Stagecoach has confirmed the X56 bus, which runs from Halbeath Park and Ride to Edinburgh Bus Station, will be removed from service on August 24. The route connects communities including Milnathort, Kinross, Glenfarg and Bridge of Earn.
Passenger reaction
Milnathort resident Rhoda Weir called the decision “dreadful”. She said: “They aren’t going to provide an other bus service. I live in Milnathort and I use this bus six days a week, occasionally seven days. Though I don’t go to work being retired it’s a lifeline for me, especially now that I cant walk very far. There are lots of people that use this service to get to work it a shame for them. Also people who live between Kinross and Kelty rely on this bus service as this is the only one they can use being the only bus that goes through. What are these people going to do? Not everyone has a car or can afford a car.”
Stagecoach response
A Stagecoach South Scotland spokesman said: “We understand that any change to local bus services can be concerning for customers and the communities they serve. However, the X56 has not been commercially viable for some time and, in order to protect the wider network of services we provide across Perth and Kinross, we cannot continue to operate routes that do not cover their operating costs. Milnathort continues to be served by the Stagecoach 56 service, operated on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council, as well as the 55 service operated by Glenfarg Community Transport. Together, these services provide connections to Perth and Kinross Park and Ride, where customers can access onward services to destinations previously served by the X56. As with all proposed service changes, we follow the statutory registration process and engage with the relevant local authority as part of that process.”
Political concerns
Jim Fairlie MSP and Pete Wishart MP have raised concerns, claiming the move could leave rural communities with “reduced access to education, employment and essential services”. The changes will be introduced in two phases: revised timetables for services around Blairgowrie from August 17, followed by wider network changes across Perth from August 24.
In Blairgowrie, revised timetables will be introduced on services 57, 57A, 57U, 59, 71 and 857 following changes to the school day at Blairgowrie High School. Selected journeys on services 57 and 57U have been revised to improve reliability. Service 57 will now start from South Street and will no longer serve Perth Bus Station; service 57A will continue to serve Perth Bus Station, while the afternoon 57U journey will depart Crieff Road at 4.35pm.
Across Perth, the revised network includes additional year-round journeys on services 3, 4 and X51, improved connections on service X58, timetable revisions to improve punctuality, and route changes designed to support more reliable operation. Stagecoach says the X56 withdrawal follows a sustained decline in customer demand, making the service no longer financially sustainable. The firm says customers will still have access to frequent direct coach services by Scottish Citylink between Perth and Edinburgh, and alternative Stagecoach services for journeys to Bridge of Earn and Milnathort. Stagecoach says the changes will allow the company to focus investment where it will deliver the greatest benefit.
Mr Wishart said: “Rural communities cannot be treated as an afterthought by Stagecoach. These cuts risk pulling the rug out from under people who rely on these services every single day to get to work, get an education and access essential services. The X56 has been a vital link for Kinross-shire, and Stagecoach needs to look again at the impact these decisions will have on communities. There is a wider responsibility to ensure that rural residents have access to a reliable and suitable public transport network – one that supports opportunity, education and connectivity, rather than gradually stripping away options for those who depend on these services. That is why we are challenging Stagecoach to reconsider these plans and asking Ember to step up and explore how they can help fill the gaps left behind.”
