Pennine Blue

Northern Counties bodied Dodge S50 minibus seen in service with Pennine Blue on the 337 route (Hazelhurst-Crowhill)

Pennine Blue, later known as First Pennine, was a bus company serving the Tameside area of Greater Manchester, England. It was an independent bus company running services to/from Ashton-under-Lyne in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its depot was initially based at Britannia Street in Ashton-Under-Lyne, before moving to the Globe Industrial Estate in Dukinfield, and finally to the current location on Broadway in Dukinfield where it now operates as first pioneer.

Routes

The first route to be operated was the 348 service from Mossley, Micklehurst, via Ashton under Lyne to Denton and Haughton Green. This followed the route of the GMBuses 348 service from Haughton Green to Ashton, and the 350 service to Micklehurst. At a later date this service was further extended to Hey Farm. Further developments saw the introduction of a 351 service from Ashton to Carrbrook in Stalybridge, a 346 service from Hyde to Droylsden via the GMB 346 route to Ashton, and then the GMB 382 route to Droylsden. Journeys were also introduced on the 347 service from Ashton to Haughton Green, the 409 to Oldham and on the 42 along the Oxford Road corridor out of Manchester. In the later days of the service, Pennine Blue also operated some journeys on the famous Trans-Lancs Express 400 service, between Stockport and Ashton. Stockport was also served by the 328 service from Mossley via Denton, the 330 from Ashton and Hyde, and also a 381 service from Ashton and Denton.

Bus fleet

The company operated a large and varied fleet of Bristol RE single deck buses, a number of which were bought from Belfast. A couple of Leyland Nationals were also bought. Double deckers included a number of ECW bodied Bristol VRTs, at least one former GMT Standard, and a Leeds 'Jumbo' Leyland Atlantean. A number of minibuses were also operated; under the name 'Baby Blue' and were given the names of cartoon characters. Their first new bus was an Optare MetroRider named 'Dennis the Menace' which arrived around the time of the takeover by PMT, appearing in Pennine Blue's familiar blue and cream livery, the second followed soon after and named 'Beryl the Peril'/ Following the take over by PMT, a large number of PMT Bristol VRTs were drafted into the fleet, some of which were painted into the Pennine Blue livery, although this did not last long.^[1]

Takeovers

The company was taken over by PMT in the mid-1990s and would adopt the PMT livery to its services, which resulted in the change of the name from Pennine Blue to Pennine, as the livery changed from blue to yellow and red. The first vehicles to appear in the red and yellow livery, with the addition of a Badgerline group Badger were two ex Bristol dual door Bristol VRTs. The company would change to First Pennine in light of the 1995 merger of GRT_Group Holdings and Badgerline PLC and the formation of FirstBus. In the early 21st century, First Pennine would become part of First Greater Manchester. Although, officially the services in Tameside are First Manchester services, First had registered the services as First Pennine but are now registered to first pioneer.

References

↑ "Pennine Blue in the PMT era.". Retrieved 25 April 2014.

External links

Pennine Blue Flickr gallery

Former bus companies of the United Kingdom

National

England

Former bus companies operating in England

North West England	Birkenhead Transport Blackburn Transport Blue Bus and Coach Services Bluebird Bus and Coach Bu-Val Buses ChesterBus Citibus Tours Crosville Motor Services Finglands Coachways First Chester & The Wirral Glenvale Transport GM Buses John Fishwick & Sons JPT Lancashire United Transport Maynes Bus Maytree Travel MTL North Western Road Car Company (1923) North Western Road Car Company (1986) Pennine Blue Red & White Services Ribble Motor Services Speedwellbus Transdev Northern Blue UK North Yelloway Motor Services

North East England	Black Prince Buses Busways Travel Services Durham Travel Services Geldards Coaches Jolly Bus Leon Motors Mexborough and Swinton Traction Company Northern General Transport Company OK Motor Services Samuel Ledgard South Yorkshire Transport Tates Travel United Automobile Services Venture Transport West Riding Automobile Company West Yorkshire Road Car Yorkshire Rider Yorkshire Terrier Yorkshire Traction

Midlands	A2Z Travel Barton Transport Birmingham City Transport Birmingham Motor Traction Chase Coaches First Northampton Glossopdale Bus Company Go West Midlands Ludlows North Birmingham Busways People's Express Premiere Travel Probus Management South Notts Bus Company Stevensons of Uttoxeter Travel Merry Hill Travel Your Bus Wesley Coaches Zak's Buses

Eastern England	Eastern National Omnibus Company MK Metro TWH Bus & Coach

South West England	Badgerline Bristol Omnibus Company Devon General Greyhound Motors Great Western Railway Hants & Dorset Motor Services Shamrock Buses Southern National Sureline Trathens Travel Services Truronian WebberBus Western Greyhound Western National

South East England	Alder Valley Aldershot & District Traction Badger Vectis Boro'line Maidstone Brijan Tours Bygone Buses Cavendish Motor Services Centra City Clipper Countryliner East Kent Road Car Company Invictaway Kent Top Travel Maidstone & District Maidstone Corporation Transport Marchwood Motorways Moss Motor Tours Portsmouth Corporation Transport Shamrock Buses Southampton Citybus Southdown Motor Services Thames Transit Thames Valley Traction Tillingbourne Bus Company Velvet Yellow Bus Services

Greater London	Bexleybus Birch Brothers Boro'line London Capital Citybus Capital Logistics Connex East Thames Buses First London Grey-Green Harris Bus Imperial Buses London Buslines London Country Bus Services London Country North East London Country North West London Country South East London Country South West London Easylink London Electrobus Company London Forest London Pride Sightseeing London Traveller MTL NSL Buses Thorpes Travel London Travel Surrey Westlink

Scotland

Former bus companies operating in Scotland

Scottish Bus Group	Central Scottish Clydeside Scottish Eastern Scottish Highland Scottish Kelvin Central Buses Kelvin Scottish Lowland Scottish Midland Scottish Northern Scottish Western Scottish

Other operators	Arriva Scotland West A1 Service Dart Buses First Stop Travel Gibson's of Moffat McKindless Munro's of Jedburgh Oban and District Scottish Motor Traction Strathclyde Buses Western SMT

Wales

Former bus companies operating in Wales

Companies	Crosville Motor Services Islwyn Borough Transport National Welsh Omnibus Services Padarn Bus Red & White Services Rhondda Transport Company South Wales Transport Western Welsh

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