Scottish Citylink

[RomeoCharlie71]

I think the point that @route101 was trying to make was that M8 would be a more appropriate number for the direct Edinburgh to Glasgow service because that's the road it takes.

It was merely an observation, that's all.

@route101 was speaking about the 909 - which is far from direct, compared to the 900!

The 909 should be the M9 given your logic.

 

[Surreyman]

Would I be right in assuming that all Citylink operations are or soon will be 100% Euro 6?

 

[GusB]

Yes, my mistake. It was the 900 I meant - if you were to name routes after the routes they followed, M8 would be the logical number for that.

Either way, it's not something that anyone needs to get wound up about

 

[Jordan Adam]

Yes, my mistake. It was the 900 I meant - if you were to name routes after the routes they followed, M8 would be the logical number for that.

Either way, it's not something that anyone needs to get wound up about

Of course Bruce's did run an ill fated M8 service from Glasgow to Edinburgh in competition with the 900 a few years back in "revenge" after Citylink didn't award them any winter work.

Bruces, Shotts VXI 595 is another Lavante being used on the new M8 CityXpress services to Edinburgh.

Ex FJ57KGE

www.flickr.com

 

[Stan Drews]

Of course Bruce's did run an ill fated M8 service from Glasgow to Edinburgh in competition with the 900 a few years back in "revenge" after Citylink didn't award them any winter work.

Bruces, Shotts VXI 595 is another Lavante being used on the new M8 CityXpress services to Edinburgh.

Ex FJ57KGE

www.flickr.com

The original Megabus M8 was the Glasgow - Edinburgh service.

 

[Stena Galloway]

The original Megabus M8 was the Glasgow - Edinburgh

I'm pretty sure if you book a Megabus ticket on the 900 your ticket reference number still refers to it as the M8. If you book a ticket on the M8 your ticket reference number refers to it as the M8A.

 

[route101]

I'm pretty sure if you book a Megabus ticket on the 900 your ticket reference number still refers to it as the M8. If you book a ticket on the M8 your ticket reference number refers to it as the M8A.

If you book via Megabus for a 900 service, are you tied to the booked service? I was looking at the prices, loss of flexibility for a few quid less.

I could be wrong but the 909s used to start at Cumbernauld. They are like ECS services that take passengers. At the moment I think the 909 ensures Glasgow to Stirling maintains an hourly service alongside the M8.

 

[Stena Galloway]

If you book via Megabus for a 900 service, are you tied to the booked service? I was looking at the prices, loss of flexibility for a few quid less.

I could be wrong but the 909s used to start at Cumbernauld. They are like ECS services that take passengers. At the moment I think the 909 ensures Glasgow to Stirling maintains an hourly service alongside the M8.

On the 900 you are as well just buying an open return if you want the flexibility. Megabus and Citylink pre-booked tickets are only valid on the service they are bought for. Also on the Megabus tickets you can't get on anywhere apart from Buchanan Bus Station (BBS) or Edinburgh bus station.

The 909 only started running to Cumbernauld to reduce the dead mileage of the Stagecoach workings. Before the 909 Cumbernauld depot used to run the 902 to Edinburgh. This left Cumbernauld and went down to Airdrie and Chapelhall before joining the M8 and following the 900 route into Edinburgh.

 

[route101]

On the 900 you are as well just buying an open return if you want the flexibility. Megabus and Citylink pre-booked tickets are only valid on the service they are bought for. Also on the Megabus tickets you can't get on anywhere apart from Buchanan Bus Station (BBS) or Edinburgh bus station.

The 909 only started running to Cumbernauld to reduce the dead mileage of the Stagecoach workings. Before the 909 Cumbernauld depot used to run the 902 to Edinburgh. This left Cumbernauld and went down to Airdrie and Chapelhall before joining the M8 and following the 900 route into Edinburgh.

I see, that's why I never book advances on the 900. Though on on routes to Aberdeen the megabus website is cheaper than Citylinks.

 

[Stena Galloway]

I see, that's why I never book advances on the 900. Though on on routes to Aberdeen the megabus website is cheaper than Citylinks.

The 900 is that frequent a service that prebooking a ticket I find is pretty pointless unless you are strapped for cash. Also at £10 return it's great value for money.

As the Aberdeen's are less frequent prebooking works. Generally you will find Megabus tickets are cheaper, the vast majority of tickets are booked that way. Most prebooked Citylink tickets are generally concession card holders unless it's on routes which don't sell megabus tickets.

 

[Blindtraveler]

The concession card booking process on citylynx website is awful. And the call centre has been shut for a year. I do hope this reopens in time for the summer

 

[Scotrail314209]

It impresses me that Citylink have been able to practically get rid of the majority of their single decker coaches in favour of double deckers in a very short time. Does this maybe mean the likes of National Express may follow suit?

 

[route101]

The concession card booking process on citylynx website is awful. And the call centre has been shut for a year. I do hope this reopens in time for the summer

The Citylink website needs an update.

It impresses me that Citylink have been able to practically get rid of the majority of their single decker coaches in favour of double deckers in a very short time. Does this maybe mean the likes of National Express may follow suit?

I much prefer the double decker coaches as it's quieter upstairs. The Panoramas are very nice, althought my only complaint is that the staircase is small!

There are still Panthers on Citylink routes, as I saw other day in Glasgow. National Express had double deckers on a few routes out of London. I remember them having Van Hools on the 538 Aberdeen to Manchester route.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

Parks of Hamilton are still using Elites on their contracted M9 every now and then. Do they even have Astromega's or Panorama's?

 

[route101]

Parks of Hamilton are still using Elites on their contracted M9 every now and then. Do they even have Astromega's or Panorama's?

They have new gold panoramas which I seen on the 900 this week plus their allocation for 900. Whenever I got the M9 in last 5 years its been an Elite.

 

[cnjb8]

It impresses me that Citylink have been able to practically get rid of the majority of their single decker coaches in favour of double deckers in a very short time. Does this maybe mean the likes of National Express may follow suit?

Citylink website needs an update.


I much prefer the double decker coaches, quieter upstairs, panoramas are very nice, only complaint the staircase is small !

Still panthers on Citylink routes, as I seen other day in Glasgow. National Express had double deckers on a few routes out of London. I remember them having Van Hools on the 538 Aberdeen to Manchester route.

The only deckers NX have are for routes from London to South Wales and Bristol
I think there was a severe accident with a NX Neoplan decker on the junction with the M4 and M25 that included fatalities. This meant NX didn't use double deckers until about a decade later.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I'm curious to know - what's the reason that the new Citylink Gold livery is now half blue and yellow and half gold at the front with largely blue interiors compared to the photos of the previous Gold coaches I've seen?

 

[Blindtraveler]

I remember reading somewhere on Facebook that National express were not particularly impressed with the performance of the the deckers on London to Wales services bought by the appropriate contractor. Remains to be seen if any of their suppliers, particularly stagecoach decide to put panoramas on any of their national contracts



The latest levante body shell is is quite nice, certainly from a passengers point of view and might be good to see some of these on on Scottish roots that don't fit or don't want the use of double decks, stuff running up the a82 for example

 

[Swanny200]

I always thought that the Levante was a breath of fresh air when it appeared, but they are ten a penny now and on the 2nd hand market have been used on Citylink stuff, also Parks do some NX routes as well as Citylink and they use Panorama's.

didn't NX try and make every operator go to Levantes only to find that some of the operators preferred Plaxton Elites? It also led me to wonder if doing an NX contract, do they specify to the operator what coach to use i.e NX Branded Levante or is it just as simple as number of seats and does that mean that if there is a need for a coach and a half of passengers, would the likes of Parks get away with putting a decker on the road rather than 2 coaches?

The NX Double deckers are basically double deck Levante's, the woe's about them are known about, especially from the driver side of it and complaints about the luggage storage causing injury, Plaxton's Panorama IIRC appeared after the NX double decks.

One big question though, which might be better in the NX thread, but what happened for NX to walk away from Plaxton, a company that they had used for years, to Caetano, was it money or something else?

 

[GaryMcEwan]

Parks have been using all over white Levantes on the M8/M9 quite recently.

Not sure if they are owned or loaned.

 

[Stena Galloway]

Parks have at this current time 18 Panoramas. 10 are in the yellow and blue of Citylink, 6 are in the gold colour scheme, 1 is on loan to West Coast Motors with the other Panorama still sitting in the depot waiting to go out on the road. There are 5 ex National Express Levantes being used on Parks own services which replaced 5 Elites which are now sold. 2 Elites are left in yellow and blue colours which will be replaced with the 2 Panoramas that are left. All Levantes are owned by Parks.

 

[cnjb8]

I always thought that the Levante was a breath of fresh air when it appeared, but they are ten a penny now and on the 2nd hand market have been used on Citylink stuff, also Parks do some NX routes as well as Citylink and they use Panorama's.

didn't NX try and make every operator go to Levantes only to find that some of the operators preferred Plaxton Elites? It also led me to wonder if doing an NX contract, do they specify to the operator what coach to use i.e NX Branded Levante or is it just as simple as number of seats and does that mean that if there is a need for a coach and a half of passengers, would the likes of Parks get away with putting a decker on the road rather than 2 coaches?

The NX Double deckers are basically double deck Levante's, the woe's about them are known about, especially from the driver side of it and complaints about the luggage storage causing injury, Plaxton's Panorama IIRC appeared after the NX double decks.

One big question though, which might be better in the NX thread, but what happened for NX to walk away from Plaxton, a company that they had used for years, to Caetano, was it money or something else?

The reason NX switched to Caetano I believe is because they won the contract for it, in fact I think it's up for renewal soon. If Plaxton win it back then that's a great win for them

 

[route101]

I remember reading somewhere on Facebook that National express were not particularly impressed with the performance of the the deckers on London to Wales services bought by the appropriate contractor. Remains to be seen if any of their suppliers, particularly stagecoach decide to put panoramas on any of their national contracts



The latest levante body shell is is quite nice, certainly from a passengers point of view and might be good to see some of these on on Scottish roots that don't fit or don't want the use of double decks, stuff running up the a82 for example

Not seen any new Levantes in Scotland (Yet). They do look good.

I always thought that the Levante was a breath of fresh air when it appeared, but they are ten a penny now and on the 2nd hand market have been used on Citylink stuff, also Parks do some NX routes as well as Citylink and they use Panorama's.

didn't NX try and make every operator go to Levantes only to find that some of the operators preferred Plaxton Elites? It also led me to wonder if doing an NX contract, do they specify to the operator what coach to use i.e NX Branded Levante or is it just as simple as number of seats and does that mean that if there is a need for a coach and a half of passengers, would the likes of Parks get away with putting a decker on the road rather than 2 coaches?

The NX Double deckers are basically double deck Levante's, the woe's about them are known about, especially from the driver side of it and complaints about the luggage storage causing injury, Plaxton's Panorama IIRC appeared after the NX double decks.

One big question though, which might be better in the NX thread, but what happened for NX to walk away from Plaxton, a company that they had used for years, to Caetano, was it money or something else?

Even McGills had a levante that I took on the 907 to Dunoon. Ex NX. I remember Parks using an Elite for NX work.

 

[computerSaysNo]

Parks have at this current time 18 Panoramas. 10 are in the yellow and blue of Citylink, 6 are in the gold colour scheme, 1 is on loan to West Coast Motors with the other Panorama still sitting in the depot waiting to go out on the road. There are 5 ex National Express Levantes being used on Parks own services which replaced 5 Elites which are now sold. 2 Elites are left in yellow and blue colours which will be replaced with the 2 Panoramas that are left. All Levantes are owned by Parks.

What benefits do the Levantes have over the Elites (ie why did they replace a single deck coach with a different second-hand single deck coach)?

 

[route101]

What benefits do the Levantes have over the Elites (ie why did they replace a single deck coach with a different second-hand single deck coach)?

I wonder if they are temporary.

As for routes up A82, they are Irizars and Tourismos.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

What benefits do the Levantes have over the Elites (ie why did they replace a single deck coach with a different second-hand single deck coach)?

I assume the Elites were at the end of their lease

 

[Stena Galloway]

What benefits do the Levantes have over the Elites (ie why did they replace a single deck coach with a different second-hand single deck coach)?

Levantes are a year newer, lower mileage and the Elites were easier to sell on. Levantes as somebody said earlier are ten a penny on the sales market just now.

 

[GusB]

This is the Citylink thread. Discussion of issues pertaining to National Express should be continued in the relevant thread. Thanks

 

[UK Bus Spotter]

The Citylink website needs an update.


I much prefer the double decker coaches as it's quieter upstairs. The Panoramas are very nice, althought my only complaint is that the staircase is small!

There are still Panthers on Citylink routes, as I saw other day in Glasgow. National Express had double deckers on a few routes out of London. I remember them having Van Hools on the 538 Aberdeen to Manchester route.

I’m not a big fan of the staircase on the Panorama as I’m quite tall. I prefer the staircase on the ex-Oxford Tube Van Hools as they have a wider staircase and I didn’t need to duck my head when I was on 50264 on Saturday.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Is there a price for a walk up single ticket on the 900 between Glasgow and Edinburgh? Don't really fancy using the outdated Citylink website to book.