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Ember: Electric coach service
- Thread starter ClydeCoaster
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Route 74 truck stop is being used as a temporary depot for vehicles and all drivers on the Inverness route are based out of here while the Fort William drivers are based out of Buchanan St.
There is no facilities for drivers other than car parking and no charging facilities. Vehicles do Inverness - Glasgow - Dundee and return on one charge.
Strathtay 260
Member
But odd how the E3 2135 NB departed Buchanan at 2148 when it was parked up at the R74 Truck Stop. The delays out of Glasgow continues it seems...
This is because the vehicle comes in from Route74 with a Glasgow driver and swaps with a Dundee driver in Glasgow. If the inbound trip is delayed then the outbound E3 will be late leaving as the driver first needs to swap over vehicles which takes a few minutes to get digi card and iPad set up. An ideal solution would be for the Glasgow drivers being able to load the E3 on behalf of the Dundee driver so all he needs to do is set up and go!
AndrewTaylor95
Member
That would be too easy for them
Strathtay 260
Member
It would suggest the 2310 SB from Inverness carried no one according to tracking data - skipped Aviemore, Pitlochry, Broxden, Dunblane and even Buchanan (went straight to Route 74). Same story with the 2110 which only appears to have served Pitlochry. Still only been 25 plates to operate it so far.
A part of me wonders why they have the express E4 as E4X but the express E8 isn't E8X?
A part of me wonders why they have the express E4 as E4X but the express E8 isn't E8X?
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Doesn't suprise me that the southbound are nearly all empty. Over time they may pick up some early morning travelers over the common E3/E8 section especially when it starts serving Cumbernauld and Stirling.
The E4 and E4X difference is to distinguish between the registered route and unregistered E4X while currently all of the E8 is unregistered
Strathtay 260
Member
Interesting - knew there was a reason.
AndrewTaylor95
Member
I'll be trying out the E8 next week a late Southbound journey, need to see nearer the time what one if my plans change or not, Some Coin for them on a later journey at least.
I see Ember runs a Thurso-Inverness at 0342 arriving 0713... is there much demand for such a service, particularly in winter?
Would it be operated by the same driver who arrives from Inverness at 2202, or do they step back and stay in some form of accommodation?
Would it be operated by the same driver who arrives from Inverness at 2202, or do they step back and stay in some form of accommodation?
It is local drivers from Thurso
overthewater
Established Member
- Joined
- 16 Apr 2012
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- 9,109
E9 is launching in November AKA Edinburgh to Inverness: Postage on Ember facebook page. surprised it going into Perth City centre
New route time... this time Ember are launching the E9 route connecting to Inverness to Edinburgh!
This route will connect via Edinburgh Airport, Perth Railway Station, Pitlochry, Dalwhinnie and Aviemore. As usual, our central Edinburgh stop will be on George Street and we'll be serving Union Street in Inverness.
We'll be launching the E9 in one week's time, on Wednesday 5 November. We'll start with seven return services a day, and from 26 November that will lift to twelve daily return services scheduled round the clock, seven days a week.
It's just £18.10 for an adult single from Edinburgh to Inverness if you book online (whether you book weeks before or a minute ahead). Tickets are on sale now at https://www.ember.to/
If you have any further questions that we can help with, drop them below!
VioletEclipse
Member
Promising, especially if it's more reliable than the M90!
70-75 mins Perth to Edinburgh is a lot quicker than Stagecoach X56.
overthewater
Established Member
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So is the M90.
Most people are not using the X56 end to end, there alot of middle traffic.
Davester50
Member
That's an interesting place for it to stop, just down from the Bus Station, but it's not exactly a great place to be waiting for a bus.
Bus station full? Or are Ember reducing costs by not paying for access?
Davester50
Member
Do Ember use any bus stations?
Dundee was Greenmarket to begin with, no shelters, or facilities. Now it's various stops and still no facilities - in fact the Tesco Dundee Railway Station seems to be the de-facto lounge for Ember!
Edinburgh? Bus stops, no facilitates.
peterblue
Member
Buchanan!
Davester50
Member
Must be the only one then.
Jordan1296
Member
Encouraged that Ember have confirmed they are reviewing possibilities of a Glasgow - Aberdeen route, but I think routes from Oban will be next to be announced.
markymark2000
On Moderation
Not only is space at many bus stations in Scotland at a premium (see the fight that Flixbus had to get into Aberdeen bus station, and only in the past few weeks has the 090 moved into Edinburgh Bus Station for more of the day), but Ember also likes to have stops near it's chargers, which makes sense. So areas like Fort William, they could use the bus station there, but choose not to because their charger is in the car park adjacent and it means the bus can stay on charge until departure and the driver can keep their driving hours lower (rather than unplugging and moving the bus around the corner to load up).
Perth I am not sure why they aren't using as there is capacity there. Unless it's down to suitability for their vehicles, or they care about wheelchair passengers as the bus station isn't suitable for loading a wheelchair.
Glasgowbusguy
On Moderation
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I think the wheel chair is part of it as they always promote there accessibility , also Perth bus station is very grim
Davester50
Member
I wouldn't say the stop proposed is suitable. It's certainly not level, nor a place to wait, on a tight corner with no shelter.
Highland050261
Member
It’ll probably be next year, once they get more buses. The E9 will put them at their capacity of 78 buses they currently have 75 in use, with 2 being the 70-plate spares.
Strathtay 260
Member
I’ve heard rumours of what the 70 plates could be used for in future. They don’t have toilets so not really suited to be on professional coach services so it would be interesting to see if they are reinstated or not.
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Ember, as always, will be running on Christmas day -
E1 Aberdeen to Edinburgh via Dundee return 2x per day
E1 Dundee to Edinburgh return 3x per day
E3 Dundee to Glasgow return 3x per day
E4 Edinburgh to Fort William return 2x per day
E5 Glasgow to Fort William return 2x per day
E6 Inverness to Thurso return no services
E7 Inverness to Aberdeen return 2x per day
E8 Inverness to Glasgow return 1x per day
E9 Inverness to Edinburgh return 1x per day
E11 Dundee to Aberdeen via Braemar no services
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overthewater
Established Member
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Would that be the new Edinburgh to Glasgow service which keeps on being suggested?
Dfatcontroller
Member
The leg room on the tri-axles is far superior to those on the two-axle coaches.
Any attempt to dislodge Citylink from the M8 corridor really needs to be the tri-axles. They have to offer something better than Citylink.
paravostok
Member
I say this as someone who loves Ember but, other than connecting services, like the E1/E10 currently, I don't know anyone who purposefully chooses a Edinburgh-Glasgow bus, it's just whatever shows up first, and given citylink is already every 15 mins, it might be hard to pick up a meaningful amount of passengers.