Ember: Electric coach service

[Stan Drews]

Not a clue, but some E1 journeys will still cancelled. The only reason citylink cancelled due to the A90 & A92 being closed. I believe Ember (from what I seen on bustimes.org) just followed the local diversion slowly, with some coaches arriving 60-100L, with one coach being nearly 3 hours late.

FlixBus did similar with some buses returning to Aberdeen up to a few hours late.

 

[scottishtrains]

according to bustimes.org, there seems to be a new E12 route express between Carmyle & Glasgow (seems to be a depot route like E10), and the E13 is showing up aswell which seems to be the lost shore shuttle. both apparently start 11th feb but I dont understand the lost shore shuttle

Ember

bustimes.org

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

according to bustimes.org, there seems to be a new E12 route express between Carmyle & Glasgow (seems to be a depot route like E10), and the E13 is showing up aswell which seems to be the lost shore shuttle. both apparently start 11th feb but I dont understand the lost shore shuttle

Ember

bustimes.org

Handy for those in Carmyle, essentially getting through the night journeys to the City Centre and back as well 7 days a week, Basically a 2 hourly service throughout the day

 

[paravostok]

according to bustimes.org, there seems to be a new E12 route express between Carmyle & Glasgow (seems to be a depot route like E10), and the E13 is showing up aswell which seems to be the lost shore shuttle. both apparently start 11th feb but I dont understand the lost shore shuttle

Ember

bustimes.org

Maybe allowing general passengers on it now?

 

[Metal Mickey]

Do Ember have an operating site near Carmyle?

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

according to bustimes.org, there seems to be a new E12 route express between Carmyle & Glasgow (seems to be a depot route like E10), and the E13 is showing up aswell which seems to be the lost shore shuttle. both apparently start 11th feb but I dont understand the lost shore shuttle

Ember

bustimes.org

Timetable amendments to the E1 too, which will serve Edinburgh Airport all day. Minor changes to the E3, more stops added to the E8 and E9 also

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Do Ember have an operating site near Carmyle?

That's where their new depot is

 

[Megafuss]

I find what Ember are doing in Caithness fascinating as I've thought for a long time that Stagecoach miss a trick by not running an Inverness based X99 going north AM and returning from Thurso in the afternoon. Reminder that the last X99 departes Thurso before noon!

With that in mind, today I used the 14:20 Ember from Wick to Inverness, which must have had about 25 people onboard on arrival in Inverness - not including about a dozen people making local trips between the seaboard villages.

Not sure how sustainable the whole Inverness/Thurso Ember service is, but if it were to ever end, Stagecoach really need to see about adding an extra return trip!

 

[overthewater]

Ember are making a number of stop changes on the Dundee to Edinburgh route from 11th Feb, details were postage by a cllr https://www.facebook.com/AlasdairBailey

How much time will it actually save? how much faster will it make the E1?

Ember changes: I know that a lot of people now use the Ember buses through the Carse to get along to Edinburgh. However, there's change afoot as of 11th Feb. All stops will get faster buses direct to Edinburgh city centre but the downside is that the buses serving the Airport will now only pick up at Inchture.
Ember say that they're making the change based on passenger numbers but if this is a lifeline for you please let them and I know by ride@ember.to and abailey@pkc.gov.uk in case something can be done to change it.
This will impact the stops at Longforgan, Horn Milk Bar (for Rait and Grange), St Madoes/Glencarse, and Walnut Grove.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Ember are making a number of stop changes on the Dundee to Edinburgh route from 11th Feb, details were postage by a cllr https://www.facebook.com/AlasdairBailey

How much time will it actually save? how much faster will it make the E1?

Noticed Kelty will be served on the E1, quite an irregular timetable though

 

[overthewater]

E9 doing Kelty aswell.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

E9 doing Kelty aswell.

Ahh it's the E9 instead of the E1, that explains the irregular timetable

 

[overthewater]

The new E9 is on bus times, https://bustimes.org/services/e9-between-edinburgh-and-inverness?date=2026-02-16

It looks like the E1 has not been updated yet.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

The new E9 is on bus times, https://bustimes.org/services/e9-between-edinburgh-and-inverness?date=2026-02-16

It looks like the E1 has not been updated yet.

Thank you for that one, Pretty useful

 

[markymark2000]

It looks like the E1 has not been updated yet.

https://bustimes.org/services/e1-dundee-edinburgh?date=2026-02-16

How much time will it actually save? how much faster will it make the E1?

1 minutes

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I find what Ember are doing in Caithness fascinating as I've thought for a long time that Stagecoach miss a trick by not running an Inverness based X99 going north AM and returning from Thurso in the afternoon. Reminder that the last X99 departes Thurso before noon!

With that in mind, today I used the 14:20 Ember from Wick to Inverness, which must have had about 25 people onboard on arrival in Inverness - not including about a dozen people making local trips between the seaboard villages.

Not sure how sustainable the whole Inverness/Thurso Ember service is, but if it were to ever end, Stagecoach really need to see about adding an extra return trip!

They connect with the ferry at Scrabster, unlike Stagecoach.

Scrabster, at Ferry Terminal		0751	1204	1816	2157
Scrabster		0845	1315	1900	-
Stromness		1015	1445	2030	-
Stromness	-	0630	1100	1645
Scrabster	-	0800	1230	1815
Scrabster, at Ferry Terminal	0347	0917	1342	1937

 

[Porty]

According to Ember's news pages there's quite a lot of additional changes on 11th Feb. Additional stops on the Inverness to Glasgow/Edinburgh. An additional service Dundee to Edinburgh which is 20 mins quicker and nine return services a day from Edinburgh to Lost Shore surf resort (and which passes are now valid on). Some other changes to stopping patterns also.

 

[Strathtay 260]

The E1 service from Aberdeen to Edinburgh will be stopping at Edinburgh Airport all day long, however the service starting in Dundee skips all the stops between Rosyth & Edinburgh George Street, which means connections will be lost (e.g. St Madoes to Ingliston). An E10 style service will begin in Glasgow numbered E12.

 

[Volvodart]

The E1 service from Aberdeen to Edinburgh will be stopping at Edinburgh Airport all day long, however the service starting in Dundee skips all the stops between Rosyth & Edinburgh George Street, which means connections will be lost (e.g. St Madoes to Ingliston).

They can still do it with a short wait for the Aberdeen based service connection.

 

[Strathtay 260]

Yes, but just not directly anymore. They would have to change at either Bridge of Earn, Kinross or Rosyth.

There also won't be a balanced frequency of buses from Dundee to Edinburgh - still will be 2 per hour but they won't be every 30 mins, arriving 10 mins apart...

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Yes, but just not directly anymore. They would have to change at either Bridge of Earn, Kinross or Rosyth.

There also won't be a balanced frequency of buses from Dundee to Edinburgh - still will be 2 per hour but they won't be every 30 mins, arriving 10 mins apart...

The E1 changes seem a bit of a mess tbh I'm quite surprised

 

[Strathtay 260]

The E1 changes seem a bit of a mess tbh I'm quite surprised

I completely agree - perplexed when I first saw it, don't fix something that isn't broken...

 

[Spsf3232]

I completely agree - perplexed when I first saw it, don't fix something that isn't broken...

After summer this 2025 I just get the impression they have gone backwards in many ways. They would post every delay on the website and any issues they had but now that's gone. No longer posting any updates so you can't check to see if a service has any issues before booking which at least Citylink does! You now need to book a service before your told of any delays which is hopeless especially recently with the issues caused by weather.

Then on top of that I've found buses are a mess, not cleaned properly, outside they look a total mess even after visiting hubs where they can be washed. I just feel like the entire vision has been let slide by hopeless management who have no real clue about the transport industry which shows when they send vehicles out in extreme weather when everyone else has cancelled recently

 

[Strathtay 260]

After summer this 2025 I just get the impression they have gone backwards in many ways

Unfortunately I’d have to agree with this. I feel similar.

 

[Stan Drews]

Unfortunately I’d have to agree with this. I feel similar.

Probably down to how the company has grown. It’s easy to be on top of everything when you’ve got a relatively small number of routes and coaches to keep everyone updated on. However, now that they are much bigger those updates need a lot more time and effort along with the necessary expertise and that is always harder to come by as you grow.

 

[overthewater]

I would suggest if people have certain issues with cleaning, then email and tell them. I'm not sure how it's going to be resolved if no one tells them if there failing. The Management doesn't know about transport, there a tech company who are a bit to smart for thier own good.

I think the company has now expanded a wee bit to fast, not even Megabus were this fast. The truth is half the E1 are now competing with Scottish Citylink M92 , while demand for the Airport isn't as high as we expect from the those villages.

They were in the papers this week, about running buses in the snow.

Ember's all-electric buses were key to battling snow chaos as driver reveals challenges of keeping services running

Danny Forbes was one of several drivers who took to the snow-covered roads to keep people moving in the north-east.

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

An Aberdeen bus driver has revealed the challenges he faced during the severe weather and how his electric bus handled the snow-covered roads.

For the first 10 days of 2026, the north and north-east were blasted with heavy snow, which led to travel chaos and public transport cancellations.

Dozens of roads were inaccessible and vehicles had to battle slippery surfaces and drifting snow on roads including the A96 and A90.

However, one bus company was determined to brave the wintry conditions.

Ember confirmed this was the “most significant weather event” they have faced since launching five years ago.

Driver Danny Forbes was on the frontline for most of the snow days, carrying out 16 trips from his base in Aberdeen to both Inverness and Edinburgh.

Danny has previous experience with navigating in harsh snow having dealt with the big freeze in 2010.

But the recent snowfall was on an entirely new scale for the bus company which prides itself on using technology to enhance the customer’s experience.

This includes better communication from their hub, to real-time tracking of buses and being forthcoming about delays to services.

Danny said: “You could see how the weather just changed, I was coming up the A90 and as soon as you passed Fordoun, everything was just white.

“It was coming down thick and fast, and it definitely became more challenging.

“It was then that you saw drivers go a lot slower and take more care because some won’t be used to that amount of snow on the roads.”

Drivers were all in agreement the all-electric buses that Ember operate proved their worth amid the chaos.

According to Danny, because the electric battery is so heavy, the bus clocks in at around 19 tonnes.

This allows it to gain more traction on the roads which is ideal in snow and up hills.

Andy admitted that Ember had to battle preconceptions that the electric buses might be unreliable or the batteries would die before reaching their destination.

However, Danny said many of the passengers he spoke to on his route were “impressed with the service”.

 

[Spsf3232]

Probably down to how the company has grown. It’s easy to be on top of everything when you’ve got a relatively small number of routes and coaches to keep everyone updated on. However, now that they are much bigger those updates need a lot more time and effort along with the necessary expertise and that is always harder to come by as you grow.

They have had plenty of people going for the transport jobs which have experience and have been turned down in favour of university students. That in itself shows where they lie with what they are trying to do but unwilling to take on board people who know the job!

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

They have had plenty of people going for the transport jobs which have experience and have been turned down in favour of university students. That in itself shows where they lie with what they are trying to do but unwilling to take on board people who know the job!

Seeing plenty of well known faces driving them now that you used to see behind the wheel of Parks, Stagecoach, First and Flix etc.

 

[markymark2000]

there a tech company who are a bit to smart for thier own good.

I wouldn't go that far. For a tech company, their tech isn't amazing, as their systems still can't handle selling tickets for connections between routes and so you have to book each section separately.

 

[route101]

I wouldn't go that far. For a tech company, their tech isn't amazing, as their systems still can't handle selling tickets for connections between routes and so you have to book each section separately.

Surprised they don't offer Glasgow to Aberdeen connection.