Tuesday, 15 October 2019

Edinburgh rail closure in run up to New Year

Engineering work between Haymarket and Waverley between Christmas& New Year will affect all rail services into Edinburgh from 2200 on December 27th to 0430 on December 30th, and again on New Years Day (cross border routes). Services will be replaced by buses from Linlithgow, Falkirk, Dalgety Bay, Bathgate & West Calder. Some Virgin trains will use the Edinburgh suburban route as a diversion.

Lothian bus battle - the new X38

Lothian Buses next move into First's West Lothian heartland, will start next month, when they launch their own X38 between Linlithgow and Edinburgh- in direct competition to the long standing First route with the same service number. This will be in addition to the EX2 Coach service launched in the summer.

West Stirlingshire buses revised

First Midland Bluebird buses in the West Stirlingshire area are changing from October 21st. The basic change is that services from Stirling to Balfron via Kippen (X10) and Aberfoyle (X10A) will now extend into Glasgow. Both services will operate 2 hourly between Stirling & Balfron, combining to make an hourly service from Balfron to Glasgow. Check out the new timetable here.
At the same time there are reductions on the X36 Stirling-Cumbernauld-Glasgow service, which will revert to half hourly, and the 29 Falkirk - Bathgate service, which will now terminate at Avonbridge (with the exception of council funded early morning, evening & Sunday Services.
There will be changes to a number of other services from the same date. Check out the details on the First website.

Thursday, 25 July 2019

Stagecoach extend services in Forth Valley

Stagecoach are revising services across the East Scotland area from Monday July 29th.
Amongst the changes is Service 8 journeys extending from Valleyfield to Falkirk, providing an hourly daytime service from Dunfermline, quicker, and more regular than the previous Service 28.
Journeys on service 8A between Dunfermline- Alloa will continue hourly during daytime, offering a half hourly service between Dunfermline, Valleyfield & Kincardine.  Service 8A will also divert around Clackmannan, and also serve Morrisons in Alloa, replacing First's Service 60 which was withdrawn last year.
There are changes to express services, with X24/X26 & X27 all now serving Forth Valley hospital, offering 4 coaches an hour to Glasgow.
In the Stirling area, Service 15A from Perth, via Crieff, now serves the University.

Sunday, 30 June 2019

Stirling tourist bus returns.

Stirling's tourist bus service , the 1314, returns to service from July 8th-September 14th, linking the town's bus & rail stations with Stirling Castle & The Wallace Monument every 40 minutes.
Despite it's Route number, the service isn't serving the Battle of Bannockburn  this year.

Airth loses Sunday services

The council subsided F16 Service between Stirling & Falkirk has been withdrawn on Sundays. Stirling Council have replaced it with a Dial A Journey service operated by Order Of Malta, for Fallin & Throsk residents wishing to travel to Stirling between 0900-1700. F16 Journeys continue between Falkirk & Westquarter, but it leaves Airth & Letham without any Sunday Servivce.
Monday-Saturday journeys are unaffected.

Lothian's Green Arrow arrives in West Lothian

Lothian Buses coach operation, Green Arrow, have started two new express routes , from Linlithgow & Bathgate to Edinburgh.  The half hourly services run in direct competition to First Bus and Scotrail train services.
At the same time, First have launched Bright Bus tours, aimed at the capital's tourist market, currently dominated by Lothian.
The competition between First & Lothian has been building since Lothian began services in West Lothian last year.

Monday, 6 May 2019

Public transport changes from May 19th

Changes to rail and bus services between the Forth Valley and Glasgow & Edinburgh take place later this month.
From May 19th Scotrail introduce their new timetable, which includes faster journeys on the new electric trains. Departures from Dunblane & Alloa towards Glasgow are changed.
The following day changes to Midland Bluebird services through the Cumbernauld area, will see a new X35 service from Falkirk to Glasgow, hourly,  via Kilsyth & Croy, whilst existing Service X37, also between Falkirk & Glasgow will reduce to hourly. Meanwhile, X36 from Stirling-Glasgow will be re routed via North Carbrain, and not service Cumbernauld Town Centre. There's also a late departure at 2330 from Glasgow back to Stirling.
There will also be changes to the 38 Service between Stirling-Edinburgh, and on Service C12/A & 59 in the rural Stirlingshire area. New timetables are on the First website.
From the same date Citylink are enhancing their services from Stirling. The 909 Edinburgh service will continue back to Glasgow, and are retimed to offer an hourly service between Stirling-Cumernauld-Glasgow, alongside the M8 Glasgow - Dundee coach.  Both services are greatly improved on Sundays, each operating two hourly, which gives an hourly service between Stirling  & Glasgow.

Tuesday, 12 February 2019

Falkirk Bus station final closure

The final withdrawel of bus services will take place on Saturday, February 16th,
Although First Midland Bluebird withdrew thier services from the station last August, Stagecoach Service 28 from Dunfermline continued to use the stance, with 4 services a day.
However, from Monday, Service 28 will join other services, terminating at Vicar Street.

Cowie gets links returned in service changes

Cowie bus passengers, who lost links with Stirling Community Hospital, Cornton, Bridge Of Allan and Stirling Universitry, in last year's shake up of bus services in the Stirling area, will see their 54 service resumed, as of Monday, 18th February. The service, operating hourly during the day (with a break in the afternoon school run) , will operate direct via Bannockburn Road, St.Ninians.
Cowie will also get an additional evening journey from Stiling on Service 51.
From the same date, a new Service 55 will operate a peak service from Tullibody, Alloa and the Hillfoots to the University, with a lunchtime service to/from Tillicoultry,
Timetables on the First website.

Monday, 14 January 2019

West Lothian changes

First are making changes to their network on January 28th, including the reinstatement of a 15 minute frequency of the Service 38 from Stirling through to Edinburgh. Since August, alternative journeys from Stirling were terminated in Linlithgow.

Citylink 909 timetable adjustments

Citylink have made some timing changes to their 909 service between Stirling & Edinburgh. Early morning coaces are running a few minutes earler than before. The biggest change is to the X909 Service which now starts at Dunblane @ 0645, some 15 minutes earlier than before, running via Stirling, Bannockburn, Plean and Forth Valley Hospital before arriving in Edinburgh @0835.

Cambusbarron & Rural Stirlingshire changes

Council supported services C11 & C12 in West Stirlingshire have been changed to improve journey times into Stirling. The service had previously been amended to include Cambusbarron on the routes, which increased journey times. Now services from Aberfoyle daytimes and Balfron in the evening will operate direct to Stirling, then extend to Cambusbarron.
See the links for revised timetables for the C11 & C12