A lifeline lost: Midlothian residents say 'catastrophic cut' of vital bus link has turned lives upside down

Dozens of Midlothian residents have shared their stories of how their lives have been turned upside down after a “lifeline” bus link to the Royal Infirmary and neighbouring communities was withdrawn earlier this year.

Lothian Buses withdrew the service 46 bus route - which ran from Rosewell to Musselburgh via the Royal Infirmary - as part of a series of service changes in Edinburgh and Midlothian which came into effect at the end of February.

The changes saw the introduction of a new service from Rosewell into Edinburgh but removed the only direct bus link to the hospital, meaning those travelling there for work or appointments now have to take multiple buses.

In recent weeks, residents in Rosewell and Polton who relied on the 46 bus have told the Edinburgh Evening News how the loss has impacted their lives - from struggling to get to work to managing childcare and visiting relatives.

Residents in Rosewell have described how the recent bus changes have disrupted their day-to-day lives | Iconic Media

That’s why this week we’re running a series of stories spotlighting the experiences of local residents impacted by these changes.

What were the changes made by Lothian Buses?

In January, Lothian Buses announced it had carried out a review of its network and were making several changes to services in west Edinburgh and Midlothian.

In particular, the company said a key aim of the changes was to improve connectivity for new housing developments in Midlothian, and provide a much called-for link between Rosewell and Edinburgh city centre.

The service 46, which was introduced to replace the 49 in 2023 and connected Rosewell to the Royal Infirmary via Bonnyrigg and Dalkeith, was withdrawn and replaced by alterations to several services.

The service 31 was extended from Polton to Rosewell to provide an all-day, seven-days-a-week service into Edinburgh, while an hourly 39 service was introduced to run from Polton to Bonnyrigg and Dalkeith.

Our series ‘A Lifeline Lost’ highlights the experiences of local residents impacted by the scrapping of the 46 bus route. | Iconic

How have the changes impacted residents?

The introduction of a direct bus from Rosewell to Edinburgh city centre has been praised by residents, but many are concerned this has come at the expense of a key route to the Royal Infirmary, as well as local links connecting Rosewell and Dalkeith.

For journeys to the Royal Infirmary, residents now have to take two buses, which they say can now take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the bus times and delays.

We’ve heard from residents who are having to leave two hours before their appointments to allow for the extra travel time, as well as hospital staff who have been forced to change their work shifts and childcare arrangements because of the changes.

In one powerful account, we heard from a nurse with mobility problems who is now facing the prospect of leaving the job she has done for 15 years because her journey to work has become too difficult to manage.

Residents have also told us they also feel cut off from relatives and vital amenities elsewhere in Midlothian, including the Tesco superstore in Eskbank and Midlothian Community Hospital, which can now take up to an hour to get to.

This has left elderly residents struggling to do their shopping, while one mum said she now has to travel all the way to Cameron Toll to get the right nappies and baby formula for her child.

Over the next few days we’ll be diving into these stories in more detail, so keep an eye on our website and social media channels to hear personal accounts of how the route changes have affected residents.

What has Lothian Buses said?

Lothian Buses said the changes brought in earlier this year followed a detailed analysis of customer usage and travel patterns, and reflected demands from residents in Rosewell for a direct service into Edinburgh.

The company said since 2023 passenger numbers on the service 46 had not reached the levels required to sustain the service long-term, and claimed demand is not high enough to sustain both a service into Edinburgh and a local Midlothian service.

It said in Rosewell, data suggested most customers travelled to Bonnyrigg, either as a destination or to change onto the service 31.

It said passengers travelling to the Royal Infirmary are served by connecting buses at the Lasswade Road crossroads.

A spokesperson said: “Lothian is committed to delivering reliable, accessible and cost-effective bus services across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

“As a wholly commercial operator, our decision to implement network changes is driven by detailed analysis of data and evolving travel patterns, helping to ensure our services remain viable.

"We will continue to monitor the revised services and listen to community feedback as we consider further improvements to connectivity across the wider bus network."