Xplore Dundee

[kez19]

The 10 "officially" changes to a 5A on Balgillo Road opposite Kintail Place. I'm sure drivers change the destination where ever they like!


The changes to the 2 and 6 also "compete" with the 204, which makes me wonder if it'll end up being axed, as tendered services aren't allowed to compete with commercial ones.


Yes, but that was before it was announced the government pandemic recovery funding (Network Support Grant) was being ended two months earlier than anticipated.

As far as I was aware they moved the timing point to be Inchcape Place (that was a few months back or so), towards Broughty Ferry, but i'll guess Claypotts/Queen Street was the timing point towards Whitfield.

I don't follow these route changes to routes already covered by other services (which they ran before), ie (236/36) was dropped as I presume Xplore weren't get footfall? (my opinion)

Its ironic too to have the 2 go to Kingsway Retail Park as an extension as well as Dryburgh (204/4), Kingsway Retail Park was covered by the defunct 1C and the same with Dryburgh they ran it and gave it up (so what is the point?), or is that the point to provide competition with the operators?

As far the timetable adjustments to what they are - maybe if I am honest they shouldn't have went to the local press to say that timetables were going back to ie 10 mins weekdays as people will be rightly so annoyed that the changes that were "promised" aren't happening and sticking to the times as of now.

 

[Tayway]

Not really sure why they've re-routed the 5a along the Arbroath Road, it is already well served by the 28, 39 and 73 whereas the route along Broughty Ferry Road will now only have a half-hourly frequency (save for the occasional 78/79 from Monikie).

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Not really sure why they've re-routed the 5a along the Arbroath Road, it is already well served by the 28, 39 and 73 whereas the route along Broughty Ferry Road will now only have a half-hourly frequency (save for the occasional 78/79 from Monikie).

Presumably to compete with the Stagecoach 73 service, the timetable for which is a complete work of fiction

 

[kez19]

Not really sure why they've re-routed the 5a along the Arbroath Road, it is already well served by the 28, 39 and 73 whereas the route along Broughty Ferry Road will now only have a half-hourly frequency (save for the occasional 78/79 from Monikie).

They may as well rename the 5a, the 10 from the City Centre!

They might as well just drop the 5a and have it as a 10, for me from Whitfield I find it pointless them changing what was already a 10 to a 5/5a just to please people, it’s a bus! Similar to the city centre why not have it as a 10 from Ninewells than 5a


== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jun 2022 ==

Presumably to compete with the Stagecoach 73 service, the timetable for which is a complete work of fiction

Yet why take off the original circular that went that way off to then reinstate them (under 5a)? Or is this a plan to reinstate the 10? They might as well!

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

The Edinburgh Airport X90 service will be increased to operate every 90 minutes* from Monday 20th June:

https://twitter.com/XploreDundee/status/1536778672656551936

Bing, bong: Attention all passengers

We're doubling the number of journeys on Dundee's ONLY direct public transport link to Edinburgh Airport! Fly every 90 minutes, non-stop: the best way to start (and end) your holiday.

Visit xploredundee.com/X90 to find out more.

*ignoring the missing round trip at 0130, but that's understandable Thinking about it, the 0130 departure from the airport would be unsuitable for any flights landing after 0030 I reckon. And even then, if your flight is delayed then you have a nice 3 hour wait in store...

 

[hexagon789]

The Edinburgh Airport X90 service will be increased to operate every 90 minutes* from Monday 20th June:

https://twitter.com/XploreDundee/status/1536778672656551936

*ignoring the missing round trip at 0130, but that's understandable

Is the service that busy? I saw a few of these while in Dundee last week, most seemed almost empty.

 

[overthewater]

If I was McGills I would have added a few extra shuttles and added in Temp stop near BP garage for Highland show.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Is the service that busy? I saw a few of these while in Dundee last week, most seemed almost empty.

Some runs are regularly sold out. If you go to make a booking you can see how many seats are remaining on each journey (the capacity of the coach is 49 IIRC)

 

[hexagon789]

Some runs are regularly sold out. If you go to make a booking you can see how many seats are remaining on each journey (the capacity of the coach is 49 IIRC)

Thanks, maybe it's just the current situation. I did only see about 4 or 5 X90s in the city centre, but they were all between about 1000-1500 hrs, so I would've expected them to be busier.

One literally looked as though it had one businessman reading his paper and nobody else bar the driver!

 

[overthewater]

Thanks, maybe it's just the current situation. I did only see about 4 or 5 X90s in the city centre, but they were all between about 1000-1500 hrs, so I would've expected them to be busier.

One literally looked as though it had one businessman reading his paper and nobody else bar the driver!

Try early morning and LATE night.

 

[hexagon789]

Try early morning and LATE night.

I wasn't around to see them at that time!

But yes, I imagine they would be busier then, just middle-of-day was a lot quieter than I expected.

 

[kez19]

I caught the 10 today to go to city centre (well Broughty Ferry), luckily what I am away to say isn’t at the drivers…

Caught the bus at 0938 expecting it to run as it did previously, change along at Sainsburys or Arbroath Road to 5a Ninewells to be told had to get off as bus was no longer going to City Centre (outside Grove Academy junction), driver was polite and explained he had to check his running board and explained company hasn’t a clue what it’s doing, I awaited the next 5 to town but the bus I got off turned up behind the 5 on opposite side going to… Ninewells Hospital.

Is McGills hinting on getting rid of the circular? Seems to me or as driver hinted it being curtailed to that junction and no longer running through, yet when I looked on the timetable at stop it highlighted the 5 and 5a to Ninewells Hospital.

I have found it odd why Xplore Dundee just can’t run the circular as it use to ie 10 but as soon it goes to the Ferry it changes to 5/5a or from city centre towards Whitfield (5a then at Queen St junction to 10), what’s special about it? I know it’s just a number and it’s only a bus but come on now Xplore should be honest here with this particular service?

Previously the route ran in between the Barnhill service ie 5/X5 then it merged with route ie 5a/10, prior to this I remember the 26 that ran similar to this (the NX 26 not the Tayside buses route), which it ran from Ninewells to Broughty Ferry but went down Claypotts instead of Balgillo Road).

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

I caught the 10 today to go to city centre (well Broughty Ferry), luckily what I am away to say isn’t at the drivers…

Caught the bus at 0938 expecting it to run as it did previously, change along at Sainsburys or Arbroath Road to 5a Ninewells to be told had to get off as bus was no longer going to City Centre (outside Grove Academy junction), driver was polite and explained he had to check his running board and explained company hasn’t a clue what it’s doing, I awaited the next 5 to town but the bus I got off turned up behind the 5 on opposite side going to… Ninewells Hospital.

Is McGills hinting on getting rid of the circular? Seems to me or as driver hinted it being curtailed to that junction and no longer running through, yet when I looked on the timetable at stop it highlighted the 5 and 5a to Ninewells Hospital.

I have found it odd why Xplore Dundee just can’t run the circular as it use to ie 10 but as soon it goes to the Ferry it changes to 5/5a or from city centre towards Whitfield (5a then at Queen St junction to 10), what’s special about it? I know it’s just a number and it’s only a bus but come on now Xplore should be honest here with this particular service?

Previously the route ran in between the Barnhill service ie 5/X5 then it merged with route ie 5a/10, prior to this I remember the 26 that ran similar to this (the NX 26 not the Tayside buses route), which it ran from Ninewells to Broughty Ferry but went down Claypotts instead of Balgillo Road).

The reasons for everything you describe are outlined here: https://www.xploredundee.com/2022-Changes

the 5/5a

• The 5a re-routed via Arbroath Road (service 5 will remain on Broughty Ferry Road as normal)
• Short-run journeys (which terminate in the City Centre) re-numbered as standard 5
• The 5/5a operationally split from The 10 at Broughty Ferry to improve reliability (by reducing knock-on delays), which means passengers should transfer to complete onward journeys

the 10

• Detour via Macalpine Road Shops withdrawn due to low usage
• The 10 operationally split from The 5/5a at Broughty Ferry to improve reliability (by reducing knock-on delays), which means passengers should transfer to complete onward journeys; certain journeys will start/finish at Grove Academy for pupils travelling to/from Douglas

 

[kez19]

The reasons for everything you describe are outlined here: https://www.xploredundee.com/2022-Changes

I understand that but I took it meaning differently, as I thought the route would be unaffected (I read the timetable and the way I interpret it was that bus was normal), as I said the driver didn’t seem happy to chuck me off either, I’ll guess this may backfire on Xplore Dundee. I read both timetables of 5/5a and the 10 in both directions and to me it looked as if the connections were still there (if say knocked off by a couple mins at say Inchcape Place or Queen Street but this seems to be not the case) and as I mentioned before I have used this service from the city centre as the 5a (10 from town) or vice versa 10 from Whitfield to (5/5a) to Ninewells.

As for it being a split 5a/10, seems to be a mockery to me, claim to be a circular route but be a 5a as far as the Ferry to switch to a 10 (why not a 10 run through from Ninewells to Ninewells?), seems more cost cutting but it’s not really if that bus this morning I got terminated in the Ferry to turn and head back to Ninewells (they may as well remove the vinyl and some of the interior on some of the emeralds as they still imply the 5, 9/10 route (well the 9 went only went few months back for simplicity) and the 10 is really Ninewells to Ferry-Ferry Ninewells (half circular if we can call it that?)


As for the operational delays, that’ll be things like roadworks and junctions such as the Forfar Road and Claypotts Road that can’t be helped as even when I have been on a 10 it’ll run late to be the 5/5a or vice versa, and as I say this is really the old NX 26 route they have implemented rather than going Claypotts its going Balgillo instead and just like National Express ran this route before the public became more aware of it and National Express backtracked, this will happen with McGills).

As in terms of operational delays they need to look at improving the 17 and 33 in my eyes, bring back the 33 to 15 mins daytime and as mentioned previously for me in Whitfield they may as well bring the loop as that worked than the state it is now.

 

[Scotrail88]

Has the Dundee operation stopped metro newspapers and external advertising since the takeover?

 

[ScotRail158725]

Has the Dundee operation stopped metro newspapers and external advertising since the takeover?

the older ones still carry adverts and see them changed frequently

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

Only circa. 200 ad-hoc cancellations been advertised at Xplore Dundee today, on their website: https://www.xploredundee.com/service-updates

Monday 29th August

SERVICE 1
From Courthouse Square: 0934, 1019, 1149, 1204, 1319, 1334, 1434, 1606, 1734
From Laird Street: 1015,1100, 1230, 1245, 1400, 1415, 1524, 1652, 1820

SERVICE 2
From Albert Square: 1310
From Kingsway Retail Park: 1339

SERVICE 5
From High Street: 0646, 2035, 2135, 2235
From Ninewells: 0759, 0949, 1219, 1429, 1651
From Inchcape: 1040, 1310, 1340, 1507 (resumes Whitehall 1537), 1547, 2100, 2200, 2300
From Broughty Ferry Post Office : 1905

SERVICE 5a
From Inchcape: 0711, 0855, 1125, 1325, 1527, 1749
From Ninewells: 1134 (resumes High Street 1152), 1234, 1409, 1449, 1634 (resumes High Street 1654), 2305
From Whitehall: 0709

SERVICE 6
From Whitehall: 1143
From Ninewells : 1215

SERVICE 10
From Ninewells: 0728, 1108, 1638, 1738
From Claypotts: 0919, 1825
From Grove Academy: 1550

SERVICE 17
From Ninewells: 0801, 0954, 1018 (resumes High Street 1041),1118, 1206, 1242, 1330, 1418 (resumes High Street 1442), 1456, 1653, 1719 (resumes High Street 1743), 1911, 2115
From Lothian Crescent: 0647, 0911, 1059, 1223, 1311, 1347, 1435 (resumes Nethergate 1513), 1540, 1606, 1803, 2015, 2213
From High Street: 0616

SERVICE 18
From Albert Square: 0658, 0754, 0904, 1004,1708, 1822, 1918
From Barns of Claverhouse: 0722, 0824, 0931,1031, 1740, 1851, 1941, 2113, 2241
From Nethergate: 2051, 2215

SERVICE 22
From Whitehall: 0555
From Ninewells: 0611, 0738, 0910, 1110,1225, 1425, 1441,1457, 1649, 1705, 1853, 1903, 1952, 2025, 2155, 2321
From Craigowl: 0645, 0805, 0837 (resumes Whitehall 0912), 1009, 1124, 1209 (resumes Whitehall 1243), 1324, 1339,1354, 1527 (resumes Whitehall 1602), 1543, 1559, 1751, 1808, 1941, 2111, 2241

SERVICE 28
From Albert Square: 0659
From Baldovie : 0718, 0826, 0920, 0944, 1032 (resumes Nethergate 1102), 1120, 1144 (resumes Nethergate 1214), 1156, 1208, 1256, 1320, 1356,1408, 1432, 1459,1527 (resumes Nethergate 1559), 1555, 1609, 1651 (resumes Nethergate 1723), 1719,1813, 1825
From Asda Myrekirk: 0735, 0824, 0850, 0938, 1026, 1050, 1102, 1202, 1226, 1302, 1314, 1338, 1402, 1426, 1454, 1508,1522 (resumes Albert Square 1553), 1550, 1618, 1714,1728, 1825
From Nethergate: 0708, 0817

SERVICE 32
From Crichton Street: 2135, 2305
From Findowrie: 2156, 2325

SERVICE 33
From Commercial Street: 1905, 2005
From Lothian Crescent: 1931, 2028

Open Top Tour Bus
From Discovery Point: 0930, 1030, 1130, 1230, 1330, 1430, 1530, 1630

 

[Tayway]

It's especially annoying when they're all bunched together. I get that it can be hard to optimise duties to operate as even a service as possible at such short notice, but surely examples like three 5/5a buses cancelled from Barnhill in a row can be avoided, leaving folk using a route that only a few short years ago was every 7-8 minutes to wait up to an hour for a bus.

 

[christopherrfc]

https://twitter.com/marcwinsland/status/1595419883105406977?s=46&t=EiLvRQ1ZS_eMGXYC3tECTA

New Xplore Dundee livery

 

[overthewater]

Surprised its still green....

 

[tbtc]

New xplore dundee livery

Cheers, I hadn’t seen that

So, much like First’s “Barbie” livery, the company being in something just for the new deliveries (to make them stand out) and then over time (once the “new” colours are in a large proportion of the overall fleet, due to new deliveries being in it/ older buses in older livery are sold or scrapped) they introduce a “similar but slightly different” version for the rest of the fleet

Twenty years ago, Stagecoach had a similar approach to their “beachball” livery - older buses that needed repaints remained in the “stripes” livery, so that the new colour scheme was initially just for the brand new/ younger vehicles

I guess that these things were more important when “new” was also shorthand for “buggy friendly”/ “wheel chair accessible” (so it mattered to waiting passengers whether the bus was in the minority of ones that they’d be able to board) - nowadays you expect entering to be accessible - but I think that the company have waited long to get the benefit of “light green bus = shiny new bus” in public perception, so now feel safe diluting that across the fleet

(Let’s just hope that they repaint the Dundee buses faster than they are doing with the Midland/ Eastern fleets)

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

New Xplore Dundee livery

Looks nice and will certainly brighten things up, especially on the B7RLEs.

Although, I can't help but notice it's another recycled Best Impressions design, being very similar to the Reading Buses Greenline 702 livery: https://flickr.com/photos/190667959@N08/51371963248/

 

[Tayway]

There's still a few buses kicking around with the red and white National Express livery on them, so don't expect a quick change over!

 

[kez19]

I wonder if the vinyls will be updated on the emeralds? The most obvious one is the old 5/9/10? As the 10s only go between Broughty Ferry and Ninewells (the 9 went awhile back) and the 5’s (5a)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Nov 2022 ==

There's still a few buses kicking around with the red and white National Express livery on them, so don't expect a quick change over!

I was surprised before Mcgills took over that National Express didn’t get them painted before the new takeover? As a few of them still display Xplore Dundee on the back but the “part of NX Group” taped over.

 

[RomeoCharlie71]

The Discover Dundee Tour started again today, although it is using 22-year old ex-First ALX400s this year in lieu of the 12-year old Geminis from last year.

New Xplore Dundee livery (https://twitter.com/marcwinsland/status/1595419883105406977?s=46&t=EiLvRQ1ZS_eMGXYC3tECTA)

4 months later and still no buses have been repainted. Although I suppose they didn't specify which "new year"!

 

[kez19]

The Discover Dundee Tour started again today, although it is using 22-year old ex-First ALX400s this year in lieu of the 12-year old Geminis from last year.


4 months later and still no buses have been repainted. Although I suppose they didn't specify which "new year"!

I saw them going about yesterday and today. It seems a step back in terms of bus to use!

 

[Highland050261]

The Discover Dundee Tour started again today, although it is using 22-year old ex-First ALX400s this year in lieu of the 12-year old Geminis from last year.


4 months later and still no buses have been repainted. Although I suppose they didn't specify which "new year"!

One broke down on first day and another broke down today. The Geminis are going to Bright Bus.

 

[Jordan Adam]

One broke down on first day another broke down today. The Geminis are going to bright bus.

Both broke down multiple times on the first day, the drivers didn't particularly seem impressed with them either!

 

[kez19]

Both broke down multiple times on the first day, the drivers didn't particularly seem impressed with them either!

On Tuesday morning/afternoon one of the former bright bus tour buses was going round with engineers on the tour (not in service), it begs the question as to why bring in the older buses for the tour where the Geminis seem decent looks like a backwards step to me.

I noticed on the app today it looked like Xplore ran a green double decker and quite possibly an unregistered vehicle? (possibly one of the buses from Edinburgh? Info when I clicked didn’t highlight bus in use but it was parked at The Law at time).

 

[Highland050261]

On Tuesday morning/afternoon going round with engineers on the tour, it begs the question as to why bring in the older buses for the tour where the Geminis seem decent.

I noticed on the app today it looked like Xplore ran a green double decker and quite possibly an unregistered vehicle? (possibly one of the buses from Edinburgh? Info when I clicked didn’t highlight bus in use but it was parked at The Law at time).

One has temporarily returned untill the trident is fixed.