The history of the 38 is just as convolute as the midland Bluebird network during the 80s and 90s. Going back 25 years or so the service used to be Every Hour from Stirling to Edinburgh, with the section from Linlithgow to Edinburgh being every 20min however I do remember variations via Philpstoun etc I'm sure a few deckers were used as they never had low bridges on these different section? I think those were at peak times but it could be done. Before you ask there was extra Falkirk to Stirling 38C to make it every 30mins
However First managed to get bus route development grant and thus the Stirling to Edinburgh was Every 30mins, with Linlithgow to Edinburgh every 15mins. There was new housing planned but it never happened along that section of the route, thus it went back to every 20mins from Linlithgow to Edinburgh.
Once the New Forth Valley hospital opened the No38 become every 20mins from Stirling to Edinburgh, however the No60 was also extended to Falkirk so you have a bus every 10mins between Stirling and Falkirk. However No60s were scaled back and then it was changed so the No38 was every 15mins from Stirling to Linlithgow and we got to one point in 2017 where the roles had switched to Linlithgow to Edinburgh was only every 30mins..
Just in case anyone has mist it, most of the bus shelters from Stirling to Falkirk have been given new posters or vinyl's etc to help promote the No38
Ah, thanks for all that information. So it just seems like a lot of switching of frequencies presumably with the physical route staying the same.
It usually seems busy enough when I'm occasionally on it recently, at every 30 minutes. I don't really understand though how Linlithgow can sustain, even an hourly service also with the express train to Edinburgh, but Bo'ness and Grangemouth can only justify a bus every two hours despite neither having a train station, and said bus operating limited-stop (so the nearest stop will be on average further away from where people stay which will discourage use)?
I'm also mentally comparing the bus network to that in East Lothian. Bo'ness and Grangemouth are both close to a fast road into Edinburgh (M9) as is Haddington (A1, dual carriageway). The population of Haddington is only 10k but it gets a service every 20 minutes which takes the most direct route possible out of Edinburgh and then operates non-stop to Haddington. Whereas Bo'ness alone has a population of 15k, and Grangemouth another 16k. So combined they have a population over double that of Haddington, yet have only a bus every two hours which goes indirectly (direct road but calls at Edinburgh Airport)?
The travel time looks similar too; Google Maps says the outskirts of Haddington to Edinburgh centre takes around 33 minutes driving or 35 minutes by the express bus.
Outskirts of Bo'ness to Edinburgh centre, Google Maps says takes 30 minutes driving but, leaving at 1710 on a Saturday, by train then bus takes about 55 minutes, by direct bus also takes about 55 minutes, or by the X38 then F45 takes 1 hour and 20 minutes.
