replacing 794-800

we are only getting the 8 new gem 3s
no ex Londoners

 

[Driver362]

Would have thought they've got the ZF gearboxes instead of Voith which Lothian usually go for. The ZF in my opinion are ludicrously jerky when travelling at low speeds.

Hi Gary I for one being ex first are glad they have the ZF box we had scanias with Voith boxes when I first started that were ok , but anything else I’ve driven with Voith has been quit tedious, the brakes/retarder set up on first ones had pax running down saloon when alighting and then the all or nothing final stop , with the zf you could use the small amount of play in foot brake to act like a switch to use retarder then service brake for final stop , however I do appreciate this may be down to set up , I did hear box people were in to change set up in gearbox and increase cruising speed

 

[Lothian_Bus]

551 back on Lothian duty after a brief spell on West Lothian routes.

 

[oldman]

From Monday 17th September 2018, students and staff will be able to use Lothian Buses Service 41 in the evenings for just £1 (instead of £1.70).

To support students and staff to use the facilities at King’s Buildings during the evenings, the University subsidises the normal £1.70 bus fare to just £1 to use Service 41 between Potterrow and King's Buildings.

• Semester time only
• Monday - Friday, from 18:30 to end of service
• Offer only available on production of a University of Edinburgh student or staff card when boarding Service 41 at Potterrow and King’s Buildings bus stop (it is not available from the bus stops in between)
• Offer may only be used to travel between Potterrow and King’s Buildings. Passengers must pay the normal bus fare if travelling beyond these bus stops.

Seems an odd arrangement - if people want to go to KB for an evening, would saving 70p make a difference?

 

[overthewater]

Because there is a student bus service that links the two places during the day.

 

[oldman]

So some student politician wants the free service to run later, UOE says no, but here's a special deal. Hardly anyone uses it, so it doesn't cost them much. Makes sense.

 

[overthewater]

To be fair it come in last year.

 

[oldman]

If you are interested, you can find the history here. Last year there was a pilot was for free daytime travel on the 41 to supplement the free shuttle which apparently sometimes leaves people behind - it has not been continued. The new evening service is to be reviewed after one semester.

 

[90019]

So some student politician wants the free service to run later, UOE says no, but here's a special deal. Hardly anyone uses it, so it doesn't cost them much. Makes sense.

I get plenty of people using it from Kings Buildings in the evenings - It seems to be well used by people taking the bus home after the free shuttle has stopped running.

 

[route101]

If you are interested, you can find the history here. Last year there was a pilot was for free daytime travel on the 41 to supplement the free shuttle which apparently sometimes leaves people behind - it has not been continued. The new evening service is to be reviewed after one semester.

Who operated the free shuttle?

 

[Edirim]

Lothian do.
It's on the bus tracker as the "C134".

 

[overthewater]

Just to say Lothian had the Napier shuttle service today for its fresher fayer https://www.napierstudents.com/pageassets/fairbus/Fair_Bus_2018.pdf

 

[overthewater]

East Coast buses is having a real battle on the X7 route: Border buses has a special fare on the app: Single ticket on the 253 is £2.53 from Dunbar to Edinburgh....

 

[Megafuss]

East Coast buses is having a real battle on the X7 route: Border buses has a special fare on the app: Single ticket on the 253 is £2.53 from Dunbar to Edinburgh....

Is the 253 supported by Borders Council or is wholly commercial these days?

 

[overthewater]

Is the 253 supported by Borders Council or is wholly commercial these days?

Its been Commercially operated for years. Also why would Borders council help pay for it?

 

[tbtc]

Talk of the X27/X28 serving Hermiston got me thinking about contra-peak services...

...there's peak express in the morning from the City Centre out to the Western General/ Gas HQ (X37), from the City Centre to RBS HQ (X12), from the City Centre to the Science Park at Bush (X47)...

...with afternoon returns from those places into the City Centre...

...peak services out to the Gyle in the morning and back in the afternoon are no longer necessary now there's the tram, fair enough...

...but there's no peak service out to Herriot Watt in the morning or afternoon return (i.e. the X25 is only to take people up town in the morning and back in the evening).

Given Student numbers, would there be a market for some speeded up 25s heading west in the morning (and east in the evening)? Or are Student numbers spread out too thinly over the morning so that there's not the rush of people needing to get there for nine o'clock (unlike office workers etc)? Just seemed strange considering that Bush warrants the X47.

There used to be daytime expresses on the 26 corridor (85/86) and the 44 corridor (73/74?) - are there any other "lost" expresses?

 

[Darklord8899]

Talk of the X27/X28 serving Hermiston got me thinking about contra-peak services...

...there's peak express in the morning from the City Centre out to the Western General/ Gas HQ (X37), from the City Centre to RBS HQ (X12), from the City Centre to the Science Park at Bush (X47)...

...with afternoon returns from those places into the City Centre...

...peak services out to the Gyle in the morning and back in the afternoon are no longer necessary now there's the tram, fair enough...

...but there's no peak service out to Herriot Watt in the morning or afternoon return (i.e. the X25 is only to take people up town in the morning and back in the evening).

Given Student numbers, would there be a market for some speeded up 25s heading west in the morning (and east in the evening)? Or are Student numbers spread out too thinly over the morning so that there's not the rush of people needing to get there for nine o'clock (unlike office workers etc)? Just seemed strange considering that Bush warrants the X47.

There used to be daytime expresses on the 26 corridor (85/86) and the 44 corridor (73/74?) - are there any other "lost" expresses?

With Regards to Heriot Watt, we now have 25, 34 & 35 serving there from City and 63 from Queensferry, so I doubt we will see Expresses to there, but yes, I like the idea.

As for lost express/limited stop services, these were mentioned in a different post, but the 8x series of services:
80 Silverknowes to Polton Mill
82 East Craigs/Barnton to Rosewell
There was a Seafield or Easefield to Loanhead/Penicuik the 84 or 87.....
The all started as through the day Limited Stop services before being made all stops services or withdrawn/changed

 

[kje7812]

Given Student numbers, would there be a market for some speeded up 25s heading west in the morning (and east in the evening)? Or are Student numbers spread out too thinly over the morning so that there's not the rush of people needing to get there for nine o'clock (unlike office workers etc)?

My experience is more for the 34/35 but definitely most people still aim for a 9 am arrival. The 25/34/35 also serve Napier at Sighthill and I would say the 34 I got this morning (full and standing after St Michael's) about a third were for Napier, some for the offices on Calder road (Sykes, BAM, etc) and the rest for Heriot-Watt.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

End of the road for the 69, Prentice to run from October 29th, I expect 61 to go soon too. Means the solo's are all surplus. Prentice also have a new 118 starting the same date that is to run Longniddry-Musselburgh-Fort Kinnaird to perhaps offer more links to there