McGill’s Midland Bluebird

[Observer]

No more big recycled rebrands for McGill’s then!

At least they got some new liveries out of him. Just need to see how long will they keep using them for before they change stuff up again. Still quite a lot of repaints in the queue for Midland.

 

[Volvodart]

Alex Hornby has left the business

Perhaps this is relevant to the above happening!

McGill's Bus Group Appoints Tony Williamson & Robbie Drummond to Leadership Roles New Appointment see Exisiting CEO Ralph Robert become McGill's Group Chariman

McGill's Group has announced new appointments and changes to strengthen its senior leadership team.

www.mcgillsscotlandeast.co.uk

McGill's Bus Group Appoints Tony Williamson & Robbie Drummond to Leadership Roles New Appointment see Exisiting CEO Ralph Robert become McGill's Group Chariman
Today Tue 30th Jul 2024

McGill’s Group, the UK’s largest independent bus operator, has announced new appointments and changes to strengthen its senior leadership team.

Ralph Roberts, current CEO, has been appointed as McGill’s Group’s new Chairman, assuming the role from co-owner James Easdale who remains as a director alongside his brother, Sandy.

Tony Williamson has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the group. Tony enjoys a wealth of experience in public transport across nearly 40 years in the sector. Over the last decade he has worked in Asia and South America across a number of chief executive roles following 17 years in MD positions with Arriva Group.

With a reputation for driving business growth and delivering results, Tony's impressive track record includes spearheading several successful business transitions, transforming organisations, and driving profitable growth. His industry insights and thought leadership are highly respected and sought after, and he is a regular speaker at transport sector conferences and events. He has also served on several transportation industry boards, providing expertise and leadership to drive the industry forward.

Robbie Drummond joins McGill’s Group as the new Finance Director and Company Secretary. Robbie is a Chartered Accountant who in recent years has led and transformed transport and logistics businesses. After spells at KPMG, PWC, Thus PLC and HBoS, Robbie was appointed Group Finance Director for CalMac Limited where he was responsible for finance strategy, technology, bidding, contract management, risk, and transformation. After delivering a successful bid and subsequent transformation programme, he was promoted to Managing Director and CEO with responsibility for leading a complex and safety-critical business delivering public transport services across large geographies with millions of customers.

McGill’s Group said the appointments would strengthen the business for the next phase of its growth plans.

In recent years, McGill’s has expanded considerably from Inverclyde and Glasgow into the rest of Scotland, firstly with the acquisition of Xplore Dundee from National Express and then the purchase of First Scotland East and Bright Bus Tours almost two years ago.

The company has also developed a hugely successful partnership with FlixBus, the international intercity coach operator, serving destinations around Scotland and the rest of the UK, whilst Loch Lomond Travel – the group’s coach holiday arm – has enjoyed exceptionally high demand since its launch in February this year.

This has also been accompanied by substantial investment in modern vehicles, particularly its zero emission, electric buses, with over 100 in the group fleet. Earlier this month, McGill’s Group was shortlisted for an impressive three awards at the prestigious UK National Transport Awards 2024, including UK Bus Operator of the Year.

James Easdale, co-owner and director of McGill’s Group, said:

“This is a significant strengthening of our team and one that we have committed fresh resources to in order to attract Tony and Robbie to the business. We now have a wider leadership group and Ralph is looking forward to devoting more time towards our growth plans as chairman, and as I move away from that role, it will allow me flexibility in addressing key projects within the McGill’s business and within my wider family investments alongside my brother Sandy.”

Ralph Roberts, Chairman of McGill’s Group, said:

“We are thrilled to welcome Tony and Robbie to the business and it is a real coup for McGill’s Group to be able to attract two leaders of their calibre to join with us. Both Tony and Robbie have extensive experience within the national and international transport and finance sectors and this will enhance our ability to grow our business sustainably, whilst identifying new and interesting markets for further business development.

“I’m pleased to be moving into the chairmanship role which will offer more strategic support to the business. The day-to-day control of our group company will now be transferred to Tony and Robbie and whilst supporting future business development, it will also provide co-owner James Easdale time to concentrate on the family’s land and property portfolio although both he and Sandy will continue to have very significant input in their roles as directors.”

Tony Williamson, Chief Executive of McGill’s Group, said:

“After many years working internationally as a transformational specialist, I’m delighted to be returning to Scotland as chief executive of McGill’s Group. I have known Ralph, Sandy and James for many years and relish the opportunity to work with them again.

“We are facing challenges in our industry which will require serious action to ensure the best value for the customer and the public purse is a priority.

“I am well aware of the desire of some governmental bodies to gain greater control over bus services, but they must be aware of the substantial risks and costs to the public. Having considerable experience of both public and private bus operations, including franchised operations, it is clear that we need to work with decision-makers to understand the risks and implications that this may hold for the people of Scotland. My challenge is to continue to build on the strong foundation that has been laid in the quality of service provided by McGill’s Group and to ensure we are well equipped to handle whatever public policy challenges lie ahead.”

Robbie Drummond, McGill’s Group’s Finance Director, said:

“The bus industry is facing change and McGill’s wants to continue working with local partners to ensure the highest quality provision for passengers. I know from my time in the transport sector that McGill’s has invested heavily to grow from a regional business to become a major operator in the UK and I look forward to working with the owners, Ralph, Tony and the senior team to enable best performance, deliver strong governance and ensure future success for the years ahead".

 

[Swimbar]

Confirmation in a route one report that Alex Hornby has gone!

McGill's overhauls leadership as Tony Williamson takes CEO role - routeone

McGill’s Group has overhauled its senior team, with Tony Williamson succeeding Ralph Roberts at CEO and the departure of Alex Hornby.

www.route-one.net

 

[sannox]

At least they got some new liveries out of him. Just need to see how long will they keep using them for before they change stuff up again. Still quite a lot of repaints in the queue for Midland.

If they are smart they'd keep the current Midland Bluebird livery and get everything into it. It's a smart looking livery and a decent brand.

 

[DavidK]

Confirmation in a route one report that Alex Hornby has gone!

McGill's overhauls leadership as Tony Williamson takes CEO role - routeone

McGill’s Group has overhauled its senior team, with Tony Williamson succeeding Ralph Roberts at CEO and the departure of Alex Hornby.

www.route-one.net

Also note that on companies house, it says that McGills accounts are overdue too.

MCGILL'S BUS SERVICE LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

MCGILL'S BUS SERVICE LIMITED - Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk

 

[Megafuss]

At least they got some new liveries out of him. Just need to see how long will they keep using them for before they change stuff up again. Still quite a lot of repaints in the queue for Midland.

Given my experience of Midland Bluebird last week, I certainly wasn't getting a "Best Impression". Plenty of cancelled buses, late running and grotty town centre waiting facilities (granted, not in thier control) & the general feeling of a malaise / going through the motions. With prices which are not good value in my opinion.

It's all very well spending a load of money making your fleet look nice on the outside and having snazzy looking leaflets. But it only goes so far when the bus fails to turn up in the first place and you're left waiting somewhere like Stirling Bus Station or Falkirk Town Centre. Grim

 

[RustySpoons]

What I find odd about Hornby's departure is that it's just been announced 'he has left with immediate effect'. And that's it. No thankyou for his time and efforts with the company.

Same when he left Transdev, although there was zero official mention of his departure from there. And he made no reference to his time at Transdev either. Same with McGills. All seems very sudden!

 

[Bus9120UK]

What I find odd about Hornby's departure is that it's just been announced 'he has left with immediate effect'. And that's it. No thankyou for his time and efforts with the company.

Same when he left Transdev, although there was zero official mention of his departure from there. And he made no reference to his time at Transdev either. Same with McGills. All seems very sudden!

There was one in the official staff notice -

The Board thanks Alex for his passion and commitment to his role and wishes him well in his future career.

 

[RustySpoons]

There was one in the official staff notice -

Ah! I stand corrected!

 

[CSB0241]

Can we expect any service changes for Midland Bluebird soon? Since they were bought by McGills, they’ve been receiving changes every April/May & August, so some changes feel like a no brainer, especially down the Alloa-Stirling corridor.

 

[overthewater]

There is nothing planned for August and we have now entered the September period with Vosa. I doubt there will be any changes this side of Xmas, but I agree the Alloa to Stirling corridor should be increased.

 

[Stan Drews]

Can we expect any service changes for Midland Bluebird soon? Since they were bought by McGills, they’ve been receiving changes every April/May & August, so some changes feel like a no brainer, especially down the Alloa-Stirling corridor.

There are no major changes planned at the moment, although you might see some adjustments to timetables later in the autumn to further improve the punctuality.

 

[overthewater]

There are no major changes planned at the moment, although you might see some adjustments to timetables later in the autumn to further improve the punctuality.

I hope that includes the X38, mind you it could do with an increase to every 20mins on a Saturday morning. If it wasn't for those low bridges I bet it would have been a decker route.

 

[stevenedin]

Some StreetLites have moved up to Bannockburn depot from Livingston since the beginning of August. Does anyone know if these have replaced anything?

 

[computerSaysNo]

I hope that includes the X38, mind you it could do with an increase to every 20mins on a Saturday morning. If it wasn't for those low bridges I bet it would have been a decker route.

Is that just around the Edinburgh area, e.g. from Winchburgh to Edinburgh? I don't know how the vehicle blocks and driver duties work for the AIRX but could vehicles being added into the AIRX be ran in service as X38 from Winchburgh to Edinburgh? That would remove the dead milage of having to run from Larbert all the way to Winchburgh, and then from Edinburgh back to Larbert again.

I know people will want to respond to this with "but the bus is the wrong colour!" but I don't think passengers would care much if it means they can get a seat instead of having to stand, and I don't think passengers would care at all if it means they can actually get on a bus instead of it driving past because it's already full.

 

[overthewater]

Is that just around the Edinburgh area, e.g. from Winchburgh to Edinburgh? I don't know how the vehicle blocks and driver duties work for the AIRX but could vehicles being added into the AIRX be ran in service as X38 from Winchburgh to Edinburgh? That would remove the dead milage of having to run from Larbert all the way to Winchburgh, and then from Edinburgh back to Larbert again.

I know people will want to respond to this with "but the bus is the wrong colour!" but I don't think passengers would care much if it means they can get a seat instead of having to stand, and I don't think passengers would care at all if it means they can actually get on a bus instead of it driving past because it's already full.

Air express is operated by Livingston depot, and most/all the buses go out around 5am.

 

[computerSaysNo]

Air express is operated by Livingston depot

Yes that was the point, to avoid vehicles having to run from Larbert which is further away.

and most/all the buses go out around 5am.

Ah, so integrating with the AIRX wouldn't work then. I don't know how many spare vehicles Livingston has during the day, not very many I wouldn't think. Anyway this is very speculative now!

 

[trei2k]

Has anyone managed to try the Trossachs Explorer service yet? How are the loadings?

 

[route101]

Has anyone managed to try the Trossachs Explorer service yet? How are the loadings?

I am planning to use the service. Does mean connecting at Balfron and Callander Hopefully it gets extended to Stirling and Glasgow in future.

 

[roadierway77]

Has anyone managed to try the Trossachs Explorer service yet? How are the loadings?

I used it last week. I took a single trip from Callander to Balfron in the early afternoon. It was fairly quiet but there was a group of six older women on board who had done a return trip to Callander from Balfron on the Explorer and seemed to enjoy the journey. We were also joined by a couple of the volunteer park rangers who used the service between Ben A'an and Aberfoyle which was good to see.

It was fairly quiet overall and there was a high likelihood I was the only fare-paying passenger. A Streetlite is definitely not the ideal bus for the Trossachs Explorer though; it struggled a bit with some of the hills and it makes an awful racket on the uneven roads. The driver was incredibly skilled; the A821 is generally very narrow and he made a great job of passing oncoming cars and taking blind corners cautiously while still keeping to time. He even had the horrendous task of squeezing past a bin lorry just outside of Callander and handled it very well.

It's a relatively slow journey because of these characteristics which make the A821 not ideal for buses but the timetable has clearly been designed well; we kept nicely to time for almost the entire journey, even arriving early at Loch Katrine. The park authority has erected quality wooden signs indicating bus stop locations, marked with clear 'Trossachs Explorer' branding, a route map and timetables, which is a good effort on their behalf. I think it's an excellent scheme; the Trossachs has always been very hard to access without a car and I think it's fantastic that somebody like me who doesn't drive can now access spots like Loch Katrine and Brig o'Turk by public transport.

It's a shame it wasn't busier - we passed plenty of cars on the journey and the car park at Loch Katrine was almost full so there's clearly a long way to go to encourage visitors out of their cars. I agree that a direct connection to Glasgow and Stirling would likely help a lot; it's a little bit of a pain to change in Callander and/or Balfron though I can very much understand why it's been done that way. I also find it mystifying why the park authority advertises the service as running only between Callander and Aberfoyle when most journeys continue onto Balfron where there are more frequent connections to Glasgow.

 

[Stan Drews]

Has anyone managed to try the Trossachs Explorer service yet? How are the loadings?

I took a ride on it a few Saturdays ago, and it was very quiet. I understand that was fairly representative of the service so far and the subsidy per passenger is very high.

 

[overthewater]

If the service comes back next year, they would be better off extending the 59 every 2 hours from Callander via Trossachs Explorer to Aberfoyle. This would only require one bus but still give a decent service around the area.

 

[Stan Drews]

If the service comes back next year, they would be better off extending the 59 every 2 hours from Callander via Trossachs Explorer to Aberfoyle. This would only require one bus but still give a decent service around the area.

The current route isn’t suitable for larger buses, so that would be a problem.

 

[sannox]

I think it will take a bit of time to build momentum. It's clearly not going to be a huge money spinner, but given parking situation, it is clearly worthwhile.

I also think people are, somewhat sceptical of bus to bus connections and reliability.

 

[InOban]

Better weather might help. This so-called summer hasn't encouraged day trips to the Trossachs.

 

[Stan Drews]

The ranks of former First Volvo B7TL buses has reduced to just two with Bannockburn’s 2847 now in reserve. The two remaining examples 2853 & 2864 are generally confined to school work.
There are of course numerous examples of similar ex Dundee B7TLs still earning their keep, although again largely confined to school services.
Other recent fleet changes has seen E200 Classic 8023 return to McGill’s Buses at Johnstone, with Streetlite 0430 from the reserve fleet replacing it at Larbert.
Streetlites 0426 & 0431 have joined the Bannockburn allocation replacing 2847 (above) and Streetlite 0471 which is long term sick!
Finally, former First E300s 8490 & 8492 have been sold to Ensign along with VDL SB200s 6001/2/7/8, some of which briefly made it to Midland Bluebird after the acquisition.

 

[trei2k]

Thanks to those that responded in relation to the Trossachs Explorer.

Hopefully I will be able to combine it with a trip on the S60 that now runs every Saturday. Does anyone know if the All network McGill's day ticket is valid on the S60?

Hopefully I could do X10A, TE, S60 to Tyndrum, then return to Glasgow via rail.

 

[sannox]

Thanks to those that responded in relation to the Trossachs Explorer.

Hopefully I will be able to combine it with a trip on the S60 that now runs every Saturday. Does anyone know if the All network McGill's day ticket is valid on the S60?

Hopefully I could do X10A, TE, S60 to Tyndrum, then return to Glasgow via rail.

Tyndrum doesn't show on the all zones map. You'd think it should be fine, but who knows?

 

[trei2k]

Tyndrum doesn't show on the all zones map. You'd think it should be fine, but who knows?

Hopefully scanning it in Callander will result in it being OK. I will try it and let everyone know how I get on!

 

[matchmaker]

The only two routes that could actually use them at Bannockburn would surly be Unilink and Route 51/52? While at Larbert it could be a mix bag but I would say 3/4 and 38 to Stirling. It's a welcome boost for everyone, with plenty for everyone.

What about 54 & 57?