McGill's Buses - Renfrewshire & Inverclyde

[Volvodart]

Subsequently registered:-

• PM0000015/321 Registered​

  MCGILL'S BUS SERVICE LTD
  Route: Inchinnan Bus Depot, Greenock Road to Erskine, North Barr or Sempill Avenue or Bargarran
  Service number: 23D
  Service type: Normal Stopping
  Effective date: 13 Nov 2021

• PM0000015/320 Registered​

  MCGILL'S BUS SERVICE LTD
  Route: Erskine, North Barr or Sempil Avenue or Bargarran to Glasgow Hope Street or Buchanan Street
  Service number: 23 (X23, 23A)
  Service type: Normal Stopping
  Effective date: 13 Nov 2021

 

[Scotrail314209]

Subsequently registered:-

Do we think this might be service alterations for COP26?

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

What on earth, why the regular 23?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Oct 2021 ==

There’s going to be a lot of annoyed people as I believe the 23 also serves the QEUH?

Yeah and I have looked back at othe notices and proceedings I don't see a replacement service it's a wierd one as the 23 /x23 always seem busy

 

[Stan Drews]

What on earth, why the regular 23?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Oct 2021 ==

There’s going to be a lot of annoyed people as I believe the 23 also serves the QEUH?

It’s just the XP23 that is formally being deregistered. It hasn’t run since August last year, with the X23 providing the AM peak service since then.
The 23 and the X23 currently interwork, but they are being split, so that the last of the new batch of electric buses can operate the 23 workings.

 

[Scotrail314209]

It’s just the XP23 that is formally being deregistered. It hasn’t run since August last year, with the X23 providing the AM peak service since then.
The 23 and the X23 currently interwork, but they are being split, so that the last of the new batch of electric buses can operate the 23 workings.

So what’s going to go on the X23 in its place? Citaros?

 

[KGGXXXY]

So what’s going to go on the X23 in its place? Citaros?

I would assume the ADL Enviro 200MMC that on run on it currently would stay on the x23, a few of them branded as such: see photo on Flickr below (photo by Busman Scotland)

4200 YX19OTA McGill’s, Greenock

McGill’s 4200 (YX19 OTA) is one of 26 new AD E20D/AD Enviro200’s. Some of the batch carry branding for services 23/X23 (Glasgow-Erskine).

www.flickr.com

*UPDATE*

Saw this today, didn't get a picture as it passed me as I was on foot, but found it on McGill's Twitter, Switch 38 Yutong with Green branding instead of orange: https://twitter.com/Buses_McGills/status/1447839016221556736/photo/1

Wonder if they plan on all electric for the 38 eventually, maybe cascading the Citaros to X23 as Scotrail314209 questioned.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Currently on one of the new Yutongs for the 38. Fresh smell and very quick. However we did just get a warning light on the dashboard as the emergency exit door somehow opened slightly.

Couldn’t make it up!

EDIT: The 38 will be going all electric and the 23 is apparently going Electric too.

 

[Stan Drews]

Currently on one of the new Yutongs for the 38. Fresh smell and very quick. However we did just get a warning light on the dashboard as the emergency exit door somehow opened slightly.

Couldn’t make it up!

EDIT: The 38 will be going all electric and the 23 is apparently going Electric too.

Yes, the 55 Yutongs will be branded for the 26 (5000-21), 38 (5022-46), and 23 (5047-54). The 1 ADL/BYD will not have route specific branding. Those for the 26 are all now in service, and those for the 38 began entering service today.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Does anyone know why the 17 is cancelled between the QEU and City Centre?

It seems to have been kept very quiet and done subtly. Is it because of possible congestion with COP26?

 

[Bwsbro]

The 17 was cut back to the QEUH since last year

 

[route101]

The 17 was cut back to the QEUH since last year

Strange, I'm sure I saw one in Partick a few months back.

 

[PaulMc7]

Strange, I'am sure I seen one in Partick few months back.

It was only cut back in their last set of changes. Driver shortages was the reason they said plus to be fair whenever I've seen the 17 it's barely had anyone on it.

 

[Stan Drews]

It was only cut back in their last set of changes. Driver shortages was the reason they said plus to be fair whenever I've seen the 17 it's barely had anyone on it.

Yep, cut back in September due to driver availability issues. It was duplicated by the frequent 77 between the QEUH and City Centre, so I suppose it made sense. And like you say, it wasn’t exactly busy!

 

[PaulMc7]

Yep, cut back in September due to driver availability issues. It was duplicated by the frequent 77 between the QEUH and City Centre, so I suppose it made sense. And like you say, it wasn’t exactly busy!

First starting the 77 when the QEUH opened absolutely killed any potential McGill's had on that corridor to be fair. I remember when the 7 was every 10 mins and pretty busy a lot of the time. It's went very badly since.

 

[sannox]

First starting the 77 when the QEUH opened absolutely killed any potential McGill's had on that corridor to be fair. I remember when the 7 was every 10 mins and pretty busy a lot of the time. It's went very badly since.

I was a regular 17 passenger at one point but I don't think the 77 had a huge impact. The 7/17 never served the hospital prior to the 77 launching (it got as close as First's 3 did) and only now goes that way.

I think a lot of the impact on the 17 has been the lack of students and workers around Charing Cross. It was always a common commuter bus for Paisley commuters who worked in the Charing Cross area, rather than walking for the 38. It used to have a duplicate around 5pm. Equally no Glasgow Uni students won't have helped matters. I think it also lost passengers when they cut it west of Paisley as people used to use it to the QUEH from the west end and out to Millerston.

The 10 minute service was overkill on it, I always felt it was a 30mins route through the day with perhaps a 15mins service between 7-9am and the 4-6pm. Equally the evening service has been cut which is a shame as it was used for people going to and from the west end. I can't see it lasting being a QUEH to Paisley bus, it needs to go back through the tunnel to regain those flows once things reopen.

 

[PaulMc7]

I was a regular 17 passenger at one point but I don't think the 77 had a huge impact. The 7/17 never served the hospital prior to the 77 launching (it got as close as First's 3 did) and only now goes that way.

I think a lot of the impact on the 17 has been the lack of students and workers around Charing Cross. It was always a common commuter bus for Paisley commuters who worked in the Charing Cross area, rather than walking for the 38. It used to have a duplicate around 5pm. Equally no Glasgow Uni students won't have helped matters. I think it also lost passengers when they cut it west of Paisley as people used to use it to the QUEH from the west end and out to Millerston.

The 10 minute service was overkill on it, I always felt it was a 30mins route through the day with perhaps a 15mins service between 7-9am and the 4-6pm. Equally the evening service has been cut which is a shame as it was used for people going to and from the west end. I can't see it lasting being a QUEH to Paisley bus, it needs to go back through the tunnel to regain those flows once things reopen.

I think it'll be something that will end up gone if it stays Paisley to the hospital unless they change the route. I wonder if an RAH to QEUH route for it would work. Covering 2 hospitals might help it but god knows.

 

[cnjb8]

4700 - LG71DNO

Seen through the doors at Inchinnan depot is McGills sole Alexander Dennis Enviro 200MMCev bodied BYD electric single decker I4700 - LG71DNO. To be operated on service 23 alongside eight Yutong E12.

www.flickr.com

McGills only E200EV has been delivered.
Not my photo

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

4700 - LG71DNO

Seen through the doors at Inchinnan depot is McGills sole Alexander Dennis Enviro 200MMCev bodied BYD electric single decker I4700 - LG71DNO. To be operated on service 23 alongside eight Yutong E12.

www.flickr.com

McGills only E200EV has been delivered.
Not my photo

Been in Inchinnan for a couple of weeks now

 

[overthewater]

Just before McGill's took over didn't Arriva revised the 17 to operate every 15min from the original 30mins and revise the route to operate up Byres Road past the Uni and down to the City Centre that way?

 

[Arriva Fan]

Just before McGill's took over didn't Arriva revised the 17 to operate every 15min from the original 30mins and revise the route to operate up Byres Road past the Uni and down to the City Centre that way?

The 17 was every 20 mins. Together with the 7 they provided a 10 Min Frequency Glasgow-Ferguslie Park. They did serve Byres Road.

 

[318266]

A few buses have moved over to Greenock from other depots lately, here's a rough list:

4203 & 4108 - E200MMC
3353 & 3355 - Citaros

 

[Strathclyder]

Just before McGill's took over didn't Arriva revised the 17 to operate every 15min from the original 30mins and revise the route to operate up Byres Road past the Uni and down to the City Centre that way?

The 17 was every 20 mins. Together with the 7 they provided a 10 Min Frequency Glasgow-Ferguslie Park. They did serve Byres Road.

The 7/17 was rerouted via Byres & Woodlands Rd in the November 2011 Arriva network review, presumably to better take in some of the prospective Uni traffic; this was shortlived as McGill's reverted to the original routing via Sauchiehall St in March 2012 (linked image from the haley111 Flickr collection).

Arriva Scotland West 6615 (N615CKA)

A rarity for one of these to wear the new Arriva livery. I caught it in Woodlands Road on the short lived diversion of the 7/17 services. Rerouted in November 2011 as part of the Arriva network review, McGill's saw sense and restored the original route via Sauchiehall Street in March 2012.

www.flickr.com

 

[route101]

Tried the new electric buses on the 26 and 38 today. They appear to have different seating.

 

[Stan Drews]

Tried the new electric buses on the 26 and 38 today. They appear to have different seating.

They do. The second batch have the ‘standard’ Yutong offering. The first batch were specified by McGill’s, but to have the same type in the second batch would apparently have meant a much later delivery schedule.

 

[Scotrail88]

Does anyone have a note of all the fleet moves following the electrics arrival? Presume the X23 is going to be Citaro operated now it’s split

 

[318266]

Going of memory of what used to be in on other depots but here is a list:

Greenock -> Inchinnan

Some drivers as they do not have enough

3323*
3325
3326*
3327
3329

8007
8008
8009
8041
8042
8043
8044
8432

Greenock -> "reserve"

8456
8471

Greenock -> Johnstone

3331
3332

8006**

Greenock -> Coatbridge

Some drivers as they do not have enough
2 Stratas on rotation

Johnstone -> Greenock

3351
3352
3353
3354
3355
3364
3365
3366

Inchinnan -> Greenock

4100
4101
4102
4103*
4104
4105
4106
4107
4108
4109
4110
4200
4201
4202
4203

Johnstone -> "reserve"

2403
2404

8441

Coatbridge -> "reserve"

7259

Coatbridge -> Johnstone

8445**

Other suspected reserve/withdrawn (10+yo not on since late Oct/early Nov when the transfers happened)

G0401
G0404
J2237
J2405
J2407
J6001
J6003
J6004
J6006
J6009
C2751
J7273
C7289
J7291
C7800
J8424
J8429
G8431
J8434
C8435
J8437
C8438
J8443
J8445**
G8455
G8472
G8473
3300-3319,3334-3339
G6906

*Shows as Ixxxx on tracker; has not done new depot routes yet.
**Still shows as C8445

The driver and strata rotation update is from a driver I had a chat with on the bus; essentially Greenock has more drivers than the other depots so loans some out, and some Stratas go to Coatbridge with them.

 

[Scotrail314209]

It's quite incredible at the rate McGill's have pushed the Yutong's into service, it seems they all just randomly started appearing en-mass on all the routes.

It's also impressive how they were able to cascade several buses at once.

 

[route101]

It's quite incredible at the rate McGill's have pushed the Yutong's into service, it seems they all just randomly started appearing en-mass on all the routes.

It's also impressive how they were able to cascade several buses at once.

Yes, what buses have been pushed out of the fleet?

 

[Flange Squeal]

McGills CEO Ralph Roberts has today been announced as the 2022 President of the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

CPT announces Ralph Roberts as 2022 President | CPT

www.cpt-uk.org

The Confederation of Passenger Transport has announced that Ralph Roberts, CEO of McGill’s Buses, will become the new CPT President at the end of January 2022, taking over from Jane Cole.

Ralph Roberts will bring to his role over 40 years of knowledge of the transport sector. Ralph has spent the past 12 years as Chief Executive Officer of McGill’s Buses where he is responsible for running Scotland’s largest zero emission bus fleet and leading a workforce of 1500 employees.

CPT Chief Executive Graham Vidler said: “I’d like to thank Jane for her dedication and hard work, which I know will continue through to the end of her presidency. Her leadership as president has been invaluable as CPT members have worked to agree the strategic priorities of the organisation for the years ahead.

“I’m delighted to once again welcome Ralph to the CPT team having twice previously been Chair of CPT Scotland. His extensive experience in the transport industry will be a huge asset to CPT.”

Ralph Roberts said: “I’m delighted to be stepping into the role of CPT President. Jane has done a fantastic job throughout 2021 and I’m sure she will continue to do so.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know CPT members across the country, especially those outside of Scotland, to help them to get the most out of their membership.

Jane will continue as President through until CPT’s Council meeting on 27 January and will deliver the closing remarks at CPT’s Bus and Coach Conference in January.

 

[Scotrail314209]

Yes, what buses have been pushed out of the fleet?

I believe the very old Citaros and the 57 plate Eclipses have been ousted by the Yutongs, (with the exception of a few I believe).

The Pulsars are staying as are the newer Citaros (so all the ClydeFlyer and 38 batch).

EDIT: Not sure about the Eclipses and Pulsars. The SF57 Eclipses are definitely going, not sure about the SF11 batch as well as the 10 Pulsars (YJ09 CVH - CUW)