Each year the council invests funding to ensure residents continue to have access to bus services over the festive holidays, with a particular focus on supporting people travelling to work, accessing healthcare and visiting family and friends.
The council has historically provided an additional level of local bus provision on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and 2 January, when many commercial operators do not run services. Subsidised services are also reduced on these dates, creating gaps in the network.
Around 80% of West Lothian's bus network is provided by commercial operators. To help maintain connectivity, the council is proposing a festive network that will provide services between 7am and 7pm across key routes, with particular emphasis on links to St John's Hospital and Livingston Centre.
Council Executive has approved the award of festive bus service contracts at a total cost of £42,040, funded from existing Local Bus Services budgets.
The proposed festive network includes the following services:
- X18 Whitburn - Edinburgh via Armadale, Bathgate, Dechmont, Uphall and Broxburn
- X27 Bathgate - Edinburgh via Deans North, Knightsridge, Craigshill, Livingston Centre, Dedridge East, Mid Calder, East Calder and Wilkieston
- X28 Bathgate - Edinburgh via Deans North, Knightsridge, Craigshill, Dedridge East, East Calder and Kirknewton
- X38 Linlithgow - Edinburgh via Bridgend, Winchburgh and Kirkliston
- X40 St John's Hospital - Edinburgh Royal Infirmary via Livingston Centre, Mid Calder, East Calder and Calderwood (two return journeys)
- 72 Fauldhouse - Winchburgh via Longridge, Whitburn, Blackburn, Seafield, Eliburn, St John's Hospital, Howden, Livingston Centre, Pumpherston, Uphall and Broxburn
- 74 Fauldhouse - Blackburn via Bents, Stoneyburn, Loganlea, Addiewell, West Calder, Polbeth, Dedridge West, Livingston Centre, Deans South, Bathgate and Wester Inch
- 73 Armadale - Livingston via Bathgate, Deans South, Houstoun Road, Appleton Parkway and Livingston Village, funded through the Transport to Employment Fund on selected festive dates.
Commercial operators have also confirmed limited festive services on parts of the network. Lothian Country intends to operate services X18, X27 and X28 commercially on Boxing Day and a normal Sunday service across its network on 2 January. Service 902 will also provide links to Greenrigg on Boxing Day and 2 January.
Executive Councillor for the Environment and Sustainability Tom Conn said:
"Although the council does not operate bus services directly, this funding helps ensure people can continue to travel during the festive period when many commercial services are reduced. These routes have been designed to provide the widest possible coverage across West Lothian, with a particular focus on helping residents access healthcare, get to work and stay connected with family and friends over the holidays."
