Ember: Electric coach service

[MotCO]

Electric coach hire

Travel by electric bus between Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Stirling, Kinross, Fort William, Inverness, Edinburgh Airport and more. Brand-new buses, affordable fares and real-time tracking.

www.ember.to

“Coach hire but better”

Strange that Ember are using the internet domain of Tonga (.to)!

 

[computerSaysNo]

Strange that Ember are using the internet domain of Tonga (.to)!

They're not, the suffix convention changed a while ago, it's now used just as the main part of the address. Example sleeper.scot is the Caledonian sleeper.

 

[takno]

They're not, the suffix convention changed a while ago, it's now used just as the main part of the address. Example sleeper.scot is the Caledonian sleeper.

Ember probably just bought the cheapest credible-sounding domain they could get. Ember.co.uk has been registered since 2003, and ember.uk appears to be have been taken by the same person during the exclusive period, and in neither case are they obviously for sale. Ember.com has been gone since 1998, and seems to be selling ember-branded coffee cups to Americans.

A lot of top level domains were created, including stupid ones like .ninja and new sub-national geographical ones like .scot. The two-letter ones are all still controlled by the relevant country, but a lot of smaller countries with commercially-appealing codes like .me and .to basically let anybody register one of their names, and have done for years. There's always the risk that they change policy and everybody loses the ability to keep their domains, which India have done in the past.

 

[fraser158]

I used in Ember between Wick and Inverness in August and they were excellent.
As my train from Glasgow to Inverness was running late, I missed the Inverness - Wick Ember service. Cancelling one minute before its departure, I received a full refund!

And no "admin" fee nonsense!

 

[Highland050261]

Does anyone know, and is able to share, the rough location of the new Ember depot in Livingston?

From its Planning Application.

https://planning.westlothian.gov.uk/publicaccess/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SH0NNWRJK7S00&activeTab=summary

 

[Sealink]

And no "admin" fee nonsense!

It just proves it can be done.

Where there's a will...

 

[Highland050261]

Ember has started route testing between Inverness and Glasgow, with several buses seen going up and down for driver training.

 

[MotCO]

Ember has started route testing between Inverness and Glasgow, with several buses seen going up and down for driver training.

Do other companies, e.g. Flixbus or Nat Exp run coaches on new routes for driver training (prior to carrying passengers), as opposed to sending staff on existing routes for route training? Or do others rely on sat nav etc?

 

[smsm1]

Do other companies, e.g. Flixbus or Nat Exp run coaches on new routes for driver training (prior to carrying passengers), as opposed to sending staff on existing routes for route training? Or do others rely on sat nav etc?

A local bus operator ran the driver training on the main service vehicles and the half hourly (daytime)/ hourly (evening) service ended up running around 20-30 minutes late at times, to the point in one journey that the instructor took over for the return journey to try and get back on time. New electric buses too which won't have helped.

 

[Volvodart]

Ember has started route testing between Inverness and Glasgow, with several buses seen going up and down for driver training.

From their Facebook today.

⚡️ New route time... and this time Ember are launching the E8 route connecting to Inverness to Glasgow! ⚡️

We'll be launching the E8 on *Wednesday 22 October* with stops in Aviemore, Dalwhinnie, Pitlochry, Perth and Dunblane. As always, this service will run 7 days a week - and we'll be running twelve return services each day. Whether for winter sports, walking, climbing, biking or simply a commute, this service will unlock easy access to some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland.

If you'd like to be among the first to try the E8 route out, tickets are on sale now at https://www.ember.to/

 

[Porty]

From their Facebook today.

Tickets are bookable and the first services are at midnight,or shortly thereafter, in both directions. Runs through the night and a pretty frequent service for a new route.

 

[Strathtay 260]

Certainly will give the M10 a run for its money. With the E8 launching, there will now be late services back to Inverness from Glasgow - and it’s been stated on their website 3 services per day will be express between Inverness & Glasgow with no other stops.

 

[Highland050261]

Certainly will give the M10 a run for its money. With the E8 launching, there will now be late services back to Inverness from Glasgow - and it’s been stated on their website 3 services per day will be express between Inverness & Glasgow with no other stops.

Ember appears to have 12 runs, where as Citylink has 7. Ember’s price is also only £19.

 

[route101]

Ember appears to have 12 runs, where as Citylink has 7. Ember’s price is also only £19.

And Flixbus which has never really grown the route.

 

[gingerheid]

E8 timetable is on bustimes at https://bustimes.org/services/e8-between-glasgow-and-inverness

It's kinda strange that such a percentage of the service is overnight, and interesting that they're clearly not trying to / trying to not provide commuter journeys.

 

[Buzby]

True, 50% of the journeys to/from Inverness are between 0000-0600 but considering there’s route competition 0600-0000 it’s quite a canny move as the 24hr service will presumably benefit from when no competition runs. Since it’s all pre-booked, I wonder if the non-stop services would run even if there’s nobody on it? Transporting air to the Highlands can be futile.

 

[smsm1]

True, 50% of the journeys to/from Inverness are between 0000-0600 but considering there’s route competition 0600-0000 it’s quite a canny move as the 24hr service will presumably benefit from when no competition runs. Since it’s all pre-booked, I wonder if the non-stop services would run even if there’s nobody on it? Transporting air to the Highlands can be futile.

You can book 10 minutes before the coach is due to arrive at the intermediate stops , so a longer booking horizon would be needed to be able to not run the whole journey (and return journey too).

 

[Buzby]

You can book 10 minutes before the coach is due to arrive at the intermediate stops

There are no intermediate stops on the non-stop services.

 

[Strathtay 260]

Since it’s all pre-booked, I wonder if the non-stop services would run even if there’s nobody on it? Transporting air to the Highlands can be futile.

Pre-booking is highly encouraged but not necessary at terminus points. For example, walk ons at Inverness are fine but walk ons at intermediate stops (e.g. Pitlochry) aren’t. And yes the service from Inverness to Glasgow would still run because the coach needs to get to Glasgow to start its return journey, and vice versa it would need to get back to Inverness depot.

 

[Buzby]

And yes the service from Inverness to Glasgow would still run because the coach needs to get to Glasgow to start its return journey

I had considered that - but with depots adjacent at both these terminal locations it wouldn’t be a necessity (especially in view of their expanded fleet these days). I would imagine the costings would be carefully worked out

I have been on a busy E3 to Dundee at Buchanan and seen several potential passengers being refused as walk-ups. The driver was apologetic but firm. It became clear at Cumbernauld when 14 boarded on their way to a Stirling event. I do a walk-up on CityLink as I will not pay their ‘booking’ fee. If I don’t get on (rare, as I rarely travel peak months) then I’ll go somewhere else.

 

[Strathtay 260]

I had considered that - but with depots adjacent at both these terminal locations it wouldn’t be a necessity

The Ember Glasgow depot is still being built IIRC.

I have been on a busy E3 to Dundee at Buchanan and seen several potential passengers being refused as walk-ups

If the service is full, walk ons won’t be allowed on. I was meaning when there is space they are.

 

[route101]

E8 timetable is on bustimes at https://bustimes.org/services/e8-between-glasgow-and-inverness

It's kinda strange that such a percentage of the service is overnight, and interesting that they're clearly not trying to / trying to not provide commuter journeys.

Is this the first time there has been overnight services on this corridor?

 

[Buzby]

Is this the first time there has been overnight services

Apparently so - however, Ember on the introduction of services to Ft William seems to have opened up a new stream of travellers on their routes

 

[gingerheid]

If they don't have a depot in Glasgow then that perhaps partially answers my question! It did make me think that overnight might be a useful facility... especially if it terminated at an airport...

 

[InOban]

I was surprised to see one heading south down the A1 between Edinburgh and Dunbar

 

[Spsf3232]

If they don't have a depot in Glasgow then that perhaps partially answers my question! It did make me think that overnight might be a useful facility... especially if it terminated at an airport...

They don't have a depot as such but based out of a temporary site on the outskirts of Glasgow with approx 30 drivers split between the E5 and E8 service is what I've heard

 

[Porty]

I was surprised to see one heading south down the A1 between Edinburgh and Dunbar

Beyond Wallyford? On Friday 3rd October two Ember buses were parked at the bus charging station at the Wallyford Park and Ride at 6pm and two were still there at 10.30pm - I can't say whether they were same ones. Anyone know if this is routine?

 

[computerSaysNo]

I was surprised to see one heading south down the A1 between Edinburgh and Dunbar

Beyond Wallyford? On Friday 3rd October two Ember buses were parked at the bus charging station at the Wallyford Park and Ride at 6pm and two were still there at 10.30pm - I can't say whether they were same ones. Anyone know if this is routine?

There was at least one on private hire a few weeks ago - not sure where it went but it passed me going eastbound on the A1 in Edinburgh and then later that day I saw one in the same location heading west. Might have been the same coach but I didn't record the registration.

 

[Jordan1296]

Beyond Wallyford? On Friday 3rd October two Ember buses were parked at the bus charging station at the Wallyford Park and Ride at 6pm and two were still there at 10.30pm - I can't say whether they were same ones. Anyone know if this is routine?

In October last year when Ember withdrew the E1X to Wallyford, they did hint that they had exciting plans for the future here.

 

[Spsf3232]

In October last year when Ember withdrew the E1X to Wallyford, they did hint that they had exciting plans for the future here.

It's used for the E4X service now