Happy New Year! Personally I'm wondering wether either Lothian Country or ECB will get a number of route changes in the next service changes. Also, I'm for some reason unsure if the letter suffix routes (22A and 47B) will stay as they are, or get renumbered/withdrawn. One thing I would be grateful for is night buses to the RIE again, but sadly think it might be unlikely.
I would love to see Lothian Country maybe get some more improvements, East Coast definitely had quite a year with changes in 2025.
The 22A I could maybe see getting canned, they could just reroute the 22 via South Gyle anyway surely, 47B could also just run via Bush full time and save the trouble of different variant numbers.
Really surprised they haven't given RIE another night service, I get the N7,N11,N14 weren't popular but they were possibilities for other services.
Here's a quick run down on what I think 2026 should behold for the Lothian Network, (i know some of these are farfetched suggestions but use the imagination) and in this scenario, Lothian had won the rights for Service 13/60 from McGills.
Lothian -
CITY
13 -
New Service (Craigleith - Seafield St) via Blackhall, Ravelston, Belford, West End, Bellevue, Broughton, Leith, Sleigh Drive, Lochend, Fillyside.
Runs Monday - Saturday between 6:00-20:00 and Sunday 8:00 - 18:00 hourly, no longer serves Findlay Gardens but provides Lochend a direct connection to Seafield Retail Park and Findlay House.
15 - Revised Routes and Timetable, (Wallyford - Penicuik)
Extended from Portobello Kings Road to Wallyford Fa' Side via Eastfield, Musselburgh and Levenhall, and Penicuik Centre from Bush via Auchendinny.
Runs Monday - Saturday between 05:30 - 21:00, provides Wallyford with a link to Portobello, and reconnects Morningside and Fairmilehead with Penicuik and Auchendinny.
18 - Revised Timetable
Saturday timetable increased to 30 minutes, Later Journeys to/from the airport on all days, buses retimed in Clovenstone for connections with service 21 for onward travel.
20 - Revised Routes and Timetable (Gyle - Chesser)
Extended from Calders to Gyle Centre via Hermiston Gait, Runs Monday - Saturday between 08:00 - 18:00
21 - Revised Timetable
Buses retimed in Clovenstone to time with connections for Service 18 for onward travel.
31 - Revised Route and Timetable (Rosewell/Bonnyrigg - East Craigs)
Polton Mill journeys now extend to Rosewell, reconnecting Rosewell to the city outwidth peak times
32 - Revised Timetable
Monday - Saturday frequency increased to every 40 minutes, with new hourly sunday service introduced running between 07:00 - 20:00.
37 - Revised Route and Timetable (Penicuik - Silverknowes)
Bush Journeys are now withdrawn, all buses run to Penicuik via Roslin, 47 will still run via Easter Bush.
45 - Revised Route and Timetable (QMU - Heriot Watt)
Rerouted after Meadowbank via Willowbrae Road and Brunstane to QMU via Eastfield, Musselburgh, Joppa still served by (15,19,26 and 129).
Runs Monday - Sunday between 06:00 - 21:00, Sunday buses no longer serve Elm Row and run full route.
47 - Revised Route and Timetable
All buses now run via Easter Bush (47B is withdrawn), A701 is still served by X37
49 - Revised Route and Timetable (
60 - New Service (Dumbiedykes - St Andrews Square)
Via Pleasance, St Leonards Street, Potterow, The Mound and Hanover Street.
Runs Monday - Saturday between 08:00 - 17:30, section between Potterow and Haymarket will continue to be served by 2/12
Lothian Country
X19 - Revised Timetable
Peak Frequency increased Monday - Friday, with morning runs starting from Kirkliston
X27 - Revised Timetable and Stopping Pattern
Frequency increased to every 30 minutes, Stopping Pattern in Sightill reinstated
X28 - Revised Timetable, Route and Stopping Pattern
Frequency increased to every 30 minutes, Stopping Pattern in Sightill reinstated, Revised Route in Livingston Area with buses now serving Dean South instead of Deans North, and Dedridge West as opposed to Almondvale South
X40 - Revised Route and Timetable
Revised Route, buses will now serve Ratho Village and Bonnington before continuing to Livingston (replacing the 70 between Ratho and Hermiston and connecting Livingston to Ratho), Saturday frequency increased to hourly.
70 - Revised Route and Timetable (Ratho - Gyle)
Revised Route, buses will now terminate at Ratho Hallcroft Park, the link between Ratho and Hermiston will be replaced by revised X40 (connections garunteed)
71 - Revised Timetable
Later journeys have now been introduced from Gyle and Queensferry on all days running as late as 21:00
73 - Revised Route and Timetable (Blackridge - Livingston)
Buses extended from Armadale to Blackridge, later journeys introduced on all days, including a new sunday service
East Coast Buses
X5 - Revised Timetable
Later journeys introduced on all days of week, New Sunday service introduced running between 09:00 - 20:00
X6 - Revised Timetable
Additional peak journeys introduced in the Evenings
X7 - Revised Timetable
Additional peak journeys starting from Haddington in the morning to help with capacity on X6/106
106 - Revised Timetable
Earlier morning journeys now extend to Edinburgh City Centre Monday - Friday, with Sunday buses now extended to Western General with later journeys.
120 - Revised Timetable
Later Journeys on all days of the week introduced from North Berwick, hourly timetable implented on Sunday services
121 - Revised Timetable
Hourly frequency introduced Monday - Saturday with later journeys to/from Haddington on all days.
124 - Revised Timetable
129 -
NEW SERVICE (Haddington - Ocean Terminal) via Ballencreiff, Longniddry, Seton Sands, Prestonpans, Wallyford P&R, Macbeth Moir Road, Musselburgh, Portobello, Seafield, The Shore
Hourly Service Monday - Saturday between 07:00 - 21:00 and every 90 minutes on Sundays between 09:00 - 19:00
139 -
Revised Route and Timetable (Gorebridge - Dalkeith Campus)
Route Extended from Midlothian Campus to Gorebridge via old 39 route, runs hourly Monday - Sunday 09:00 - 21:00
140 -
Revised Route and Timetable (Penicuik - Musselburgh)
Buses now run via Dryden Terrace to connect Ikea and Asda with Midlothian, and via Auchindinny, buses now run late on Sundays and to Penicuik,
141 - Revised Timetable
Buses now run late evenings to maintain 30 minute frequency on Penicuik corridor and now runs on Sundays.
Night Buses
N27 - NEW SERVICE (Silverknowes - Hunters Tryst) via Muirhouse, Ferry Road, Canonmills, The Mound, Tollcross, Polworth, Firhill, Oxgangs
New Night sevice running every night between 00:01 - 04:31
N33 - NEW SERVICE (Haymarket - Millerhill) Via Princess Street, South Bridge, Southside, Commenwealth Poll, Cameron Toll, Royal Infirmary, Sherifhall
New Night service running every night between 00:33 - 04:33
N43 - Revised Timetable
More Weeknight journeys introduced.
N106 - NEW SERVICE (Dunbar - Western General) via East Linton, Haddington, Macmerry, Tranent, Wallyford, Musselburgh, QMU, Fort Kinnaird, Willowbrae, Meadowbank, Princess Street, West End.
New Night Service replacing Service N107, with one weeknight service only running to Haddington and two weekend services to Dunbar.
N113 - Revised Route and Timetable (Pencaitland - Haymarket)
Route Extended to serve Pencaitland.
What do you think? sorry this is a little rough, i am writting this on my phone so had no chance to proofread this, obviously i am aware alot of this sounds ambitious and crazy, but i'm happy with how this sounds, and im always curious about feedback!