German coach giant FlixBus is introducing a new Aberdeen to Edinburgh service this month in response to growing demand and jam-packed buses.
FlixBus first launched in the UK two years ago, and is seeking to expand across the country.
In Scotland, the company launched an Aberdeen to Glasgow service last year.
The route has proven so popular, says FlixBus, that it is expanding its daily departures on this service from the current four a day to seven.
And to add to its offering in Scotland, it’s preparing to launch a new Aberdeen to Edinburgh route from April 27.
Where will the new Aberdeen to Edinburgh bus route go, how long will it take, and how much will it cost?
- The new FlixBus route from Aberdeen to Edinburgh will also make stops in Dundee, Perth and Dunfermline.
- The company says journeys from the Granite City to the capital should take three hours and 25 minutes.
- It will be initially departing at 8.45am, 2.45pm and 6.45pm.
- But by summer, the operator aims to also introduce 12.45pm and 8.15pm departure slots, increasing its daily journeys from Aberdeen to Edinburgh up to five.
It’s also offering journeys for £2 as an introductory offer.
Depending on how far in advance you book your tickets and how busy the coaches are, FlixBus UK managing director Andreas Schorling said prices should remain low even after this offer period ends on April 30.
For context, a journey from Aberdeen to Glasgow on board an almost full FlixBus this Saturday departing at 11.40am, booked on Thursday, would cost you £15.99.
But a ticket for a departure at 8.40pm would cost you £2.
Where will the new Aberdeen to Edinburgh bus be departing from?
If you’re thinking the new FlixBus services from Aberdeen to Edinburgh will be running out of Aberdeen Bus Station, you’d be mistaken.
Mr Schorling said Stagecoch, which runs the bus station at Union Square, has not granted FlixBus access to the bus bays required to allow the new services to Edinburgh to depart from it.
Stagecoach says it’s working with FlixBus to agree new departure time slots for the bus station, and hopes to “come to an operational agreement on timings in due course”.
But if an agreement isn’t reached in time for the April 27 launch, Mr Schorling says there’s a “Plan B” to depart from elsewhere in the city centre.
FlixBus does, however, have services bound for Glasgow departing from Aberdeen Bus Station.
FlixBus MD says demand for Aberdeen to central belt services helped open way for new Edinburgh route
Mr Schorling says in the first quarter of 2023, passenger demand for FlixBus in the UK has almost doubled compared to the same period in 2022.
“We’re now filling the coaches between Aberdeen and Glasgow,” he said.
“This gives us the confidence to significantly increase the frequency on the existing services, plus adding new ones.
“This is part of the long-term plan of building the largest network in Scotland.”
MD says coaches are the ‘unsung hero of the transportation industry’
The FlixBus boss say he wants to change perceptions of travelling by coach, which he says in the UK are that the mode of transport is mostly for young people or pensioners.
He argued one of the best ways to get people on board with coach travel is to prioritise reliability.
Mr Schorling said: “We consider ourselves to be affordable, reliable and sustainable.
“With the climate challenges we’re currently facing, it’s incredibly important to focus on sustainable transportation.
“And reliability is key for passengers.
“With all the challenges the transport sector has faced, you always see coaches coming to the rescue.
“So, we like to talk about coaches being the unsung hero of the transportation industry.
“But the most important thing at this time for people is the cost of living crisis, which is probably the worst of our generation, so having affordability is really important to democratise transportation.”