501 bus service rescued
Financial agreement ensures stability for essential transport route
Last updated 21 hours ago
The 501 bus service between Dumfries, Kirkcudbright and Castle Douglas has been saved — after a financial agreement was reached to rescue the route.
McCalls Coaches announced it could not continue to operate the service commercially, due to Swestrans (The South West of Scotland Transport Partnership) changing the contract and the usual five-figure subsidy being removed.
This left some serious uncertainty over the future of the 501 service because Lockerbie-based McCalls Coaches was the only company that had stepped up to take over this route when Stagecoach left the region.
However, a U-turn has been completed following negotiations between Swestrans and McCalls Coaches. This will be confirmed at the Swestrans board meeting on Friday.
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A bus network update report, due to be tabled at the meeting, states: “The 501 service, operated by McCalls Coaches, will continue to run its existing timetable with no changes to route or frequency.”
Previously, the service required two separate subsidies — £93,080 for Monday to Saturday evenings plus Sundays, and a further £60,000 for Monday to Saturday daytime services, bringing the total public subsidy to £153,080 per year.
Under the new arrangement, that figure has been reduced.
The report explains: “The current support requirement has reduced to £136,500, delivering a £16,580 saving whilst maintaining full-week continuity for passengers and ensuring stability within the existing Swestrans budget.”
The saving was achieved by restructuring how the contract is managed. As the report sets out: “This was achieved through a contract variation to the 501 evening and Sunday service to create a singularly procured 501 service, as agreed by the Swestrans Board on March 26, 2026.”
The news will come as a significant relief to passengers who depend on the 501 route, particularly those in rural communities between Dumfries and Kirkcudbright who have limited alternative transport options.
The route had been in jeopardy since last summer when Stagecoach withdrew, with McCalls stepping in as the only operator willing to take on the contract.
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The family firm had been operating on a partially subsidised 12-month commercial contract, but confirmed earlier this year that the daytime service was not financially viable even with a £60,000 subsidy in place.
The deal now struck avoids that scenario entirely, keeping the existing operator, the existing timetable and the existing route fully intact while also delivering a modest saving to the public purse.
Meanwhile, the 246 route between Dumfries and New Cumnock — which serves pupils travelling to Wallace Hall Academy — will also continue without additional public funding.
The report states: “McCalls Coaches have confirmed they will continue operating the additional (second) bus on the 246 service between Dumfries and Wallace Hall Academy during school term as a fully commercial route.
“This decision secures ongoing capacity for the high volume of pupils travelling from Dumfries to the school without requiring further subsidy from Dumfries and Galloway Council or Swestrans.”
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