Stagecoach East Scotland

[computerSaysNo]

No it's not - I would not have the time to sort it all out in an appropriate form, but I am happy to try to help with queries, within reason. I suspect one or two others on here may be able to answer your second question more quickly than me - I could not claim the Fife express services as a specialism.

Ah okay. I'd be happy to help organise it and publish it online - if you'd like to discuss this then feel free to private message me.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Back to the 2019 timetables, it seems like the coach requirements were significantly higher then than they are now? With the Dunfermline to Glasgow at every 15 minutes, the X51 going to Glasgow, the X61 being every 20 minutes and the X57 every half hour.

Coach PVRs at each of the Fife depots in August 2019 were:
Aberhill 27
Dunfermline 13
Glenrothes 23

Compared to now:
Aberhill 16
Dunfermline 15 (does not include the 787)
Glenrothes 20

 

[computerSaysNo]

Coach PVRs at each of the Fife depots in August 2019 were:
Aberhill 27
Dunfermline 13
Glenrothes 23

Compared to now:
Aberhill 16
Dunfermline 15 (does not include the 787)
Glenrothes 20

Ah right, thanks, not as much of a difference as I'd thought. I've gone through Bustimes and recorded how many vehicles were on each route, I know this doesn't exactly represent the actual off peak requirement but I wouldn't think it would be too far off?
X51: Dunfermline, 2 vehicles, B8RLE/Panther? Not sure if allocated coaches.
X52: Dunfermline, peak only, allocated buses?
X54: Glenrothes, 5 coaches, allocated any tri-axle?
X55: Dunfermline, 10 vehicles, not sure if allocated coaches? Used to be B8RLE/Panther.
X56: Perth, 5 coaches, allocated B8RLE/Panther?
X58: Aberhill, 6 coaches, allocated two-axle Elite.
X59: Glenrothes, 4 coaches, allocated any tri-axle?
X59A: Glenrothes, 3 vehicles, not sure if allocated buses?
X60: Aberhill, 6 coaches, allocated two-axle Elite?
X61: Dunfermline?, 3 coaches, allocated B8RLE/Panther.
787: Dunfermline?, 3 coaches, allocated Elite i.
Edit - sorry pressed send too soon.
It seems very inefficient to be splitting relatively small fleets over multiple garages - or are the different vehicle types similar enough that this isn't an issue?

 

[overthewater]

The X51 and X55 has deckers on it most days, Aberhill operate the X61 in the evenings and Sundays while 3 am journeys to Kirkcaldy and 4 from Kirkcaldy are operated by Dunfermline to link up with the X61.

Only Dunfermline and Perth has B8RLE/Panthers While Glenrothes and Aberhill has the rest of the coaches.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Does anyone know if 13111-13117 ever found a new home? I noticed Birmingham Busworks have gone bust but the adverts for those were removed a few months back.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Does anyone know if 13111-13117 ever found a new home? I noticed Birmingham Busworks have gone bust but the adverts for those were removed a few months back.

They are still sat at the back of Arbroath depot

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

They are still sat at the back of Arbroath depot

Wow that is a surprise. Who knows what will happen to them now. Thanks for the information.

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

They are still sat at the back of Arbroath depot

Seems a waste just sat doing nothing, I get they're expensive to keep running but I suppose that something they should have thought about even before Stagecoach being bought over by DWS

 

[Aaron_TTL]

Any idea why the 99s seem to be gaining LED screens inside that simply show the time? Seems a waste of money considering most people have phones these days.

Maybe they will do something more in the future?

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Any idea why the 99s seem to be gaining LED screens inside that simply show the time? Seems a waste of money considering most people have phones these days.

Maybe they will do something more in the future?

Once programmed they will show (and announce) next stop information

 

[AndrewTaylor95]

Any idea why the 99s seem to be gaining LED screens inside that simply show the time? Seems a waste of money considering most people have phones these days.

Maybe they will do something more in the future?

It's for next stop announcements, It's a legal requirement by 2026

 

[Aaron_TTL]

Super thanks I didn’t know that!

 

[computerSaysNo]

Here is the X59/61 timetable from 29 July 2019 - fingers crossed it gets through.

It doesn't seem to have worked Is the size limit better if you send them in a private message? Alternatively could you upload them to e.g. Google Drive and share the link? Or would you be able to email me the timetables?

 

[Bedford OB]

It doesn't seem to have worked Is the size limit better if you send them in a private message? Alternatively could you upload them to e.g. Google Drive and share the link? Or would you be able to email me the timetables?

It is a 6.3mb file and won't transmit. If you pm me an e-mail address I could try that way.

 

[DJ_9SZ]

I have always wondered why certain routes in Fife, for example, the 43, 47/48/49, 95, are operated by double deckers on evenings and Sundays.

Surely so much fuel would be saved if these journeys were operated by smaller buses, as most of the time, the buses are running with only a handful of people on them.

I've occasionally seen a decker on the 39B or 32A at night before, which I thought was strange also. Surely the smallest possible bus for the route should be used?

 

[Aaron_TTL]

I have always wondered why certain routes in Fife, for example, the 43, 47/48/49, 95, are operated by double deckers on evenings and Sundays.

Surely so much fuel would be saved if these journeys were operated by smaller buses, as most of the time, the buses are running with only a handful of people on them.

I've occasionally seen a decker on the 39B or 32A at night before, which I thought was strange also. Surely the smallest possible bus for the route should be used?

You also usually see the 42 as a double decker when it is nearly empty compared to the 99s. Though I understand due to the tay bridge why the 99s aren’t usually doubles.

 

[Ohnolookwho]

Thanks for that, that's really helpful.
What length are the tri axles 54331-3? As the 64 plates are 54311-8 which you've said are 14m, then 54331-3 are 66 plates, then 54356-61 are 67 plate which you've said are 15m.

Also, I don't suppose anyone has the Edinburgh to Halbeath timetable for 2019? I've tried looking up the website on the internet archive but the timetables are hosted on a different site which wasn't archived.

Those are 15m.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2025 ==

I think the problem was the bridge near Aberhill, meaning Glasgow coaches would be too heavy, hence the handful of X27s running east of Kirkcaldy going via Standing Stane (but the X58/60 can serve Weymss/ Buckhaven/ Methil etc)

The issue with the bridge is now sorted as it was strengthened when rebuilt for the railway.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2025 ==

Ah right, thanks, not as much of a difference as I'd thought. I've gone through Bustimes and recorded how many vehicles were on each route, I know this doesn't exactly represent the actual off peak requirement but I wouldn't think it would be too far off?
X51: Dunfermline, 2 vehicles, B8RLE/Panther? Not sure if allocated coaches.
X52: Dunfermline, peak only, allocated buses?
X54: Glenrothes, 5 coaches, allocated any tri-axle?
X55: Dunfermline, 10 vehicles, not sure if allocated coaches? Used to be B8RLE/Panther.
X56: Perth, 5 coaches, allocated B8RLE/Panther?
X58: Aberhill, 6 coaches, allocated two-axle Elite.
X59: Glenrothes, 4 coaches, allocated any tri-axle?
X59A: Glenrothes, 3 vehicles, not sure if allocated buses?
X60: Aberhill, 6 coaches, allocated two-axle Elite?
X61: Dunfermline?, 3 coaches, allocated B8RLE/Panther.
787: Dunfermline?, 3 coaches, allocated Elite i.
Edit - sorry pressed send too soon.
It seems very inefficient to be splitting relatively small fleets over multiple garages - or are the different vehicle types similar enough that this isn't an issue?

Close.
Dunfermline:
X51 PVR is 2, usually Panther LEs, but will see anything that availiable, deckers run if expected to be busier than normal.
X52 PVR is 3 M-Th, and 4 on Fridays, will run with coaches if availiable, often runs with singler deckers.
X55 PVR is 10, will run with Panther LEs, but a few will be EuroVI deckers, which typically continue on to the late night runs, presumably because they have bandit screens.
X61 PVR is 3, usually runs with Panther LEs but sees deckers often, occasionally a single deck.
787 PVR is 2, they have a couple spare interdecks.
X22, PVR is 2, anything really goes on here, never seen a Panther LE on one.

Aberhill:
X58 PVR is 5, interworks with the X60 at St Andrews, sometimes in the evening at Edinburgh. Done with any Elite at Aberhill, or an E300 Scania if no coaches availiable, PVR drops to 4 at night and sundays.
X60/60A PVR is 6, interworks as above.
X61, in the evening and sundays the X60s come off, evenings 4 vehicles required, on sundays 6. Will run with any Elite, E300 Scania, or E400MMCs.

Glenrothes:
X54/54A, PVR is 4 vehicles, supposed to be Elites, but we all know that E300s arent a rare appearance, interworks with the X59 at Edinburgh.
X59, PVR is 4 vehicles, same as above.
X59A, PVR is 3, on sundays drops to 2. Anything thats EuroVI, you see often the spare 9700 appear on the X59A.

Perth:
X56, PVR is 4, drops to 2 in the evening and sundays, supposed to be Panther LEs, but often you'll see there two small Elites, or 400MMCs, rarely a Euro6 E300 or E400, and very rarely, they might use a Citylink Interdeck or B11RT for it, but I've inly ever seen that twice.

Glasgow Services:
X24/24A, PVR is 6 vehicles, 9700s, unless a breakdown or a driver hasn't been given training on the 9700s in which case they will be given an Elite. Operated mostly by Glenrothes, but some early runs from Dunfermline to Glasgow done by Dunfermline, and some runs between Glenrothes and St Andrews are done by St Andrews, so you'll see MMCs and Panther LEs on this too.

X27 PVR is 5 vehicles. Done nearly entirely by Aberhill with 9700s, or Elites/400MMCs for drivers who haven't been given training, couple early morning runs from Dunf-Glasgow and Dunf-Kirkcaldy, and evening Kirkcaldy-Dunf runs done by Dunfermline that then interwork with the daytime X61s, so what ever dunfermline puts on the 61s you'll see on the X27 too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2025 ==

I have always wondered why certain routes in Fife, for example, the 43, 47/48/49, 95, are operated by double deckers on evenings and Sundays.

Surely so much fuel would be saved if these journeys were operated by smaller buses, as most of the time, the buses are running with only a handful of people on them.

I've occasionally seen a decker on the 39B or 32A at night before, which I thought was strange also. Surely the smallest possible bus for the route should be used?

You'd be surprised, the fuel xonsumption difference between a double decker and a single decker isn't that much.
On the 47A and 95 you want a Decker as they are shorter, so makes it easier to navigate tight streets at Mackie/Letham Avenue and Lower Largo Harbour respectively.
Although Aberhill on paper has 11 E300 Scanias in reality they only realistically manage to have 5 out, and they aren't comfortable buses. Also iirc those E300 Scanias are actually heavier than the E400 Scanias.

If you were talking about swapping a decker/single for an optare, then yeah there'd be a worthwhile difference.

 

[overthewater]

Close.

Dunfermline:
X51 PVR is 2, usually Panther LEs, but will see anything that availiable, deckers run if expected to be busier than normal.
X52 PVR is 3 M-Th, and 4 on Fridays, will run with coaches if availiable, often runs with singler deckers.
X55 PVR is 10, will run with Panther LEs, but a few will be EuroVI deckers, which typically continue on to the late night runs, presumably because they have bandit screens.
X61 PVR is 3, usually runs with Panther LEs but sees deckers often, occasionally a single deck.
787 PVR is 2, they have a couple spare interdecks.
X22, PVR is 2, anything really goes on here, never seen a Panther LE on one.

Glasgow Services:
X24/24A, PVR is 6 vehicles, 9700s, unless a breakdown or a driver hasn't been given training on the 9700s in which case they will be given an Elite. Operated mostly by Glenrothes, but some early runs from Dunfermline to Glasgow done by Dunfermline, and some runs between Glenrothes and St Andrews are done by St Andrews, so you'll see MMCs and Panther LEs on this too.

Glenrothes operates one AM journey on the X52, the one that starts at Halbeath. The off peak X55 PVP is 9 it was only at ten for a short while but that was quickly dropped. X22 tends to use E200mmc

 

[computerSaysNo]

Haven't noticed this posted yet:

Service changes in Fife from Monday the 18th of August

From Monday the 18th of August we are proposing to make some changes to our services in Fife.

These changes are due to changes in school contracts within Fife and ongoing issues we are facing with congestion and roadworks which are adversely affecting the reliability of services.

A summary of what is changing is below:

3: 1449 return journey to Townhill will only operate on non school days only.

4: 1515 return journey to Blairhall will only operate on non school days only.

7: Due to ongoing issues with parked cars in Camdean, this service will be withdrawn from Camdean after 1800 Monday – Sunday.

31: On schooldays, the 0735 from Glenrothes will now operate at 0725 and extend from Ballingry to Lochgelly, and the 0847 from Lochgelly will start from Bowling Green in Cowdenbeath at 0836. The 1345 from Glenrothes will now terminate at Queen Margaret Hospital on schooldays.

36: Afternoon journeys from Newburgh to Glenrothes withdrawn.

38: 0825, 1425, 1455, 1525 & 1555 journeys will operate on non school days only.

39: 1440 & 1540 return trips to Newcastle will operate on non school days only.

39A: 1410 & 1510 return trips to Leslie will operate on non school days only.

89: Withdrawn from Golfdrum Street and William Street in Dunfermline. The X22 will still serve Golfdrum Street.

90B/91/91C: Retiming of evening services Monday – Sunday to improve reliability. Additional service added through the day on Sunday to improve reliability.

95: PM journey from Madras will now run via Langlands Road rather than via Kilrymont.

747: Late night journey removed and replaced by a revised 787. Early morning journeys retimed to improve reliability.

787: Minor changes to timetable to improve reliability. Changes to stances at Kinross Park & Ride and Halbeath (will use the same stance as the 747 at Halbeath).

X22: AM journey route revised to omit Shillinghill in Alloa.

X24/X27: Due to ongoing issues with parked cars, both services will no longer serve Kincardine High Street. Both services will now use stops on the North Approach Road. Service X24 will also have a reduced stopping pattern between Glenrothes and St Andrews (see below) to improve reliability.

X52: Due to poor usage, this service will no longer operate. Service 5 will continue to provide links to from Duloch Park to Ferrytoll

X59A: 1615 Glenrothes to Edinburgh withdrawn.

X61: 1630 Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh will now start at 1650 from Halbeath to Edinburgh.

Updated 18 Jun 2025, 11:06

Source: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/servi...rticle?SituationId=ID-18/06/2025-11:03:33:777
Edit: formatting.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2025 ==

(related post)
I am sort of surprised that there isn't a greater coverage of Dunfermline with direct services to Edinburgh all day. For example half the X55s could take the current X52 route through Dunfermline and that would give many more people an all day direct route to Edinburgh; wouldn't this be better than every X55 just going straight along the shortest road to the bus station?

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Haven't noticed this posted yet:

Source: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/servi...rticle?SituationId=ID-18/06/2025-11:03:33:777
Edit: formatting.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2025 ==

(related post)
I am sort of surprised that there isn't a greater coverage of Dunfermline with direct services to Edinburgh all day. For example half the X55s could take the current X52 route through Dunfermline and that would give many more people an all day direct route to Edinburgh; wouldn't this be better than every X55 just going straight along the shortest road to the bus station?

Quite ironic that the subject prior was on a few’s suggestions of an expansion of the X52 and now it’s gone completely.

Believe they’re still struggling for drivers and with Cowdenbeath closing it’s a bit of a reset button effect.

 

[VolvoOly85]

Quite ironic that the subject prior was on a few’s suggestions of an expansion of the X52 and now it’s gone completely.

Believe they’re still struggling for drivers and with Cowdenbeath closing it’s a bit of a reset button effect.

East Scotland hasn’t struggled for drivers since 2022. Highlighted by the fact they’ve had a number out on loan over the last couple of years.

Cowdenbeath closure will hopefully see a large number of drivers retained at other depots.

 

[Ohnolookwho]

East Scotland hasn’t struggled for drivers since 2022. Highlighted by the fact they’ve had a number out on loan over the last couple of years.

Cowdenbeath closure will hopefully see a large number of drivers retained at other depots.

On paper thats true, reality doesn't quite match that. A lot of goodwill from drivers has been used up to keep services running as much as possible.

 

[Scotrail88]

Few good duplicating shifts will be removed.

good example is the 787 covering the through the night 747. saves a night shift thats probably worst to cover for any depot.

 

[route101]

How busy is the 787 during the night?

 

[overthewater]

Looks like there are pulling a few daytime journeys off to cover school work. I'm very surprised the x52 is coving off but Glenrothes depot and Rennies do cover that route along with Dunfermline. I dare say there isn't the buses to cover this now.

How busy is the 787 during the night?

1am journey only goes to Halbeath

 

[Ohnolookwho]

Looks like there are pulling a few daytime journeys off to cover school work. I'm very surprised the x52 is coving off but Glenrothes depot and Rennies do cover that route along with Dunfermline. I dare say there isn't the buses to cover this now.




1am journey only goes to Halbeath

Lack of demand is cited as the reason, probably only becomes busy at Ferrytoll, then can just be dealt with by putting a decker on the 55.

 

[overthewater]

Lack of demand is cited as the reason, probably only becomes busy at Ferrytoll, then can just be dealt with by putting a decker on the 55.

There still a demand, they just don't have the buses to provide the cover. The passengers will have to change over to the No5 and 89 which is still 3ph from 16.25 - 19.25.

 

[Fifescottish]

The issue is the X52 is £7 day return from Duloch Park to Edinburgh. That only applies to direct journeys so it will be considerably more expensive in future. A single on the 5 from Ferrytoll to Duloch is £3.50 (I think a return is £5), so your looking at almost double the fare in future!

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

I take it there’s a plan for a number of buses to depart East Scotland with all these changes and Rennie’s closing?

I had considered the possibility of the Aberhill OmniCity’s going. Mind you there’s also those non standard MAN engined E400’s at Rennie’s.

 

[overthewater]

The issue is the X52 is £7 day return from Duloch Park to Edinburgh. That only applies to direct journeys so it will be considerably more expensive in future. A single on the 5 from Ferrytoll to Duloch is £3.50 (I think a return is £5), so your looking at almost double the fare in future!

Maybe they will bring back the transferer ticket?

I take it there’s a plan for a number of buses to depart East Scotland with all these changes and Rennie’s closing?

I had considered the possibility of the Aberhill OmniCity’s going. Mind you there’s also those non standard MAN engined E400’s at Rennie’s.

All the Euro4 and below are heading out of the area.