Ember: Electric coach service

[johncrossley]

I very much doubt any company will be looking to purchase full price coaches or even buses without funding as the prices are still extremely high. A GTe14 your looking at close to £450k on its own double the price of a diesel version.

Electric cars are now not much more expensive than their petrol equivalents, so why hasn't the same happened with electric buses? Until electric buses can be bought without a massive premium the likelihood of Ember operating in England must be remote.

 

[Spsf3232]

But why does the bus need to go back to the depot between every E20 run? With the distances they are covering on other journeys, they ought to be able to do several journeys between Glasgow and Edinburgh airport without needing to recharge.

It's not the charge that is the issue here it's drivers hours as they can only do one E19/E20 in a 4.5hr period.

 

[stevieinselby]

It's not the charge that is the issue here it's drivers hours as they can only do one E19/E20 in a 4.5hr period.

Feels like having a couple of fleet cars to ferry drivers backwards and forwards, or have them stepping back in Glasgow and taking their break there, might be easier and cheaper solutions.

 

[Deerfold]

Feels like having a couple of fleet cars to ferry drivers backwards and forwards, or have them stepping back in Glasgow and taking their break there, might be easier and cheaper solutions.

There's also the fact that Edinburgh Airport want the coaches to be on stand for as short a time as possible. When travelling towards where, my coach waited at a stop shortly before, presumably to stay within the limits they're allowed.

 

[gingerheid]

I very much doubt any company will be looking to purchase full price coaches or even buses without funding as the prices are still extremely high. A GTe14 your looking at close to £450k on its own double the price of a diesel version.

Obviously there's more to it as capital is expensive too, and Ember has a vast and fairly costly charging network (which in turn limits where the coaches can operate and the flexibility with which they can). But that's a prepayment against the cost of future fuel bills something in the region of the cost of 25,000 gallons of diesel. That's not bad!

 

[Buzby]

That's not bad!

It’ll be less as our Govt is going to charge for mileage by way of an annual check - in Ember’s case, this could be significant.

 

[paravostok]

It’ll be less as our Govt is going to charge for mileage by way of an annual check - in Ember’s case, this could be significant.

I thought this was only for cars/vans?

 

[Buzby]

I thought this was only for cars/vans?

Very wooly - but if the argument is to recover fuel duty, buses still paid tax on diesel, so why continue to be exempt when everyone else takes a hit?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Saturday at 10:53 ==

I’ve just experienced Ember’s ‘joined up’ network and I’m totally impressed! Had a ticket from Glasgow to Aberdeen recently there was a 1hr 5m change at Dundee, so had a swift visit to the V&A Dundee adjacent before my connection.

The return journey on E1 should have been the same in reverse but with a 20min connection. Things started badly in Aberdeen, where the service from Bridge of Don just up the road was already 10 minutes late in arriving. The journey was uneventful until Brechin where roadworks on the dual carriageway meant we had to enter and double-back the same way whilst the clock was ticking. Heavy traffic at the Kingsway meant our arrival was going to be 32 minutes late and my E3 connection would have departed.

I started working out the best way to continue my journey and how to re-validate my ticket but as we arrived I spied the E3 still on stand at South Market Street. It was actually waiting for us! After the 6 transferees boarded, we were off on the final part of the journey.

Contrast this with my recent ScotRail experience to Girvan with a change at Ayr. There, just 8 minutes late (due a breaker being tripped) my connection left on time without me on it - and a 2 hour wait for the next service. I abandoned the journey and went by bus (Stagecoach).

Well done ember - I’ll travel with you wherever I can!

 

[jazza374]

The E20 is set down only and pick up only at intermediate stops between Glasgow and Edinburgh depending on direction. Why is this?

 

[paravostok]

The E20 is set down only and pick up only at intermediate stops between Glasgow and Edinburgh depending on direction. Why is this?

Which ones?

 

[Man of Kent]

The E20 is set down only and pick up only at intermediate stops between Glasgow and Edinburgh depending on direction. Why is this?

Registration as a local bus route only kicks in on Wednesday; it is currently running as an express service, so individual passenger journeys cannot be less than 15 miles. Once this changes, Bustimes shows that all restrictions are lifted, except at the Airport Hotel.

 

[jazza374]

Registration as a local bus route only kicks in on Wednesday; it is currently running as an express service, so individual passenger journeys cannot be less than 15 miles. Once this changes, Bustimes shows that all restrictions are lifted, except at the Airport Hotel.

Thanks very much for that. Was wondering why the restrictions were in place. That makes sense.

 

[Sealink]

Ember adding a 7th service between Inverness and Caithness from 14th October.

Looks like some retimings, with four buses going to Thurso via Warren and Halkirk and three going via Castletown.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Ember adding a 7th service between Inverness and Caithness from 14th October.

Looks like some retimings, with four buses going to Thurso via Warren and Halkirk and three going via Castletown.

I've noticed there's more stops added in Edinburgh as well like Murrayfield from that date

 

[davp]

From https://www.ember.to/news/

Caithness Expansion and Other Updates
On Wednesday 14 October, we're making a number of changes across the network. The biggest of them are up in Caithness, but there are a few other changes that we'll call out here. They're all on the live maptoday, so you can have a look before anything changes.

Seven return services a day to Thurso​

Our Inverness to Thurso route is growing to seven return services a day. Four will continue to go via Watten and Wick, with Halkirk now included, and three will go via Castletown.
We've also made ferry connections more convenient at Scrabster. We'll drop off and pick up on the pier itself, right where the ferry departs from.

New stops elsewhere​

Due to popular demand, we'll be adding in additional stops in Dunblane, Forfar and Aviemore. Edinburgh is also getting three new stops at Barnton, Blackhall & Craigleith and Murrayfield. You can see where these are on our live map.

Timetable updates​

We've reviewed how long our buses really take between stops, and adjusted timings on a number of routes to match what we see on the road. If you travel with us regularly you may notice that some times have changed. Tickets for 14 October onwards are on sale now, so you can check the new times for your usual journey.

It looks as if the Aberdeen and Inverness services will get a stop at Murrayfield, but not the Fort William and Oban.

I would like to see Ember improve their stopping pattern in Edinburgh. Some consistency would be helpful - every service via the A8 stopping at the same stops for example. And not everyone lives on their route - the stop at Corstorphine would be more useful if it were at the Drumbrae roundabout - much easier for connections by bus.

Given their frequency into Livingston they could think about some connections. Ratho Station would be the nearest although Ingliston would avoid crossing the A8. Ratho Station also has a problem where the E19 variants serve different stops, for no obvious reason that I can think of.

If they put a stop in at Deer Park for the E19 it might tempt folk to head that way for the E20 to Glasgow.

 

[CMBS]

Ember adding a 7th service between Inverness and Caithness from 14th October.

Looks like some retimings, with four buses going to Thurso via Warren and Halkirk and three going via Castletown.

What is passenger demand like for Pentland Ferries?

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

From https://www.ember.to/news/



It looks as if the Aberdeen and Inverness services will get a stop at Murrayfield, but not the Fort William and Oban.

I would like to see Ember improve their stopping pattern in Edinburgh. Some consistency would be helpful - every service via the A8 stopping at the same stops for example. And not everyone lives on their route - the stop at Corstorphine would be more useful if it were at the Drumbrae roundabout - much easier for connections by bus.

Given their frequency into Livingston they could think about some connections. Ratho Station would be the nearest although Ingliston would avoid crossing the A8. Ratho Station also has a problem where the E19 variants serve different stops, for no obvious reason that I can think of.

If they put a stop in at Deer Park for the E19 it might tempt folk to head that way for the E20 to Glasgow.

The Ratho Station stop is Via Broxburn and the Lochend Road one is via Ratho, Don't understand why they don't serve either one or the other they both have to pass the 2 stops anyway doesn't really make sense, I had a journey cancelled on me tonight on the E20 at Deer Park had to get the service before the one I had booked, Must not have drivers to cover everything yet

 

[Bedford OB]

What is passenger demand like for Pentland Ferries?

It has always been full when I have used it, but that includes a lot of lorry traffic and most other passengers having cars or motor caravans. I've rarely seen anyone much come off buses to get the ferry.

 

[kkong]

Are we talking about Pentland Ferries who depart and arrive from Gill's Bay?

If so, not sure how the Ember changes affect this, as they go nowhere near there?

I disembarked a ferry at Gill's Bay in 2023 and caught a Stagecoach bus (80?) at Gill's Bay road end towards Thurso.

There's no marked bus stop (or indeed any kind of made-up verge to wait at); the driver was going at speed and was surprised to see me when he came over the hill.