Arriva North-West & Wales
Encyclopedia
Arriva North West and Wales was a division of Arriva
that operated bus services around North West England
and Wales
. It was made up from several previous bus operators including North Western
(in Merseyside
, Cheshire
and Lancashire
), most of MTL North (formerly Merseybus), the Bee Line Buzz Company (in Greater Manchester
), and most of what was once Crosville Motor Services
(in Cheshire and Wales
).
In January 2009, the Welsh depots were separated into a new division named Arriva Buses Wales
, the remainder of the division reverting to its previous title of Arriva North West
.
and like Stagecoach
and FirstGroup plc
a corporate image was introduced for its many and different bus operations. Outside of London this was a corporate livery of Aquamarine with a Cotswold stone (cream) swoop, Arriva branding and a strapline of the region the bus was operating in which for the former North Western
operation was serving the North West. In the Spring of 1998 Arriva decided to give an Arriva identity to the many companies which comprised Arriva Passenger Services and as a consequence North Western Road Car Co. Ltd became Arriva North West Ltd with the associated Bee Line and Liverline operations becoming Arriva Manchester Ltd and Arriva Merseyside Ltd (see later) respectively.
Apart from the change to Arriva identity not too much was different between Arriva North West and North Western as the 1990s drew to a close. In the late Summer of 1998 Arriva North West - rather than GMPTE interestingly, became responsible for the management of the bus station at the new Trafford Centre
shopping mall. In 1999 Arriva North West made its first major acquisition of Winsford
-based Nova Scotia Travel which allowed it to strengthen its operations from its Winsford depot considerably in and around the former Vale Royal
borough of Cheshire. However the Nova Scotia acquisition would soon prove small news to Arriva North West's future development which significantly changed as a consequence of the impending bankruptcy and sale of Merseyside's largest bus operator MTL Trust Holdings Ltd.
was transferred to Arriva Midlands North Ltd
.
Arriva's acquisition of MTL significantly increased its presence within Merseyside's bus market with the effect that Aintree based CMT Buses remained its only meaningful competitor. This concerned the Competition Commission
who ordered Arriva North West to sell one of its depots in order to avoid a public inquiry over its purchase of MTL. Gillmoss
depot in north Liverpool
was the depot chosen to be sold although its sale became a rather protracted affair. In early 2001 the Go-Ahead Group plc seemed ready to purchase Gillmoss considering it to have similar characteristics to its Go North East
operation. However at the 11th hour this deal broke down and Go Ahead instead acquired Arriva Croydon & North Surrey Ltd merging it into its established Metrobus
operation. Arriva North West put a proposal to the Competition Commission of substantial investment for Gillmoss if they withdrew their stipulation to sell the depot. However the Competition Commission refused this proposal and a buyer for Gillmoss had to be found.
Gillmoss was eventually purchased on 15 July 2001 by two former MTL managers - Dominic Brady and Ian Campbell who formed Glenvale Transport Limited
(GTL). Furthermore the Competition Commission stipulated Arriva North West couldn't compete with GTL's core service network in North Liverpool and Kirkby
for three years. GTL began expanding its service network against Arriva North West and in June 2003 acquired CMT Buses further strengthening its position, in Liverpool in particular. By 2004 the Competition Commission ban against Arriva North West competing with GTL was over and gradually copycat services were introduced on most of their routes. GTL, £7m in debt and with an aging bus fleet, was taken over on 11 July 2005 by the Stagecoach Group
who renamed it Stagecoach Merseyside
.
Relations between Arriva and Stagecoach on Merseyside seem reasonably cordial and from 2005 onwards both operators have gradually withdrawn most of the competing services against each other leaving Stagecoach to become the main operator in North Liverpool and Kirkby and Arriva North West & Wales the dominant operator in most of the rest of Merseyside.
, Macclesfield
and Winsford depots of Arriva Midlands North Ltd were transferred to it on 1 February 2003 and this has enabled Arriva North West and Wales to assume control of much of what was Crosville Motor Services with the exception of the Rock Ferry
- Birkenhead
, Chester
and Ellesmere Port
(now closed) depots which are part of First Manchester
's First Chester & The Wirral
division.
It has also pursued acquisitions and on 2 August 2004 Liverpool based independent Merseyline Travel of Garston
was acquired - perhaps to strengthen Arriva Merseyside's competitive moves against GTL before it was acquired by Stagecoach. In Greater Manchester it acquired one of the major independent operators in that region Blue Bus of Bolton
enabling a good strategic fit with the Arriva Manchester operation and expansion into Bolton
, Salford
and Wigan
.
Some of the operations of KMP of Llanberis were acquired by Arriva in August 2008 and merged with Arriva Cymru. This removed competition along the route between Llandudno
and Bangor
. The rest of KMP was acquired by independent Padarn Bus
in April 2009.
From 1 January 2009, the Wales operations were split from Arriva North West and became Arriva Buses Wales
with a separate Managing Director.
From 23rd July 2011 Skelmersdale Depot Will Close losing 19 jobs All Services will transfer to.St Helens,Bootle,Southport
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
that operated bus services around North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It was made up from several previous bus operators including North Western
North Western Road Car Company (1986)
The North Western Road Car Company Ltd was a former bus operator based in Liverpool, England. The company operated between 1986 and 1998.- History :...
(in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
and Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
), most of MTL North (formerly Merseybus), the Bee Line Buzz Company (in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
), and most of what was once Crosville Motor Services
Crosville Motor Services
Crosville Motor Services was a bus operator running within the north west of England and north and mid Wales.-History:The company was formed as Crosville Motor Company Limited on 27 October 1906 in Chester, by George Crosland Taylor and his French business associate Georges de Ville, with the...
(in Cheshire and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
).
In January 2009, the Welsh depots were separated into a new division named Arriva Buses Wales
Arriva Buses Wales
Arriva Buses Wales is a division of Arriva that operates bus services in north Wales. It has its origins in the former Crosville Motor Services. Arriva Buses Wales has approximately 700 employees. The company's official name is Arriva Cymru Ltd.-History:...
, the remainder of the division reverting to its previous title of Arriva North West
Arriva North West
Arriva North West is a division of Arriva that operates bus services around North West England. It consists of two companies: Arriva North West Ltd and Arriva Merseyside Ltd....
.
History
In Autumn 1997 the Cowie Group plc renamed itself Arriva plcArriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
and like Stagecoach
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
and FirstGroup plc
FirstGroup plc
FirstGroup plc is a public transport company, registered in Scotland at its headquarters in Aberdeen, operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Canada and the United States...
a corporate image was introduced for its many and different bus operations. Outside of London this was a corporate livery of Aquamarine with a Cotswold stone (cream) swoop, Arriva branding and a strapline of the region the bus was operating in which for the former North Western
North Western Road Car Company (1986)
The North Western Road Car Company Ltd was a former bus operator based in Liverpool, England. The company operated between 1986 and 1998.- History :...
operation was serving the North West. In the Spring of 1998 Arriva decided to give an Arriva identity to the many companies which comprised Arriva Passenger Services and as a consequence North Western Road Car Co. Ltd became Arriva North West Ltd with the associated Bee Line and Liverline operations becoming Arriva Manchester Ltd and Arriva Merseyside Ltd (see later) respectively.
Apart from the change to Arriva identity not too much was different between Arriva North West and North Western as the 1990s drew to a close. In the late Summer of 1998 Arriva North West - rather than GMPTE interestingly, became responsible for the management of the bus station at the new Trafford Centre
Trafford Centre
The Trafford Centre is a large indoor shopping centre and leisure complex situated in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, close to the Trafford Park industrial estate and approximately 5 miles from Manchester city centre. It is the highest valued shopping centre in the...
shopping mall. In 1999 Arriva North West made its first major acquisition of Winsford
Winsford
Winsford is a town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies on the River Weaver south of Northwich and west of Middlewich, and grew around the salt mining industry after the river was canalised in the...
-based Nova Scotia Travel which allowed it to strengthen its operations from its Winsford depot considerably in and around the former Vale Royal
Vale Royal
Vale Royal was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district with borough status in Cheshire, England. It contained the towns of Northwich, Winsford and Frodsham.-Creation:...
borough of Cheshire. However the Nova Scotia acquisition would soon prove small news to Arriva North West's future development which significantly changed as a consequence of the impending bankruptcy and sale of Merseyside's largest bus operator MTL Trust Holdings Ltd.
Acquisition of MTL Trust Holdings Ltd
On 18 February 2000 Arriva plc acquired Merseyside's largest bus operator MTL Trust Holdings Ltd. The former Merseybus operation and the many companies which were acquired or created by MTL were amalgamated by Arriva North West into a 'new' Arriva Merseyside Ltd with the former Arriva Merseyside Ltd (Liverline) becoming Arriva Liverpool Ltd. As a consequence of Arriva's acquisition of MTL the management of the Arriva North West depot at WinsfordWinsford
Winsford is a town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies on the River Weaver south of Northwich and west of Middlewich, and grew around the salt mining industry after the river was canalised in the...
was transferred to Arriva Midlands North Ltd
Arriva Midlands
Arriva Midlands is a division of Arriva. It operates bus services around the Midlands area of England and is made up of various previous bus operators.-Arriva Midlands North:...
.
Arriva's acquisition of MTL significantly increased its presence within Merseyside's bus market with the effect that Aintree based CMT Buses remained its only meaningful competitor. This concerned the Competition Commission
Competition Commission
The Competition Commission is a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom...
who ordered Arriva North West to sell one of its depots in order to avoid a public inquiry over its purchase of MTL. Gillmoss
Gillmoss
Gillmoss is an area in north Liverpool, Merseyside, England, located between Croxteth, Fazakerley and Kirkby.-Description:Gillmoss is a predominantly industrial area with little residential housing although pockets exist around the East Lancashire Road, and parts have been described as a 'ghost...
depot in north Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
was the depot chosen to be sold although its sale became a rather protracted affair. In early 2001 the Go-Ahead Group plc seemed ready to purchase Gillmoss considering it to have similar characteristics to its Go North East
Go North East
Go North East is the largest operator of bus services in North East England, United Kingdom. Go North East operates services in the counties of Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland...
operation. However at the 11th hour this deal broke down and Go Ahead instead acquired Arriva Croydon & North Surrey Ltd merging it into its established Metrobus
Metrobus (Go-Ahead Group)
Metrobus is a bus operator with routes in south and south-east London, and parts of Surrey, Kent, West and East Sussex. The company operates many routes on tender from Transport for London. Formed through a management buyout of Tillingbourne Ltd...
operation. Arriva North West put a proposal to the Competition Commission of substantial investment for Gillmoss if they withdrew their stipulation to sell the depot. However the Competition Commission refused this proposal and a buyer for Gillmoss had to be found.
Gillmoss was eventually purchased on 15 July 2001 by two former MTL managers - Dominic Brady and Ian Campbell who formed Glenvale Transport Limited
Glenvale Transport Limited
Glenvale Transport Ltd is a bus company formed in 2001 as a result of a management buy-in of Gillmoss bus depot from Arriva plc...
(GTL). Furthermore the Competition Commission stipulated Arriva North West couldn't compete with GTL's core service network in North Liverpool and Kirkby
Kirkby
Kirkby is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in the metropolitan county of Merseyside in England. The town was developed from the 1950s through 1970s as a means to house the overspill of Liverpool. It is situated roughly north of Huyton, the administrative HQ of the borough and about...
for three years. GTL began expanding its service network against Arriva North West and in June 2003 acquired CMT Buses further strengthening its position, in Liverpool in particular. By 2004 the Competition Commission ban against Arriva North West competing with GTL was over and gradually copycat services were introduced on most of their routes. GTL, £7m in debt and with an aging bus fleet, was taken over on 11 July 2005 by the Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
who renamed it Stagecoach Merseyside
Stagecoach Merseyside
Stagecoach Merseyside is a major operator of bus services in the English city of Liverpool and in the surrounding area of Merseyside. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group...
.
Relations between Arriva and Stagecoach on Merseyside seem reasonably cordial and from 2005 onwards both operators have gradually withdrawn most of the competing services against each other leaving Stagecoach to become the main operator in North Liverpool and Kirkby and Arriva North West & Wales the dominant operator in most of the rest of Merseyside.
Further developments and acquisitions
Arriva North West became responsible for the management of Arriva Cymru Ltd on 25 February 2002, and to reflect this, the name for this division of Arriva became Arriva North West and Wales. Arriva North West and Wales expanded further when the CreweCrewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
, Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
and Winsford depots of Arriva Midlands North Ltd were transferred to it on 1 February 2003 and this has enabled Arriva North West and Wales to assume control of much of what was Crosville Motor Services with the exception of the Rock Ferry
Rock Ferry
Rock Ferry is an area of Birkenhead on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Administratively it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Before local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974, it was part of the county of Cheshire...
- Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and port in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated on the south border of the Wirral Peninsula on the banks of the Manchester Ship Canal, which in turn gives access to the River...
(now closed) depots which are part of First Manchester
First Manchester
First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
's First Chester & The Wirral
First Chester & The Wirral
First Chester & Wirral is a division of bus operator First Manchester Ltd., running local bus services in and around Chester and the Wirral, north west England. The company is a subsidiary of FirstGroup plc, the largest bus operator in Britain....
division.
It has also pursued acquisitions and on 2 August 2004 Liverpool based independent Merseyline Travel of Garston
Garston, Merseyside
Garston is a district of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is bordered by Aigburth, Allerton, and Speke.-History:Gaerstun, meaning 'grazing settlement' or 'grazing farm' in Old English, is one possible root of the name....
was acquired - perhaps to strengthen Arriva Merseyside's competitive moves against GTL before it was acquired by Stagecoach. In Greater Manchester it acquired one of the major independent operators in that region Blue Bus of Bolton
Blue Bus of Bolton
Blue Bus and Coach Services Ltd was a large independent bus company serving the area of Greater Manchester. The company operated within the area covered by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, as well as areas of Lancashire and Merseyside...
enabling a good strategic fit with the Arriva Manchester operation and expansion into Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
and Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
.
Some of the operations of KMP of Llanberis were acquired by Arriva in August 2008 and merged with Arriva Cymru. This removed competition along the route between Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
and Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
. The rest of KMP was acquired by independent Padarn Bus
Padarn Bus
Padarn Bus is a bus company based in Llanberis, Gwynedd, Wales. It operates a fleet of around 40 buses on 18 routes in North Wales. Many of its vehicles and routes were acquired when it merged with larger company KMP.-History:...
in April 2009.
From 1 January 2009, the Wales operations were split from Arriva North West and became Arriva Buses Wales
Arriva Buses Wales
Arriva Buses Wales is a division of Arriva that operates bus services in north Wales. It has its origins in the former Crosville Motor Services. Arriva Buses Wales has approximately 700 employees. The company's official name is Arriva Cymru Ltd.-History:...
with a separate Managing Director.
From 23rd July 2011 Skelmersdale Depot Will Close losing 19 jobs All Services will transfer to.St Helens,Bootle,Southport
See also
- Arriva Buses WalesArriva Buses WalesArriva Buses Wales is a division of Arriva that operates bus services in north Wales. It has its origins in the former Crosville Motor Services. Arriva Buses Wales has approximately 700 employees. The company's official name is Arriva Cymru Ltd.-History:...
- Arriva North WestArriva North WestArriva North West is a division of Arriva that operates bus services around North West England. It consists of two companies: Arriva North West Ltd and Arriva Merseyside Ltd....
- List of bus operators of the United Kingdom