Next month, Lothian Country, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lothian, will be expanding its services into West Lothian, creating new jobs and boosting the local economy.

From Sunday 19 August three new routes will be introduced complementing the current network, creating new links between Edinburgh and Bathgate, and Edinburgh Park Station and Whitburn, seven days a week.

Richard Hall, Managing Director of Lothian, said:

We are excited to announce our wider plans for operations in West Lothian as part of Lothian Country.  For a number of years we have received repeated requests to introduce a service to this area and we are delighted that we can today announce our plans. We look forward to releasing further more detailed information in the coming weeks.

The introduction of these new services will create over 65 new jobs. Lothian Country will be holding recruitment days at the Mercure Livingston on 11, 17, 18 and 19 July.  To book an appointment please email to [email protected]

Executive councillor for development and transport, Cathy Muldoon, said:

We are delighted that Lothian are extending their services into West Lothian and we welcome the improvements this will bring to the public transport network that connects our communities.  I believe that this will be warmly welcomed by local residents and West Lothian Council is looking forward to building a strong partnership with Lothian going forward to further improve services for local people.

A bespoke fleet of double deck vehicles in Lothian Country’s distinctive green and cream fitted with USB charging points and Wi-Fi will operate on these services, offering customers high levels of comfort and quality on their journeys.

Customers will also be able to benefit from a range of ticketing options giving extended travel across the whole Lothian network.

To find out more, visit www.lothiancountry.co.uk to register your details on the Early Access List to be first to know more details on services and ticketing.