McGill’s Midland Bluebird

[sannox]

x.com

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The Trossachs Explorer - Here. Now. All of us.

Discover The Trossachs by bus with The Trossachs Explorer! Under 22's and Over 60's travel for free with a National Entitlement Card.

www.lochlomond-trossachs.org

Further details of the Trossachs Explorer on the Loch Lomond and Trossachs website. The X link shows one of the vehicles branded for the route.

 

[Stan Drews]

For some odd reason the timetable on the Park authority website only shows the times as far as Aberfoyle and completely ignores Balfron, where some of the connections can be made with the X10 journeys to/from Glasgow.
The full timetable is available on the bus company website.

New Trossachs Explorer service - Midland Bluebird

www.mcgillsscotlandeast.co.uk

 

[route101]

For some odd reason the timetable on the Park authority website only shows the times as far as Aberfoyle and completely ignores Balfron, where some of the connections can be made with the X10 journeys to/from Glasgow.
The full timetable is available on the bus company website.

New Trossachs Explorer service - Midland Bluebird

www.mcgillsscotlandeast.co.uk

Hopefully a route map is created for the service too.

 

[sannox]

For some odd reason the timetable on the Park authority website only shows the times as far as Aberfoyle and completely ignores Balfron, where some of the connections can be made with the X10 journeys to/from Glasgow.
The full timetable is available on the bus company website.

New Trossachs Explorer service - Midland Bluebird

www.mcgillsscotlandeast.co.uk

Is it down to the park authorities funding the Callendar - Aberfoyle service and McGill's are doing to Balfron commercially to work into depot? Seems strange they wouldn't highlight that though!

 

[Clydeflyer]

South of Aberfoyle is not in the National Park boundary so they maybe don't want to create any impression that Balfron is.

 

[Stan Drews]

Is it down to the park authorities funding the Callendar - Aberfoyle service and McGill's are doing to Balfron commercially to work into depot? Seems strange they wouldn't highlight that though!

No, the whole service is funded by the park authority.

 

[sannox]

No, the whole service is funded by the park authority.

That's just strange then! I can only see the reason outlined by Clydeflyer in that case as the possibility.

Hope the service is a success, the inability to get to some of those tourist areas without a car has been annoying for some time.

 

[JKP]

It’s a pity that there is not the same number of journeys on the Trossachs Trundler on a Sunday. Why does the service start at Callander in the morning but end at Balfron in the afternoon? There also appears to be a later journey on the McGills timetable. The McGills site does say updated timetable so is the one being shown by the National Park the original?

 

[scosutsut]

I find myself in Midland Bluebird territory very infrequently, but when I do I can't help but notice the myriad of liveries and generally quite scruffy buses continues.

Have I just got unlucky, or am I right to pick up on a lack of effort in that regard?

I recall reading about work to prep a paint shop at Larbert - but they've proved they can paint / vinyl buses when they want to - so it just looks like a lack of effort at this stage?

 

[JKP]

It’s a pity that there is not the same number of journeys on the Trossachs Trundler on a Sunday. Why does the service start at Callander in the morning but end at Balfron in the afternoon? There also appears to be a later journey on the McGills timetable. The McGills site does say updated timetable so is the one being shown by the National Park the original?

Have reread the National Park timetable and see it is the same as McGills except for Balfron extension. With apologies.

 

[sannox]

I find myself in Midland Bluebird territory very infrequently, but when I do I can't help but notice the myriad of liveries and generally quite scruffy buses continues.

Have I just got unlucky, or am I right to pick up on a lack of effort in that regard?

I recall reading about work to prep a paint shop at Larbert - but they've proved they can paint / vinyl buses when they want to - so it just looks like a lack of effort at this stage?

I think things are generally improving - it's taken some time to get buses into Midland Bluebird livery but the ones that are done are generally smart. I find the ex McGill's buses interiors nicer than the buses inherited from First. Some of the former Dundee fleet are a bit tired.

 

[Jordan Adam]

I find myself in Midland Bluebird territory very infrequently, but when I do I can't help but notice the myriad of liveries and generally quite scruffy buses continues.

Have I just got unlucky, or am I right to pick up on a lack of effort in that regard?

I recall reading about work to prep a paint shop at Larbert - but they've proved they can paint / vinyl buses when they want to - so it just looks like a lack of effort at this stage?

There seemed to have been more of a focus on rolling the livery out to specific routes. Repaints do seem to have picked up again though, there's quite a number of E300s that have been reported in recent weeks as either being repainted or away for repaint, they do wear the livery really well. Its just a shame the tatty interior still remains. First Aberdeen have made an effort to retrim most of their E300s in the past year and it makes such a massive difference to the internal appearance.

8489 - SN62ASX (Midland Bluebird)

Seen arriving at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert is McGill's Midland Bluebird Alexander Dennis Enviro 300 8489 - SN62ASX recently outshopped into Midland Bluebird livery and looks absolutely resplendent.

www.flickr.com

I think things are generally improving - it's taken some time to get buses into Midland Bluebird livery but the ones that are done are generally smart. I find the ex McGill's buses interiors nicer than the buses inherited from First. Some of the former Dundee fleet are a bit tired.

Two of the four Ex-Aberdeen Geminis were fully retrimmed in 2022 just before the buyout and look really smart inside. One has recently been repainted and has to be one of the smartest buses in the fleet in my opinion. Just a shame it still retains Platinum 19 branding internally...

2901 SV08FYB nearside

Midland Bluebird Volvo B9TL Wright Eclipse Gemini

www.flickr.com

 

[Observer]

I find myself in Midland Bluebird territory very infrequently, but when I do I can't help but notice the myriad of liveries and generally quite scruffy buses continues.

Have I just got unlucky, or am I right to pick up on a lack of effort in that regard?

I recall reading about work to prep a paint shop at Larbert - but they've proved they can paint / vinyl buses when they want to - so it just looks like a lack of effort at this stage?

That paint shop is in use along with Greenock and Johnstone. The problem is there's far too many buses to paint up but also let's not forget how unreliable some of them are...do you really want to waste paint on all of the StreetLites when most of them are now lying in bits at the depots?

They should at least do something about the ex-Dundee double deckers though, put some branding on them at the least. All they really need are new company names, same with the ones in McGill's livery.

 

[stevenedin]

Have McGill’s given up on the 20, 63 & 68? There doesn’t appear to be any buses on the 68 today and the 20 and 63 have very few buses on the routes of at all.

 

[Bus9120UK]

Have McGill’s given up on the 20, 63 & 68? There doesn’t appear to be any buses on the 68 today and the 20 and 63 have very few buses on the routes of at all.

This is how the services have looked for the last few weeks. The 68 has had no buses on it at all this week!

 

[stevenedin]

This is how the services have looked for the last few weeks. The 68 has had no buses on it at all this week!

That’s not good at all and I’m surprised that they have left such a bad impression after what they did in West Lothian. They will probably not get awarded anymore Council Tenders after this as they will be seen as unreliable. It’s a bit disappointing for the people relying on these services.

 

[computerSaysNo]

That’s not good at all and I’m surprised that they have left such a bad impression after what they did in West Lothian. They will probably not get awarded anymore Council Tenders after this as they will be seen as unreliable. It’s a bit disappointing for the people relying on these services.

Unfortunately I don't think councils are allowed to consider performance on previous contracts when making their decision; it has to be only on the information in the bid.

If McGill's are not providing the service they have been paid to provide, is the Council allowed and able to recover some of the monies paid?

 

[Mollman]

Unfortunately I don't think councils are allowed to consider performance on previous contracts when making their decision; it has to be only on the information in the bid.

If McGill's are not providing the service they have been paid to provide, is the Council allowed and able to recover some of the monies paid?

Yes as McGills will have to provide a lost mileage report stating why journeys didn't run. If it is down to a lack of drivers as they have moved to Lothian ahead of the contract change this weekend then the council will deduct payment.

 

[CSB0241]

Have McGill’s given up on the 20, 63 & 68? There doesn’t appear to be any buses on the 68 today and the 20 and 63 have very few buses on the routes of at all.

This is how the services have looked for the last few weeks. The 68 has had no buses on it at all this week!

Today is the first day the 68 has been running this week. In fact, all but one of the 63s was running this morning (admittedly though, all but one 20 have gone back to Livingston).

 

[NorthClyde320]

Today is the first day the 68 has been running this week. In fact, all but one of the 63s was running this morning (admittedly though, all but one 20 have gone back to Livingston).

The 68 didn't operate at all today, and there is only 1 bus on the 63, the 1 bus that was on the 20 looks like it has gone out of service with no buses looking like being on the 20 for the rest of he day. Shocking and McGill's should be hammered for this but I doubt anything will be done. Was there no way the council could have got the new operators to start early or even put out emergency timetables with other operators if the resources could be found at short notice?

 

[computerSaysNo]

The 68 didn't operate at all today, and there is only 1 bus on the 63, the 1 bus that was on the 20 looks like it has gone out of service with no buses looking like being on the 20 for the rest of he day. Shocking and McGill's should be hammered for this but I doubt anything will be done. Was there no way the council could have got the new operators to start early or even put out emergency timetables with other operators if the resources could be found at short notice?

I can't even find a link to the Short Notice Cancellations page on their website. Using a general internet search engine finds a page, but it looks like it hasn't been updated since May which is no use.
I'm going to make a table of timetabled journeys vs journeys which ran. Can someone confirm the peak daily vehicle requirement ("PVR") for the 20 and 63? I believe the 68 has a PVR of one.

Edit at about 1710hrs:
I did type up the below but thinking about it my method of recording journeys is too imprecise so it can't really be used.
I've done a very brief table and it looks like Monday to Saturday from the 17th to the 29th of June, the 20/63/68 all met their daily PVR at least once on 74% of days. That is more than I was expecting but is limited by the fact that I was counting unique vehicles over the whole day per route, so doesn't guarantee that every journey was operated.
A day that stands out is Saturday the 22nd: none of the three routes met their PVR on that day.

• the 20 had one vehicle (0426 - SN14 FFZ) operating from the ~0630 departure until the ~0900 departure, but no vehicles after that.
• the 63 then had the same vehicle operating departures from ~1130 until ~1330, but no vehicles after that.
• the 68 had no vehicles all day.

Because no route had departures covering the whole day, I've recorded them as zero meaning the sheet calculated 0% of the journeys running.

 

[NorthClyde320]

I can't even find a link to the Short Notice Cancellations page on their website. Using a general internet search engine finds a page, but it looks like it hasn't been updated since May which is no use.
I'm going to make a table of timetabled journeys vs journeys which ran. Can someone confirm the peak daily vehicle requirement ("PVR") for the 20 and 63? I believe the 68 has a PVR of one.

Edit at about 1710hrs:
I did type up the below but thinking about it my method of recording journeys is too imprecise so it can't really be used.
I've done a very brief table and it looks like Monday to Saturday from the 17th to the 29th of June, the 20/63/68 all met their daily PVR at least once on 74% of days. That is more than I was expecting but is limited by the fact that I was counting unique vehicles over the whole day per route, so doesn't guarantee that every journey was operated.
A day that stands out is Saturday the 22nd: none of the three routes met their PVR on that day.

• the 20 had one vehicle (0426 - SN14 FFZ) operating from the ~0630 departure until the ~0900 departure, but no vehicles after that.
• the 63 then had the same vehicle operating departures from ~1130 until ~1330, but no vehicles after that.
• the 68 had no vehicles all day.

Because no route had departures covering the whole day, I've recorded them as zero meaning the sheet calculated 0% of the journeys running.

Service 20 uses 3 buses, 63 uses 2 buses and 68 uses 1 bus. 0411 was on the 63 in the morning, 0420 was on the 20 till 3pm and 0449 in currently on the 63. Was using bustimes and McGill's own journey planner to check.

 

[Stan Drews]

The 68 didn't operate at all today, and there is only 1 bus on the 63, the 1 bus that was on the 20 looks like it has gone out of service with no buses looking like being on the 20 for the rest of he day. Shocking and McGill's should be hammered for this but I doubt anything will be done. Was there no way the council could have got the new operators to start early or even put out emergency timetables with other operators if the resources could be found at short notice?

McGill’s have continued operating these services beyond the end of the contract period last August in good faith as a ‘favour’ to the Council, allowing them the time to procure replacement services.

 

[Lothianbus703]

Here's 0449 departing the Gyle after operating the last 63.

 

[stantheman]

Why do they abandon services mid afternoon ? I have often seen empty buses going past my house.

 

[Observer]

The 68 didn't operate at all today, and there is only 1 bus on the 63, the 1 bus that was on the 20 looks like it has gone out of service with no buses looking like being on the 20 for the rest of he day. Shocking and McGill's should be hammered for this but I doubt anything will be done. Was there no way the council could have got the new operators to start early or even put out emergency timetables with other operators if the resources could be found at short notice?

The resources could have been found...it's called dropping one of the Airport Express duties. Unless they have been doing so? Either way, it's finally over now.

 

[overthewater]

Just to check were people just looking at the tracker to see if the buses were running or did people actually go bus spotting to see them on the ground?

 

[stevenedin]

I was planning on going on them for one last trip but decided against it when I saw the cancellations. I didn’t want to be stranded.

Does anyone know what the plans are for the StreetLites that were used on these? Are they replacing older buses in the McGill’s network or will they be sold on?

 

[NorthClyde320]

Just to check were people just looking at the tracker to see if the buses were running or did people actually go bus spotting to see them on the ground?

I checked with the route maps and the journey planner on the website and app, wasn't on the ground.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jun 2024 ==

I was planning on going on them for one last trip but decided against it when I saw the cancellations. I didn’t want to be stranded.

Does anyone know what the plans are for the StreetLites that were used on these? Are they replacing older buses in the McGill’s network or will they be sold on?

My guess is they will be transferred to any of the 3 Midland depots if they are in better condition that any existing ones, failing that just put into reserve for spares or scrap.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jun 2024 ==

With Livingston now down to a PVR of just 17 there must be a lot of spare room and with the amount of dead mileage to/from Edinburgh it would make sense to try and find a depot closer to the City to house what work is remaining as well as Flixbus work, if Livi is owned outright it could raise quite a sum. Just my thoughts.

 

[Lothianbus703]

I checked with the route maps and the journey planner on the website and app, wasn't on the ground.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jun 2024 ==


My guess is they will be transferred to any of the 3 Midland depots if they are in better condition that any existing ones, failing that just put into reserve for spares or scrap.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jun 2024 ==

With Livingston now down to a PVR of just 17 there must be a lot of spare room and with the amount of dead mileage to/from Edinburgh it would make sense to try and find a depot closer to the City to house what work is remaining as well as Flixbus work, if Livi is owned outright it could raise quite a sum. Just my thoughts.

Most of Livingstons spare room is full of withdrawn/reserve buses, a large number of them being the ex first B7RLE urbans.