Travel Dundee becomes National Express Dundee

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It has been a while since I mentioned Travel Dundee on this blog. After the changes earlier this year, several senior management took early retirement, or otherwise parted company with the operator. Now, with the operator due to rebrand to National Express Dundee, the current MD has ended the company’s operation of Scottish Citylink work, and is in plans to wind down the coaching unit. The tiny bit of Wishart’s commercial stuff has just been tendered out by Angus Council, and a package of service changes has been registered to start from 2nd November 2008.

All that could be a coincidence, but the fleet has started being painted in similar to National Express West Midlands – red across the front half of the bus diagonally, and white behind (Gemini 7001 is been first to be done). There will be grey “stair rod” patterns, and a new National Express Dundee fleetname. In addition to changes to the services, it is understood the company’s fleet of Optare Excel’s (7202-7212) will be replaced with T-registered Optare Solo’s from WM, and at the same time, some ten of Dundee’s Volvo/Wright Gemini double deckers (7001-7018) will be swapped for used Volvo single decks, again from WM.


Service 1 Dundee City Centre – Dunsinane Avenue – Faraday Street – St Mary’s
Service level as now (buses run in this direction only, Monday to Friday), but rerouted via Moncur Crescent not Hilltown.

Service 1A Dundee City Centre – Moncur Crescent – Ardler – St Mary’s
New additional 1A journey at 1532 on schooldays only, from St Johns to Dundee City Centre.
Sunday 1A daytime service reduced back from every 30 to every 40 minutes, evening services unchanged.
Deviations to Stack Leisure Park and Dryburgh Industrial Estate as now.

Service 1B Dundee City Centre – Hilltown – Crematorium – St Mary’s
Sunday 1B daytime service reduced back from every 30 to every 40 minutes, evening services unchanged.
Deviations to Stack Leisure Park as now.

Service 1C Dundee City Centre – Ardler Village – St Mary’s – Craigowl View
Revised route and timetable.
Buses now run from Albert Square Interchange, Stop A2, in Dundee City Centre via North Marketgait, Constitution Road, Barrack Road, Infirmary Brae, Somerville Place, Drummond Street, Albany Terrace, Lawside Road, Loons Road, Brantwood Avenue, Johnston Avenue, then onto Clepington Road, Kingsway West Retail Park, back to Kings Cross Road (B&Q), then via Macalpine Road, turning left into Staffa Place, left into Baird Avenue (stop near the Tesco call centre), then into Faraday Street, Harrison Road, Rosemount Road, then west-to-east along Turnberry Avenue (opposite to now), then up Macalpine Road, right into Laird Street, then left into Strathmartine Road, left into Craigowl View, St Martin Avenue.
Buses towards City Centre operate via reverse of this route to Constitution Road, North Marketgait, West Marketgait, West Bell Street, Courthouse Square, Ward Road, Meadowside, to Albert Square interchange. In Ardler Village, buses run east-to-west along Turnberry Avenue, the opposite of now.
Revised times as a result, but the service level remains every 30 minutes, as now.
Service no longer passes St Mary’s terminus, or serves Clepington Road east of Johnston Avenue, or serves Commercial Street or Union Street.
Service is no longer limited stop.
These changes replace the current western half of the 36/37 service, and Lawside Road morning journeys on the 3/4 service.

Service 2 Dundee City Centre – Scott Street – Lochee High Street - Dryburgh
Service reduced to hourly at all times. No longer serves Dunsinane Avenue.
Buses now leave Dundee High Street Interchange, Stop H1 (Monday to Saturday) at 0950, 1050, 1150, 1250, 1350, 1450, 1603 (Sat) or 1605 (Mon-Fri), 1703 (Sat) or 1705 (Mo-Fri), 1803 (Sat) or 1805 (Mon-Fri).
Buses now leave Dryburgh, Linton Road (Monday to Saturday) at 0757, 0902, 1022, 1122, 1222, 1322, 1422, 1522, 1636, 1736, 1836. On Dundee City Council schooldays, the Service 2 at 1522 will run via St John’s High School and display Service 2A, but will still operate via the main 2 route (i.e. via Peddie Street and Scott Street, not Blackness Avenue and Balgay Road). The existing morning Service 2A is unchanged.

Service 3/4, 4A, 4B Dundee City Centre – Dryburgh – Camperdown Leisure Park
Services withdrawn - see “New” Service 4 below

Service 4 Dundee City Centre – Dryburgh – Camperdown Leisure Park
Service standardised so that all buses run from Dundee Albert Square Interchange, Stop A3, via Meadowside, Hilltown, Constitution Street, Drummond Street, Macualay Street, Carmichael Street, Hill Street, Mortimer Street, Byron Street, Alpin Road, Strathmore Avenue, Brantwood Avenue, Loons Road, Lawside Road, Kilberry Street, Cobden Street, Loons Road, Logie Street, Lochee High Street, Tofthill, Harefield Road, Coupar Angus Road, then peak journeys operate via Dunsinane Avenue, turn at Kinnoull Street, back via Dunsinane Avenue and Coupar Angus Road, then all journeys via Dryburgh Street to Linton Road.
After 0930 hours, buses then return along Dryburgh Street, via Coupar Angus Road, Camperdown Gate, to Camperdown Leisure Park.
Buses return via the reverse of this route (not Tofthill or Harefield Road) to Hilltown, North Marketgait, West Marketgait, West Bell Street, Courthouse Square, Ward Road, Meadowside, to Albert Square.
Buses continue to provide an approx 20 minute frequency service in morning peak, 30 minutes daytime, 60 minutes evening & Sunday.
Service no longer covers Stack Leisure Park or Harefield Road or Perth Road/Hawkhill in the evenings or Sundays – Service 11/12 provide a daytime replacement between Stack Leisure Park, Harefield Road and Dryburgh. The Perth Road/Hawkhill evening loop previously served by the evening Service 4B is now also covered by Service 9X. Morning peak services via Lawside Road and Infirmary Brae are covered by the 1C.
Camperdown service to start after morning peak, and peak time services along Dunsinane Avenue are similar to now.

Service 5 Dundee City Centre – Linlathen – Kirkton – St Mary’s
New service, replacing 36/37, 55.
Buses leave Dundee City Centre, Commercial Street at Forum Centre (Stop 2), via Meadowside, Victoria Road, Dens Road, Arthurstone Terrace, Albert Street, Pitkerro Road, Glenconnor Drive, Pitkerro Drive, Fountainbleau Drive, Claverhouse Road, Eriskay Drive, Hebrides Drive, Eriskay Drive, Claverhouse Road, Barns of Claverhouse bus terminus, Claverhouse Road, then Hail & Ride along Beauly Crescent, Hail & Ride along Ambleside Avenue, then via Gillburn Road, Asda, Derwent Avenue, Balgowan Avenue, Hail & Ride on Balgowan Square, Hail & Ride along Helmsdale Avenue, Balgowan Avenue, Hail & Ride along Old Glamis Road, Hail & Ride along Harestane Road, Laird Street, to terminate at Laird Street near Cox Street.
Buses return from Laird Street via this route in reverse until Albert Street, then Princes Street, King Street, St Andrews Street, Seagate, to Commercial Street at Forum.
Buses will leave Laird Street (Monday to Saturday) at 0654 (this one Mon-Fri only), 0754, 0854, 1009, 1124, 1239, 1354, 1509, 1630. Buses leave Kirkton about 10 minutes later, and Mill O’ Mains Shops about 18 minutes later.
Buses will return from Commercial Street at 0930, 1045, 1200, 1315, 1430, 1545, 1706, 1800.
An earlier morning journey is provided by Service 6 – see below.

Service 6 Mill O’ Mains – Linlathen – Dundee City Centre – Linlathen – Mill O’ Mains – Kirkton – Ardler Village – Lawside – Dundee City Centre
A new early morning circular service, one journey, replacing 37C and first 36 journey, operating exactly as now – starting at Mill O’ Mains Shops 0530, via City Centre Union Street 2 at 0555, Perth Road near Step Row 0600, Crichton Street 2 at 0604, Mill O’ Mains Shops at 0623, Kirkton at 0631, Ardler Village 0636, Faraday St nr Telford Rd 0640, Johnston Avenue 0645, to Commercial Street at All-Stars, 0655. Service operates Monday to Friday. For services the rest of the day, see Service 1C, 5, 21.

Service 9x/10x Forthill – City Centre – Technology Park – Ninewells Hospital
All journeys numbered 9x, in both directions. Service to operate every 30 minutes along Perth Road to Tech Park & Ninewells, but still every 15 minutes from City to Forthill. Evening service unchanged.

Service 14 Ninewells Hospital – Lochee – Douglas – Dobbies Garden World
Slightly revised timetable throughout the day. Departures from Ninewells Hospital Monday to Friday 0700 goes back to 0711, 0737 now leaves at 0740, Saturday 0707 now leaves at 0711, 0737 now leaves at 0741. Otherwise, Saturday journeys to leave at 04 and 34 past the hour (Saturday only change!) Departures from Dobbies Garden World/Ethiebeaton Park Monday To Friday 0705 now leaves at 0704, 0725 now leaves at 0724, 0755 now leaves at 0804, then at 04 and 34 past the hour until 1804 then 1835 now leaves at 1830. Saturday 0705 now leaves at 0710, 1705 now leaves at 1700, 1735 now leaves at 1730, 1805 now leaves at 1800, and 1835 now leaves at 1830. No change to Sunday services.

Service 15/17 Ninewells Hospital – Dundee City Centre – Pitkerro Road - Whitfield
Revised route and timetable. Service 15 will leave the City Centre via Seagate, King Street, Princes Street, Albert Street, while the 17 is unchanged to this point via Commercial Street, Victoria Road, Dens Road, and Dura Street, to the traffic lights at Stobswell. From here, 15 and 17 operate via Pitkerro Road, then 15 only will turn off via Pitarlie Road, Longtown Road, Asda Milton Of Craigie, Douglas Road, while Service 17 will no change, and continue to use the full length of Pitkerro Road and Happyhillock Road. Services 15/17 then operate a single direction loop via Drumgeith Road, Berwick Drive, Longhaugh Road, Whitfield Shops, before rejoining Drumgeith Road, and continuing to the city centre. Services 15 and 17 maintain a similar service level to now, although some Ninewells Hospital journeys will be numbered Service 15 or Service 17.

Service 18/19 Dundee City Centre – Old Glamis Road – Asda Kirkton
Revised, no longer serving Gillburn Road. Services 18 and 19 will now run via Old Glamis Road, Balgowan Avenue, and Derwent Avenue to Asda, in both directions (i.e. reverting to pre-April 2008 route). Revised timetable in the evening, 18 and 19 both to run hourly. Revised timetable on Sundays, 18 and 19 both to run hourly, with a reduced amount of running time. See also Service 21, for a replacement service along Gillburn Road.

Service 21 Dundee City Centre - Woodside
Extended beyond Woodside via Barnes Avenue (hail & ride) Old Glamis Road, Gillburn Road, to Asda Kirkton. The route runs via Dens Road and Victoria Road in both directions, no longer serving King Street on the journeys towards City Centre. New hourly evening and Sunday service, partially replacing withdrawn journeys on 18/19 (note that Service 24 continues to operate also on Sundays!)

Service 28/29 Douglas – Dundee City Centre – Charleston/Technology Park
New loop working in Charleston – 28 to run via Liff Road, Buttars Road, current 28 terminus at Balgarthno Terrace, then onto the current 29 terminus at Dunholm Road, then passing South Road Tesco, Dunholm Road, and along South Road – 29 the opposite. Evening and all day Sunday service reduced, to provide a bus every 20 minutes between Logie Street and Douglas. Evening service on 29 withdrawn between Charleston and Technology Park – see existing services 9, 10.

Services 36, 37, 37C Northern Circular
Services withdrawn. See Service 6 for an early morning replacement for the 37C and first 36. For daytime replacements via Infirmary Brae, Lawside Road, Johnston Avenue and Kingsway West Retail Park, see revised 1C. For replacements between Kirkton, Claverhouse, Mill O’ Mains, Linlathen, Stobswell and the City Centre, see new Service 5. The 5 will not serve Pitarlie Road or Asda Milton – see Service 15 for a replacement.

Service 55 Dundee City Centre – Woodside – Kirkton – St Mary’s
Service withdrawn – see Service 5 for a replacement to this service between City Centre, Stobswell, Kirkton, Trottick, Harestane Road, and St Mary’s, albeit via Linlathen not Woodside. For a replacement service from Kirkton to Woodside, see revised Service 21, and the Asda free shoppers bus services.

The following Dundee services are unchanged
1X, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22X, 24, 25, 26, 32, 32B, 33, 33A, 51.