Ember, the UK's first all-electric intercity bus and coach company, will launch a new high-frequency link between Glasgow and Edinburgh Airport on September 2. The E20 service will run every 20 minutes for most of the day, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering a practical option for travellers with early morning flights.
Route details and stops
The journey starts at Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow and includes six stops, with Chapelhall and Livingston among them. The stops at Harthill and Heartlands will be available from September 9. The service is an improvement on the current Megabus Edinburgh airport service, which costs approximately £15 for a single ticket.
An adult single ticket for the E20 costs £7.55 if booked online, and the price remains the same whether booked weeks in advance or a minute ahead. While the Megabus service also runs every 20 minutes during the day, it drops to every hour after midnight until 8am. The Ember airport link is scheduled to maintain most of its 20-minute cycles throughout the night, though some gaps may extend to roughly 40 minutes.
Pre-booking requirements
Travellers joining the bus at any of the designated stops along the route must have a ticket pre-booked on their phone. Ember buses will only stop at some destinations if notified that a passenger has bought a ticket to board or alight there. Since some stops are a detour from the main route, the bus will not leave the main journey to pass those spots if no customers are booked.
Pre-booking is not required at Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow Buchanan Street, but purchasing tickets in advance may help ensure a seat on the desired service. Although the route starts on September 2, travellers can already pre-book tickets through the Ember website.
Full list of stops
Glasgow - Buchanan Bus Station - no pre-booking required; Chapelhall - Lancaster Avenue - pre-book; Harthill - Service - pre-book; Heartlands - Services - pre-book; Livingston - Deer Park - pre-book; Ratho Station - Glasgow Road - pre-book; Edinburgh Airport Hotels - pre-book; Edinburgh Airport Terminal - no pre-booking required.
