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Scottish Citylink under threat
Page 20
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/ Express competition has broken out on one of Scotland's most important inter-city services, for the first time since Stagecoach was established in the wake of the 1980 Transport Act.
Edinburgh-based luxury coach operator Silver Coach Lines has joined with local bus operator Green's of Kirkintilloch to offer a new half-hourly service called Cityline 500 between Glasgow and Edinburgh — confusingly close to the well-established Citylink 500 operated by Scottish Citylink.
The Citylink service operates half-hourly, on the hour and half-hour during the major part of each day, with earlymorning and late-night journeys to cater for the constant demand on the 70km route.
The new Cityline 500 service will also operate halfhourly, but will leave at 15 and 45 minutes past each hour between 06:45 and 18:15 on Mondays to Saturdays, with a later start on Sundays.
A first-week offer of £2 single/£3 return fares was offered; standard fares of £2. 50/g3.30 slightly undercut Citylink. Scotrail offers a halfhourly service at higher fares,
but it has been prone to reliability problems, and a quarter-hourly service is due when new rolling-stock is built.
Silver Coach Lines wilt use three Kassbohrer Setra 53-seat coaches on the service, and Green's three Volvo BlOMs with Jonckheere coach bodies.
Scottish Citylink has been busy establishing further services with new operating partners following the National Express split, and the arrival of competition on one of its flagship routes at this time is not welcome news.
However, Scottish Citylink commercial manager David Rourke says: "We have successfully built this service up, and we are not going to lose it to competitors."