Stagecoach have announced plans for a new bus route to operate between Perth and Arbroath.
The company have published a timetable for a new route, the X8, which duplicates the current Coastrider X7 route, operating between Perth and Arbroath.
The new timetable will come into effect on 3 July and will provide an hourly link on Mondays to Saturdays, which, combined with the X7 journeys, provide a 30 minute frequency Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sunday.
The Coastrider X7 already operates hourly every day between Perth and Aberdeen, but the new X8 will offer even more journeys between PRI, Perth city centre, Ninewells, Dundee city centre and Arbroath.
The route will operate on a limited stop basis, using the same stops as the X7, with the addition of stops at Glendoick to reinstate links that were discontinued in August 2016, as well as a stop at Luna Place at Dundee Tech Park on X8 and at Westway Retail Park in Arbroath for both X7 and X8.
The new route will be operated by low floor double deck buses, providing additional capacity for journeys to the hospital sites, as well as providing a low floor, easy access travel option.
Existing route 16 also continues to provide hourly low floor bus journeys between Perth and Dundee/Ninewells, serving Glencarse, St Madoes, Errol, Inchture and Longforgan.
Acting General Manager for Stagecoach East Scotland, Jon Oakey said: "The Coastrider X7 route has been very popular since its launch in 2011 and we've added extra journeys as the route has grown over the years. The launch of route X8 will increase the frequency of journeys between Perth and Arbroath as well as providing an alternative option for customers who may struggle with the stairs on the X7 luxury coaches.
"We're confident that this new route will be a welcome development for people travelling to and from Ninewells and PRI and we're delighted to be able to increase the frequency of public transport between the two sites once again."
A new timetable booklet which includes the full X7 journeys as well as a combined timetable for all journeys between Perth and Arbroath on X7 and X8 is now available in travel shops, on bus and to download at stagecoachbus.com. Customers can also plan journeys from point A to point B at stagecoachbus.com/plan-a-journey or download the StagecoachBus app.
The Coastrider X7 route was launched in 2011, with 8 new coaches introduced to operate on the route in November 2014, representing an investment of over £2.4m. A further £300k was spent on an additional coach required to maintain the higher frequency on the service.
Stagecoach East Scotland
Stagecoach UK Bus is part of the Stagecoach Group and is one of the largest bus operators in the UK, operating express and local bus services across the country.
