First slash services across East Central Scotland

First have announced plans to slash services across their South East & Central Scotland division.
The group were recently released from undertakings placed on the company 14 years ago when they aquired Stathclyde Buses following an investigation by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
Amongst the cuts announced this week are a complete withdrawel from East Lothian, and cuts to services across the Forth Valley and Borders areas, although no cuts are planned for West Lothian.
Midland Bluebird cuts include complete withdrawel of Service 60 (Clackmannan-Stirling-Stenhousemuir), and Services 24 & X86 from Stirling and Falkirk to Kilsyth, and reduced timetables & rerouting of other services  in the Alloa & Hillfoots (62/63) and West Stirlingshire (C11/12) areas.
First stress that their plans are purely consultative at present, hoping that local authorities will step in to subsidise the routes,  But the changes will be effected from August 15th.
Falkirk Council are also undertaking a retendering of their services, so further changes will be forthcoming there.

New One way system shifts buses

A new one way system in Stirling Town Centre is effective from Sunday, affecting Station Road and Murray Place. As a result bus services will serve new stops on Gooscroft Road instead of Murray Place after leaving the bus station. Journeys toward Stirling Bus Station will use new Murray Place stops.

Forth Bridge traffic shifts west

The Forth crossings at Kincardine, and even Stirling, will have to take the extra traffic from the month long closure of the Forth Road Bridge. Extra buses from Fife to Edinburgh will be given priority along the A985 Longannet-Cairneyhill stretch, and across Kincardine Bridge, whilst extra trains arranged, are at the expense of Falkirk Grahamston - Glasgow trains and two daily Dundee-Glasgow services, which will be withdrawn,
Cars from Fife will be diverted via A907 (Oakley) westbound) and B913 (Solsgirth/Saline) eastbound, or A823 (Powmill).

Changes to first services in Wee County

First are making changes to their Clackmannanshire services 60,62 & 63 from Monday 30th November. From that date, Service 60 from Clackmannan -Stirling will have timetable changes, but the main change is the hourly extention to Falkirk, will now operate via Cowie  to Stenhousemuir Shopping Centre after Forth Valley Hospital.  It means that, after the F15 service was withdrawn earlier this year, there is no direct service between Clackmannanshire and Falkirk.
From the same date, the circular 62/63 services between Stirling , Alloa & Hillfoots, will be supplemented by new 62A/63A services between Stirling & Tillicoultry, which will provide a 10 minute frequency during the day along the Hillfoots. New (to the area) buses will be used on the route.

Bannockburn Open Day

The First bus depot at Bannockburn are holding an open day in aid of Prostate Cancer UK next Sunday, October 18th between 10am-2pm.
Lots of activities for the kids, as well as vintage buses will be there.
A half hourly bus service from St,Ninians, Bannockburn, Plean & Cowie will operate from 9.45am.

Extra rail services to London

Stirling & Falkirk will get a third direct rail service to London, from the introduction of the winter timetable in December. The new Virgin Trains East Coast service will depart Stirling Platform 6 at 5.26am, and Falkirk Grahamston at 5.42am, arriving in London at 10.50am.  It's not a completely new service, just an extension of the already run 6.26am Edinburgh-London service. The return 3pm service from Kings Cross will extend to Falkirk at 7.55pm and Stirling at 8.14pm.
This train is in adddition to the existing Highland Chieftain service which already runs through Stirling & Falkirk seven days a week, and the overnight Caledonian Sleeper Service.

More Citylink cuts

Scottish Citylink are cutting even more services from the Stirling area.
From November 23rd, their 909 service between Stirling and Grangemouth to Edinburgh is being reduced to every two hours, with one journey each way extending to/from Stirling University or Dunblane, The last coach from the capital will be later, however, now departing at 1915.
From the same date, the M8 srvice between Glasgow & Dundee will also be reduced to two hourly, although the gaps will be filled bewteen Glasgow & Stirling by a new direct service three times a day.
Further changes will affect services to Aberdeen & Inverness, which donr stop in Stirling, but can be connected via the M8 service in perth or Dundee.