Scottish Citylink

[route101]

Just as expected, it appears the seat reservations for services 900, AIR and 902 have been removed.

Makes sense for these routes. The 900 is pretty much a turn up and go service during the day.

Anyone know how the passengers are managed on the less frequent services to the Highlands? For example persons who have booked onto a service not from origin.

 

[Ewan M]

Just as expected, it appears the seat reservations for services 900, AIR and 902 have been removed.

The right thing to do here; honestly the idea of seat reservations on those three routes were totally pointless from the get go

 

[davp]

Just as expected, it appears the seat reservations for services 900, AIR and 902 have been removed.

I still see them offered on the Citylink website for all of these services.

 

[Volvodart]

Citylink have introduced free birthday tickets on AIR and £7.50 advance single and £15 return too.

Citylink AIR is celebrating 13 years of getting passengers to and from the airport — and we’re giving away 1,300 free tickets to celebrate.

For the next 13 weeks, we’ll release 100 free Citylink AIR tickets for travel every Wednesday

https://www.citylink.co.uk/tickets/lucky-13-wednesdays/?fbclid=Iwb21leAUCVF1jbGNrBQJUVnBkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEeIIVpH8CDViCYeicOa5pqjM3nxsf3UXaFT9potZ__Pfz0z0Ant3afafVmfDI_aem_fuOfDU4KMmrGX_IQr_0jNw

 

[Spsf3232]

Citylink have introduced free birthday tickets on AIR and £7.50 advance single and £15 return too.

https://www.citylink.co.uk/tickets/lucky-13-wednesdays/?fbclid=Iwb21leAUCVF1jbGNrBQJUVnBkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEeIIVpH8CDViCYeicOa5pqjM3nxsf3UXaFT9potZ__Pfz0z0Ant3afafVmfDI_aem_fuOfDU4KMmrGX_IQr_0jNw

This will be one of the first times Ember have responded to Ember as up until now they have pretty much worked side by side

 

[Deerfold]

This will be one of the first times Ember have responded to Ember as up until now they have pretty much worked side by side

Who to who?

 

[alan25]

Who to who?

I THINK what he means is citylink to ember

 

[route101]

Will be interesting to see how this plays out!

 

[overthewater]

I'm hearing rumours Citylink want to start a new service Via Falkirk from the October changes, is there any truth in this and hoping to get in before Ember or is it just whispers in the wind?

 

[route101]

I'm hearing rumours Citylink want to start a new service Via Falkirk from the October changes, is there any truth in this and hoping to get in before Ember or is it just whispers in the wind?

I wonder if its a Glasgow to Edinburgh route via Falkirk or from Stirling.

 

[Volvodart]

Now registered M6 Glasgow to Aberdeen via Falkirk and Edinburgh Airport and 900/903 Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh Haymarket via Glasgow City Centre and Harthill effective 24 October 2026.

 

[CMBS]

Now registered M6 Glasgow to Aberdeen via Falkirk and Edinburgh Airport and 900/903 Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh Haymarket via Glasgow City Centre and Harthill effective 24 October 2026.

Why Haymarket and not the City Centre? I also find it weird for there to not be a faster Falkirk to Edinburgh service either but I understand users can change at the airport, though because of that it'd put people off from using it to Edinburgh. Interesting to see them go up against First Bus though. How will Falkirk to Aberdeen also work against the current Aberdeen to Edinburgh services? Will some journeys be cut or is this meant to be a more regional service?

 

[scottishtrains]

Now registered M6 Glasgow to Aberdeen via Falkirk and Edinburgh Airport and 900/903 Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh Haymarket via Glasgow City Centre and Harthill effective 24 October 2026.

Glasgow to Aberdeen via Falkirk/Edi Airport is interesting

 

[Bus9120UK]

Why Haymarket and not the City Centre?

Probably a resource or timetabling limitation, but one that could be key to whether the service can survive or not. Somewhat reminds me of the former Lothian EX1/2 which terminated at The Exchange which was a big mistake.
That aside I am already skeptical about there being demand to preserve the Glasgow to Glasgow Airport segment permanently. I presume they are relying on existing Edinburgh to Glasgow demand for this though, and hoping Glasgow Airport demand gradually comes on top of that. If I had to guess they will replace existing journeys rather adding these as totally new ones, especially given the 900 only just had an uplift along the corridor recently.


I wonder if the Glasgow to Aberdeen via Falkirk and Edinburgh Airport were two separate proposals that they decided to merge to give these corridors the best chance of working. It's an interesting one though.

 

[CMBS]

Probably a resource or timetabling limitation, but one that could be key to whether the service can survive or not. Somewhat reminds me of the former Lothian EX1/2 which terminated at The Exchange which was a big mistake.
That aside I am already skeptical about there being demand to preserve the Glasgow to Glasgow Airport segment permanently. I presume they are relying on existing Edinburgh to Glasgow demand for this though, and hoping Glasgow Airport demand gradually comes on top of that. If I had to guess they will replace existing journeys rather adding these as totally new ones, especially given the 900 only just had an uplift along the corridor recently.


I wonder if the Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport via Falkirk and Aberdeen to Edinburgh Airport were two separate proposals that they decided to merge to give these corridors the best chance of working. It's an interesting one though.

Shocked to only just find out the M92 didn't stop at Edinburgh Airport, thought the M92 had already covered that. But they appear are going up against McGills proper rather than just Flixbus from what it seems, and creating an extended FLY. I wonder how they will respond.

It would be interesting to see whether they would retry a 901/906 again, but I doubt that probably that it's difficult to find contractors that aren't either dodgy or McGills (as with the previous contractor who had it until it was eventually cancelled after McGills ran it off with their 576/7), only way I see something possible like that is with a Dunoon-Glasgow service via Western Ferries operated mainly by WCM, and even then I think though it's more plausible, despite the demand and support from local government, is still unlikely, plus I doubt there would be through ticketing given the managing director of Western Ferries seems to really like car dependency, but hey I guess that means more profit for Western.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

I don’t see this working. Strange terminus choice for 903 if it is Haymarket. Edinburgh Bus Station is full, but there are still more suitable alternatives they could have used. With regards to the 903, I would have rather the 900 was extended hourly through to Glasgow Airport. The AIR covering Edinburgh Airport. Having a whole additional route feels strange. Or just extend the 902?

I agree I think the M6 is two routes merged into one, but again Citylink late to the party and Ember has probably already swallowed up the market. Unless the M6 is running via A92 I don’t really see the point of it.

 

[overthewater]

It doesn't look like the M6 ( odd number to give it ) will be hourly. It looks more like it will only operate a few times a day. When did M92 Airport journeys stop?

 

[gomango]

It doesn't look like the M6 ( odd number to give it ) will be hourly. It looks more like it will only operate a few times a day. When did M92 Airport journeys stop?

Do you have a source for this information or is it just rumors at the moment. Disappointing if it is only a few times a day

 

[Spsf3232]

Now registered M6 Glasgow to Aberdeen via Falkirk and Edinburgh Airport and 900/903 Glasgow Airport to Edinburgh Haymarket via Glasgow City Centre and Harthill effective 24 October 2026.

It's interesting when Flixbus started up the most we got was a slight increase in Glasgow Aberdeens however that was already full to bursting and now with under 22 cards filled with students!

Now it looks like they have woken up and realised ember poses a rather large threat and decided to through anything at it to protect itself

 

[Volvodart]

When did M92 Airport journeys stop?

I think it was when the Winter 2025 timetable started.

 

[nick291]

Shocked to only just find out the M92 didn't stop at Edinburgh Airport, thought the M92 had already covered that. But they appear are going up against McGills proper rather than just Flixbus from what it seems, and creating an extended FLY. I wonder how they will respond.

It would be interesting to see whether they would retry a 901/906 again, but I doubt that probably that it's difficult to find contractors that aren't either dodgy or McGills (as with the previous contractor who had it until it was eventually cancelled after McGills ran it off with their 576/7), only way I see something possible like that is with a Dunoon-Glasgow service via Western Ferries operated mainly by WCM, and even then I think though it's more plausible, despite the demand and support from local government, is still unlikely, plus I doubt there would be through ticketing given the managing director of Western Ferries seems to really like car dependency, but hey I guess that means more profit for Western.

I'd love to see the 907(Glasgow-Dunoon) make a comeback as a Citylink service. Not sure how viable it would be as a commercial entity though. Same with the 904 Between Edinburgh and East Kilbride. It's a market I feel like Citylink should explore at least.

 

[overthewater]

Do you have a source for this information or is it just rumors at the moment. Disappointing if it is only a few times a day

The rumours at the moment but, they were right only partly right about that route, maybe they will be wrong about the frequency.

To Cover the full route, and be hourly it would require around 10 coaches.

 

[CMBS]

New services are now listed on Andypreece
https://www.andypreece.co.uk/glasgowbus/servicechanges.htm

 

[alan25]

Have the 909 divert off to Falkirk and have some M92s serve Edinburgh airport? Extend the 902 to Edinburgh.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Saturday at 16:14 ==

Would there be demand for coaches from Inverness serving the airport?

 

[CMBS]

Have the 909 divert off to Falkirk and have some M92s serve Edinburgh airport? Extend the 902 to Edinburgh.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Saturday at 16:14 ==

Would there be demand for coaches from Inverness serving the airport?

Diverting the 909 into Falkirk would kill its purpose and push people into using the train.

 

[route101]

Strange one. I recall some M92 services went via Edinburgh Airport. Ember are the threat to Citylink whereas Flixbus have not expanded much within Scotland.
I don't think demand onto Glasgow Airport is what it was, from limited sightings of Flixbus 091s that go onto Glasgow Airport, they look quiet.

 

[overthewater]

They throwing gains of sand on to a map and trying to get in before Ember starts something new. It will be more interesting to see what Stagecoach does within Fife once the ember routes start from the Kirkcaldy depot.

 

[CMBS]

Latest WCM post on Linkedin is hinting WCM will be (possibly wholly) operating either the 903 or M6? Placing bets on the 903 since the M6 at Aberdeen is too far from WCM's base.

https://uk.linkedin.com/company/craigofcampbeltown

We’re delighted to soon be delivering a new route on behalf of Scottish Citylink Coaches, building on a relationship with West Coast Motors that now spans 40 years. It’s a partnership with a long history, and one we’re proud to continue as we grow our Glasgow operation and help keep even more people connected across Scotland. And with that growth comes new opportunities… We’re currently recruiting experienced coach drivers in Glasgow, with permanent, secure work, and a £2,000 sign-on bonus.

 

[gingerheid]

M6 Glasgow - Falkirk - Edinburgh Airport - Aberdeen??? Huh? Whu? I really hope that's a mistake in the registration! If not... is AI doing their route planning?

903. I sort of understand, but it doesn't seem like a winner. It worked in the days when they had the Glasgow Airport - Glasgow agreement and they could work together. I can't see it working on its own.

I feel like the way to compete with Ember might be to proactively expand the Campeltown and Skye services to 24/7 hourly services to Glasgow Airport, Glasgow, Edinburgh Airport and Edinburgh before Ember get charging stations built. (Only kidding; of course I only mean 2 hourly).

 

[CMBS]

M6 Glasgow - Falkirk - Edinburgh Airport - Aberdeen??? Huh? Whu? I really hope that's a mistake in the registration! If not... is AI doing their route planning?

903. I sort of understand, but it doesn't seem like a winner. It worked in the days when they had the Glasgow Airport - Glasgow agreement and they could work together. I can't see it working on its own.

I feel like the way to compete with Ember might be to proactively expand the Campeltown and Skye services to 24/7 hourly services to Glasgow Airport, Glasgow, Edinburgh Airport and Edinburgh before Ember get charging stations built. (Only kidding; of course I only mean 2 hourly).

Most Campbeltown to Glasgow services at the moment are extremely overcrowded and often fully booked. (apart from early morning to Campbeltown, and vice versa in the evening for Glasgow). Just looking at Monday's journeys outbound to Glasgow and 3 out of 5 runs of the day are fully booked. I'm sure driver availability is preventing a frequency upgrade, and I'm not sure WCM would allow another operator such as McLeans to do South Argyll runs from Glasgow (given it's WCM home territory + 2008 incident) but it's best to fill it in before Ember moves in, think 6 a day between Campbeltown/Glasgow and 8 between Tarbert or Ardrishaig to Glasgow is realistic, as Lochgilphead is when it really starts filling up.

Also what is demand like between the Highlands and Braehead? I'm sure it would bring in more income than the Paisley stop, and I'm surprised Ember has chose to not serve Braehead.