Scottish Citylink November Changes

[overthewater]

From Monday 23rd November 2015 we are making additional changes to some of our routes and journeys. This is being done to ensure we are
delivering services that better reflect the travel habits of our customers and to allow us to continue operating a strong and stable coach network.
We are continuing to serve all of the locations we currently serve. There may be small timing changes on other services, to improve reliability and in
response to customer feedback.
Services affected below:

Service 909: Edinburgh – Stirling / Dunblane via Grangemouth
In order to better reflect customer demand this service will now operate a 2 hourly service from 23 November 2015. There will be 1 journey
in the morning (Monday to Friday) from Dunblane and 1 journey in the evening (Monday to Friday) to Dunblane. There will be 1 journey in
the morning to Stirling University and 1 journey in the evening from Stirling University. The last service from Edinburgh will now be at 1915
Monday to Saturday and the 0905 journey from Edinburgh will now also operate on a Saturday.

Service 919: Inverness – Fort William via Fort Augustus
The following journeys will be withdrawn as a result of low passenger demand:
0845 Inverness to Fort William
0845 Fort William to Inverness
1245 Inverness to Fort William
1815 Fort William to Inverness
We will continue to operate 6 journeys per day on this route.

Citylinkair: Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport
The following journeys will be withdrawn from 23 November 2015.
0515 Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station to Edinburgh Airport
0630 Edinburgh Airport to Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station
Please note that the rest of the timetable remains unchanged and we continue to operate 62 journeys per day on this route.

Service M8: Glasgow to Dundee via Cumbernauld, Stirling, Dunblane, Gleneagles, Perth Bus Station and Inchture
In order to better reflect customer demand this service will operate a 2 hourly frequency between Glasgow and Dundee from 23rd
November 2015.We are also introducing a new two-hourly direct service between Glasgow and Stirling which will operate 3 journeys per day
in each direction. On Sundays there will be 4 journeys in each direction serving all normal points between Glasgow and Dundee.

Service M9: Glasgow to Aberdeen via Perth Broxden and Dundee
The following journeys will be withdrawn from 23 November 2015
• 1735 and 1835 Dundee to Glasgow (Monday to Saturday)
• 2015 Aberdeen to Dundee (Daily)
• 2240 Dundee to Aberdeen (Daily)
• 1945 Aberdeen to Glasgow (Sunday Only)
Please note we continue to operate 10 journeys per day on this route.

Service M90: Edinburgh to Inverness via Halbeath P&R, Kinross P&R, Perth Broxden and Aviemore
We are making the following changes to this route:
• Most journeys on this route will now serve Aviemore
• Four journeys per day will serve Dunfermline Bus Station
• Six journeys per day will serve Pitlochry
• Six journeys per day will serve The House of Bruar (this allows connections to the M91 mini bus service linking Blair Atholl, Dalwhinnie,
Newtonmore and Kingussie to the M90 service).
• Two additional journeys per day in each direction have been introduced at 0930 and 1530 from Edinburgh and 1010 and 1510 from
Inverness which will be express services calling only at Edinburgh , Perth Broxden and Inverness

Service M91 – Edinburgh to Inverness via Dunfermline, Halbeath P&R, Kinross P&R, Perth Bus Station, Pitlochry, Kingussie and numerous other
stopping points
From 23 November 2015 this route will operate the following journeys only:
• 0924 Newtonmore to Inverness (Mon – Sat)
• 1310 Inverness to Newtonmore (Mon-Sat)
Please note many of the points on this route are also served by the M90 service between Edinburgh and Inverness via Halbeath P&R , Kinross P&R,
Perth Broxden and Aviemore. In addition a new M91 mini bus service will operate 4 journeys per day in each direction between Kingussie,
Newtonmore, Dalwhinnie, Blair Atholl and The House of Bruar, where it will connect with north and south bound M90 journeys.

Service M92: – Edinburgh to Aberdeen via Halbeath P&R, Kinross P&R, Perth Broxden and Dundee
The following journeys will be withdrawn from 23 November 2015.
• 0535 Perth to Aberdeen
• 0700 Edinburgh to Aberdeen
• 1310 Edinburgh to Aberdeen
• 1445 Aberdeen to Edinburgh
• 2115 Aberdeen to Edinburgh (Sunday only)
• The 1655 from Edinburgh to Dundee will now depart Edinburgh at 1715
Please note we will continue to operate 15 journeys per day on this route. In addition, a new daily Edinburgh to Aberdeen service is being introduced
at 2000.

Service G92: – Edinburgh to Aberdeen via Halbeath P&R, Kinross P&R, Perth Broxden and Dundee (GOLD Service)
Our customer research shows that passengers using our Gold services prefer more direct journeys with less stops. As a result, all Gold journeys on
this route will now call only at Edinburgh Bus Station, Dundee Bus Station and Aberdeen Bus Station. Please note the travel points no longer served
are covered by our M92 service which operates between Edinburgh, Halbeath P&R, Kinross P&R, Perth Broxden, Dundee and Aberdeen and
operates 15 journeys per day

Printed timetables for all the above services will be distributed w/c Monday 26th October 2015.
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Well were none the wiser about these changes and traveline either has incorrect details or its been changed again.
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The timetables are now up: http://www.citylink.co.uk/timetables.php Details of the changes postage above are also on the site YET; DO NOT match up.......

 

[radamfi]

Those cuts are quite severe. In Scotland, coaches are relatively competitive compared to trains as trains aren't as fast as in England and sometimes go by indirect routes, and roads are not that congested. Maybe the continual improvements in Scottish rail services have meant that some people are switching from coaches to trains?

 

[ChrisPJ]

Or is it just for the deep winter period with enhancements likely next spring?

 

[overthewater]

Or is it just for the deep winter period with enhancements likely next spring?

Citylink have NEVER made such deep cuts before at this period.

 

[oldman]

The timetables are now up: http://www.citylink.co.uk/timetables.php Details of the changes postage above are also on the site YET; DO NOT match up.......

What has happened is that Citylink/Megabus have withdrawn their through journeys on the M91 Edinburgh-Perth-Inverness route, and say so in the text of their announcement, but Parks of Hamilton are continuing to run theirs and they are in the new citylink timetable. Hence the apparent mismatch.

Of course up to now the Citylink and Parks services have appeared to passengers as a single integrated entity, but technically they are not (thanks to the Monopolies Commission with their well known understanding of the bus industry). It remains to be seen whether Parks will consider it worth keeping their small number of services going. I wonder (entirely speculatively) if Citylink/Megabus are trying to ease Parks out of the market.

 

[overthewater]

What has happened is that Citylink/Megabus have withdrawn their through journeys on the M91 Edinburgh-Perth-Inverness route, and say so in the text of their announcement, but Parks of Hamilton are continuing to run theirs and they are in the new citylink timetable. Hence the apparent mismatch.

Of course up to now the Citylink and Parks services have appeared to passengers as a single integrated entity, but technically they are not (thanks to the Monopolies Commission with their well known understanding of the bus industry). It remains to be seen whether Parks will consider it worth keeping their small number of services going. I wonder (entirely speculatively) if Citylink/Megabus are trying to ease Parks out of the market.

Thank you for that, It would seem this is also the case for he M8/M9. I cant see how park would want to keep the M91 going, but maybe this has been done like this to keep the Monopolies Commission happy ie look were doing are own thing.

I think we will either see more changes from Park soon, but when it does happen there will have to a new express m90 leaving Edinburgh at 11.30 and 17.30, and leaving Perth at 14.30 and 16.30?

Morning journey on the M93 is now a M91.... wait a sec... of Course, I've just clicked. The NEW Peak X56 should fully replace that M93, Stagecoach are trying to get rid of Parks on the M91. I've not seen the other part of the registration to the X55, hence the reason I was unable to fully understand the deal with the X56.

 

[Starmill]

Hello all

Does anyone know please if I the winter timetables are available yet? I can't find any valid beyond 22nd Nov, which is of course fast approaching!

I'm looking for Fort William <> Inverness, travelling on a Tuesday in mid December.

The context is I am wondering if it will be safe to alight from the Caledonian Sleeper in Fort William at 0955, and make it to Inverness in time for the 1253 Edinburgh service.

The current timetable indicates that there is a journey at 1030 from Fort Bill, which arrives in Inverness at 1216, which is clearly plenty of time (I hope it is anyway!). I'm also curious as to what the single fare might be, and if I am expected to pay before boarding. The last time I used a Scottish Citylink bus was at Stirling, where I was told off by the driver for not buying before boarding, despite not having had any clue that my £4 day return to Edinburgh could be paid somewhere before boarding!

Advice much appreciated

 

[Liam]

Traveline Scotland is your friend here

http://www.travelinescotland.com/pdfs/timetables/HIBO919.pdf

Page 4 of the PDF, from 23 Nov. Dep 1030, arr 1216.

Inverness bus station is 2 minutes from the railway station.

You can always buy on board Citylink buses, subject to there being a seat available, but you can also buy in advance and print your ticket at home or sent by text.

 

[enrag2000]

The 1030 from Fort William will be running on the date you will be travelling. However my advice to you would be not to book in advance but to buy your ticket on the bus as the sleeper arrival cannot be guaranteed (this morning it arrived at 1042!) and you will not have a problem in getting on without a ticket and paying the driver. If the sleeper gets in late, there is a later service at 1215. Of course you would then need a later train from Inverness.

The single fare is currently £11.60 and there are no discounted advance fares.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

Just throwing a spanner in the works. You could get the sleeper to Glasgow and then get Citylink Gold G10 straight up to Inverness?

 

[overthewater]

X52 timetables is up, its pretty clear is just a shopper service to out do Fisher tours.

 

[Starmill]

Just throwing a spanner in the works. You could get the sleeper to Glasgow and then get Citylink Gold G10 straight up to Inverness?

I'm going for the morning view of the snow-capped peaks on the West Highland line! Plus whatever view the A82 has to offer via Loch Ness.

It would be interesting if the Sleeper misses the bus would my ticket be accepted on a later train from Inverness... At which rate I may well end up on the bus to Edinburgh! Ha!

 

[Stan Drews]

X52 timetables is up, its pretty clear is just a shopper service to out do Fisher tours.

It's actually a duplicate (between Ferrytoll-Livi) for the busiest X51 journeys over the popular Christmas period - but also adds a few new options, like Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, Halbeath.

 

[cf111]

Those Fort William changes are going to be a awful for me, I might actually have to start learning to drive again, what a nightmare!

In fairness they haven't been very busy even in the summer so I can see why they've been withdrawn.

 

[overthewater]

Those Fort William changes are going to be a awful for me, I might actually have to start learning to drive again, what a nightmare!

In fairness they haven't been very busy even in the summer so I can see why they've been withdrawn.

Remember Stagecoach highland No19 operates on the route, so the gaps are not as bad.

 

[Volvodart]

Remember Stagecoach highland No19 operates on the route, so the gaps are not as bad.

Stagecoach have increased the number of 19s to compensate for the Citylink withdrawals.

 

[overthewater]

Stagecoach have increased the number of 19s to compensate for the Citylink withdrawals.

I wouldn't be surprised if citylink pull out of 919, next year and let stagecoach take full control.

 

[cf111]

Remember Stagecoach highland No19 operates on the route, so the gaps are not as bad.

Stagecoach have increased the number of 19s to compensate for the Citylink withdrawals.

Thanks for the info guys, things not looking so bad now!

 

[overthewater]

I've only just notice that new X55 will also now operate via Bridge of Earn, Its going to kill off that 56 the way its going,
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It seem the complaints are now stacking up agiast Citylink,

Commuters have been hit with loss of the direct 0750 Perth - Edinburgh coach and the return. while Glasgow run also also lost one of its Communter services

 

[cf111]

I've managed to find the Stagecoach 19 timetable for the winter - am I right in thinking that the 0630 from Inverness is one bus throughout which changes numbers to the 40 and 19 B/C or do you have to change at Drumnadrochit and Fort Augustus? The journey planner doesn't even offer that as a possibility and it's not marked in the timetable as such.

I don't know if this link will work: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/getTimetable.ashx?code=XIAO019C&dir=OUTBOUND&date=25/11/2015

 

[overthewater]

I've managed to find the Stagecoach 19 timetable for the winter - am I right in thinking that the 0630 from Inverness is one bus throughout which changes numbers to the 40 and 19 B/C or do you have to change at Drumnadrochit and Fort Augustus? The journey planner doesn't even offer that as a possibility and it's not marked in the timetable as such.

I don't know if this link will work: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/getTimetable.ashx?code=XIAO019C&dir=OUTBOUND&date=25/11/2015

It does not look like a thought bus, since there is No40 that leave Fort Augustus bus stand at 0732

 

[Fifescottish]

Stagecoach said that due to council funding cuts there will be changes to the 56 in the new year. The option to buy tickets for Parks M91 journeys on the Megabus website seems to be gone from the 23rd.

 

[overthewater]

Budget cuts aside, Or course the council would have to make cuts since that x55 covers most of the route. Glenfrag is the only part missing.

I would expect changes to parks of Hamilton in the new year, Included new express m90.
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Any ideas where the spare coaches will be going?

 

[overthewater]

######

Its been claimed by Citylink there had a consultation about these crap changes, Did anyone see this make believe consultation or did some manager dream it up?

 

[Fifescottish]

I think they consulted local authorities and it was in the local paper that Fife had a meeting and said not happy about removal of services from Halbeath P&R. Believe they didnt also confirm in writing so were ignored.

No consultation with passengers

Big shift to x55 at night now. It left with about 20 on Fri night and no queue for the 1720 M91. Dont think it will last long

 

[overthewater]

Of course the Parks of Hamilton M91 will be gone soon. I would say come the next service changes in May, the M90 will become hourly between Perth and Edinburgh. While the Gold buses will end up back in Halbeath.

 

[cf111]

######

Its been claimed by Citylink there had a consultation about these crap changes, Did anyone see this make believe consultation or did some manager dream it up?

I didn't see any literature about a consultation but I wasn't looking for any.

I tried the 0630 from Inverness recently in an attempt to get to Fort William, the bus rolls into Inverness bus station with "19 - Fort William" on the front and the idea is that passengers change at Fort Augustus to the 19B, I asked the driver and he confirmed - we got in to Fort Augustus just in time to see the 19B driving away . Driver was very apologetic and tried flashing his lights but to no avail.

I'm not sure how they intend for this service to work- it doesn't show on any journey planners, the bus before it only goes as far as Drumnadrochit, and the only mention of it on a timetable is at the stop in Inverness which has a note along the lines of "runs through to Fort William with a change at Fort Augustus".

I had to wait for the next bus back to Inverness - never been so glad I wore my thermals!

 

[Bletchleyite]

That is truly incompetent.

 

[overthewater]

Since the changes some of the runs are busier, but I shall this the fleet is down at the heel, especial those ex Bluebird coaches. What is going on? Also there is talk Parks of Hamilton will make further changing in May.

 

[Fifescottish]

What changes in May? More cuts presumably.

Very few folk using the 1720 M91 from Perth South now.