Changes on Monday

The reorganisation of First's Falkirk network goes ahead on Monday, although Falkirk Council's intervention to maintain services which First planned to cut, will mean a reprieve, although passengers in Cambusbarron will find themselves without off peak buses, as a result.
First continue to operate the Service 15, Alloa-Falkirk via Kincardine service, at a cost to the council of £129k. Timings have changed however, with departures at both Alloa & Falkirk at 15 minutes after the hour. Stagecoach will continue to provide the evening and weekend service. This means both operators running buses in the 7pm hour from Alloa, and the council's paying for both.
The old Service 16, which run between Falkirk & Stirling via Airth has been rerouted at a cost of £145k, and combined with First's Service 59 to Callander, providing aservice from Callander-Stirling - Fallin-Airth - Carronshore-Stenhousemuir- Forth Valley Royal Hospital- Falkirk. The new route 59 will run all day.
The old tendered C16 from Falkirk-Airth-Stirling-Cambusbarron will still run on Sundays but not midweek, therefore removing 6 buses\a day from Cambusbarron.
Falkirk Council are reviewing all their tendered services, so everything can change again next March.

Falkirk services saved (for now)

It would appear that Falkirk Council have stepped in with a rescue package for the routes First were intending to end on October 29th. The council will pay for the services to continue whilst a full review will be undertaken. The review should be concluded in the New Year, which could see changes effective in March.
Amongst changes being looked at are diverting Stirling-Airth-Falkirk via the Royal Forth Valley Hospital. However, Service 15 looks doomed. Clackmannan & Fife Councils say there are no resources to subsidise the route in daytime (First want £129k a year), and furthermore see no point in continuing to spent 60k (across the three councils) for the evening & Sunday services.

see the Council reviews here

Citylink Winter changes

Coach operators Citylink, Megabus & Parks are boasting changes from the start of their winter timetables from October 8th. Included is a direct Edinburgh-Aberdeen hourly service, which will also serve Kinross Park & Ride, and peak journeys on Service 909 between Stirling-Grangemouth will now serve Grangemouth (which may replace First's axed X19).
However the winter services do see direct services between Stirling-Inverness/Oban & Fort William removed.

No train on Sundays

Due to engineering work, there will be no Sunday trains serving Alloa from this week, September 16th, until October 21st. This is because of bridge heightening work at Grange Road and Argyle Way, despite the planned electricification (which needed the bridges heightened) being removed from the EGIP Projects plan.
A replacement bus service leaving Alloa at 5 minutes to the hour will connect with trains at Stirling.
Further engineering work on September 29th & October 7th will mean no Sunday through Stirling & Larbert on these days, with bus connections to Falkirk (for Glasgow & Edinburgh) and Perth (for Aberdeen & Inverness)

First axe Alloa & Stirling services

First have announced that their Alloa-Kincardine-Falkirk and Stirling - Airth-Falkirk services will be axed from October from October 29th, with the exception of Council funded journeys on the Stirling route.  First recently lost the tendered journeys on the Alloa service to Stagecoach.
The cuts come just a week after First won the West coast rail franchise that commentators are speculating will cause financial hardship for First. They have already stated that the need to trim their bus operations in the UK to pay off a huge loss on their US operations. They recently closed the Dalkieth depot, and cut back services in East Lothian. More depots are likely to close.
First will expect passengers from Alloa to use Service 60 which was extended to run from Clackmannan - Falkirk via Stirling, although using the Wave service to the Royal Forth Valley Hospital for a connection into Falkirk will be a quicker option.
Places south of the River Forth, like Letham, Airth and Throsk will be left with no service, except recently introduced off peak hospital services.

First revamp Falkirk network - cutting Alloa & Stirling services

First are altering the network within the Falkirk area rom 29 October 2012. Full timetables will be available online from the w/c 17 September 2012 but detailed below is the summary overview.

Service 1 Dunipace " Falkirk - Maddiston
Service 2 Denny " Falkirk - Maddiston
The timetable and route for these services will be revised.
The route for service 1 will be revised to operate Hallglen " Falkirk " Polmont " Redding- Maddiston. The Monday to Saturday daytime frequency will be revised to every 15 minutes.
The service 2 will be revised to operate Dunipace (Barnego Road) " Denny (Braes View) " Bonnybridge (Highland Dykes) " Falkirk. The Monday to Saturday daytime frequency will be revised to operate up to every 12 minutes.
For passengers wishing to travel between Falkirk and Denny (Glasgow Road) they will be able to travel on the new service 19.

Service 3 - Falkirk Wheel " Falkirk " Grangemouth
Service 4/4A " Camelon Ochiltree - Falkirk - Grangemouth
The Monday to Saturday frequency of this service each of these services will be revised to every 15 minutes. The Sunday timetable will remain unchanged. More buses will operate via Camelon Tesco and a more regular frequency provided for Falkirk Community Hospital and Carmuirs Avenue.

Service 5 Langlees " Falkirk - Hallglen
The route of this service has been extended to operate Langlees " Bainsford " Falkirk " Grangemouth " Boness. The Monday to Saturday daytime frequency will be every 20 minutes.

For passengers wishing to travel between Hallglen and Falkirk they will be able to travel on the improved service 1.
For passengers wishing to travel between Falkirk and Callendar Park they will be able to travel on the new service 37.

Services 67/76/6A - Forth Valley Hospital " Falkirk " Grangemouth " Boness
These services will be withdrawn and replaced by the revised service 5 and the new services 6, 7 and 19.

Service 10/11/12 - Larbert Circular
These services will be withdrawn and replaced by new services 6, 7 and 14.

Service 15 " Alloa " Kincardine - Falkirk
This service will be withdrawn. 

Service 16 " Stirling " Airth - Falkirk
This service will be withdrawn with the exception of tendered journeys which we operate on behalf of the councils which are numbered C16. 

Service 17/17A " Limerigg " Slamannan " Falkirk
The route between Slamannan and Limerigg will be withdrawn for most journeys except he journeys which we operate on behalf of Falkirk Council.

Service X19 Forth Valley Royal Hospital " Falkirk " Boness - Edinburgh
First plan to withdraw both from the journeys we operate on a commercial and tendered basis from Monday 19 November 2012. 

Services 29/29A/29C: Falkirk " Bathgate " Livingston
There will be a revision to the route and this service will be curtailed operating only between Falkirk and Bathgate Railway Station. There will be connections available at Bathgate (including service 800) for passengers wishing to travel to Livingston and through fares will be available.

Service 40 : Falkirk " Redding - California
First plan to withdraw from operation of this tendered service from Monday 19 November 2012.

NEW SERVICES BEING INTRODUCED

Service 6: Forth Valley Royal Hospital " Muirhall Road " Carronshore " Falkirk
Service 7: Forth Valley Royal Hospital " Glenbervie " Antonshill " Falkirk
These new services will each operate every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday during the day providing a 10 minute headway on common sections of route. On a Sunday a 20 minute headway will be provided on common sections of route.

Service 14: Stenhousemuir (Lamond View) " Larbert " Camelon " Falkirk " Bainsford
This new service will operate every 30 minutes during the day Monday to Saturday and every 60 minutes on a Sunday.

Service 19: Boness " Grangemouth " Falkirk " Community Hospital " Forth Valley Royal Hospital " Denny( Glasgow Road) - Dunipace
This new Monday to Saturday service will operate every 60 minutes.

Service 37: Callendar Park " Falkirk " Bonnybridge " Greenhill
This new Monday to Saturday service will operate every 60 minutes.

Service X35: Glasgow " Cumbernauld " Falkirk
Service 901: Camelon " Maddiston " Whitecross
Service 902: Larbert Cross " Dunipace
Service 903: Camelon " Tamfourhill/Falkirk Wheel
Service 905: Camelon " Langlees
Service 919: Camelon " Boness
These new services will operate a limited number of journeys.

Any customers wishing to provide any feedback on the summary for the new network can do so by e-mailing marketing.scotlandeast@firstgroup.com
Revised network map (PDF - 39.28 KB)
http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/new_ser ... olours.pdf

Falkirk changes

Falkirk Council have reviewed their subsidised schools and service routes, and whilst most services remain, the operators may change from Monday, August 20th. First will take over services from Falkirk to Caldercruix (E20), Fankerton (E21) and Whitecross (E22). At the same time Stagecoach will take over Evening and Sunday journeys on the Falkirk-Alloa (15) route, as well as introducing a new X78 service from Dunfermline-Alloa or Kincardine to feed  the new service.
Due to the logistics, there will be duplicate services, with both First & Stagecoach operating buses from Kincardine- Alloa, and Kincardine-Falkirk early evening.
There is also some confusion over Falkirk Holiday Mondays. The Stagecoach contract with FDC covers a Sunday service on such days, but First have traditionally operated a normal service.
Watch this space.

Hospital routes change - new link for Airth & Kincardine

Changes to bus services serving the Forth Valley Royal Hospital will take effect from Monday August 20th, and will see the hospital linked to Kincardine & Airth.  The new H5 service operating on Mondays to Fridays will be introduced

between Airth/ Kincardine – Stenhouse Road – Stenhousemuir Shopping Centre – Larbert Rail Station

– Forth Valley Royal Hospital partially replacing service H3a:

The service will operate every 30 minutes during morning and afternoon peak periods between

Stenhousemuir Shopping Centre – Larbert Rail Station – Forth Valley Royal Hospital maintaining a

15 minute frequency service at these times between Forth Valley Royal Hospital and Larbert Rail

Station

During the daytime the service will operate every 2 hours between Kincardine – Airth – Stenhouse

Road – Stenhousemuir Shopping Centre – Larbert Rail Station – Forth Valley Royal Hospital

One peak period journey will operate in each direction between Airth – Kincardine – Stenhouse

Road – Stenhousemuir Shopping Centre – Larbert Rail Station – Forth Valley Royal Hospital

Additionally a couple of early morning  and evening H1/H2 services will be diverted to operate via Kincardine 

Rail elecrification postponed

Network Rail and the Scottish Government have revised their plans to electrify the Central Scotland rail network, which was due to be completed in 2016. 

Accounting for the cut in the budget, is the cancellation of the electrification of the Alloa & Dunblane lines, and presumably, the controversial marshalling yard near Stirling.

School bus checks reveal shocking conditions

Nine buses were detected by police to have mechanical defects so serious they were immediately put off the road.

The discovery was made during a five-day operation with officers from Central Scotland Police’s Road Policing Unit and members of the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) at Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling.
Sergeant Bob Murphy, of the force’s Collision Prevention Unit, said: “The buses were checked  while pupils were inside the safari park and those with the serious defects were immediately taken off the road. The operators then had to find an alternative buses to collect the pupils once their visit was over.”
The most serious defect was an emergency door which could not be secured shut.
Sergeant Murphy said: “The door was basically filling the hole. If somebody had leaned against it they could have fallen out and the consequences do not bear thinking about.
Braking defects, a faulty exhaust, oil leaks and a broken seat belt were among the other defects found.
Fifteen drivers were found to be working in excess of their hours or unable to prove the hours they had worked and were not allowed to resume driving until they had had a sufficient rest period.
Sergeant Murphy said: “Bus companies are given the responsibility of safely taking pupils to and from school and on school outings. It is extremely worrying that nine buses were so defective they had to be removed from the road with immediate effect.
“We want to reassure parents that we will do everything we can, along with VOSA, to make sure their children are traveling on buses that are completely roadworthy. We will continue to address this.”
Road Policing Officers also carried out checks on buses transporting pupils to local high schools. Six were found to have minor defects and were given time to have repairs carried out.
The checks were carried out between Monday June 18 and Friday June 22.

Council save Alloa Town Service 64

Earlier this month bus operator WAVE announced that they would be withdrawing the service from 3rd August. This would have meant that there would be no local bus service operating in several areas of Alloa on during Monday - Friday.
Clackmannanshire Council has decided to subsidise the service to allow the 64 to continue on Monday - Friday during the daytime.
Council Leader Gary Womersley said: "Our research shows that this is a well used service, particularly by concessionary passengers and we have received a number of letters from people who use the service who were very concerned when they heard that the operator was withdrawing.
"We were very concerned that WAVE considered it necessary to withdraw Service 64 and I am delighted that we have been able to step in. We want to ensure the most widespread bus services, for all of our communities and will continue to look at ways of safeguarding the interests of all of those that rely on public transport in the area."
"The whole issue of bus companies just unilaterally withdrawing bus services needs to be looked at by the Council - and if we need to have a complete overhaul of how the Council achieves best value for all bus passengers in Clackmannanshire - then we need to seriously consider this"
The Service 64 has an average of 730 passengers a week. In order to fund the continued Service 64, the Council will be withdrawing its subsidy from the least used service - the late evening C69 Alva - Alloa - Dollar service which has an average of 9 passengers per week
The C69 Monday-Saturday service will be amended as follows:
19:56 Dollar - Alva, will terminate in Shillinghill, Alloa at 20:24
20:57 Alva - Dollar withdrawn
21:56 Dollar - Alloa withdrawn

Causewayhead Road closure

Causewayhead Road will be closed between Cleuch Rd and Causewayhead Roundabout from Friday June 29th - JUly 5th. . During this time services which operate in this area will divert as follows:-

First Service 54/54A & 58/C58 will operate via Cleuch Rd and Dunster Rd to resume the normal route at Airthrey Rd. The same will operate in reverse.

First Service 60 , Stagecoach 23 & 78 & Mackies services will divert via the A91 and Forthside Bus priority route in both directions.

First Service 62/63 and Stagecoach 19 & 47 will operate via Cornton Rd, and Bridge of Allan.

St.Ninians Sunday diversions

Passengers are advised that due to resurfacing work on Sundays in July,  Weaver Row in St Ninians, will be closed between Borestone Crescent and Coxithill Rd. During the period of the road closure service 57 will divert from Borestone Crescent via Glasgow Rd and Barnsdale Rd.

Eastern Villages link to Forth Valley hospital

Fallin , Throsk & Cowie now have a direct link operated by Hunters Executive Coaches (for Stirling Council) to Forth Valley Hospital. There are 4 services Mon-Sat , two in the morning plus one in the afternoon, and one in the evening.

Bannockburn local reprieve

Residential areas of Bannockburn who were threatened with losing their lifeline bus service when First announced they were stopping their service 56, are now being served by WAVE service C48, an extention of the Kinbuck - Braehead service. The daytime service runs every 2 hours.

West Highland Routes return

Citylink have resumed their daily summer coach services from Edinburgh, grangemouth & Stirling to Oban & Fort William.

First changes in Forth Valley

First Bus are making a number of timetable changes in the Forth Valley area from April 2nd. The major changes surround the withdrawal of Service 56, which serves residential areas of Bannockburn & Fallin, and Service 15, which will now only operate during the day between Alloa & Falkirk.
This means that the Bowhouse area of Alloa wont be served during daytime. Evening and Sunday journeys will still serve Bowhouse, but evening journeys are cut too. This means the last bus from Alloa-Clackmannan, will now be 10.30pm, and not 11.15pm as present.
Press reports suggest that Clackmannan Council will divert subsidised Service 68 to Bowhouse, instead of Clackmannan. This leaves Devonway and Mercat Place areas without service (whilst First Service 60 buses sit in the Main Street for up to 42 minutes an hour)