JMB Travel

[N1]

X1 features on Roger French's blog today.

The X1 is back

Even more impressive was hearing Ian’s plans for an enhanced timetable from April with a third bus added to the schedule enabling those gaps in the timetable to be eliminated and a standard hourly frequency applying all day.

Won't quote it all but the above extract suggests timetable improvements in April

 

[SarahDFIG]

I've heard there's two bigger buses to hit the road.

Perhaps these were ordered all along and have been a delayed delivery. Hence the smaller pair from the 5 being rebranded for the launch.

Past a 25 plate on the 41 in the JMB colours but hasn't been branded. Same length as the other 41s but has orange display rather than white like the rest. SF25 YJV

SJ22 GZR appears to be untaxed also which I wonder if this is to replace that.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Past a 25 plate on the 41 in the JMB colours but hasn't been branded. Same length as the other 41s but has orange display rather than white like the rest. SF25 YJV

SJ22 GZR appears to be untaxed also which I wonder if this is to replace that.

Think the original White LEDs where defective and the orange ones where used instead, temporary measure I think.

 

[overthewater]

Has there been any whispers on when the X1 will its extra journeys? I have a feeling it will be around Easter but who knows.

 

[Dfatcontroller]

Has there been any whispers on when the X1 will its extra journeys? I have a feeling it will be around Easter but who knows.

April according to this - https://busandtrainuser.com/2025/02/25/the-x1-is-back/

 

[overthewater]

It's starting to look like, it wont change until May now as nothing has gone in?


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X1 will change on the 28th April 2025, with extra journeys and no 90mins during the day, as said on its Social media pages.

 

[overthewater]

More Service changes are on the way: https://www.jmbtravel.co.uk/service-changes-from-sunday-13th-july-2025

Service 5 will be extended to Hamilton Bus Station and operate via the Palace Grounds Retail Park in both directions, providing new direct links from Mossend, New Stevenston and Jerviston to the shops and cinema complex. The Saturday frequency will be doubled to every 30-minutes and the last bus to Bellshill will now operate almost one hour later than at present.

Service 41 will be extended later into the evening on all days of the week with the last bus from Hamilton now departing at 20:10 and from Lanark at 21:00 on Mondays to Saturdays. On a Sunday, the last bus from Hamilton will depart at 19:15 and from Lanark at 20:15. On Monday to Friday mornings a new earlier morning bus is introduced from Carluke to Hamilton to help shift workers. On a Sunday morrning, a new earlier bus from Carluke will run to Motherwell then continue to New Stevenston, Holytown and Airdrie as Service 42A.

Service 42 & 42A will be extended to and from Larkhall to replace the 251. The service will run hourly during the day Monday to Sunday. Late evening and some early morning Sunday buses buses will continue to operate between Airdrie and Motherwell only. Buses will no longer serve the bus stop within Wishaw General Hospital grounds, but will observe the same stops as the 41 on Glasgow Road. The service will operate later into the evening between Wishaw and Coatbridge on Mondays to Saturdays to help shift workers at both Wishshaw General Hospital and Monklands Hospital.

On a Sunday, buses will operate the full route during the day, providing new links from New Stevenston, Holytown and Calderbank to Wishaw General Hospital, Monklands Hospital and Coatbridge. Additionally, Sunday daytime buses will operate the Monday to Saturday daytime route around Calderbank, improving access to the bus for residents of the village. For residents of Larkhall, the 42 will provide new direct links to Calenonian Retail Park at Craigneuk, the New Lanarkshire College Campus, and Motherwell town centre.

Service 147 will operate from Monklands Hospital to Kilsyth via Cumbernauld in the evenings and on Sundays. The timetable is now available on the SPT website.

Service 247 will operate one journey per day at 18:15 from Monklands Hospital to Kirkintilloch via Cumbernauld on Mondays to Fridays. On a Saturday, the service will operate one early morning trip from Monklands Hospital to Kirkintilloch then for the rest of the day, an hourly service will operate between Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch. The Timetable is now available on the SPT website.

Service 251 is withdrawn but the route is covered by an extension of Services 42/42A.

Services 14 & 46 will no longer be operated by JMB Travel - see the SPT website for further details of replacement services.

There will be no changes to the following services: X1, 13, 19A, 31B, 93, 193, 210, 226, 230, 399

 

[Jordan1296]

Good news re the 5 being extended to Hamilton from 13th July, and to give First some competition! Their 201 isn’t exactly the most reliable service.

I know running time on the 5 can be tight, so it’s good to see they’ve increased layover at Bellshill.

 

[overthewater]

If you check JMB travel Facebook page you will see they have brough six ex Lothian motorcoaches double decker's to help improve its fleet.

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

2 new evora's for the X1 and also earlier post that there will be a decker on it in the morning

 

[overthewater]

More improvements are coming to the X1, and a new hourly service on sundays, So Why can JMB travel do it while First were clueless???

Changes to Services X1 & 226 from Sunday 2nd November 2025 - JMB Travel

www.jmbtravel.co.uk

GOOD NEWS for customers who use the Glasgow Fast X1 service!

From Sunday 2nd November 2025, we will be introducing extra journeys at busy times on Mondays to Saturdays. We will also be introducing a NEW Sunday service on the route for the first time, with buses operating hourly during the day.

There will also be a minor change to the Service 226 timetable on Sunday evenings - the first journey in each direction will no longer operate. These journeys will be partly replaced by the new Sunday service on the X1.

The new timetable is shown below. Paper copies will be available on the Glasgow Fast X1 buses from early next week.

 

[markymark2000]

More improvements are coming to the X1, and a new hourly service on sundays, So Why can JMB travel do it while First were clueless???

Was the NEC Under 22 pass around when First operated the service? I'm thinking that if not, First were having to compete on price as well as other factors. With JMB, there's so much free travel being thrown around, they can set the price rather high to maximise reimbursement, and for many, they will happily choose to wait off for the 'free' bus rather than pay for the train.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Was the NEC Under 22 pass around when First operated the service? I'm thinking that if not, First were having to compete on price as well as other factors. With JMB, there's so much free travel being thrown around, they can set the price rather high to maximise reimbursement, and for many, they will happily choose to wait off for the 'free' bus rather than pay for the train.

No longer £1.50 return on the train from Hamilton to Glasgow Central with the Over 60s and Disabled Concessions will be a big part in it and now the peak fares are scrapped it's now only a 3rd off the Adult return fare which is some hike as it was a 50% discount from 1st April this year by SPT after it being £1 single or £1.50 return within 10 track miles for years, went up twice in a year, good old Scotrail making a sing and dance about scrapping peak fares but hitting the most vulnerable in the pocket at the same time, would've still thought it would be a 50% discount regardless but they've pulled a fly one with that, X74 takes quite a few as well if it comes in

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

New X5 service starting 12th January 2026, Competition heating up, also see theres a 41A service from the 11th January as well which I think is basically the new 210 evening service

 

[overthewater]

I'm surprised at the X5 but good luck to them, However I would have ran it via Bellshill since they have an awful service into Glasgow. It will be interesting to see how the 41A works out, its only really one extra commercial journey at 9pm but the law village oddity.

I wonder what planned for the 147/247.

Glasgow Bus Timetable Finder - Forthcoming Service Changes

 

[Scotrail88]

I'm surprised at the X5 but good luck to them, However I would have ran it via Bellshill since they have an awful service into Glasgow. It will be interesting to see how the 41A works out, its only really one extra commercial journey at 9pm but the law village oddity.

I wonder what planned for the 147/247.

Glasgow Bus Timetable Finder - Forthcoming Service Changes

The 41A is just a 210 renumber so kept in the route family.
Still be tendered

Be interesting to see what’s all changing

 

[Metal Mickey]

I'm surprised at the X5 but good luck to them

They have probably reviewed First’s timetables on parallel routes and spotted an opportunity.

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However I would have ran it via Bellshill since they have an awful service into Glasgow

I think the train will always win for passengers travelling to Glasgow and the 240 mainly used by local Lanarkshire passengers or travelling to Parkhead.

 

[DC21]

Any info on timetables for the X5 yet or route

 

[Jordan1296]

I'm surprised at the X5 but good luck to them, However I would have ran it via Bellshill since they have an awful service into Glasgow. It will be interesting to see how the 41A works out, its only really one extra commercial journey at 9pm but the law village oddity.

I wonder what planned for the 147/247.

Glasgow Bus Timetable Finder - Forthcoming Service Changes

Agree with comments about the train. It is a great service when all runs smoothly. Not great when it doesn’t though and passengers to Bellshill face more than an hour on the bus!

Still a fast bus to Glasgow might not be a bad thing!

Wonder what the route change to the 5 could be. The extension to Hamilton is incredibly handy, so I hope it isn’t being lost.

 

[Supercus]

Agree with comments about the train. It is a great service when all runs smoothly. Not great when it doesn’t though and passengers to Bellshill face more than an hour on the bus!

Still a fast bus to Glasgow might not be a bad thing!

Wonder what the route change to the 5 could be. The extension to Hamilton is incredibly handy, so I hope it isn’t being lost.

They’ll probably stop going via West Hamilton Street in Motherwell

 

[markymark2000]

The 41A is just a 210 renumber so kept in the route family.
Still be tendered

Be interesting to see what’s all changing

Hopefully the timetable is logical, because if so, this change could be extremely beneficial for them to grow patronage with the beefier 'core' timetable, and network simplification.

I think the train will always win for passengers travelling to Glasgow and the 240 mainly used by local Lanarkshire passengers or travelling to Parkhead.

Bear in mind that under 22 and over 60s, the bus is free. The train costs money. If JMB was competing on price as well, they may have a tougher ride, but you tell someone that they can pay to get on the train, or travel on a free bus but it takes slightly longer, I know what many people will choose.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Hopefully the timetable is logical, because if so, this change could be extremely beneficial for them to grow patronage with the beefier 'core' timetable, and network simplification.


Bear in mind that under 22 and over 60s, the bus is free. The train costs money. If JMB was competing on price as well, they may have a tougher ride, but you tell someone that they can pay to get on the train, or travel on a free bus but it takes slightly longer, I know what many people will choose.

Train isn't £1.50 return anymore from Bellshill like it used to be before April this year and now even more expensive since they scrapped the peak fares now only a 33.3% discount for Over 60s and Disabled NECs, that'll be why the X1 probably does so well from Hamilton now due it being more expensive on the Train. It's hit pensioners in the pocket the carry on with the SPT Concession fares

 

[EMU303]

Train isn't £1.50 return anymore from Bellshill like it used to be before April this year and now even more expensive since they scrapped the peak fares now only a 33.3% discount for Over 60s and Disabled NECs, that'll be why the X1 probably does so well from Hamilton now due it being more expensive on the Train. It's hit pensioners in the pocket the carry on with the SPT Concession fares

Can you help me understand…
My understanding is that SPT previously provided a 50% off the full (peak) fare e.g. I’ll pick Paisley £7.50 peak fare (found that on a bbc article), so using the SPT concession it was historically £3.75.
With the abolition of peak fares the £7.50 dropped to £5.20 and with the concession now 33% the fare is £3.50. So it’s cheaper than the old 50% discount?

Apologies if I’ve misunderstood, or maybe there are anomalies where the 33% discount isn’t as generous as the 50% off the old peak fares.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Can you help me understand…
My understanding is that SPT previously provided a 50% off the full (peak) fare e.g. I’ll pick Paisley £7.50 peak fare (found that on a bbc article), so using the SPT concession it was historically £3.75.
With the abolition of peak fares the £7.50 dropped to £5.20 and with the concession now 33% the fare is £3.50. So it’s cheaper than the old 50% discount?

Apologies if I’ve misunderstood, or maybe there are anomalies where the 33% discount isn’t as generous as the 50% off the old peak fares.

33.3% is only a third off the Adult fare where as before it was 50% then before that it was £1 single or £1.50 with in 10 track miles, Hell of a price hike, for example Bellshill to Glasgow Central using an SPT Authority issued NEC the return fare is currently £3.70 if the discount was still at 50% then it would only be £2.80 cause that's half the Adult Return fare

 

[318266]

Can you help me understand…
My understanding is that SPT previously provided a 50% off the full (peak) fare e.g. I’ll pick Paisley £7.50 peak fare (found that on a bbc article), so using the SPT concession it was historically £3.75.
With the abolition of peak fares the £7.50 dropped to £5.20 and with the concession now 33% the fare is £3.50. So it’s cheaper than the old 50% discount?

Apologies if I’ve misunderstood, or maybe there are anomalies where the 33% discount isn’t as generous as the 50% off the old peak fares.

Under the former long-standing Strathclyde concessionary system, those with disabled or elderly persons' bus passes qualified (with an appropriate Strathclyde "S" marking on the physical pass) for discounted travel on the Subway and Rail services (off-peak only for elderly persons', unless heading to/from an appointment).

The rail discount was either:

• £1.00 single (within 10 miles),
• £1.50 return (within 10 miles),
• half the applicable Anytime Single fare (outwith 10 miles),
• half the applicable Anytime Return fare (outwith 10 miles),
• £2.50 single (within designated rural zones, e.g. Helensburgh Upper <> Oban), or
• £4.00 return (within designated rural zones, e.g. Helensburgh Upper <> Oban)

Recently, the concessionary scheme has been massively cut. The £1/£1.50 tickets were withdrawn on 1 April 2025, and the half-fare on Anytime fares was cut to a two-thirds-fare upon their effective price cut instituted by the Scottish Government. The cheap rural fares remain, which could have interesting implications for concessionary split ticketing (e.g. GLQ -> OBN single at two-thirds-fare is £22.25, whereas GLQ -> HLU is £5.85 + HLU -> OBN is £2.50 (cap), a 62% total saving).

This means that most journeys that were within the 10 mile boundary have been raised significantly, for example, a single journey from Bellshill to Glasgow Central went from £1 to £3.45, and a return from £1.50 to £3.70.

 

[overthewater]

The details of the changes from the 12th January are now up: https://www.jmbtravel.co.uk/changes-to-your-bus-services-from-sunday-11th-january-2026

NEW Glasgow Fast X5 will be introduced, providing a direct service from Newarthill, Carfin, New Stevenston and Motherwell to Glasgow City Centre via the M74 and M8 motorways. The route will operate hourly on Mondays to Saturdays, and at peak times will extend to serve Cleland, Coltness and Newmains.

Service 5 will be extended from Hamilton Town Centre to Low Waters, Fairhill and Little Earnock. This will provide direct links to the Palace Grounds Retail Park, Motherwell, New Stevenston and Bellshill. The timetable will operate every 30-minutes on Mondays to Fridays and hourly on Saturdays.

Service 41 will operate an hour later into the evenings on all days of the week. Some evening journeys will operate as 41A, diverting via Law on their way to and from Carluke and Lanark. These journeys will replace the 210 which will be withdrawn. There will be minor changes to the early morning and Sunday timetable.

Service 42 will have a route change in Calderbank - Park Road will no longer be served due to badly parked vehicles. A new one way loop will be introduced using Crowwood Road, Woodhall Avenue and Woodside Drive. Buses will operate the same way on journeys to both Coatbridge/Airdrie and Wishaw/Larkhall. On Sundays, the service to and from Coatbridge will be extended to operate one hour later into the evening. On all days of the week, the last 42A journey from Airdrie to Motherwell will now extend to Waterloo to provide a late evening bus from Airdrie/Holytown/New Stevenston and Motherwell to Craigneuk and Wishaw.

Service 93 will have a new improved route in the Coltness area, additionally serving Kilmeny Crescent, Traquair Aveunue and more of Coltness Road. A slightly revised timetable will be introduced as a result.

Service 147 will operate a revised timetable to enhance reliability.

Service 193 on a Sunday will have a minor timetable change with the last afternoon journey from Cleland now terminating at Wishaw Main Street and no longer extending via Pather to Lawhill.

Service 210 will be withdrawn, but Law will continue to be served in the evenings by the new 41A.

Service 247 will operate a revised timetable on Mondays to Fridays, including the introduction of a new evening journey from Kirkintilloch to Monklands via Cumbernauld and Glenmavis to support shift workers at Albert Bartletts and Monklands Hospital. No Change to the Saturday timetable.

Timetables will be available on our buses and online early in the New Year

 

[markymark2000]

Great news about the 41. SPT has been long overdue some simplicity, and this change looks to be enabling longer service hours on an existing core service, and reducing duplication over commercial routes. Hopefully the timetable looks logical.

Extending the last 42A to Waterloo I presume is for the network support grant thing, but its a bonus to those who use it.

The 5 I am not a fan of the Saturday timetable, surely it wouldn't have been to retime the departures off Bellshill so that the Saturday times match the xx:38 Mon-Fri. There is also a random anomaly that the service runs later on a Saturday too than Monday-Friday.

X5 I like the look of it. I hope it does well for them, and they can have another successful express route. My only criticism is that I do think that the Saturday evenings from Glasgow could be reviewed to put them more in line with Mon-Fri. Consistent times for last buses are really useful for passengers (of course rush hour times are different, but off peak can be the same), especially when pushing a new route, the simpler it is, the better.

 

[Metal Mickey]

The details of the changes from the 12th January are now up: https://www.jmbtravel.co.uk/changes-to-your-bus-services-from-sunday-11th-january-2026

Fair play to them, they’re clearly taking advantage of the complacent attitude of the long established operator in the area.

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X5 I like the look of, but I do think that the Saturday evenings could be reviewed to put them more in line with Mon-Fri. Consistent times for last buses are really useful for passengers (of course rush hour times are different, but off peak can be the same), especially when pushing a new route, the simpler it is, the better.

I get that but I assume the reason for the delayed departure times ex Buchanan Bus Station is to take into account delays on inward journeys exiting the M8 at Townhead.

 

[markymark2000]

I get that but I assume the reason for the delayed departure times ex Buchanan Bus Station is to take into account delays on inward journeys exiting the M8 at Townhead.

That wouldn't stop the Saturday 18:00 and 19:00 journeys from Buchannan Bus Station being delayed by 7 minutes. Also interestingly the 19:00 gets 1 minute longer on a Saturday too compared to the Mon-Fri trip

 

[Jordan1296]

Great news about the 41. SPT has been long overdue some simplicity, and this change looks to be enabling longer service hours on an existing core service, and reducing duplication over commercial routes. Hopefully the timetable looks logical.

Extending the last 42A to Waterloo I presume is for the network support grant thing, but its a bonus to those who use it.

The 5 I am not a fan of the Saturday timetable, surely it wouldn't have been too hard to make the Saturday times match the Mon-Fri. There is also a random anomaly that the service runs later on a Saturday too than Monday-Friday.

X5 I like the look of, but I do think that the Saturday evenings could be reviewed to put them more in line with Mon-Fri. Consistent times for last buses are really useful for passengers (of course rush hour times are different, but off peak can be the same), especially when pushing a new route, the simpler it is, the better.

It is pleasing that the 5 is being extended once again but, like you, cannot see why the timetable on Saturdays is halved once more. The service has been growing in popularity over the last year or so, but I suppose their number of vehicles just now prevents it.