Lothian Group discussion (Lothian City, Lothian Country Bus and East Coast Buses)

[danielhogg2005]

929 is in all over white with Lothian logo. I saw it a few minutes ago when passing Longstone garage on the 34.

 

[Bus9120UK]

929 is in all over white with Lothian logo. I saw it a few minutes ago when passing Longstone garage on the 34.

I had been told this was 930, can you clarify this is certainly 929?

It probably is, given that 930 did track at Central earlier. No tracking after that to suggest a move to Longstone.

 

[LothianBusesPh]

Alongside 926 which is at Longstone, 927 is now also in the Madder & White Fleet of the Future livery.

 

[LKF747R]

Unusual working of Marine Bus 489 on Country 72 showing on tracker this morning.

 

[LothianBusesPh]

Unusual working of Marine Bus 489 on Country 72 showing on tracker this morning.

That's not actually in service on a 72 but a tracking fault. It was on the X44 to 25 Marine rota.

 

[LKF747R]

I see there is a fault as it is now in Marine depot on the locator but still shows against 72 list in tracker.

 

[CN04NRJ]

Just saw a B7RLE headed east on the city bypass, painted maroon/white but still with an east coast buses vinyl on the back.

Couldn't see the reg, anyone know which one?

 

[computerSaysNo]

What does the green "bug" icon mean on the driver's dashboard? I've only seen it on the right hand side on the B5/400MMCs but it might be present on other types too. Thanks.

 

[LothianBusesPh]

Just saw a B7RLE headed east on the city bypass, painted maroon/white but still with an east coast buses vinyl on the back.

Couldn't see the reg, anyone know which one?

196 is away for repaint at Ferrymill so it could be that it's not tracking. 197 is another candidate with a frozen tracker since the 30th of January at Longstone but part of me thinks it's maybe too soon?
After looking further 197 doesn't appear to have a rear logo so it must be 196.

 

[Bus9120UK]

Just saw a B7RLE headed east on the city bypass, painted maroon/white but still with an east coast buses vinyl on the back.

Couldn't see the reg, anyone know which one?

Brilliant news. Utterly amazing. This debunks any training claims.

 

[danielhogg2005]

I had been told this was 930, can you clarify this is certainly 929?

It probably is, given that 930 did track at Central earlier. No tracking after that to suggest a move to Longstone.

I remember reading the Fleet number and it was definitely 929.

 

[Bus9120UK]

I remember reading the Fleet number and it was definitely 929.

Thanks.

 

[Graham Alexand]

I remember reading the Fleet number and it was definitely 929.

If memory serves me right, 929 was the only one to have retained the old Lothian Country logo?

 

[LothianBusesPh]

If memory serves me right, 929 was the only one to have retained the old Lothian Country logo?

Correct.

In other news Lothian has announced it carried 110 million customers last year. https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2024/02/110-million-customer-journeys-recorded-onboard-lothian/

110 million customer journeys recorded onboard Lothian''This strong commercial performance is a testament to our people on the frontline and behind the scenes''​

The combined passenger numbers across Lothian, Lothian Country and East Coast Buses reflect a positive year for the Group.
Lothian has today (7 February 2024) announced its passenger numbers have increased by over 17% from 94 million in 2022 to 110 million last year.
Lothian’s Managing Director, Sarah Boyd, welcomed the figures: “Lothian is at the heart of our city, delivering reliable, inclusive and accessible public transport for the hundreds of thousands of customers who choose to travel with us daily. We’ve been really pleased by the increased patronage over the course of the past year despite facing operational challenges across our network.
“A thriving public transport system is vital for everyone who travels around Edinburgh and the Lothians, and this strong commercial performance is a testament to our people on the frontline and behind the scenes, who day in, day out, strive to deliver an exceptional service for our customers.
“2024 is set to be a big year for Lothian as we look to grow our network to meet increasing customer demand, welcome new electric vehicles and charging infrastructure to our garages and continue to invest heavily in our people and the future of our business.”
Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “These figures demonstrate the commitment all at Lothian Buses have shown to get Edinburgh moving and our economy back on track again after the pandemic. Key to this has been that everyone in Edinburgh, no matter what their background, feels safe and at home in a Lothian Bus. Not only does Lothian provide millions of reliable journeys to passengers every week, it also supports efficient, sustainable public transport, and our net zero 2030 goals, the impacts of which will benefit the city for generations to come.
“Lothian Buses are part of what defines Edinburgh, and I will do all I can to support their continued success and growth as we get Edinburgh’s transport system ready for the future.”
The combined passenger numbers across Lothian, Lothian Country and East Coast Buses reflect a positive year for the Group. Other key numbers in 2023 include:

• 63 daytime services, 19 night bus routes and special event services
• 413 drivers recruited and trained by Lothian’s dedicated training team
• 100,000 contactless taps recorded in a single day in August
• 369,688 downloads of Lothian’s journey planner app
• 1,225,251 visits to the journey planner webpage
• 26.7 million miles operated throughout 2023

 

[stevenedin]

Correct.

In other news Lothian has announced it carried 110 million customers last year. https://www.lothianbuses.com/news/2024/02/110-million-customer-journeys-recorded-onboard-lothian/

That’s great positive news. Well done to those involved keeping Edinburgh and the Lothians moving.

Hopefully with the network growing, and the new buses arriving, there won’t be any buses leaving the fleet.

I hope that they will have the resources and buses to grow their network in West Lothian as well. I think that East Lothian seems to work fine as it is and Midlothian and Edinburgh could do with maybe some route tweaks here and there.

 

[A330Alex]

~89% of 2019’s 124.2 million passengers, although perhaps slightly skewed by some passenger movement to Edinburgh Trams given the extension.

 

[Blindtraveler]

It would be very interesting although absolutely impossible to see just how many of these numbers are attributable to tourists and visitors now, I would hazard a guess that it's past the 50% Mark in terms of visitor usage and a fairly enormous proportion of the remainder will be either home to school or home to work journeys in support of both the visitor and events sectors as the cities outlook and economy changes

 

[ScotRail158725]

~89% of 2019’s 124.2 million passengers, although perhaps slightly skewed by some passenger movement to Edinburgh Trams given the extension.

Yet am i right in saying that almost every route minus a few here and there operate at a lower frequency?

 

[Bus9120UK]

Yet am i right in saying that almost every route minus a few here and there operate at a lower frequency?

If you take the following link - https://www.lothianbuses.com/wp-content/timetables/2020-02/1.pdf - and change the number, you will be able to find the pre-covid timetable leaflet for said service. It would be fascinating if someone put together a table with current and pre-covid frequencies.

Taking a look at the 2 timetable, I have no recollection of this previously running at every 15 minutes. This wouldn't work at all now.

 

[roadierway77]

It would be fascinating if someone put together a table with current and pre-covid frequencies.

You're in luck - I put together a table comparing the frequencies recently. Obviously not directly comparable as some routes have changed and the trams have expanded, the 22 is perhaps most notable in this case, but still interesting to see how many services have yet to return to pre-Covid frequencies.

In addition, Railwaymedia has an excellent archive of all Lothian timetables going back around ten years or so: https://www.railwaymedia.co.uk/Timetables/Lothian/n-Wk2tPC

Route	Daytime frequency 2019	Daytime frequency 2024
1	15mins	15mins
2	15mins	20mins
3	10mins	12mins
4	15mins	20mins
5	15mins	20mins
7	12mins	20mins
8	12mins	20mins
9	-	20mins
10	10mins	20mins
11	10mins	12mins
12	20mins	30mins
14	12mins	20mins
15	30mins	60mins
16	10mins	12mins
19	15mins	15mins
21	15mins	15mins
22	10mins	20mins
23	10mins	20mins
24	20mins	20mins
25	10mins	12mins
26	7.5mins	10mins
27	10mins	20mins
29	20mins	20mins
30	12mins	10mins
31	10mins	15mins
33	20mins	20mins
34	15mins	20mins
35	15mins	20mins
36	20mins	30mins
37	15mins	15mins
38	20mins	30mins
41	15mins	withdrawn and replaced by 47
44	10mins	12mins
45	30mins	30mins
46	-	30mins
47	15mins	20mins
48	20mins	30mins
49	20mins	20mins
100	10mins	10mins
200	30mins	30mins
400	30mins	30mins

 

[paul47B]

You're in luck - I put together a table comparing the frequencies recently. Obviously not directly comparable as some routes have changed and the trams have expanded, the 22 is perhaps most notable in this case, but still interesting to see how many services have yet to return to pre-Covid frequencies.

In addition, Railwaymedia has an excellent archive of all Lothian timetables going back around ten years or so: https://www.railwaymedia.co.uk/Timetables/Lothian/n-Wk2tPC

Route	Daytime frequency 2019	Daytime frequency 2024
1	15mins	15mins
2	15mins	20mins
3	10mins	12mins
4	15mins	20mins
5	15mins	20mins
7	12mins	20mins
8	12mins	20mins
9	-	20mins
10	10mins	20mins
11	10mins	12mins
12	20mins	30mins
14	12mins	20mins
15	30mins	60mins
16	10mins	12mins
19	15mins	15mins
21	15mins	15mins
22	10mins	20mins
23	10mins	20mins
24	20mins	20mins
25	10mins	12mins
26	7.5mins	10mins
27	10mins	20mins
29	20mins	20mins
30	12mins	10mins
31	10mins	15mins
33	20mins	20mins
34	15mins	20mins
35	15mins	20mins
36	20mins	30mins
37	15mins	15mins
38	20mins	20mins
41	15mins	withdrawn and replaced by 47
44	10mins	12mins
45	30mins	30mins
46	-	30mins
47	15mins	20mins
48	20mins	30mins
49	20mins	20mins
100	10mins	10mins
200	30mins	30mins
400	30mins	30mins

Good list. The 38 is currently every 30 minutes. The 23 and 27 were every 12 minutes in the 1990s, so the current 20 minute frequency is probably the least frequent they have ever been.

 

[roadierway77]

Good list. The 38 is currently every 30 minutes. The 23 and 27 were every 12 minutes in the 1990s, so the current 20 minute frequency is probably the least frequent they have ever been.

Good catch, knew I'd have made an error somewhere... there's many routes that could greatly benefit from a frequency increase, the 38 being one of them, the 3 and 25 come to mind as well.

 

[overthewater]

I take it were now looking towards the Easter period before any chance might happen with Lothian county services?

 

[DunsBus]

Good list. The 38 is currently every 30 minutes. The 23 and 27 were every 12 minutes in the 1990s, so the current 20 minute frequency is probably the least frequent they have ever been.

At one time in the early 1990s the 23 was running every six minutes, in response to SMT's C23 which ran every 12min. It was more or less to prevent SMT from taking layover on Balcarres Street.

From 1995 to 2000 the 23 and 37 had a combined Monday-Friday daytime 10min frequency between Goldenacre and Morningside with Trinity and Granton each being served every 20min. On Saturdays, the 37 didn't run so Trinity was served every 15min.

 

[ScotRail158725]

Good catch, knew I'd have made an error somewhere... there's many routes that could greatly benefit from a frequency increase, the 38 being one of them, the 3 and 25 come to mind as well.

3 and 25 should never have been reduced in the first place. 31 aswell

 

[LothianBusesPh]

3 and 25 should never have been reduced in the first place. 31 aswell

I think an increase for the Service 31 should be at the utmost priority. 1063-1127 shouldn't be used on the 31 but rather on routes that actually need it. The Service 3 and 25 should also be a priority for Longstone and the Service 26 because even when there's 5 buses in a row, they can still be full near the terminus.

Those would be my priority anyway.

 

[stevenedin]

I think an increase for the Service 31 should be at the upmost priority. 1063-1127 shouldn't be used on the 31 but rather on routes that actually need it. The Service 3 and 25 should also be a priority for Longstone and the Service 26 because even when there's 5 buses in a row, they can still be full near the terminus.

Those would be my priority anyway.

The 31 is usually packed every time I get on it, especially at the city centre to Midlothian side.

 

[VioletEclipse]

If you take the following link - https://www.lothianbuses.com/wp-content/timetables/2020-02/1.pdf

Thanks for linking to this site, its a great resource.

 

[LothianBusesPh]

The 31 is usually packed every time I get on it, especially at the city centre to Midlothian side.

That's because the frequency was decreased, though. It wasn't as bad before the change.

 

[MasterSpenny]

110 million passengers were carried on Lothian bus services in 2023, an uplift of over 17% from 2022.

Lothian continues rebound with 110 million passengers in 2023 - routeone

Lothian Buses carried 110 million passengers in 2023, a more than 17% uplift from the 94 million customers conveyed by the operator in 2022.

www.route-one.net

Lothian Buses carried 110 million passengers in 2023, a more than 17% uplift from the 94 million customers conveyed by the Edinburgh operator a year previously.

The increase represents what Managing Director Sarah Boyd describes as “strong commercial performance” and prefaces expected network growth in 2024. Figures capture ridership across the Lothian, Lothian Country, and East Coast Buses brands.

Ms Boyd adds that the municipal operator is “really pleased” with the increased patronage in 2023 despite what she terms “operational challenges” across its network last year. The return represents a further closing of the gap to 2019’s usage figure of 124 million.

2024 will also see the arrival of further battery-electric buses and associated charging infrastructure. 50 Volvo BZL double-deckers are on order for delivery this year. “Heavy investment” will continue in the operator’s staff and the future of its business, Ms Boyd continues.

Perhaps equally notably, Lothian recruited and trained in-house no fewer than 413 drivers in 2023. Its vehicles covered 26.7 million miles over the year, while the business recorded 100,000 contactless taps on one day in August, saw its journey planner app downloaded almost 370,000 times, and recorded nearly 1.3 million visits to its journey planner webpage.

Edinburgh City Council Transport and Environment Convener Cllr Scott Arthur describes the patronage figures as demonstrating “the commitment all at Lothian Buses have shown to get Edinburgh moving and our economy back on track after the pandemic.”

Continues Cllr Arthur: “Key to this has been that everyone in Edinburgh, no matter what their background, feels safe and at home on a Lothian bus.

“Not only does Lothian provide millions of reliable journeys to passengers every week, it also supports efficient, sustainable public transport, and our net-zero 2030 goals, the impact of which will benefit the city for generations to come.”