I tried the E19 today. Decided to have a walk in the farmland around the airport, so Livingston to Ingliston and Ratho Station to Livingston. At £4.90 it's about a third cheaper than walking up to the X18 which would have been the alternative.
Easy to book, arrived 7 minutes early with 4 people on. 2 joined opportunistically in Broxburn and couldn't understand the booking process, nor that you can't easily change your mind about where you'd like to get off. It's so different to the other buses around here I don't understand why they don't have a leaflet on board to hand out to people that explains it. Arrived at Ingliston 11 mins early. Return was on time but held on a couple of minutes at Ratho until after the 10 minute window in Broxburn and went straight down the M8. All good and I was the only person on apart from the driver.
Nice coaches, very easy to book, friendly drivers, good experience and I'd do it again. I usually drive to Ingliston and it's making me reconsider that.
Couple of comments.
1. A stop at Deer Park inbound would help as neither Fastlink has both an open north and south stop due to long term roadworks. I don't know what you can do about the Ladywell northbound being closed.
2. On the airport bound service they are laying over up to 10+ mins in the stops on the A8 - I suspect when they don't have passengers. I was walking back from Newbridge to Ratho and one was stood in Lochend for the best part of 15 mins. Other service buses were blocking the exit from Lochend Road when pulling in behind it. The timetable is pretty loose outwith the peaks and that's assuming they follow the full route: they can easily gain 10 mins if they don't. If two service buses had arrived together at Lochend they would have blocked the entrance to Lochend Road as well. They need to tighten this up.
3. I wonder about the pre-booking model for this route. There are now a few social media ads, but nothing in the bus stops, no leaflets with the mail - it's not a serious effort at marketing a bus service. As well as the airport it's a very good link from Livingston to Broxburn and the Calders, and much faster than Lothian Country. It connects with the tram at Ingliston and should have the potential to get some folk off the train too. If they kept it limited stop but otherwise pulled in for people waiting I wonder if it could do a lot better.
I asked the driver if he would have waited for me at the Fastlink in Livingston. He assured me he would and told me they are instructed to wait until a minute after departure for any pre-booked passengers.
