Lothian Group discussion (Lothian City, Lothian Country Bus and East Coast Buses)

[EMU303]

Curious as a blue badge holder myself, as to what draws you to the conclusion that it "sounds like its driver had some kind of disability".

It sounds to me more like just another arsehole who gives us car drivers a bad reputation. I wouldn't dream of parking inappropriately, using a bus lane in restricted hours or verbally abusing a bus driver. Indeed I usually slow down if possible and flash buses waiting to leave bus stops and receive either a thumbs up or hazard light flash from grateful bus drivers.

More of us should show the same consideration. It is irritating as a bus passenger being held up by (mostly) car drivers refusing to let the bus out, especially when the traffic just ahead has stopped. We would all get to our destinations faster and maybe more people would switch to bus use for at least some journeys if more car and van drivers didn't take a selfish "me first" attitude.

Your description of the car driver is spot on! He behaved in an utterly odious and selfish manner with zero regard for others.

 

[LBObserver]

Trying to delete this!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Aug 2025 ==

I think he was just taking the piss myself, having walked past his car to argue with the bus driver. Not ruling out that he might have had a blue badge, unless it belonged to someone else.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Aug 2025 ==

Still trying to work out how to "quote" a previous response. Thought I had it worked out (copy, paste, +quote) but apparently not!

 

[Siemens Trains]

Still trying to work out how to "quote" a previous response. Thought I had it worked out (copy, paste, +quote) but apparently not!

Just press +Quote (or highlight the relevant text first if you only want to quote a short segment of someone's post). You can select several posts or sections of them at one time.
Then use the Insert Quote button and choose the section of text you want to make a comment against each time.
You can delete unwanted quotes from the menu if changing your mind, or press -Quote against the unused original post.

Hope this helps.
And I fully agree with your point.

 

[ScotRail158725]

841-845 definitely finished, they’re sat outside seafield with names and fleet numbers removed
760 and 762 also have 75 plates (SF75 VXM/O)

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

841-845 definitely finished, they’re sat outside seafield with names and fleet numbers removed
760 and 762 also have 75 plates (SF75 VXM/O)

I visited yesterday. 759, 760 and 762 all outside which I confirmed the regs on bustimes, in doing so 761 and 763 were able to be confirmed.

841-843 and 845 are the Gemini’s parked there. @Bus9120UK informs me that 844 and 850 are having MOT at Longstone while 849 is inside at Seafield. 846-848 remain in use as trainers but I suspect this will cease by Friday.

 

[Resuwen]

I wonder if the NI dateless reg plates from 841-50 might get put on the repowered open top tour buses

 

[computerSaysNo]

Does anyone know the average milage, milage range or individual milages of 841-850?

 

[ScotRail158725]

Does anyone know the average milage, milage range or individual milages of 841-850?

most of them were around 900k i think one of them was in 7 figures though i could be thinking about something else

 

[LBObserver]

Just press +Quote (or highlight the relevant text first if you only want to quote a short segment of someone's post). You can select several posts or sections of them at one time.
Then use the Insert Quote button and choose the section of text you want to make a comment against each time.
You can delete unwanted quotes from the menu if changing your mind, or press -Quote against the unused original post.

Hope this helps.
And I fully agree with your point.

Thanks! I missed the Insert Quote button I think.

 

[Edirim]

Have taken a look at the open data available for the next service changes and made some note here.
Looks like the 02:57 17 and 03:08 18 will be XLBs as they work onto the 03:51 and 04:06 AIRLINKS respectively.

Weekday interworking updates for ECB:
06:01 X6 is tagged onto the front of the 08:04 106 Macmerry - Tranent which then runs onto the X4 from 08:24.
06:00 X4 is tagged onto the front of the 07:08 124 Princes Street - North Betwick which then remains on the 124.

Weekday interworking updates for LCB:
15:55 X19 from Winchburgh works onto the 17:20 X18 to Whitburn
07:23 74 to Bathgate will work onto the 43 starting with the 08:40
20:52 74 to Blackburn comes off the 72
05:18 and 22:30 72s come on/off the 74
Looks like the X40 will have 4 buses during the day now

Weekday interworking updates for LRT (mostly due to the BZLs I assume)
Service 7 and 24 interwork at ERI for ~9 blocks with one ending on the 8. Also two 24s that ends as a 7 and a 14 that ends as an 8
A 24 (12:21 - 19:28) that starts as the 10:46 7 and goes onto the 9 (19:56 - 21:39) before ending the day on the 14 (21:54 - 00:22)
An 8 starts as a 14 (05:32 from Elm Row works onto 07:18 from Granton) and a 14 starts as an 8 (04:34 from Elm Row onto 07:08 at Pilton)
A 9 ends as a 14 (21:25 from KB works onto 22:24 from Pilton) and a 14 starts as a 9 (07:12 from Granton onto 11:16 from Pilton)
08:34 11 to Lauriston works onto the 09:24 9 to Kings Building
04:45 33 works onto the 3 from 06:00
Longstone to have 1 evening working on the 36 (21:03 from Hermiston Gait and Return at 22:20) with rest at Central and 2 at Longstone.
04:24 44 works onto the 26 from 05:30
07:55 49 works onto the 26 from 09:34
09:37 and 10:07 45s to Marine work off the existing morning X26 / 25s
15:24 27 to Hunter's Tryst from Lauriston works onto a 25 / X26.
07:13 7 to the ERI then works onto the 49
N35 at 01:35 from Heriot Watt interworks with the N25

 

[Bus9120UK]

15:24 27 to Hunter's Tryst from Lauriston works onto a 25 / X26

This is what I initially thought would happen but when discussing with @FlybeDash8Q400 we decided that this trip would return to King's Buildings to form the new 17:35 9 journey to Hanover Street. If it doesn't, do you know what does?

This trip is already interesting because it comes of a bunch of short round trips on the 9 between Bristo Square and King's Buildings.

Additionally can you confirm the trip the 44 changes to? The one from Musselburgh? I was wondering about this.

Also, 759e is at Central now. 846 and 847 at Seafield.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Have taken a look at the open data available for the next service changes and made some note here.
Looks like the 02:57 17 and 03:08 18 will be XLBs as they work onto the 03:51 and 04:06 AIRLINKS respectively.

Weekday interworking updates for ECB:
06:01 X6 is tagged onto the front of the 08:04 106 Macmerry - Tranent which then runs onto the X4 from 08:24.
06:00 X4 is tagged onto the front of the 07:08 124 Princes Street - North Betwick which then remains on the 124.

Weekday interworking updates for LCB:
15:55 X19 from Winchburgh works onto the 17:20 X18 to Whitburn
07:23 74 to Bathgate will work onto the 43 starting with the 08:40
20:52 74 to Blackburn comes off the 72
05:18 and 22:30 72s come on/off the 74
Looks like the X40 will have 4 buses during the day now

Weekday interworking updates for LRT (mostly due to the BZLs I assume)
Service 7 and 24 interwork at ERI for ~9 blocks with one ending on the 8. Also two 24s that ends as a 7 and a 14 that ends as an 8
A 24 (12:21 - 19:28) that starts as the 10:46 7 and goes onto the 9 (19:56 - 21:39) before ending the day on the 14 (21:54 - 00:22)
An 8 starts as a 14 (05:32 from Elm Row works onto 07:18 from Granton) and a 14 starts as an 8 (04:34 from Elm Row onto 07:08 at Pilton)
A 9 ends as a 14 (21:25 from KB works onto 22:24 from Pilton) and a 14 starts as a 9 (07:12 from Granton onto 11:16 from Pilton)
08:34 11 to Lauriston works onto the 09:24 9 to Kings Building
04:45 33 works onto the 3 from 06:00
Longstone to have 1 evening working on the 36 (21:03 from Hermiston Gait and Return at 22:20) with rest at Central and 2 at Longstone.
04:24 44 works onto the 26 from 05:30
07:55 49 works onto the 26 from 09:34
09:37 and 10:07 45s to Marine work off the existing morning X26 / 25s
15:24 27 to Hunter's Tryst from Lauriston works onto a 25 / X26.
07:13 7 to the ERI then works onto the 49
N35 at 01:35 from Heriot Watt interworks with the N25

I’m not sure a lot of this swapping happens. There’s definitely some with the BZL’s owing to maximising the charge, but this seems unrealistically high.

The 8 and 9 already interwork in the evenings and have done for a while now. The 14 shouldn’t have any buses swapping routes. That 07:18 8 is a fresh bus. The 05:32 Elm Row start on the 14 stays on the 14 all day and does the 07:08 departure from Muirhouse, as it currently does. There’s a 24 on a Sunday that goes onto the 8 at West Granton.

You can’t interwork buses onto the 14 from the 8 and 9 owing to the terminus being at Waterfront Gait - you could theoretically have journeys terminating at the roundabout but there’s nothing in the timetable of this. Similarly the 14 is often used on the loop for journeys back towards town and it would be an issue if you took this out.

There’s a 7 on a Saturday that becomes a 24 while there are at least 2 24’s in the evening during the week that turn into 7’s.

The 21:03 36 comes off the 20:47 terminating 36. It is entirely Central run.

The 15:24 27 that comes off the 9’s extra shuttles I believe goes back onto the 9 and does the 16:29 to Potterow. What it does after that I have still yet to work out. The 25/X26 you talk about currently comes from Marine, as the X26 is entirely Marine ran and I don’t forecast this changing.

The 04:45 33 just has a mega layover and goes back as the 06:11. The 06:00 3 is a fresh bus.

X40 is still 3 buses.

 

[Scotrail88]

Are they trying to maximise the amount of EV journeys with this interworking?

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Are they trying to maximise the amount of EV journeys with this interworking?

It’s just a case of making the runs efficient, not wasting charge. Making sure the right amount of buses are out at the right time and that sufficient buses have enough charge for the early starts the next day. Generally they are allocated between 16 and 18 hour days. A small number are left as peak extras/spare.

 

[Edirim]

I can only go by what the block numbers are on the open data source I've access to.
the 17:35 service 9 comes off the 17:17 arriving 9 and then doesn't do anything else.

The new early morning 44 does the 26 from Levenhall Roundabout, sorry omitted that.

May be unrealistically high but its what the block numbers show in the open data.
The 14 has had buses swapping already at weekends (early mornings)

Checking Lothian buses website for future dates (not the press release pdfs), 05:52 8 from ERI terminates short at Pennywell cottages (similar to what the short 8 from Leith St does) This is also the case for the 10:13 and 2055 service 9s from Kings Buildings.

Checking Lothian buses website again, you will see that the 10:30 and 11am service 24s to ERI do not stop at Stop IA like the full service 24 does - this also happens for the 12:45, 14:00, 17:18, 18:06, 19:17 run. The same is true of the 7 timetable due to the interworkings.

The evening 36 has a longstone block number hence my belief it will be longstone run. The 27 that works onto the 25/X26 has a marine block number so likely as you say is done by the shuttle bus.

Likewise the X40 has 5 blocks (4 during the day showing recovery time at livingston end.)

The 1629 appears to be fresh out of the garage and works 9's until 10pm then two 14s.

 

[Bus9120UK]

I can only go by what the block numbers are on the open data source I've access to.
the 17:35 service 9 comes off the 17:17 arriving 9 and then doesn't do anything else.

The new early morning 44 does the 26 from Levenhall Roundabout, sorry omitted that.

May be unrealistically high but its what the block numbers show in the open data.
The 14 has had buses swapping already at weekends (early mornings)

Checking Lothian buses website for future dates (not the press release pdfs), 05:52 8 from ERI terminates short at Pennywell cottages (similar to what the short 8 from Leith St does) This is also the case for the 10:13 and 2055 service 9s from Kings Buildings.

Checking Lothian buses website again, you will see that the 10:30 and 11am service 24s to ERI do not stop at Stop IA like the full service 24 does - this also happens for the 12:45, 14:00, 17:18, 18:06, 19:17 run. The same is true of the 7 timetable due to the interworkings.

The evening 36 has a longstone block number hence my belief it will be longstone run. The 27 that works onto the 25/X26 has a marine block number so likely as you say is done by the shuttle bus.

Likewise the X40 has 5 blocks (4 during the day showing recovery time at livingston end.)

The 1629 appears to be fresh out of the garage and works 9's until 10pm then two 14s.

Thanks. Where could I access the block data if you don't mind?

R.e the 9 it shifts the question as to what operates the 17:25 journey.

 

[Edirim]

Thanks. Where could I access the block data if you don't mind?

R.e the 9 it shifts the question as to what operates the 17:25 journey.

I'm using the Edinburgh Travel Tracker data so requested an API key from here (at bottom of the page) https://www.edinburghtraveltracker.com/#/liveDepartures

Looks like the 17:25 comes off the 16:29 that only goes to Potterrow.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

I can only go by what the block numbers are on the open data source I've access to.
the 17:35 service 9 comes off the 17:17 arriving 9 and then doesn't do anything else.

The new early morning 44 does the 26 from Levenhall Roundabout, sorry omitted that.

May be unrealistically high but its what the block numbers show in the open data.
The 14 has had buses swapping already at weekends (early mornings)

Checking Lothian buses website for future dates (not the press release pdfs), 05:52 8 from ERI terminates short at Pennywell cottages (similar to what the short 8 from Leith St does) This is also the case for the 10:13 and 2055 service 9s from Kings Buildings.

That 05:53 8 you’re referring to only does that on a Sunday. It’s a diesel bus that goes onto the 29 after. The 8 has had no changes to the timetable at all at this change.

The 06:28 and 08:22 from the Infirmary on a Saturday both go onto the 27.

 

[Edirim]

That 05:53 8 you’re referring to only does that on a Sunday. It’s a diesel bus that goes onto the 29 after. The 8 has had no changes to the timetable at all at this change.

The 06:28 and 08:22 from the Infirmary on a Saturday both go onto the 27.

I'm only talking about the weekday services after the changes above. The 8 timetable has changed hence the interworking. Time will tell though...

 

[Bus9120UK]

This interworking will explain why the 14 has been marked as "minor timetable changes" even though the old and new timetables are identical.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

This interworking will explain why the 14 has been marked as "minor timetable changes" even though the old and new timetables are identical.

It doesn’t however explain the 8 with ‘No changes’. If buses are being stopped short then that is a minor timetable change and it should be listed as such. There are no short workings at Muirhouse on weekdays apart from the 19->8->37 bus.

 

[Bus9120UK]

The new early morning 44 does the 26 from Levenhall Roundabout, sorry omitted that.

I'm not sure I can agree with this because the new 44 terminates at Haymarket Station stop HJ. Now looking at the schedules again I presume you meant to say Clerwood which does make sense.

 

[Edirim]

I'm not sure I can agree with this because the new 44 terminates at Haymarket Station stop HJ. Now looking at the schedules again I presume you meant to say Clerwood which does make sense.

Sorry thinking about the 49 not 44 there
Yeah 0530 from clerwood.

 

[ScotRail158725]

351 and 400 have gained the same wrap as 935

 

[Busman757]

I'm using the Edinburgh Travel Tracker data so requested an API key from here (at bottom of the page) https://www.edinburghtraveltracker.com/#/liveDepartures

Looks like the 17:25 comes off the 16:29 that only goes to Potterrow.

What did you put as the reason for requesting the API Key?

 

[Resuwen]

Any updates on when the new Airlinks are likely to arrive?

 

[Graeme Duncan]

e754 out on Service 23 this morning.

 

[stevenedin]

931 seems to have been withdrawn and is at Central.

 

[Bus9120UK]

931 seems to have been withdrawn and is at Central.

The tracking at Central was a locator reset, it's currently parked at Marine, but not in the car park at the moment.

Separately 759, 760, 762, 763 and 768 have all been parked at Marine after some time at Central. I'm not sure why, but I'd suggest capacity at Central as a possible reason.
841, 842 and 849 have all been to Central in the last few days - 842 now at Marine.

 

[ScotRail158725]

Dont know if this is a one off thing or not but im on 708 and all its next stop announcements are all in French both the audio ones and on the screen