McGill’s Midland Bluebird

[overthewater]

That is the ivory of all this, First in West Lothian was at its best come 2018, after years of issues as stated above and it was so short lived... To be fair well over 2/3 the complaints from the summer 2018 changes come from Craigshill, because they lost all the buses to everywhere else bar the Hospital and the Centre AKA no27. First agree to extend the X23 to Craigshill and Broxburn, and that allowed Craigshill to get keep its Direct bus to Edinburgh. However just like the current Lothian Country buses routes via A71 to Edinburgh City Centre, first only had 3ph, 23: every 30mins via Kirknewton and the X23 which went via open farm land along B7015 IE before Calderwoods was even a dream.

You still have to wonder who is really using the X27/28 from Knightsridge to Edinburgh since that takes around 90mins.

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

At one poibt the upcoming months (maybe year?) before Lothian Country Livingston depot was the most profitable in the whole First network

Was this due to the fact all vehicles where fully depreciated as they where so old

 

[Metal Mickey]

Was this due to the fact all vehicles where fully depreciated as they where so old

No, this was in 2018 when the vast majority of the fleet was 63 to 66 registered with only around 10 57s. Fleet allocation was between 70 and 75.

 

[ScotRail158725]

Was this due to the fact all vehicles where fully depreciated as they where so old

No other than a handful of B7RLEs, B9TLs and B7TLs the vast majority of the fleet was consisting new Streetlites and Envrio 400MMCs on 14-66 plates so no it wouldn’t have been

 

[Stan Drews]

The latest former First stock to go to Clyde Metals for scrap are as follows:
Volvo B7R coaches - 0602, 0603
Scania N94 - 1802, 1809
Volvo B7RLE - 2266
Volvo B7TL - 2856

Other buses to leave, which I think were last noted on Bluebird premises, are former Xplore Dundee Volvo B7TL 2831 and McGill’s VDL SB200 6008 which have both gone to Ensign.

 

[stevenedin]

The latest former First stock to go to Clyde Metals for scrap are as follows:
Volvo B7R coaches - 0602, 0603
Scania N94 - 1802, 1809
Volvo B7RLE - 2266
Volvo B7TL - 2856

Other buses to leave, which I think were last noted on Bluebird premises, are former Xplore Dundee Volvo B7TL 2831 and McGill’s VDL SB200 6008 which have both gone to Ensign.

Thanks for the update. Sad that none of these batches were preserved particularly the Scania Omnidekkas.

 

[Stan Drews]

Thanks for the update. Sad that none of these batches were preserved particularly the Scania Omnidekkas.

I thought someone had acquired one of the Omnidekka’s for preservation, but could be wrong?

 

[318266]

I thought someone had acquired one of the Omnidekka’s for preservation, but could be wrong?

Not something I've heard of - then again, there is always what the veg don't get to see...

 

[ScotRail158725]

I thought someone had acquired one of the Omnidekka’s for preservation, but could be wrong?

Not something I've heard of - then again, there is always what the veg don't get to see...

There isnt, they’re all accounted for as sold to other operators or scrapped

 

[Stan Drews]

There isnt, they’re all accounted for as sold to other operators or scrapped

It was one of the ones that initially went for further use (down Yorkshire way IIRC) that I thought i'd seen some reference to it later being acquired for 'preservation'.

 

[overthewater]

Rather surprised route 72 isn't operating the full route on Monday AKA Glasgow Fair Monday especially since other people might have been traveling on it. Worse still They have revised the timetable to operate upto 10mins earlier both way, that not going to cause issues...

 

[Stan Drews]

Rather surprised route 72 isn't operating the full route on Monday AKA Glasgow Fair Monday especially since other people might have been traveling on it. Worse still They have revised the timetable to operate upto 10mins earlier both way, that not going to cause issues...

The tender specifies no service on Glasgow Fair Monday, so the main commercial element will still operate between Falkirk and Kilsyth. They leave Falkirk at the same time, and are 4 mins earlier returning from Kilsyth. I cant see that creating too many issues.

 

[Observer]

Seems the H1/H2 are back to being operated by Bannockburn, previously was Larbert but it's been passed back to and from over the years I think whenever driver duties and other routes have been changed.
Corrected as per below posts, ignore.

 

[Stan Drews]

Seems the H1/H2 are back to being operated by Bannockburn, previously was Larbert but it's been passed back to and from over the years I think whenever driver duties and other routes have been changed.

The H1/H2 (and H3) are still operated by Larbert depot.

 

[Observer]

The H1/H2 (and H3) are still operated by Larbert depot.

I thought they didn't have any of the ex-Dundee Volvos on loan though as that is what I have seen? If that has changed then I wasn't aware, I assumed it had changed depots again because of that.

 

[Stan Drews]

I thought they didn't have any of the ex-Dundee Volvos on loan though as that is what I have seen? If that has changed then I wasn't aware, I assumed it had changed depots again because of that.

2415 & 2417 (and 0480) transferred to Larbert to help with the recent PVR increase with their new SPT work.

 

[Observer]

2415 & 2417 (and 0480) transferred to Larbert to help with the recent PVR increase with their new SPT work.

Okay, my mistake, did notice 0480 which I did think would end up getting used on that by the way. Sorry for the confusion earlier.

 

[overthewater]

No chance the airport express doesn't even full a e300 the way thinks are going that service will be withdrawn soon

Which of course means there are getting the deckers. The newish double Decker Bright buses are out in service today, so grab your cameras.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jul 2025 ==

Yesterday the company held an information day at Bo'ness bus stance to show case the new electric buses the route will soon be getting and to highlight and discuss the proposed changes to Service No2 which operates around Bo'ness.

However it was not postage online what the changes would be, Did anyone pop down yesterday? It was only on for 2 hours from 12-2pm and only highlighted by the Bo'ness community council hours before.

Bo'ness Community Council

Bo'ness Community Council. 1,154 followers · 7 talking about this. The Community Council exists to express the views of residents of Bo'ness. We represent the views of local people to Falkirk Council...

www.facebook.com

 

[Bus9120UK]

Which of course means there are getting the deckers. The newish double Decker Bright buses are out in service today, so grab your cameras.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jul 2025 ==

Yesterday the company held an information day at Bo'ness bus stance to show case the new electric buses the route will soon be getting and to highlight and discuss the proposed changes to Service No2 which operates around Bo'ness.

However it was not postage online what the changes would be, Did anyone pop down yesterday? It was only on for 2 hours from 12-2pm and only highlighted by the Bo'ness community council hours before.

Bo'ness Community Council

Bo'ness Community Council. 1,154 followers · 7 talking about this. The Community Council exists to express the views of residents of Bo'ness. We represent the views of local people to Falkirk Council...

www.facebook.com

They want to change the setup to a single route 2 on an every 35 minute frequency. The loop system would be stopped and the route would be the same in both directions. Part of Grahamsdyke Road would no longer be served as a result.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

They want to change the setup to a single route 2 on an every 35 minute frequency. The loop system would be stopped and the route would be the same in both directions. Part of Grahamsdyke Road would no longer be served as a result.

I can see the logic of this somewhat, but that frequency could be an issue. Pity they couldn’t interwork it with something else at the hospital end and keep it half hourly? Bar the hourly 7 there’s not really anything so I can understand the pickle. Obviously losing the loop makes it longer overall with it effectively doing twice as much as present, pretty much.

 

[overthewater]

They want to change the setup to a single route 2 on an every 35 minute frequency. The loop system would be stopped and the route would be the same in both directions. Part of Grahamsdyke Road would no longer be served as a result.

How does that even work? It provides a joint 15min service along with service No7 and No8 around the Stenhousemuir area to Falkirk Town Centre. It would mean at times buses running on top of each other. Unless they have plans to cut the route in two? Maybe extend the Hallglen bus to the hospital while the revised no2 goes to Langlees?

Either way this new No2 route will be going back how it operated when the service was a No5, it sounds like the section around "The Drum" estate will get cut.

Unfortunley it's been a dead duck route for years now, surprised it worthy of brand new electric buses. Of course Falkirk town centre is dire right now which makes matters alot worse.

If it wasn't for that Asda at Grangemouth, the company would have been better off making the 2A operate along A9 spur road and then onto Wholeflats Road, then into Bo'ness around Crawfiled Road, Borrowstoun rod , Drum road, habour drive to make up with the current 2 at the Bo'ness bus stance.

 

[Stan Drews]

How does that even work? It provides a joint 15min service along with service No7 and No8 around the Stenhousemuir area to Falkirk Town Centre. It would mean at times buses running on top of each other. Unless they have plans to cut the route in two? Maybe extend the Hallglen bus to the hospital while the revised no2 goes to Langlees?

Either way this new No2 route will be going back how it operated when the service was a No5, it sounds like the section around "The Drum" estate will get cut.

Unfortunley it's been a dead duck route for years now, surprised it worthy of brand new electric buses. Of course Falkirk town centre is dire right now which makes matters alot worse.

If it wasn't for that Asda at Grangemouth, the company would have been better off making the 2A operate along A9 spur road and then onto Wholeflats Road, then into Bo'ness around Crawfiled Road, Borrowstoun rod , Drum road, habour drive to make up with the current 2 at the Bo'ness bus stance.

The 2/2A actually performs well and is certainly not ‘a dead duck’. However, its punctuality isn’t where it needs to be so something has to give, hence the revised route in Bo’ness and the 35 min frequency for much of the day. The co-ordination with the 7/8 will be lost, although the common sections are relatively short.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

The 2/2A actually performs well and is certainly not ‘a dead duck’. However, its punctuality isn’t where it needs to be so something has to give, hence the revised route in Bo’ness and the 35 min frequency for much of the day. The co-ordination with the 7/8 will be lost, although the common sections are relatively short.

As I say I can definitely see the logic, I just think every 35 minutes against a timetable might be quite confusing. Even if it was every 40 minutes that would still give you a consistent 2 hourly pattern which isn’t too bad. If we assume the new route length was in and around 90 mins, with layovers of up to 10 minutes at each end you’d still manage a fairly neat circuit with 5 buses. Full circuit taking 3 hours 20 mins - up from the current 3 hours. You’d save a bus in the process too - 5 vice 6. I can see where the problem is though in relation to keeping the half hourly service, you’d need a 7th bus on a 3 and a half hour circuit. Could the loop in Bo’ness not be kept and the 2/2A interwork between the routes at the other end, ie arriving 2 at FVRH goes back as a 2A? I suppose you’d still need 7 buses for it right enough.

A bizarre one this. Tricky one to sort. No ideal solution.

 

[overthewater]

The 2/2A actually performs well and is certainly not ‘a dead duck’. However, its punctuality isn’t where it needs to be so something has to give, hence the revised route in Bo’ness and the 35 min frequency for much of the day. The co-ordination with the 7/8 will be lost, although the common sections are relatively short.

I would say the Bo'ness end is more of a dead duck going by the continues cuts. The Larbert end of course isn't and has remained steady, However making that section every 35min is mad. It would make more sense to bolt it onto Hallglen route or better still extend the 3 or 4.

 

[Stan Drews]

I would say the Bo'ness end is more of a dead duck going by the continues cuts. The Larbert end of course isn't and has remained steady, However making that section every 35min is mad. It would make more sense to bolt it onto Hallglen route or better still extend the 3 or 4.

None of it is a dead duck, and not sure why you’re so determined that some/all of it is! We aren’t investing 6 new buses on the route because it’s a dead duck!
It’s been a 30min frequency during McGill’s term, and think it was during First days for a good while prior to that, so not sure what continued cuts you are talking about. I‘ve already explained the reasoning behind the proposed change.

 

[Jordan Adam]

I don't think its fair to blame McGill's for the cutbacks to the network. It is clear that McGill's have tried to make an effort to improve, albeit the case could be made that a lot of it has been visual rather than substantive however the core issues predate the McGill's takeover. There's very much a catch 22 situation going on in Falkirk and Stirling where there isn't the commercial justification to restore services back to the levels of pre-2020, but at the same time the current service levels are atrociously poor to the point where for the most part the only people who actually use public transport are those who have no other option or those who get free travel.

The co-ordination with the 7/8 will be lost, although the common sections are relatively short.

I am certain that there is a signficant portion of passengers who outwith the shared sections live between either route and when traveling back home from the town centre would turn up at the bus stop and get "whatever bus comes first". With there being multiple low frequency services that don't follow a consistent headway its impossible to "turn up and go" which makes the service far less appealing, this seems to be somewhat of an oversight that many operators have started making in recently years with the common justification being that "everyone uses live tracking/apps" which in reality isn't true.

Essentially under the proposed setup you have the same level of service but the actual convenience and accessibility of the service is a lot poorer. Not exactly a "win win" for anyone. I have to echo some of the other comments that a better sollution through interworking of services could've got around this.

 

[CSB0241]

Yesterday the company held an information day at Bo'ness bus stance to show case the new electric buses the route will soon be getting and to highlight and discuss the proposed changes to Service No2 which operates around Bo'ness.

However it was not postage online what the changes would be, Did anyone pop down yesterday? It was only on for 2 hours from 12-2pm and only highlighted by the Bo'ness community council hours before.

I popped down & I was certainly underwhelmed. Literally just 5090 parked in stance 1 at Bo’Ness Bus Station with the doors open & new 2 timetables inside (no staff in sight for a good long while for the 10min I was there).

Unless they have plans to cut the route in two? Maybe extend the Hallglen bus to the hospital while the revised no2 goes to Langlees?

Nope, same route as before the 2A was introduced. Not a half bad idea though.

Unfortunley it's been a dead duck route for years now, surprised it worthy of brand new electric buses. Of course Falkirk town centre is dire right now which makes matters alot worse.

I could not disagree more. It isn’t the busiest route in Falkirk, sure, but it definitely warrants the 30 minute frequency in my experience.

 

[overthewater]

I don't think its fair to blame McGill's for the cutbacks to the network. It is clear that McGill's have tried to make an effort to improve,

Your right, the reduction happened before Mcgills. First operated the Bo'ness routes every 15mins until 2011 under the following numbers:

* 46-50: until November 2000
* 6 & 7: from November 2000
* 67 & 76: from 2006?

This was changed to No5 in 2012 changes, which operated every 20mins but was off set by the new No19 which was hourly but was quickly withdrawn.

Then in 2018 it was cut back even further to the current 30min service. Worse still Falkirk council took some silly pills and revised NoF45/F46 from a joint 30min service to every 2 hours, instead of the sensible idea if making both every 2 hours to provide a hourly service.

One of the biggest issues with the punctuality on this route has to be the ongoing and near never ending roadworks which appear and then disappear around INEOS and Grangemouth road. Once again its the councils lack of caring which is causing bus passengers to lose out, because people can't remember 35min timetable.

 

[Baileygirl]

Nothing is tracking on the 60 in Edinburgh.

Message on Midland Bluebird site says no service today due to operational difficulties. No buses or no driver?

 

[Volvodart]

They are having a third birthday open day at Larbert depot on 20 September 2025 11.00 am to 4.00 pm.