TWO new bus routes linking East Lothian's towns will be launched next month.

East Coast Buses confirmed this afternoon (Tuesday) that they were introducing two new routes in response to customer demand, both of which will start on April 23.

A new express route, the X5, will be created from North Berwick to the city centre, while connections between Musselburgh, Haddington and Dunbar will be improved through the introduction of Service 106, a new direct link.

The existing Service 107 will include a new link in Dunbar between High Street and Asda, while East Lothian Country Buses Service 113 will be extended to West Granton, providing new connections to Edinburgh College campuses.

Further improvements are also set to be introduced on the Nighthawk night bus service.

Eleven new jobs will be created as a result of the full package of changes, which follows a major investment by East Coast Buses in the refurbishment of its Musselburgh headquarters.

Along with these changes, Lothian Country Buses services 104 and 113 will join East Coast Buses from April 23. This means Lothian Country Buses single tickets, day tickets and fares zones will be replaced by East Coast Buses tickets and fares zones. Lothian Country Buses Ridacards for zones C and D will continue to be valid for travel.

Changes to the fare structure for two Lothian Country Buses services (113 and 104) will also be made to bring prices into line with the rest of East Coast Buses operation. This will affect a small number of customers travelling in zones C and D.

Main service changes:

  • Service X5 - new express service introduced to create a faster direct link between North Berwick and the city centre.
  • New service 106 introduced to provide links between Musselburgh and Haddington/Dunbar.
  • Service 107 providing a new link in Dunbar between High Street and Asda on Spott Road.
  • Service 113 extended to West Granton, providing new links to Edinburgh College campuses at Milton Road and Granton.
  • Changes to Nighthawk route and timetable on both Service N106 and N124 which incorporate return journeys from Dunbar and North Berwick