First Bus invests in new express service to Glasgow Fort
- X43 Express to begin on Saturday 22 November
- Hourly service operating throughout weekends
- Strong demand anticipated in build up to festive season
First Bus is investing in a new express service to support the thousands of shoppers and visitors to the Glasgow Fort retail and leisure complex.
Its X43 Express will operate hourly journeys at weekends, beginning on Saturday 22 November, improving connectivity for people living along the route from Motherwell, Bellshill and Burnhead to Glasgow Fort.
The new service is being introduced at a key time as the appeal of Glasgow Fort continues to grow in the lead up to Christmas.
Graeme MacFarlan, Commercial Director of First Bus Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to launch this new express bus service to one of the most popular attractions in Lanarkshire and the Glasgow area.
“We are confident of strong demand in the lead-up to Christmas and hope this will build bus travel habits for new customers into 2026.
“This continues our commitment to invest in services to support the local economy and connect customers enjoying retail, leisure and hospitality as well as shift workers in these sectors.”
Local MPs, Maureen Burke and Frank McNally joined First Bus at Glasgow Fort to support the announcement of the service.
Maureen Burke MP for Glasgow North East said: “The Glasgow Fort is one of the jewels of Glasgow North East, and the new X43 service will bring even more people into the area to see what we have to offer here in Easterhouse. Bus services like these are vital to the community, whether it be connections to the city centre, public services or shops, and I welcome this new weekend service that will no doubt help our local economy.”
The X43 has been aligned with Glasgow Fort’s opening times, operating from Motherwell at 10:00am with the last service from the complex at 6:00pm.
Phil Goodman, Centre Director at Glasgow Fort, said: “The new express service from First Bus will make travelling to Glasgow Fort simpler than ever, which comes at the perfect time as people start planning their festive days out.
“It’s great to see improved connections that support continued investment in the centre, making journeys easier not just for visitors but for our staff too, and helping everyone enjoy everything Glasgow Fort has to offer - from shopping for gifts to catching up over lunch or soaking up the festive atmosphere.”
Full details of the service can be found on the First Bus website https://www.firstbus.co.uk/greater-glasgow
To plan a visit to Glasgow Fort, visit: https://www.glasgowfort.com/
Picture captions:
First Bus 1,2 & 3: Driver Roger Steen, who will provide route training for colleagues, chats with (left) Graeme MacFarlan, MPs Jack McNally and Maureen Burke and Nathan Arbuckle of Glasgow Fort.
First Bus 4,5 & 6: Graeme MacFarlan (left) greets, MPs Jack McNally, Maureen Burke and Nathan Arbuckle of Glasgow Fort.
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Notes to editors
About First Bus
First Bus is one of the UK’s largest bus operators, carrying more than 1.5 million passengers every day. Its local bus services serve over 25% of the population of Great Britain and more than half of the UK’s top 15 most populated urban areas.
The company is a leading operator in the majority of its local areas, including major urban centres such as Glasgow, Leeds and Bristol. In London, First Bus operates 83 routes in west and central areas from 10 garages, serving 180 million passengers annually. The combined operation manages a fleet of more than 5,750 buses across the UK.
First Bus is the UK’s largest national bus operator to achieve real Living Wage employer status, reflecting its commitment to putting people and customers at the heart of its operations.
The company is committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035 and will have more than 1,500 zero-emission buses in service by the end of 2026.
As part of its investment in zero-emission infrastructure, First Bus is converting depots across the UK to accommodate electric buses. Through First Charge, its commercial electric vehicle charging service, the company opens up this high-powered depot charging infrastructure to other fleet operators as part of one of the UK’s largest networks of ultra-rapid charging superhubs, helping businesses progress their decarbonisation journeys.
First Bus also operates Specialist Passenger Solutions, First Travel Solutions, York Pullman Bus Company, Lakeside, Ensignbus, Anderson Travel, and the Aircoach network and Matthews in Ireland.
First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
Find more information here: https://news.firstbus.co.uk/