First Bus to take over running of Cumbernauld-Glasgow X25 service sooner

First Bus will now take over full running of the X25 and X25A Cumbernauld-Glasgow express services from Sunday 29 March.

This is a week earlier than originally planned, restores a complete service for customers and provides reassurance that there will be no interruption as the route ceases to be operated by Stagecoach.

Graeme Macfarlan, Commercial Director of First Bus,  said: “Customers can be assured that from Sunday 29 March we will assume full responsibility for the X25 and X25A services.

“We are pleased to be taking on the operation of these express services and look forward to welcoming regular customers and new users to enjoy the high quality journey experience we deliver.

“This will be a seamless change for customers and we simply advise everyone to check the new timetable before travelling.”

Buses will continue to run from early morning until late and every 15 minutes during the main daytime period. Evening and Sunday services will continue to operate every 30 minutes.

First Bus is preparing a fresh set of vehicles to be used on the routes which will be fitted with the latest ticketing technology, installed as part of an overall £20m investment by First Bus across its UK fleet, and charging points for digital connectivity.

Half-price tickets will be available to adults for the first month, making a return journey £3.75 or £4.15 for unlimited travel during the day. These promotional tickets will only be available by purchasing on the First Bus app or from the driver.

New, specially priced Weekly and 4-Weekly Cumbernauld Connect tickets for adults and students will also be introduced. These will be extended to the existing First Bus X3 service, further enhancing connectivity between Cumbernauld and Glasgow.

The buses will feature Tap on, Tap off (TOTO), an enhanced contactless payment system that guarantees customers ultimate flexibility on the fare paid. It charges for the journey made but is capped at the price for a day’s travel, allowing multiple trips to be made with continued discounts for more days travelled during a week.

Graeme Macfarlan added: “This investment expands our services into more communities outside of Glasgow and is further evidence of our ability to build a sustainable bus network.”

Full details of the service can be found on the First Bus website https://www.firstbus.co.uk/greater-glasgow/news-and-service-updates/updates/x25-x25a-now-operated-first-bus

 Picture captions:

First Bus Glasgow X25_1/2/3/4: Graeme Mcfarlan (right) with driver Nicola Watson and Scotstoun depot Operations Manager Martin McDougall show off one of the fleet to be used on the new X25/25A service.

First Bus Glasgow X25_5 & 6: First Bus driver Nicola Watson shows off one of the fleet to be used on the new X25/25A service with Graeme Macfarlan (centre) and Scotstoun depot Operations Manager Martin McDougall.

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