Stagecoach is planning timetable changes to the Aberdeen / Dundee / Perth X7 services from Monday 3 July, including the introduction of an X8 service on the Arbroath / Perth leg of the journey.
The X7 already operates hourly every day between Perth and Aberdeen. I’m told that there are some changes in the new timetable, so regular users would be advised to check if it will affect them: https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/East%20Scotland/Strathtay/ESCOT_Strathtay_X7.pdf
Acting general manager for Stagecoach East Scotland, Jon Oakey said: “The Coastrider X7 route has been very popular since its launch in 2011 and we’ve added extra journeys as the route has grown over the years. The launch of route X8 will increase the frequency of journeys between Perth and Arbroath as well as providing an alternative option for customers who may struggle with the stairs on the X7 luxury coaches.
A new timetable booklet which includes the full X7 journeys as well as a combined timetable for all journeys between Perth and Arbroath on X7 and X8 is now available in travel shops, on bus and to download at stagecoachbus.com.
The Coastrider X7 route was launched in 2011, with eight new coaches introduced to operate on the route in November 2014, representing an investment of over £2.4m. A further £300k was spent on an additional coach required to maintain the higher frequency on the service