Lothian Buses and ECB Discussion

[Darklord8899]

400 goes to RIE and goes to airport. Corstorphine Road can sometimes be chocablock at rush hour so 100 can be delayed. Answer to that is (if possible) to leave earlier for your flight and a higher frequency of buses on the route which 5 minutes to 59 minutes for the next would suggest something happened such as a tech issue, but the festival and roadworks are being a pain and now that Leith Street is open again, all buses are going via there instead of Regent Road, so more buses on London Road again and as there is that gyratory the traffic is getting caught up, including the 35.

As for Dalkeith Road, correct me if I am wrong but there is a bus lane that runs that road for a large portion up to the RIE.

I often hear the drivers at change over mention Easter Road and that gyratory system being the cause of delays.
True, the 400 does run through the ERI, but also gives Ferniehill, Frogston, Oxgangs and Wester Hailes a direct link to Airport.
To be honest it has been a while since I've actually been up Dalkeith Rd to ERI , so you could well be correct in saying there are bus lanes/Greenway out there. My point was that the extra mileage from Cameron Toll to ERI could potentially cause more issues that outweigh the benefits of running the 300 there.

I think the bus that disappeared from the Tracker actually ran to Riccarton, but as "out of service" only dropping off existing passengers and not picking up waiting passengers, I've seen this done before, albeit with the 300, when buses were running close together and one of them being very late running.

 

[Darklord8899]

Or just go back to the way it was before as it worked then, with the 35... renumbered to 300...

To be honest I think thers is a need for the 300 and one that heads up that way too. So many people going to Cameron Toll for example would need to get on a 3, 33, etc which all go via city centre which is always busy no matter when, but the 300 goes via Chalmers Hospital, Surgeons Hall and Southside. It's a time saver and to be honest, it's a great direct link for folks who live in the Slateford - Lauriston Place corridor.

I think the question I ask is if there is any real point to the 35. I mean it's pretty much a mirror of the 300 from Napier on Calder Road to Forrest Road with the 34 also mirroring a good portion of that too.

I suspect it (the new 35) is trying to reduce the local loadings away from the 300, to give it a better chance of keeping time. Leith is a popular student area, I have seen many a old 35/300 uplifting 20+ students at Sighthill around the 3pm to 4 pm time, now I can't say where they are all going, but Napier has student accommodation at Slateford and Fountainpark (above and behind Sainsbury's), which are on the 300 route and I dare say some will be going to/from Leith

 

[kje7812]

As a 34 user (fountainbridge to Heriot-Watt every weekday), lots of students get the 34 from Fountainpark/slateford to Napier at Sighthill and to Heriot-Watt. The 35/300 helps relieve the pressure on the 34 as far as sighthill. Also quite a few get the 34 to Calder view for Skyes and BAM in the bit between the by-pass and the canal.
So the new 35 should help spread the loadings a bit more. But the real test will be when term starts again.
Incidentally, I've got the 35 home yesterday and today and the loadings have comparable to the 34 the previous few weeks.

 

[route101]

Anyone know where they stock ECB timetables? They dont seem to have them at the bus station or waverley travel shop . i should of asked !

 

[overthewater]

Anyone know where they stock ECB timetables? They dont seem to have them at the bus station or waverley travel shop . i should of asked !

Have there still NOT turned up yet? Both places do stock them. However Lothian seem to be having trouble stocking the timetables. Wow ECB has turned into First, No timetables...

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

I went in to both Hanover Street and Waverley Bridge on Friday and the only one that wasn't there was the 33 which didn't change anyway, ECB booklets are stocked it's just they run out quite quickly and then they don't fill them up again (probably because they'd require filling more than once in a day)

 

[overthewater]

I went in to both Hanover Street and Waverley Bridge on Friday and the only one that wasn't there was the 33 which didn't change anyway, ECB booklets are stocked it's just they run out quite quickly and then they don't fill them up again (probably because they'd require filling more than once in a day)

Have you SEEN the new timetables booklets? there was a guy refilling the Waverly bridge stand every every 30mins..... Hanover street couldn't give a monkey and still had old one out on display confusing more passengers..

 

[Steamysandy]

My son got the ECB timetables and LRT timetables such as he wanted on Monday at Hanover Street

 

[route101]

I went in to both Hanover Street and Waverley Bridge on Friday and the only one that wasn't there was the 33 which didn't change anyway, ECB booklets are stocked it's just they run out quite quickly and then they don't fill them up again (probably because they'd require filling more than once in a day)

I should of asked , same with route maps they never put them out ,

 

[TheEastCoaster]

I don’t see the new 300 lasting long. I used it today from Fountainpark to Cameron Toll and there was a grand total of 6 people on it. Don’t know about anyone else but I think it comes to very messy/abrupt ending. It’s like their terminating it there just because they don’t have anywhere else to. What about extending it into Midlothian or East Lothian via the Fort/A1. Would be nice to see the counties included in all these new airport routes

It’s only been 4 days, personally as stated above by others I think the 300 change makes sense, giving the amount of residents in Southside/Newington it gives them new links to Slateford and the airport. Honestly at this point there’s 4 airport services, I think that’s plenty from Lothian, maybe overtime the 400 will run as late as the 200/300 if enough demand asks for it. I hope so since 2 years ago the 18 was at a pretty weak stage and it’s changed so much as a service it’s actually amazing, the locals who use it should be lucky, anything can be possible.

As for extending it to the county I think linking with the 400 is easy enough giving it runs via the Rie - Fairmilehead corridor, plus folk from East Lothian can take the 30/106 to the fort and catch it there! a crazy thought I had is how about extending the 400 to Eastfield? to provide a link between Brunstane and Fort Kinnaird and onwards, I doubt it’ll Happen but i’ve seen crazier

 

[route101]

The 400 out to East or Midlothian would be quite a long route , the 400 terminates just outside the fort.

 

[Edirim]

Goodness me...extending the 400 to East Lothian is bonkers - the route takes long enough as it is. Also extending the 300 to the ERI would provide very little custom for what would require an extra bus (as has been said I think?).


The most logical way for East Lothian (and Midlothian) to be served would be through a Musselburgh -Whitecraig - Dalkeith - Bonnyrigg - Lasswade - Loanhead - Straiton P&R - (bypass) - Gogarburn and so forth route surely?
Yes, the bypass is a no go area but if the councils got their act together with that orbital bus route then it might be more feasible!

 

[Darklord8899]

....make one lane of the bypass a Greenway from A1 all the way to Gogar .....problem solved....

 

[sam120]

The most logical way for East Lothian (and Midlothian) to be served would be through a Musselburgh -Whitecraig - Dalkeith - Bonnyrigg - Lasswade - Loanhead - Straiton P&R - (bypass) - Gogarburn and so forth route surely?
Yes, the bypass is a no go area but if the councils got their act together with that orbital bus route then it might be more feasible!

Then again, you could make the 140 every hour and have it alternate with that. I live in Bonnyrigg, but it’s not something I’d use to the airport per say, but I think locals would welcome the link from East/Midlothian into the retail park would be welcomed. Just like the old 142 days with first. Haha

 

[sam120]

49s appear to be using deckers today. Anybody know why?

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

49s appear to be using deckers today. Anybody know why?

I'd imagine it's extra Fringe capacity, The 15 also has Deckers out today too, this used to happen a lot on Sundays during the Fringe and sometimes at Christmas on the likes of the 19 and 47 prior to getting the Sunday Deckers back last week

 

[TheEastCoaster]

I’ve noticed the 300 seems to miss the stop at Cameron Toll (Costa/McDonald’s) Before Lady Road as i was trying to board the 300 the other day but it ignored the stop and today I just saw it fly by, the screen already said Airport and I was assured that it definitely stops there before hearing back through Southside

Also the one way system in Abbeyhill really bites, i hope it returns to normal soon as the number 1 to clermiston seems to take ages to get out of Easter Road

 

[317 forever]

You are correct in that tridents are unlikely to be seen at the weekends. Monday to Friday you would also see a few of these appearing on routes 25 and 44.

It was actually just Sundays I doubted any Tridents would operate. I did ride one on my Saturday in Edinburgh, May 26th. Maybe it is central Edinburgh that only sees them Monday-Friday.

 

[route101]

49s appear to be using deckers today. Anybody know why?

I thought there was a low bridge somewhere that prevented deckers.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

I thought there was a low bridge somewhere that prevented deckers.

Nope defo isn't, it ran with deckers for almost 4 years until converted back to singles in February

 

[route101]

Nope defo isn't, it ran with deckers for almost 4 years until converted back to singles in February

Maybe im getting mixed up with the 29 , one of these routes was always a single . The 49 i caught last week was a eclipse

 

[Darklord8899]

Maybe im getting mixed up with the 29 , one of these routes was always a single . The 49 i caught last week was a eclipse

29 uses Deckers as well.

I think the only route left that has to be single deckers is the 38 (low bridge at Balgreen).
Maybe the 30 as well, never seen a Decker on the 30, but I think the only low bridge on that route was at
Newcraighall, which I believe was removed a while back?

 

[alexf380]

Nope, still a low bridge at Newcraighall station. There was a lot of work in the area a few years ago, but that was to remove a structure further up the road in connection with house building.

 

[Darklord8899]

Nope, still a low bridge at Newcraighall station. There was a lot of work in the area a few years ago, but that was to remove a structure further up the road in connection with house building.

Ah ok, I wasn't 100% sure, thanks for that, haven't been out that way for years and couldn't remember if there was still a low bridge or not.

 

[Lothian_Bus]

It was actually just Sundays I doubted any Tridents would operate. I did ride one on my Saturday in Edinburgh, May 26th. Maybe it is central Edinburgh that only sees them Monday-Friday.

I see although I think they are very rare on a Saturday as well.

The 44 is pretty much the only Longstone service that uses them now. Since the 25 moved to Marine and the 18 became the 400 they don't go anywhere else now.

The 25 at Marine still uses a few but they are definitely diminishing in numbers.

 

[Kernow Dave]

The latest fleetlist is available here to view:

https://goo.gl/ES1eEG

The pocket guide is out of date, this will be updated in the near future.

Feel free to share this as much as you'd like. I'm no longer in some forums so it would be nice to see it there and being used in my absence.

Good morning, I haven't noticed any fleet updates recently, are they still available?

 

[alexf380]

I see although I think they are very rare on a Saturday as well.

The 44 is pretty much the only Longstone service that uses them now. Since the 25 moved to Marine and the 18 became the 400 they don't go anywhere else now.

The 25 at Marine still uses a few but they are definitely diminishing in numbers.

The 21 and 25 normally have a few split between them but you're lucky if half of Marine's allocation is out in the day. A few do appear at peak times as well but only a few.

 

[Lothian_Bus]

The 21 and 25 normally have a few split between them but you're lucky if half of Marine's allocation is out in the day. A few do appear at peak times as well but only a few.

Yes can't be long till they have all gone.

I have made this point about the 44 before but at the moment it has around six 04 plate tridents operating on it during a weekday. It is now operating with several buses older than in 2005 (when 726-750) were brand new. It must be due an upgrade soon. Admittedly they aren't competing against a First service 44 anymore which was probably a reason why the 44 used to be one of the first services to get new buses.

 

[OmniCity999]

Good morning, I haven't noticed any fleet updates recently, are they still available?

Ive taken a step back from the fleetlist due to work and the ever changing status of the fleet. in the next few weeks there will be an update

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Yes can't be long till they have all gone.

I have made this point about the 44 before but at the moment it has around six 04 plate tridents operating on it during a weekday. It is now operating with several buses older than in 2005 (when 726-750) were brand new. It must be due an upgrade soon. Admittedly they aren't competing against a First service 44 anymore which was probably a reason why the 44 used to be one of the first services to get new buses.

It may well be that it gets some of the ADL stuff which is due around Christmas/Early 2019. I believe the order is mostly Single Decks but there are a small number of Doubles in it. Don't forget the 31 will be getting new stuff by the end of the year as they've said all routes running along the Zoo corridor will be Euro VI by the end of the year from which it is the only one left to upgrade. Apparently another 20 B5LH Gemini3's are due at somepoint so I'd expect one of these two or the 25 to get them

Anyone clued up as to what the full order of ADL stuff is and where it is going along with any other new orders from Wrightbus and others? I've only heard rumours recently