Associated Motorways
Encyclopedia
Associated Motorways was a consortium
of motor coach
operators in the south and Midlands
of England
, which was active from 1934 to 1974.
, which encouraged competing coach operators to co-ordinate their services. In 1934 six coach operators came together to form Associated Motorways, to pool their services between the Midlands and the south and west of England and between London and South Wales
. The founder members were: Black & White Motorways of Cheltenham
, Red & White of Chepstow
, Royal Blue
, Greyhound
(by then owned by Bristol Tramways
), Midland Red
and United Counties
of Northampton
.
Associated Motorways did not own or operate any coaches. Each member company committed itself to providing an agreed mileage of coach journeys for Associated Motorways and took an agreed share of the profits. The pool mainly operated the hub and spoke model
, the hub being Cheltenham where Black & White had opened a new coach station in 1931.
The consortium had to suspend operations during the Second World War from 1942 to 1946, but prospered after the war. New members joined: Lincolnshire Road Car
and Eastern Counties in 1956, Crosville in 1965 and finally Southdown
in 1972. All of the members except Black & White also operated their own coach services outside the consortium.
At a peak summer weekend the consortium could have over 800 coaches on the road. Every day, coaches from all over England and Wales converged on Cheltenham and exchanged passengers with each other. At 2 pm sharp an inspector blew his whistle, and the coaches departed en masse.
Two things killed Associated Motorways. One was the spread of the motorway network. Although motorways were good for coach services generally, they made Associated Motorways' hub and spoke model uncompetitive and obsolete. The other was the government's desire to rebrand and rationalise the coach services under its control. Although most of the consortium members had been state-owned since 1947, nationalisation did not greatly affect Associated Motorways until the government acquired the remaining members though its acquisition of British Electric Traction
in 1968. All of the members became subsidiaries of the state-owned National Bus Company
in 1969. In 1973 the National Bus Company formed National Travel (later National Express
) to run coach services, and all Associated Motorways' services were transferred to National Express in 1974.
Like Associated Motorways before it, National Express was a marketing operation which relied mostly on coaches supplied by other companies. But unlike Associated Motorways, National Express imposed its own National brand on the operating companies.
The Cheltenham coach station finally closed in 1984.
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
of motor coach
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
operators in the south and Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, which was active from 1934 to 1974.
History
Associated Motorways was formed as a result of the Road Traffic Act 1930Road Traffic Act 1930
The Road Traffic Act 1930 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom introduced by the then Minister of Transport Herbert Morrison following the 1929 election which resulted in a hung parliament in which the Labour party won the most seats for the first time and Ramsay MacDonald became...
, which encouraged competing coach operators to co-ordinate their services. In 1934 six coach operators came together to form Associated Motorways, to pool their services between the Midlands and the south and west of England and between London and South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. The founder members were: Black & White Motorways of Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, Red & White of Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
, Royal Blue
Royal Blue Coach Services
Royal Blue Coach Services was a coach operator in the south and west of England from 1880 until 1986.-Origins:The Royal Blue business was started in 1880 by Thomas Elliott in Bournemouth. The business, at first known as Royal Blue and Branksome Mews, included the hire of every kind of horse-drawn...
, Greyhound
Greyhound Motors
Greyhound Motors, or Bristol Greyhound, was a coach company formed in February 1921 to operate motor coaches from its base in Bristol, England.-History:...
(by then owned by Bristol Tramways
Bristol Omnibus Company
The Bristol Omnibus Company is the former name of the dominant bus operator in Bristol, one of the oldest bus companies in the United Kingdom. The company once ran buses over a wide area of Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire and neighbouring counties. The name was in operational use until 1985...
), Midland Red
Midland Red
Midland Red was a bus company which operated in the English Midlands from 1905 to 1981. It was the trading name used by the Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company , which was renamed Midland Red Omnibus Company in 1974...
and United Counties
United Counties Omnibus
United Counties Omnibus is an English bus company, operating in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and parts of surrounding counties. It was established in 1921 as the United Counties Omnibus & Road Transport Co Ltd, and from 1933 has been named the United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd...
of Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
.
Associated Motorways did not own or operate any coaches. Each member company committed itself to providing an agreed mileage of coach journeys for Associated Motorways and took an agreed share of the profits. The pool mainly operated the hub and spoke model
Spoke-hub distribution paradigm
The hub-and-spoke distribution paradigm is a system of connections arranged like a chariot wheel, in which all traffic moves along spokes connected to the hub at the center...
, the hub being Cheltenham where Black & White had opened a new coach station in 1931.
The consortium had to suspend operations during the Second World War from 1942 to 1946, but prospered after the war. New members joined: Lincolnshire Road Car
Stagecoach in Lincolnshire
Stagecoach Lincolnshire is a bus company, formerly known as Lincolnshire RoadCar, which runs services throughout Lincolnshire.Stagecoach in Lincolnshire is the trading name of the Lincolnshire RoadCar Company Limited, which is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, and part of its East Midlands...
and Eastern Counties in 1956, Crosville in 1965 and finally Southdown
Southdown Motor Services
Southdown Motor Services Ltd operates bus and coach services in East and West Sussex and parts of Hampshire, in southern England. It was formed in 1915 and had various owners throughout its history, being purchased by the National Bus Company in 1969...
in 1972. All of the members except Black & White also operated their own coach services outside the consortium.
At a peak summer weekend the consortium could have over 800 coaches on the road. Every day, coaches from all over England and Wales converged on Cheltenham and exchanged passengers with each other. At 2 pm sharp an inspector blew his whistle, and the coaches departed en masse.
Two things killed Associated Motorways. One was the spread of the motorway network. Although motorways were good for coach services generally, they made Associated Motorways' hub and spoke model uncompetitive and obsolete. The other was the government's desire to rebrand and rationalise the coach services under its control. Although most of the consortium members had been state-owned since 1947, nationalisation did not greatly affect Associated Motorways until the government acquired the remaining members though its acquisition of British Electric Traction
British Electric Traction
British Electric Traction Company Limited, renamed BET plc in 1985, was a large British industrial conglomerate. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by Rentokil in 1996, and the merged company is now known as Rentokil Initial.- Early history :The company was founded as...
in 1968. All of the members became subsidiaries of the state-owned National Bus Company
National Bus Company UK
The National Bus Company was, from 1969 to 1988, a nationalised bus company in England and Wales. NBC did not run buses itself, but was the owner of a number of regional subsidiary bus operating companies.-History:-Background:...
in 1969. In 1973 the National Bus Company formed National Travel (later National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
) to run coach services, and all Associated Motorways' services were transferred to National Express in 1974.
Like Associated Motorways before it, National Express was a marketing operation which relied mostly on coaches supplied by other companies. But unlike Associated Motorways, National Express imposed its own National brand on the operating companies.
The Cheltenham coach station finally closed in 1984.