Stagecoach South Wales

Stagecoach in South Wales

Plaxton Expressliner bodied Volvo B10M in July 2008
Parent Stagecoach
Headquarters Cwmbran
Service area Cardiff
South East Wales
Service type Bus services
Depots 7
Fleet 367 (April 2014)
Website www.stagecoachbus.com/southwales

Stagecoach in South Wales[1] is a bus operator providing services in South East Wales. It is a subsidiary of Stagecoach.

A number of operator's licences were used by the company to operate services, however in April 2013 all services were consolidated under the Red & White Services licence. The previous licences were as follows (the names of which generally come from companies which have been acquired in the past):

History

Stagecoach Red & White Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M in Western Welsh 80th anniversary livery, seen in September 2009
Alexander Dennis Enviro 300 in Cwmbran in May 2011

In January 1991 Western Travel[14] purchased the eastern division of National Welsh Omnibus Services with 180 buses and depots in Brynmawr, Chepstow, Crosskeys, Cwmbran and Ross on Wye. The operation was renamed Red & White,[1] the area's services having traded as Red & White Services until 1978. In 1992 Western Travel purchased Cynon Valley Transport which operated services in the Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil areas was purchased with 46 buses.

In February 1992 a 10% shareholding in Rhondda Buses[10] was purchased. Following the December 1991 collapse of National Welsh Omnibus Services, Rhondda Buses was formed to purchase the Caerphilly and Porth depots from the administrators. Rhondda Buses was owned by a consortium of British Bus, Potteries Motor Traction, Stevensons of Uttoxeter and Julian Peddle. In order to quell competition from neighbouring Red & White, Western Travel were sold a 10% share.[15] Services were operated under the Rhondda fleetname from the Porth depot and Caerphilly Busways from the Caerphilly depot. Rhondda had expanded by purchasing the services of Parfitts Motor Services of Rhymney Bridge, who operated in the Merthyr Tydfil (competing with Stagecoach Red & White) and upper Rhymney valley area.

In November 1993 Western Travel was sold to Stagecoach.[16] Red & White was rebranded as Stagecoach Red & White.

In December 1997 Stagecoach bought out the other Rhondda Buses consortium members which were now Arriva, FirstBus and Julian Peddle. Rhondda services were operated under the Stagecoach Rhondda fleetname, whilst the Caerphilly and Rhymney Valley services were incorporated into Stagecoach Red & White.

In February 2000 all operations were rebranded as Stagecoach in South Wales. The Ross on Wye based services were rebranded as Stagecoach in Wye & Dean and transferred to neighbouring Stagecoach West. In September 2000 the services of Phil Anslow Travel were purchased with 28 minibuses, giving Stagecoach a greater presence in the Eastern Valleys and Gwent.[17]

In November 2004 Stagecoach in South Wales purchased the remaining part of Phil Anslow Travel[18] with six minibuses and 15 coaches.[19] The bus services were integrated into Stagecoach in South Wales, whilst the coaching business became Red & White Coaches.[20] Subsequently Red & White Coaches failed to remain profitable and ceased in April 2006.

In February 2006 Stagecoach purchased Eastern Valleys independent operator Crosskeys Coach Hire[4] who traded as Glyn Williams Travel.[21] Glyn Williams' operating area was within that of Stagecoach in South Wales and many of their trunk services had been operated jointly with Stagecoach.

In 2008 the outstation at Bulwark, Chepstow was closed.[22]

In January 2010 Caerphilly County Borough Council sold its 33 bus Islwyn Borough Transport[6] subsidiary to Stagecoach.[23][24][25][26]

Fleet

As at April 2014, the fleet consisted of 367 buses and coaches.[27] The fleet once consisted of step-entranced Dennis Darts, Volvo B10Ms and Volvo Olympians but now over time it consists mainly of Dennis Darts SLFs, Enviro 200s, Enviro 300s and Optare Solos. Unlike most Stagecoach companies, Stagecoach South Wales do not operate Double Deckers.

Stagecoach in South Wales began operating their first Gold standard vehicles on Saturday 28th November 2015. They are allocated to service X24 between Newport, Cwmbran, Pontypool and Blaenavon.

Depots

As at April 2013, Stagecoach South Wales operated eight depots in Aberdare, Blackwood, Brecon, Brynmawr, Caerphilly, Cwmbran, Merthyr Tydfil and Porth.[28]

In April 2014 Stagecoach announced the intended closure of the Brynmawr depot along with a reduction of services.[29] The depot closed on 21 July 2014 and became an outstation of the divisions Head Office.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Companies House extract company no 2555509 Red & White Services Limited
  2. ↑ Companies House extract company no 2680742 Aberdare Bus Company Limited
  3. ↑ "VOSA Notices & Proceedings 13th Feb 2006" (PDF).
  4. 1 2 Companies House extract company no 2141867 Crosskeys Coach Hire Limited
  5. ↑ "VOSA Notices & Proceedings 1st May 2008" (PDF).
  6. 1 2 Companies House extract company no 2002020 Islwyn Borough Transport Limited
  7. ↑ Companies House extract company no 368004 Parfitts Motor Services Limited
  8. ↑ "VOSA Notices & Proceedings 11th Dec. 2008" (PDF).
  9. ↑ "VOSA Notices & Proceedings 20th Jul. 2008" (PDF).
  10. 1 2 Companies House extract company no 2683764 Rhondda Buses Limited
  11. ↑ "VOSA Notices & Proceedings 20th Sep. 2008" (PDF).
  12. ↑ Companies House extract company no 2674158 The Valleys Bus Company Limited
  13. ↑ "VOSA Notices & Proceedings 20th Jul. 2008" (PDF).
  14. ↑ Companies House extract company no 2041677 Stagecoach West Limited formerly Western Travel Limited
  15. ↑ "What Julian did next" Buses magazine March 2009 issue 648 page 31
  16. ↑ Stagecoach acquires Western The Independent 27 November 1993
  17. ↑ Twenty-Five Years of Stagecoach by Doug Jack. Published by Ian Allan 2005 ISBN 0-7110-3103-7
  18. ↑ Companies House extract company no 3478868 Phil Anslow Group Travel Limited
  19. ↑ "Phil Anslow joins the fleet". Retrieved 10 April 2009.
  20. ↑ "Red & White Coaches - accessed 10th April 2009".
  21. ↑ Bus Company Owners Sell After 30 Successful Years Quadrant Media & Communications
  22. ↑ "Bulwark Closed". 25 November 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  23. ↑ Tiny bus company plans to sell up to national carrier Walesonline 5 November 2009
  24. ↑ Anticipated acquisition by Stagecoach Bus Holdings Limited of Islwyn Borough Transport Limited Office of Fair Trading
  25. ↑ Islwyn bus firm sold to Stagecoach South Wales Argus 12 January 2010
  26. ↑ "Stagecoach completes purchase of Islwyn Borough Transport".
  27. ↑ Annual Performance Wales May 2013 - April 2014 Stagecoach in South Wales
  28. ↑ Annual Performance Wales May 2012 - April 2013 Stagecoach South Wales
  29. ↑ "UPDATE: Brynmawr bus depot closure puts 77 jobs at risk". South Wales Argus website. Newsquest Media Group. 9 April 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
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