West Lothian buses

[Gingerbus1991]

The green arrow website is live https://greenarrowexpress.co.uk/
Single £5 return £8

Ridacards can't even be used on them within the boundary? Forget it!

 

[Gingerbus1991]

Ridacards can't even be used on them within the boundary? Forget it!

Plus! The equivelant train ticket to Edinburgh from bathgate is £6.80 or linlithgow its £8.60 and the train is 15 minutes quicker!

I could see a business case if the cost undercut the trains but not for this, even if it was massively cheaper the train is the in thing these days.

 

[A330Alex]

Bargain for the one person a year travelling from Linlithgow to North Berwick. Not sure about anyone else...

 

[Jordan Adam]

"GreenArrowExpress", perhaps "FreshAirExpress" is more appropriate.

The website and marketing is on point, but what is the point in that when the routes are useless. Who's going to pay more money for a service that's only 10 minutes faster (To Haymarket) and doesn't cover the city centre properly.

5 points to note...
1: Train is 15 minutes faster
2: Train doesn't get held up in M8 traffic
3: EX1 is only 10 minutes faster than the X18 (To Haymarket)
4: EX1 doesn't cover the city centre properly unlike the X18.
5: EX1 is more expensive than the X18.

I know if i lived in Bathgate i'd be sticking to the train or X18!

I assume the "In Partnership with ScottishCitylink" means the service will breakdown almost daily, much like the new Citylink913...

 

[overthewater]

Utter madness..... Lorhian are just stupied...ive always said that.....

Scotrail weekly to linlithgow is £45. Saving fiver or quid a day?... Bathgate is £42....

Day return is cheaper on scotrail from bathgate....

Stagecoach x51 weekly to Glasgow is £25.80...... To glasgow...

Staff must be deluded......

 

[A330Alex]

I know if i lived in Bathgate i'd be sticking to the train or X18!

For a single it’s not particularly bad (30p more vs X18). The £8 day return however doesn’t even include connecting LCB/LB/Tram services! A bit stingy considering the £7.50 LCB day ticket does.

 

[Observer]

idk I want these services to succeed and I’m glad Lothian is serving Linlithgow but like @overthewater stated ages ago they should of hit that corridor first when the 38 was only every 30 minutes! I’m having mixed feelings about this phase

I would have to think this was the biggest blown move out of this whole operation. They could have easily taken advantage of First's reduction but chose to shrug it off.

Saying that I guess they didn't expect First to revert the frequency so quickly!

 

[Train368]

The best offer from Bathgate is the 5 return journeys for £39.50 (equals £158 for 4 weeks of 5 days travel) which works out perfectly if you travel to Edinburgh for a 5 day working week. But ScotRail offer a weekly ticket for £42.20 and a monthly ticket for £162.10 which means you save around £4 a month by using the coach. Expected Lothian to offer a monthly ticket option as in my opinion it has to be a bit more cheaper to convince people over.

However I'm still really glad Lothian are trying new things, hopefully the routes will work out although I think some amendments are required.

 

[Train368]

The good thing with the Lothian WEST Day Tickets is you can use them on Lothian CITY buses which is great if you work in a not central part of the city such as Leith Walk for example. If I was Lothian I would not change the prices and keep it the same they have for the X18 and introduce a monthly ticket.

 

[Jordan Adam]

But I'm still really glad Lothian are trying new things, hopefully the routes will work out although I think some amendments are required.

"Not all new things are good things", i think that applies here unfortunately. The services will need more than just amendments if they are/were ever to work.

 

[Train368]

On the X18 it is £25 for 5 day tickets and £95 for 20 day tickets (which can be used on Lothian city and Edinburgh Trams). Again perfect for 5 day working week travel and you save £62.10 vs the train a month... Much better value

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

Sadly even though I'd like to try the service why would I even bother when it's slower, more expensive for me when in contrast I can be in Linlithgow in as few as 20 mins and in Bathgate in as few as 25 mins and I get staff discount on the train so it costs way way cheaper and is a better journey

 

[overthewater]

Its a load of crap. And the fact people seem to think Lothian are great for its overpriced service is bizarre. Stagecoach are about to up it service from Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh, Scotrail Weekly ticket cost £59. Stagecoach which will also give unlimited travel around fife aswell is £30.. First still has £21 for 7 days travel...

 

[Jordan Adam]

On the X18 it is £25 for 5 day tickets and £95 for 20 day tickets (which can be used on Lothian city and Edinburgh Trams). Again perfect for 5 day working week travel and you save £62.10 vs the train a month... Much better value

I think i'd rather pay for the FirstWeek ticket which is £21.50 (M-tickets), allows two extra days of travel on more frequent services and lets you go in to the city.... The £5 day tickets you mention don't permit travel from West Lothian to Edinburgh.

 

[DunsBus]

Thjs is a move which I honestly can't see working out. The only reason that I can see for these services being in partnership with Citylink is so that Citylink can take some of the commercial risk and LCB don't take too big a hit if the services fail.

Of course, LCB had a golden opportunity right at the start to provide services on the Linlithgow corridor. For some reason they chose not to do so and First have since upped their service. LCB have come to the Linlithgow party far, far too late.

 

[Train368]

I think i'd rather pay for the FirstWeek ticket which is £21.50 (M-tickets), allows two extra days of travel on more frequent services and lets you go in to the city.... The £5 day tickets you mention don't permit travel from West Lothian to Edinburgh.

I'm talking about the £7.50 Lothian WEST day tickets but I mentioned the bundles you can get on the app which is a bundle of 5 for £25 and bundle of 20 for £95. Only reason I don't personally use First is because of the add on with Lothian that you can use their city buses which is great if you don't work in the central part of Edinburgh.

 

[TheEastCoaster]

Oh for god sake this is just depressing, they had an opportunity and they blew it! Why is it a different fare line?!? It’s quite cheeky considering they already run services to Bathgate for a cheaper price! As someone who was looking forward to trying the Ex2 i think i’ll stick to the train or the 38.

Journey times aside I don’t get why Ridacard aren’t valid in the city/CityWEST Zone. Or even have a £2.50 fare within the city.. I don’t see folk jumping ship from the X18 for this, the only benefactors are those with the Network dayticket and that was the only thing I saw coming out of this

 

[overthewater]

If a proper weekly ticket had come out and was allowed on other routes then lothian wouls be onto a winner. I don't see why anyone would switch to these services. How many people really live in the Springfield area and work in lothian road? I can't see many pass holders using the route either.

No wonder back in May lothian highlightes the resale vaule of the coaches...

 

[Train368]

Oh for god sake this is just depressing, they had an opportunity and they blew it! Why is it a different fare line?!? It’s quite cheeky considering they already run services to Bathgate for a cheaper price! As someone who was looking forward to trying the Ex2 i think i’ll stick to the train or the 38.

Journey times aside I don’t get why Ridacard aren’t valid in the city/CityWEST Zone. Or even have a £2.50 fare within the city.. I don’t see folk jumping ship from the X18 for this, the only benefactors are those with the Network dayticket and that was the only thing I saw coming out of this

They will be offering a CITY single ticket of £2.50 but am I right the X18 allows rideacards to be used therefore it's cheaper?

 

[overthewater]

Rider cards can be used within the city.... However you need to pay £1.70 supplement if you traveling out with Edinburgh.

Why you travel on this within Edinburgh even the airlink is cheaper...

 

[Gingerbus1991]

Its a load of crap. And the fact people seem to think Lothian are great for its overpriced service is bizarre. Stagecoach are about to up it service from Kirkcaldy to Edinburgh, Scotrail Weekly ticket cost £59. Stagecoach which will also give unlimited travel around fife aswell is £30.. First still has £21 for 7 days travel...

Its core city centre services I think are worth the money, from what I've found there service and most vehicles are reliable.

East Coast seems to work fine given there's no direct competition and that the vehicles used on ECB are blast away from the junk first used.

I am whole heartedly starting to agree that this LCB venture is flopping with every new thing they add to it.

 

[smtglasgow]

Can’t really compare East Coast Buses with LCB. In their final few years, First were absolutely shocking in East Lothian – high fares and knackered buses. ECB are running a decent network with vastly improved stock – even if the fares (and lack of Ridacard) are a bit odd. But West Lothian is a disaster. Apart from the poor execution of the EX1/2, what other company would launch something like this with brand new high-spec vehicles? The potential losses on this could be eye-watering, but they seem determined to run through as much money as possible in West Lothian. First are far from perfect, but they must be giving thanks they’re dealing with such cack-handed competition.

 

[lastbus]

Can’t really compare East Coast Buses with LCB. In their final few years, First were absolutely shocking in East Lothian – high fares and knackered buses. ECB are running a decent network with vastly improved stock – even if the fares (and lack of Ridacard) are a bit odd. But West Lothian is a disaster. Apart from the poor execution of the EX1/2, what other company would launch something like this with brand new high-spec vehicles? The potential losses on this could be eye-watering, but they seem determined to run through as much money as possible in West Lothian. First are far from perfect, but they must be giving thanks they’re dealing with such cack-handed competition.

But how much longer will First be around to compete?

 

[DunsBus]

But how much longer will First be around to compete?

This may be the case, but right now First are having the last laugh out in West Lothian. Passengers are sticking with them and that's what matters the most

I had high hopes for the LCB operation when it launched. It made the fatal error though of assuming that passengers would simply transfer over from First. This hasn't happened and First have fought back with a vengeance. I give LCB a few years before finances and reality bite, and the plug is pulled on the West Lothian operation.

 

[Gingerbus1991]

This may be the case, but right now First are having the last laugh out in West Lothian. Passengers are sticking with them and that's what matters the most

I had high hopes for the LCB operation when it launched. It made the fatal error though of assuming that passengers would simply transfer over from First. This hasn't happened and First have fought back with a vengeance. I give LCB a few years before finances and reality bite, and the plug is pulled on the West Lothian operation.

I'm unsure why lothian stick so proudly to bundle tickets!

People are creatures of habit, reduced Weekly and Monthly tickets would be the way for them to go!

 

[lastbus]

This may be the case, but right now First are having the last laugh out in West Lothian. Passengers are sticking with them and that's what matters the most

I had high hopes for the LCB operation when it launched. It made the fatal error though of assuming that passengers would simply transfer over from First. This hasn't happened and First have fought back with a vengeance. I give LCB a few years before finances and reality bite, and the plug is pulled on the West Lothian operation.

Or they may try to takeover First in Livingston.

 

[overthewater]

I'm unsure why lothian stick so proudly to bundle tickets!

People are creatures of habit, reduced Weekly and Monthly tickets would be the way for them to go!

If First does disappear this will be the reason an absolute **** storm will take place in West Lothian over LCB.

 

[In Focus]

The green arrow website is live https://greenarrowexpress.co.uk/
Single £5 return £8

Train is £6.80 return off peak Bathgate to Waverley , no brainer...

 

[In Focus]

I think i'd rather pay for the FirstWeek ticket which is £21.50 (M-tickets), allows two extra days of travel on more frequent services and lets you go in to the city.... The £5 day tickets you mention don't permit travel from West Lothian to Edinburgh.

Reduced again this week to £15 zone LM and if figures are as good as the last time you would expect this to become the price for travel with First

 

[Darklord8899]

Ridacards can't even be used on them within the boundary? Forget it!

"Green Arrow Express in partnership with Scottish CityLink" is Citylink only involved as advance booking agents, or are they getting a cut of revenue?

.....also their "new routes" map links to ECB network
https://greenarrowexpress.co.uk/new-routes/