West Lothian buses

[CM]

Perhaps not the best choice of names as that would do nothing but confuse people!

And how easily it could be mispronounced as something else...

 

[NorthClyde320]

Perhaps not the best choice of names as that would do nothing but confuse people!

It was either 'Countycard' or 'Coastcard' but as only the Nth Berwick and Dunbar services terminate at the coast I went with County, I think peopld are confused enough already, a bit more won't do any harm, lol

 

[NorthClyde320]

And how easily it could be mispronounced as something else...

Yes, only just realised that, oops, apologies.

 

[Jordan Adam]

And how easily it could be mispronounced as something else...

... That is true!

It was either 'Countycard' or 'Coastcard' but as only the Nth Berwick and Dunbar services terminate at the coast I went with County, I think peopld are confused enough already, a bit more won't do any harm, lol

I think for ECB a "Coastcard" would be the better name, it would also tie in with much of the marketing used for ECB which orients around the coast.

 

[TheEastCoaster]

I think for ECB a "Coastcard" would be the better name, it would also tie in with much of the marketing used for ECB which orients around the coast.

I agree, it gives it more of its own brand rather than it being just associated as part of the TfE group, I would of went with something simpler like “Eastcard” for ECB and “Westcard” for LCB

I know im probably beating a dead horse by saying this but both companies are missing the mark by not working on ridacards for residents further out! ECB have a travelshop ib Musselburgh which to be fair does sell ridacards but only the normal ones, along with the rare Zone C/D ridacards which I’m still surprised after almost 4 years they are not rebranding under the ECB brand...

 

[Baileygirl]

First service X22/X23 going into Hermiston Park and Ride with £1.20 single, £2.00 day ticket and £7.00 weekly to Edinburgh City Centre. Competition hots up, will Lothian retaliate?

 

[Jordan Adam]

First service X22/X23 going into Hermiston Park and Ride with £1.20 single, £2.00 day ticket and £7.00 weekly to Edinburgh City Centre. Competition hots up, will Lothian retaliate?

I don't really see the point in the move, nor do i see it working for them. But it's worth a try i guess, i'm willing to be proven wrong.

 

[Baileygirl]

I don't really see the point in the move, nor do i see it working for them. But it's worth a try i guess, i'm willing to be proven wrong.

It will only work if it is advertised outwith their website. First has a habit of not doing this. I remember they done a express Christmas service a few years ago between Edinburgh and Livingston which no one new about. People were still using the shower services.

 

[Jordan Adam]

It will only work if it is advertised outwith their website. First has a habit of not doing this. I remember they done a express Christmas service a few years ago between Edinburgh and Livingston which no one new about. People were still using the shower services.

I agree, Scotland wide First can be very poor when it comes to publicity. The X22/X23 will offer slightly more direct journeys over the 25, but the bigger question is how are they going to get passengers to switch.

 

[scotrail158713]

First service X22/X23 going into Hermiston Park and Ride with £1.20 single, £2.00 day ticket and £7.00 weekly to Edinburgh City Centre. Competition hots up, will Lothian retaliate?

I might use this when I go to the ORIAM. Where did you find the information though as I can’t find it anywhere on their website?

 

[Baileygirl]

I might use this when I go to the ORIAM. Where did you find the information though as I can’t find it anywhere on their website?

It is on their website under news.

 

[Jordan Adam]

@scotrail158713 i've put the relevant parts of the article in bold...

First West Lothian are pleased to announce service improvements to its West Lothian network following feedback from Customers, Stakeholders and following attendance at various local community meetings.

The First West Lothian team has taken on-board comments and requests, and after consulting with relevant Local Authorities are making further improvements to the network which are detailed on the link below.

New direct links to Edinburgh from Shotts, Harthill, Whitburn and Blackburn introduced through new service X22. The new service X22 replaces service 701 on a much-improved frequency, as well as service 22 between Harthill and Livingston Centre. This means the service frequency in Shotts is now doubled with a half hourly service and creates the town’s first direct bus link to the capital for a number of years.

Services X22/X23 will now also both serve Hermiston Park & Ride every 15 minutes during the daytime on weekdays, meaning customers have a new, lower cost alternative on journeys between here and Edinburgh city centre with the introduction of the new £7 weekly ticket on this part of the journey. This is almost a third of the cost of a similar ticket with another operator.

The changes to the X22 and X23 routes means that West Lothian College will no longer be served by these services, however, the College is still covered by Services 21, X24/X25 and 600.

To make life easier for our customers and based on regular feedback received, all limited stop (direct) services to Edinburgh have been renumbered and made more easily identifiable with an ‘X’ prefix. The 38 service becomes an X38, for example.

Graeme Macfarlan, Commercial Director for First Scotland East said: “We are pleased with the feedback and continued support we have received from our customers in West Lothian and surrounding areas over the past few months and we continue to try to simplify our network whilst meeting the ever-changing demands of our customers’ travel needs.

“For example, Services X22/X23 will now serve Hermiston Park & Ride and offer people unlimited travel between the site and Edinburgh City Centre for only £7 per week – a real saving in comparison to other operators who offer similar tickets for almost three times the price. A single journey on this new part of the service is just £1.20, while a day ticket represents great value also at just £2 from Hermiston P&R to the city centre.

“We hope these revisions indicate our commitment to listening to feedback and further cements our long-term future in West Lothian. I look forward to further expansion and improvements to services in both West Lothian and surrounding areas going forward as we continue to connect West Lothian as we have done for more than a century.”

 

[scotrail158713]

It is on their website under news.

@scotrail158713 i've put the relevant parts of the article in bold...

Thanks

 

[overthewater]

There is some benefit of First going into the Park n ride as it will also give addition closer stop for the uni. So it could benefit WL passengers to wait in a nice warm area....

First really should divet the X24/25 via Ingliston P&R, and try and promote it for the zoo, parking is awful and there is no direct bus link, but if first went via there and did: £2 return to the zoo and kids go free, you could get easily get good numbers.

 

[Jordan Adam]

There is some benefit of going into the Park n ride asit also give addition closer to stop the uni so it could benefit WL passengers to wait in a nice warm area.... First really should divet the X24/25 via Ingliston P&R, and try and promote it for the zoo, parking is awful and there is no direct bus link, but if first went via there and did, £2 return to the zoo and kids go free, you could get easily get good numbers.

That's a good point tbh. I agree regarding the X24/X25, maybe also send in the X38 and combine them to offer a 7-8 minute frequency?

 

[overthewater]

That would make it every better for the zoo people. You can park on the red lines until 4pm but if you want to spend all day your in trouble. Could also take a good number of cars off the Road

 

[Stopper]

I have been a big defender of the EX2 but is there a reason almost every daytime bus is 30-40 minutes late? It’s absolutely ridiculous and I’m starting to think some of these buses don’t exist.

 

[Weemidi135]

I have been a big defender of the EX2 but is there a reason almost every daytime bus is 30-40 minutes late? It’s absolutely ridiculous and I’m starting to think some of these buses don’t exist.

due to running time issues in the morning and at night which will be fixed in the next round of timetable updates

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Do GreenArrow services appear on the TfE app yet?

 

[LiviCrazy]

I noticed Andrew Jarvis was on Twitter talking about an expansion of Bright Bus Tours in Edinburgh. Anyone know what the plans are? I’m guessing the numbers have been reasonably good for this venture?

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Do GreenArrow services appear on the TfE app yet?

Not real-time, just timetable

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Not real-time, just timetable

Not the most helpful then..

 

[Weemidi135]

Do GreenArrow services appear on the TfE app yet?

They don’t have automatic vehicle locators (AVLS) so they can’t be tracked by either public or garages they will hopefully have some this year when something happens

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

I would have thought the new Parkeon machines would have AVLs installed as standard (see: VIX ERG, Ticketer, etc.) - although I'm aware Edinburgh have their own separate system to the ETM

 

[overthewater]

Odd thing about Lothian system, it does NOT tell you how late the buses are....

I noticed Andrew Jarvis was on Twitter talking about an expansion of Bright Bus Tours in Edinburgh. Anyone know what the plans are? I’m guessing the numbers have been reasonably good for this venture?

Maybe a Glasgow tour? or livingston tour?

 

[Jordan Adam]

Odd thing about Lothian system, it does NOT tell you how late the buses are....



Maybe a Glasgow tour? or livingston tour?

Not sure i'd want a tour of Livingston (no offence...), as for Glasgow that seems strange too.

 

[LiviCrazy]

Odd thing about Lothian system, it does NOT tell you how late the buses are....



Maybe a Glasgow tour? or livingston tour?

He confirmed it was for Edinburgh, a second route I would think.

 

[Jordan Adam]

He confirmed it was for Edinburgh, a second route I would think.

He didn't confirm, someone else with no source confirmed on his twitter post. Although it most likely will be in Edinburgh i'd suspect.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Maybe a Glasgow tour? or livingston tour?

Take it you’re being facetious?

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Odd thing about Lothian system, it does NOT tell you how late the buses are....

Should be possible by taking the difference between the estimated time at the next bus stop and the scheduled time

The tracker on finlaysmith.co.uk gives the ETA at bus stops, so it's in the API. I assume the scheduled times are also stored somewhere in the data feed so theoretically should be possible...