Bus News

Official word about the removal of bus services to Auchendinny:

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/village-cut-off-by-lothian-bus-route-changes-1-4267971

https://lothianbuses.co.uk/news/article/changes-to-services-39-40

Wonder where the next cutbacks will be?

A bit late in the day and I don't think they will get anywheree with this....just one of the "benefits" from 30 years of bus deregulation!

http://www.midlothianadvertiser.co.uk/news/auchendinny-petition-launched-to-save-our-bus-1-4274234

Does seem a ludicrous situation where Lothian will have 10 buses an hour zipping along through Milton Bridge whilst Auchendinny has nothing, sure I read its all about shaving a couple of minutes off the journey time to make the 40 a more reliable service.. Passenger numbers on it are not great but then its a village so the number of potential passengers is always going to be quite low...

A mixture of Groundhog Day, On The Buses and The Neverending Story is what this looks like:

https://lothianbuses.co.uk/service-updates/details/eskvale-drive-penicuik-from-monday-12-december

Will they ever finish the roads in Ladywood and is Rullion Road next?

Now delayed until the 19th!

https://lothianbuses.co.uk/service-updates/details/eskvale-drive-penicuik-from-monday-19-december

Fares increased yesterday on Firstbus so the X62 now matches the £1.60 of Lothian, bang goes the cheaper run into Edinburgh...

https://www.firstgroup.com/south-east-and-central-scotland/news-and-service-updates/news/first-borders-freezes-mobile-ticket

It's a pity about the rise in fares. However, since I started using Firstbus as well as Lothian buses, I have noticed that every time a Firstbus stops to pick up a few passengers, it is frustratingly slow. I notice that they have frozen the fares for those using the mobile app though. Anything that will speed up the loading of passengers will be a good thing.

More bad news for bus users in Pencuik as Rullion Road is going to be partially closed AGAIN for resurfacing work from 20th February.

http://www.penicuikcuckoo.co.uk/2017/02/further-disruption-for-motorists/

Here is the ideal song for this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf1WT8VEZxk

Rullion Road works to start on Monday 27th (allegedly) so time for that long detour all around the town and the joys of going up / down Cuiken Terrace

https://lothianbuses.co.uk/service-updates/details/rullion-road-penicuik-from-monday-27-february

It is goodbye to First Borders - allegedly due to the impact of the Borders Railway (nothing to do with high fares, old buses and unreliable servicves)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-39204467

http://www.bordertelegraph.com/news/15140955.Bus_firm_First_set_to_withdraw_from_Scottish_Borders/

http://www.itv.com/news/border/2017-03-08/borders-bus-service-sells-up-as-railway-impacts-demand/

Damn, I've been using them to go to and from work for the past few weeks and they have
been saving me a good bit on my journey time. Hopefully things will continue as
they are.

It is that time again when Lothian Buses tweak their services. This post on the Bus and Coach Forum gives more info:

http://www.busandcoachforum.net/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=249565&start=60

I have extracted the bits which apply to the Penicuik bus services:

SERVICES 15/X15 – ROUTE CHANGE

15 [ALL STOPS] PENICUIK DEANBURN – CITY – LOCHEND and
X15 [LIMITED STOP PEAKS ONLY MON-FRI] PENICUIK DEANBURN – CITY - LOCHEND
A new residential development is being built on the site of the former Eastern General Hospital at Lochend which will become the new northern terminus. The section of X15 route from Meadowbank to Prestonpans will disappear mostly covered by other bus services. “15”s will observe all stops. The “X15” remains a limited stop service within the city boundary at peak hours on Mondays to Fridays, although it will now observe an additional bus stop in south Edinburgh at Braid Hills Hotel.
On Monday to Friday mornings, there will be a reduction in bus journeys from Penicuik to the city from 6 to 4 buses before 0800. In the afternoon peak from the city, the number of departures is reduced from 4 to 3 after 1700 to Deanburn.
On Saturdays and Public Holidays there will be only minor timing tweaks in the Midlothian section to improve reliability. There is to be no change in the frequency or number of journeys. All Saturday and Public Holiday journeys will run as “15”s.There continues to be no Sunday service on this route.

SERVICES 37/47/X37/X47 – PENICUIK [LADYWOOD/DEANBURN] – CITY – SILVERKNOWES/GRANTON

Minor tweaks in timings to improve reliability.
On Mondays to Fridays, the 1902 from Ladywood to the city currently runs as an “X47”. It will be redesignated as a standard all stops “47” journey.
Saturdays - minor tweaks in timings to improve reliability. No change in the frequency or number of journeys.
An additional “37” added on a Sunday morning at 0526 ex-Deanburn into the city will see the Sunday frequency go to half-hourly earlier than now to match early morning Monday to Saturday frequencies.
The Sunday timetable on city service “7” will be adjusted to allow an easier interchange at Kaimes Crossroads for Midlothian shift workers travelling to work at the ERI.

SERVICE 40 – ROUTE CHANGE
WILL BECOME – 40 PENICUIK – DALKEITH – MUSSELBURGH – EASTFIELD

Minor tweaks in timings to improve reliability. Route altered in Musselburgh to avoid chronic congestion in the vicinity of Tesco store. The “40” route is to be extended via Bridge Street, North High Street and Edinburgh Road across the city boundary into Edinburgh to find a suitable turning point [loop layby at Eastfield at the eastern end of Joppa beach]. Sunday journeys will run Eastfield – Musselburgh – Dalkeith - Roslin

It seems that other bus routes are possibly being affected by the Borders Railway and Edinburgh to North Berwick route which is rather ironic since buses caused many of the rail cutbacks in the 1960s

Latest news on the Lothian Buses site about the April changes:

https://lothianbuses.co.uk/news/article/Lothian-Buses-Service-Changes

The new Borders Buses site is up and running as they prepare to take ovre from First this weekend

https://www.bordersbuses.co.uk/your-bus-service

More info in the Peeblesshire News too:

http://www.peeblesshirenews.com/news/15179021.West_Coast_revving_up_for_weekend_bus_takeover/

It will be interesting to see if they do anything with the X62 to compete with Lothian by having real Express services.

Just in case you though that Lothian Buses were bad for having so many different colour schemes for their buses!

http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/fleet/

Very colourful

Another bus diversion due to road resurfacing:

https://lothianbuses.co.uk/service-updates/details/windsor-drive-penicuik-from-monday-12-june

theys a diverting sign up starthesk thats no on the map

Just in time - "changes" to bus fares, timetables and routes from Lothian Buses coming in February. As you might expect, "changes" to fares mean increases with the single ticket going up to £1.70. The 40 service is being scrapped and will be replaced with an East Coast Buses service number 140 (hmm, that number sounds familiar)

More info on the website:

https://lothianbuses.co.uk/news/article/changes-to-our-services-from-25-february

https://eastcoastbuses.co.uk/improvements-to-our-bus-services/

Wonder if Border Buses and Stagecoach will follow and increase the fares as well...

Changes to the Stagecoach 101 service via Mauricewood Road from Monday 5th March as the road closes for the new roundabout to be built. Full details here:

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-26/02/2018-12:03:48:389&hootPostID=b72dccedbf1e929320937f88674dac46

Interesting artictle from the Daily Mail, bus v car in Penicuik...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5550087/Mother-son-block-road-right-way-dispute.html#comments

eejits mustae bin board yon day

Oh dear, I think some people have too much time on their hands.

Bus diversions in Loanhead next week and then Rullion Road resurfacing starts again!


https://www.lothianbuses.com/live-travel-info/service-update/?alert_id=0601bea4e6c53c06e27041938cc57fd6

https://www.tellmescotland.gov.uk/notices/midlothian/traffic/00000185588

Terrible how it is going to take 5 DAYS for the work in Loanhead while the Penicuik work will only take EIGHT WEEKS!

You couldn’t make this up. We had a 5km stretch of main road near us rebuilt in less than 8 days! And it takes Midlothian Council contractors eight weeks?!!