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

[Lothianbus703]

It seems the 22 always have ex-London during the day but switch to MMCs in the evenings. Just curious what's the reason behind this allocation.

I’ve always assumed it keeps the newer buses out longer meaning less wear and tear requiring more inspections on the older vehicles but that could be nonsense, something similar used to happen back pre covid when the 35 was using B7s, they’d all come off around 7/8pm and half the 15 plates allocated to the 34s would interwork onto the 35 for the evening

Its so the drivers can do the driver change at Longstone and not out on the 22.

 

[paul47B]

The 106 leaving Fort Kinnaird at 13:32 and 14:32 becomes a 140 to Roslin when it gets to Musselburgh.

 

[LothianBusesPh]

The 106 leaving Fort Kinnaird at 13:32 and 14:32 becomes a 140 to Roslin when it gets to Musselburgh.

The 13:32 goes back into the 106. Since there isn’t another part route after the 14:32 run it goes into the 140.

 

[Lx008]

Will be interesting to see if the new Airlink buses arrive in time for summer peak.

I’m a little worried that the way it’s going right now, we’ll have to struggle through the peak summer tourism with the current airlink’s and their known issues and availability.

 

[TheEastCoaster]

Will be interesting to see if the new Airlink buses arrive in time for summer peak.

I’m a little worried that the way it’s going right now, we’ll have to struggle through the peak summer tourism with the current airlink’s and their known issues and availability.

Hopefully they will, worse case scenario in terms of capacity customers have the options of the Tram

 

[buslad1988]

Hopefully they will, worse case scenario in terms of capacity customers have the options of the Tram

I’m not sure Lothian really care about Airlink so much now McGill’s have withdrawn. Frequent delays, bunching and leaving many people behind (especially at the airport at night) has become a regular occurrence of late.

The frequency really needs increasing in the late evenings coming into the city centre; and generally overcrowding will become worse as we go into spring/summer.

Some of the drivers are very grumpy on there of late also, apparently they’ve made running times so tight with short breaks it’s causing lots of stress.

 

[stevenedin]

I’m not sure Lothian really care about Airlink so much now McGill’s have withdrawn. Frequent delays, bunching and leaving many people behind (especially at the airport at night) has become a regular occurrence of late.

The frequency really needs increasing in the late evenings coming into the city centre; and generally overcrowding will become worse as we go into spring/summer.

Some of the drivers are very grumpy on there of late also, apparently they’ve made running times so tight with short breaks it’s causing lots of stress.

This just proves that competition is actually a good thing sometimes.

 

[Avenger20]

Leaving people behind is always going to happen at the airport if you want to operate an on time service. I've been stopped from boarding an airlink before that wasn't yet full but it was departure time.

 

[buslad1988]

Leaving people behind is always going to happen at the airport if you want to operate an on time service. I've been stopped from boarding an airlink before that wasn't yet full but it was departure time.

Just to clarify. I’m not talking about leaving people behind to depart on time. Buses are actually full standing to the front with a queue still there and not even at the departure time yet. I arrived at the airport on a flight about 11pm one day last week and the queue was almost back to the terminal building.

Even just slotting in one extra bus could have cleared that queue.

 

[Auld reekie]

I’m not sure Lothian really care about Airlink so much now McGill’s have withdrawn. Frequent delays, bunching and leaving many people behind (especially at the airport at night) has become a regular occurrence of late.

The frequency really needs increasing in the late evenings coming into the city centre; and generally overcrowding will become worse as we go into spring/summer.

Some of the drivers are very grumpy on there of late also, apparently they’ve made running times so tight with short breaks it’s causing lots of stress.

When did McGills withdraw the airport bus?

 

[overthewater]

When did McGills withdraw the airport bus?

it was November, but I'm sure they pulled it a few weeks earlier? It mad to think people wanted them off the route.

 

[Auld reekie]

it was November, but I'm sure they pulled it a few weeks earlier? It mad to think people wanted them off the route.

Thanks for that. Anytime I saw the bus it was reasonably used.

 

[NorthEastern]

Thanks for that. Anytime I saw the bus it was reasonably used.

Same here. I took their bus a few times and it was busy enough. Presumably it ceased due to not making enough money (sorry, off topic)

 

[davp]

Just to clarify. I’m not talking about leaving people behind to depart on time. Buses are actually full standing to the front with a queue still there and not even at the departure time yet. I arrived at the airport on a flight about 11pm one day last week and the queue was almost back to the terminal building.

Even just slotting in one extra bus could have cleared that queue.

Or an additional tram through to the city after the last one at 2252.

 

[TheEastCoaster]

Or an additional tram through to the city after the last one at 2252.

I honestly have no clue as to why the final tram to the city is that early, granted 2252 is in no way early, but even a tram around 2330 to the city would make more sense, but demand is probably a factor.

 

[Porty]

Same here. I took their bus a few times and it was busy enough. Presumably it ceased due to not making enough money (sorry, off topic)

Not necessarily. It requires the ok of the airport to operate on its private land so commercially the airport might have said no to access and chose to go for a higher payment from Lothian. Unless you're involved in the contract there's no way of telling what deal was struck.

 

[CSB0241]

it was November, but I'm sure they pulled it a few weeks earlier? It mad to think people wanted them off the route.

Originally pinned for the 3rd of December but brought forward to the 14th of November to coincide with the closure of Waverley Bridge in time for the Christmas market.

 

[ScotRail158725]

1125 now out in normal lothian livery

 

[SilentWatcher]

I’m not sure Lothian really care about Airlink so much now McGill’s have withdrawn. Frequent delays, bunching and leaving many people behind (especially at the airport at night) has become a regular occurrence of late.

Delays and bunching generally come about due to roadworks and congestion, which Lothian can hardly be blamed for. Last week for example, the Corstorphine corridor had severe delays for a couple of days as a result of 4 way temporary lights at Murrayfield.
There's only so much that drivers, supervisors, and the control room can do to make the situation better

 

[Lx008]

Delays and bunching generally come about due to roadworks and congestion, which Lothian can hardly be blamed for. Last week for example, the Corstorphine corridor had severe delays for a couple of days as a result of 4 way temporary lights at Murrayfield.
There's only so much that drivers, supervisors, and the control room can do to make the situation better

I don’t think anyone here is blaming driver, supervisors or control room, they all try their best to operate a good service with what’s given to them.

For the travelling public, the problem is the aging (for airlink) buses which would really need a mid-life overhaul that aren’t avail as much as they should be and the overall schedule for Airlink which just needs more service.
These are all senior management issues.

 

[paravostok]

Will the existing Airlink XLBs be cascades into the regular city fleet given their state? What will happen to them.

 

[Resuwen]

Will the existing Airlink XLBs be cascades into the regular city fleet given their state? What will happen to them.

Full refurbish/overhaul and into city fleet

 

[Graeme Duncan]

e798 has been out of service for almost a month. Is it away getting modifications.

 

[Lx008]

as of current running, there are 3 non-Airlink XLB’s on the airlink, that’s quite shocking. Big props to the ops department for finding some buses to make the schedule work, but the new buses can’t come soon enough at this rate

 

[Bus9120UK]

as of current running, there are 3 non-Airlink XLB’s on the airlink, that’s quite shocking. Big props to the ops department for finding some buses to make the schedule work, but the new buses can’t come soon enough at this rate

1126/7 have had luggage racks fitted and Airlink branding put in the advert boxes on the sides. Agreed 1075 is not great - I presume 1139 still being missing doesn't help.

 

[DunsBus]

as of current running, there are 3 non-Airlink XLB’s on the airlink, that’s quite shocking. Big props to the ops department for finding some buses to make the schedule work, but the new buses can’t come soon enough at this rate

Nothing new - I can remember, back in LRT days, Atlantean buses and Olympian buses regularly appearing on the Airport service if there were no coaches available.

 

[Avenger20]

Was handy back in the days of the 35 where a small fleet of tridents/omnicitys still had full luggage racks and could easily fill in a gap in the 100.

Suppose you have to ask, do you want to fit more passengers and struggle with the luggage or do you want to accommodate the luggage and fit less passengers? 551-570 & 601-615 all have a small rack fitted.

 

[goldisgood]

60 more electric double-deckers for Lothian announced through ScotZEB3, with 40 ADL/Volvo and 20 Wrightbus.

ScotZEB3 will bring 334 zero emission vehicles into the Scottish fleet – made up of 107 coaches and 227 buses. Zero emission buses improve air quality in towns and cities while reducing overall transport emissions. Zero emission coaches are essential for longer distance and rural services that operate across Scotland. ...

...Lothian will purchase 40 Volvo/ADL double‑deck buses and 20 Wrightbus double‑deck buses.

Source: https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/45-million-for-zero-emission-buses/

 

[Lx008]

60 more electric double-deckers for Lothian announced through ScotZEB3, with 40 ADL/Volvo and 20 Wrightbus.


Source: https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/45-million-for-zero-emission-buses/

Very interesting, this indicates that a ADL-BZL is very much in the pipeline, and also shows they’ve had it with MCV

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

I just wonder, could the 20 Wrightbus vehicles be new Airlink’s? We’ve seen in Glasgow Electroliners run the 500 and they seem to work reasonably well.

The XLB talk never seems to have gone any further forward. Certainly it might still happen, but by now you’d have expected something to be visible at ADL in that regard.

As for the 40 ADL/Volvo Electrics. These are surely all for Marine? Possibly resulting in the current BZL’s moving to Central to standardise on vehicles there.