No Stagecoach buses after August ‘could be the end of Dumfries and Galloway’
There are strong concerns that this week’s announcement could drive young people out of the region.
Last updated 18th Jun 2025
There are fears this could be the final nail in the coffin for young people and families in Dumfries and Galloway, as Stagecoach announces the end of most services from August.
The company is not renewing a contract with the council because of clauses which it says place it at too much commercial risk.
After August 6, 2025, only the X74 and X79 services to Carlisle and Glasgow will continue to operate.
Craig-Andrew Brown moved from the region to Ayr but still depends on the buses to commute to the Bridge of Dee and surrounding areas.
With these upcoming changes, his journey, which requires multiple buses, could become a lot worse as timetables don’t align or routes no longer exist.
He says, “When I get into Dumfries from Ayr, I’ve got to get back all the way to Bridge of Dee, and of course it’s only every two hours, so the 500 that used to run really sort of plugged the gaps that existed, and obviously the 501 was also hourly and now that’s not going to exist.”
With many services planned to be affected by the Dumfries and Stranraer depots, there is a risk that this could cut off vital transport links for visitors or people needing to commute outside of the region.
“It just makes everyone’s lives so much more difficult, not only within the area itself, but out with the area, because there now is going to be no links anywhere in the region basically, apart from Dumfries to Glasgow.
“There’s not a chance that young people are going to be having any sort of enthusiasm to stay in the area as they grow older.
“I moved up to Ayr – that was one of the main reasons, because there was barely any public transport in Dumfries and Galloway, and there certainly won’t be any now.”
Now, the council is being called to find a solution to replace Stagecoach buses.
Brown says, “The council is really going to have to start doing some things which will actually improve the passenger experience and drive people to start using public transport more, because if they don’t, there is going to be this constant cycle of people driving more and more and going further and further backwards in time, until such a point where it is the end of Dumfries and Galloway.”
The council says it's working with officials at SWestrans on the tender for a new operator for local services and school buses.
A Stagecoach spokesperson said:
“Earlier this year Dumfries & Galloway Council and SWestrans ran a tender process for services in the region as current contracts expire on 6 August. A number of the contracts are currently operated by ourselves.
“While reviewing the terms of the contracts being tendered, we identified a liability clause that was far in excess of the value of the contracts on offer. We’re unfortunately unable to agree to a contract on these disproportionate terms. We’ve been working with the Council and SWestrans to find a solution to the procurement ask, but unfortunately the liability levels required by the council have made this impossible. As a result, our tender submissions have been disqualified as non compliant.
“This creates a position that also makes operating our current commercial services in the area no longer commercially viable. Back in May we therefore sent the Council and SWestrans our 70-day notice to de-register our commercial bus services, except the X74, to comply with the statutory notice requirements while we await the official award of contracts from the tender round on Monday 23 June. The 79 service will continue to operate but from the Carlisle depot.
“We remain committed to ensuring the communities in the region remain connected during the notice period and are working with local officials to minimise any disruption.
“We are working closely with colleagues whose employment with Stagecoach will be directly affected at our Dumfries and Stranraer depots, to support them throughout this process.”