Below is the latest update from Midlothian Council’s Travel Team. It details all the Lothian Bus changes across Midlothian from March 29. Our article on the Penicuik situation can be found here.
LOTHIAN BUSES – NETWORK CHANGE FROM SUNDAY 29 MARCH 2015
The last weekend in March 2015 has been chosen as the introduction date of various changes to Lothian Buses’ services in Midlothian. A list of the bus services by route number follows, with a final commentary on the impact for certain communities.
Service 3 : Mayfield – Dalkeith – Eskbank – Gilmerton – Cameron Toll – City – Gorgie – Sighthill – Clovenstone
M-F : Minor timetable changes. No change in overall number of journeys.
Sat : Minor timetable changes. Frequency from Mayfield increases to every 12 minutes at 0900 [instead of 1000] by adding one extra roundtrip.
Sun : Minor timetable changes. No change in overall number of journeys.
Service 4 : Hillend – Oxgangs – Slateford – City – Meadowbank – Northfield – Bingham – The Jewel @ Asda
M-F : The first two journeys from Oxgangs to the city will start from Hillend [at 0553 and 0623]. The first two journeys from the city [0519 and 0545 from Leopold Place] will run beyond Oxgangs to arrive at Hillend at 0550 and 0616. One extra journey will run at 0611 from The Jewel, 0630 from Leopold Place arriving at Hillend at 0702.
Sat : the first four journeys from Oxgangs to the city will start from Hillend at 0557, 0622, 0642 and 0722. The first four journeys from the city [0521, 0546, 0606 and 0646 from Leopold Place] will run beyond Oxgangs to arrive Hillend at 0552, 0617, 0637 and 0717.
Sun : Extra morning buses have been added with new departures introduced from Hillend to the city at 0611, 0701, 0731, 0801, 0851, 0921 and 0951. Extra journeys from the city [at 0536, 0626, 0656, 0726, 0816, 0846 and 0923 from Leopold Place] to Hillend arriving at 0607, 0657, 0727, 0757, 0847, 0917 and 0957.
Service 15: NEW ROUTE. Prestonpans – Musselburgh – Portobello – Meadowbank – City – Tollcross – Morningside – Lothianburn – Damhead – Bush – Milton Bridge – The Penicuik [Leisure] Centre – Rullion Road – Penicuik Deanburn
The current 15 route is unchanged from Prestonpans [Meadowmill] via the city to Damhead and Bush. Upon reaching Gowkley Moss Roundabout, instead of running via Bilston, Roslin and Auchendinny to Penicuik Town Centre, the 15 will run via Milton Bridge, Tesco, the Penicuik [Leisure] Centre on Carlops Road and Rullion Road to the Deanburn terminus. For Roslin – see service 37. For Auchendinny – see service 40.
M-F : The basic frequency remains two buses an hour. There are extra journeys in the morning and afternoon peaks, and two extra evening journeys. The last 15 from Penicuik to the city will be at 2027 instead of 1920.
Sat : One extra roundtrip in the morning, and later journeys in the evening – the last 15 from Penicuik to the city will be at 2027 instead of 1910.
Sun : The Sunday service 15A will be withdrawn in its entirety.
P-Hols : This is an enhanced Saturday service that provides extra journeys between Bush and the city. It operates on Friday and Monday public holidays, and on days during the winter holidays [except 1, 2 Jan and 25, 26 Dec when there is no service].
Services 29/X29: NEW ROUTE : Gorebridge – Newtongrange – Eskbank Tesco [not X29] – Dobbies – Gilmerton – Cameron Toll – City – Western General – Silverknowes [29] or Muirhouse [X29]
All Midlothian journeys will run to Gorebridge, and none to Mayfield.
M-F : Three journeys each way will run as X29s [omitting Tesco Eskbank] at 0709, 0731 and 0751 from Birkenside to the city, and at 1712, 1732 and 1757 from North Bridge to Birkenside. There will be later evening journeys. The last bus from North Bridge will be at 2224 [currently 2128] and the last bus from Birkenside will be 2321 [currently 2228].
Sat : There will be later evening journeys. The last bus from North Bridge will be at 2224 [currently 2128] and the last bus from Birkenside will be 2321 [currently 2228].
Sun : Minor timetable changes.
Service 31 : Hopefield/Polton Mill – Bonnyrigg – Lasswade – Kirk Brae – Cameron Toll – City – Murrayfield – Zoo – Corstorphine – Maybury – East Craigs
M-F : Minor timetable changes. One extra journey, at 0518 from North Bridge to Polton Mill.
Sat : Minor timetable changes.
Sun : Minor timetable changes. One extra journey at 0551 from North Bridge to Hopefield, returning at 0622 to the city.
Service X31 : Rosewell – Hopefield – Bonnyrigg – Lasswade – Liberton Hospital – Cameron Toll – City
M-F : Minor timetable changes.
Sat/Sun : No services.
Service 33 : Gorebridge – Newtongrange – Mayfield – Dalkeith – Sheriffhall P+R – ERI – City – Gorgie – Wester Hailes – Baberton
NEW ROUTE – Buses will travel around the perimeter of the ERI in both directions.
M-F : Minor timetable changes. 1911 Dalkeith Campus to Longstone journey withdrawn. Last two buses from Gorebridge at 2310 and 2330 to be combined to run as one journey at 2315.
Sat : Minor timetable changes. Last two buses from Gorebridge at 2310 and 2330 to be combined to run as one journey at 2315.
Sun : Minor timetable changes. Last two buses from Gorebridge at 2310 and 2330 to be combined to run as one journey at 2315.
Service 37: NEW ROUTE – M-F daytime buses will run every 15 mins starting at Silverknowes and running as far as Bilston Roundabout via the city, Straiton Retail Park and Loanhead. At Bilston the 37 service splits with two buses an hour going via Bush to terminate at Gowkley Moss. The other two buses an hour run via Roslin and Milton Bridge to Penicuik Town Centre, then via Rullion Road to Penicuik Deanburn. There are no “Bush short journeys” on Sat/Sun – all 37 buses run through Roslin and Rullion Road to Penicuik Deanburn.
M-F : Daytime buses every 15 mins – half of the service runs to Bush only [the “Bush shorts”] from 0622 to 1809 from North Bridge, and from 0705 to 1911 from Bush to the city. The other half runs via Roslin and Milton Bridge to Penicuik Town Centre and Penicuik Deanburn, running through the evening every half-hour.
In the morning peak seven extra buses run as “X37” to the city centre [skipping Roslin and Loanhead, and calling additionally at Straiton Park and Ride], and eight extra buses run out to Penicuik in the late afternoon peak.
Sat : All buses run Silverknowes – Deanburn via Roslin. The frequency is every 30 mins early morning, every 20 mins during the daytime, every 30 mins in the evening.
Sun : All buses run Silverknowes – Deanburn via Roslin. The frequency is every 30 mins early morning, every 20 mins during the daytime, every 30 mins in the evening.
Service 39 : Woodburn Circular – Dalkeith – Tesco Eskbank – Midlothian Community Hospital – [extends hourly to Bonnyrigg – Newtongrange – Upper Gorebridge – Gore Avenue]
NEW ROUTE : The Gorebridge extension no longer runs via Hopefield
M-F : Every 20 mins daytime Woodburn – Community Hospital, with hourly extension to Gorebridge via Bonnyrigg [no longer via Hopefield]
Sat : Every 20 mins daytime Woodburn – Community Hospital, with hourly extension to Gorebridge via Bonnyrigg [no longer via Hopefield]
Sun : No service
Service 40 : Penicuik Town Centre – Auchendinny – Roslin – Bilston – Loanhead – Wadingburn – Lasswade – Bonnyrigg – Tesco Eskbank – Eskbank Toll – Dalkeith – Thornybank – Whitecraig – Inveresk – Musselburgh – Joppa – Portobello
NEW ROUTE : The Dryden Terrace section past IKEA/Asda is withdrawn with the route reverting to running along Nivensknowe Road. Instead, the bus route will now include Auchendinny. [This means that Lothian 40 will follow the exact route of the former First 141 service in the Loanhead-Penicuik area before withdrawal in June 2012].
M-F : Two buses an hour during the daytime, hourly in the evenings. There are some journeys that are 20-25 mins different from current timings, others are the same or close to today’s times. Check the new timetables carefully.
Sat : Two buses an hour during the daytime, hourly in the evenings.
Sun : One bus an hour during the daytime and in the evening. One extra morning journey at 0710 from Portobello, returning at 0830 from Penicuik.
Service 47 : Penicuik Ladywood – Penicuik Town Centre – Milton Bridge – Bilston – Straiton Park and Ride – Cameron Toll – Tollcross – Western General – Granton
M-F : Every 15 mins during the daytime, every 30 mins in the evening. Peak diversions via Bush will no longer be operated.
Sat : Every 30 mins daytime and evening.
Sun : Every 30 mins during the daytime, hourly in the evening. Last bus from Ladywood will be 2227 to the city [currently last Sunday bus is at 1911].
Service 49 : Rosewell – Polton Mill – Bonnyrigg – Tesco Eskbank – Eskbank Toll – Dalkeith – Sheriffhall P+R – ERI – Cameron Toll – City – Leith – Lochend – Portobello – The Jewel @ Asda
NEW ROUTE – Buses will travel around the perimeter of the ERI in both directions.
M-F : Minor timetable changes.
Sat : Minor timetable changes.
Sun : Minor timetable changes.
Service 67 : Bush – Bilston – Straiton Park and Ride – King’s Buildings – Summerhall Square – Potter Row – Hanover Street
NEW ROUTE – City terminus switches from St Andrew Square to Hanover Street.
M-F : Minor timetable changes.
Sat/Sun : No 67 service at weekends.
NIGHTBUSES
Service N3. Gorebridge – Newtongrange – Mayfield – Dalkeith – Eskbank – Gilmerton – Cameron Toll – City – Haymarket. Nightly.
NEW ROUTE. Revised route in the city centre – no longer serves The Omni in Leith Street. From Dobbies, the N3 will run south along the A7 to the Tesco Eskbank roundabout, then along Bonnyrigg Road to Eskbank Toll, then as current route. Return trip – as above in reverse. No change in number of journeys.
Service N31. Haymarket – City – Cameron Toll – Kirk Brae – Lasswade – Bonnyrigg Toll – Hopefield – Rosewell Road – Bonnyrigg Toll then back to city. Early Saturday and Sunday mornings.
NEW ROUTE. Revised route in city centre – no longer serves The Omni in Leith Street.
Frequency reduced to a departure every 80 minutes [0030, 0150 and 0310 from opposite the Scott Monument on Princes Street].
Service N37. Silverknowes – Western General – City – Cameron Toll – Loanhead – Bilston – Roslin – Milton Bridge – Penicuik Town Centre – Penicuik Deanburn – Queensway – then back to city.
NEW ROUTE. Revised route in city centre – no longer serves The Omni in Leith Street. All journeys diverted to run via Roslin in both directions.
Nightly. N37 continues to run hourly, except that it runs half-hourly in the wee hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings.
ROSLIN
Roslin loses the 15/15A, and with it direct links to Bush and the Morningside corridor in Edinburgh, but gains the 37 and N37, and retains the 40. As the N37 nightbus will run via Roslin, the village will effectively have bus services 24/7.
AUCHENDINNY
Auchendinny loses the 15/15A, and with it direct links to Bush and Edinburgh, but regains the 40. The 40 replaced the First 141 and the 40 will now return to the same route as the 141 [although it does run twice as often during the daytime]. The Ring & Go taxi scheme introduced when the 141 disappeared and Auchendinny lost its evening bus services will be withdrawn as evening bus services will now be reinstated.
BUSH
Bush keeps the half-hourly 15 and the hourly 67. It loses the peak hour 47s, but gains half-hourly “Bush shorts” during the daytime, pushing up the number of buses from 3 to 5 an hour Mon-Fri daytime.
PENICUIK DEANBURN
Rullion Road loses half the 37 service it enjoys now. The X37 peak journeys are maintained. Rullion Road gains two buses an hour on service 15, offering a direct link to The Penicuik Centre and the western corridor into Edinburgh.
THE PENICUIK CENTRE
There were calls for a bus service to call at The Penicuik Centre when it first opened. There were demands that the 37 ran that way. Lothian has chosen the 15 to link Rullion Road with The Centre
HOPEFIELD
The 39 was routed via Hopefield at the last network change in June 2014. Numbers travelling from Hopefield on the 39 have not built up steadily since the route was changed last June. In the light of low passenger usage from Hopefield and reported late running over the busy Tesco-Woodburn section, Lothian Buses has reverted to the pre-June 2014 route over the Gorebridge section in a bid to reclaim reliability for this service.
The developers are working to complete the bus turning facility at the top of Auld Coal Road. Lothian Buses would ideally introduce the extension for the Hopefield 31s at the same time as a network change, but the operator has indicated that it will act between network changes if necessary.
EDINBURGH ROYAL INFIRMARY [ERI]
A newly widened perimeter road will be used for bus services 33 and 49 so that they enter and leave the ERI Bus Station without retracing the same route to/from the main road. Buses entering from the south will take the current route into the Bus Station. Buses leaving for the city will run around the hospital and emerge onto the Old Dalkeith Road at the north side of the building. Buses heading from the city to Midlothian will do this in reverse.
CONTRACTS
Two Midlothian Council contracts for revenue-supported bus services will no longer be needed as a result of the changes in commercially operated bus services by Lothian Buses.
Firstly, Lothian’s own contract for the Saturday 15 and Sunday 15A extensions from Roslin via Auchendinny to Penicuik. This has been replaced by the more frequent weekend timetable on service 37, and the 15/15A contract is no longer required.
Secondly, Lothian’s introduction of service 37 journeys between Penicuik, Roslin and Edinburgh means that the Council is required under legislation to give notice to withdraw the parallel 62A journeys provided by First Borders. A local authority cannot continue to give financial support where another operator has started operating commercially.