Lloyds Coaches
Encyclopedia
Lloyds Coaches operates bus and coach services in mid Wales
. It is a small family-run independent firm. The company is based at the old Crosville
bus depot
opposite Machynlleth railway station
. It was established in 2001.
, and acquired the former Crosville Motor Services
garage in the town in 2002. The garage was briefly shared with Arriva Buses Wales
before the larger company moved away from the site. A Powys County Council
contracted route between Machynlleth and Dinas Mawddwy
was awarded to the company, and private hire work was also operated. Six further routes were acquired in May 2004.
The company expanded gradually over the following few years. Coaching operations were increased with the purchase of new vehicles and the introduction of rail replacement work, first for Central Trains
and later Arriva Trains Wales
. Route 34, one of the six routes won in 2004, was improved with the introduction of a clockface timetable between Machynlleth and Aberllefenni
, and is now run on a largely commercial basis. Vehicle tracking, CCTV and ticket machines with smartcard readers were fitted to buses to improve reliability and flexible operation. Lloyds was one of the first bus companies in Wales to use Facebook
to communicate with passengers.
Two new routes were introduced in 2010. An hourly route X28 between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth
was launched in June after Arriva withdrew its similar but shorter route 28. The two-hourly X29, linking Tywyn
to Machynlleth, was introduced in December 2010.
As from the 5th of September, 2011 the X28 and the X29 services were rebranded Coastliner services operating under the brand name of the Cambrian Coastliner Coast to Coast network embracing quality and reliable services. The flagship vehicle of this network being a new branded X28 Coastliner ADL Enviro 400 double decker with three point belts,11 point state of the art CCTV system and GPS tracking. Other supporting vehicles include new easy access Enviro 200 vehicles.
bus route, operating it with a new vehicle.
Lloyds also undertakes rail replacement work on behalf of Arriva Trains Wales
. The company employs in excess of thirty staff, with two support engineering staff, and a management team of four. Wyn Lloyd is founder and owner of the company, Richard Jones is General Manager, Robert Rolfe is Operations Supervisor and Colin Pryce is Administration Supervisor.
Pictures of Buses Operated by Lloyds Coaches
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 is a small family-run independent firm. The company is based at the old Crosville
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...
bus depot
Bus depot
Bus depot has the following meanings:*A bus station is a structure where buses pick up and drop off passengers. .*A bus garage is a place where buses are stored when out of service and worked on....
opposite Machynlleth railway station
Machynlleth railway station
Machynlleth railway station is a railway station on the Cambrian Line in mid-Wales, serving the historic town of Machynlleth. It was built by the Newtown & Machynlleth Railway, and subsequently passed into the ownership of the Cambrian Railways, the Great Western Railway, British Railways and...
. It was established in 2001.
History
Lloyds Coaches was formed in 2001 by Wyn Lloyd, a former employee of Crosville Cymru. The company began operations from a site in MachynllethMachynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
, and acquired the former 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...
garage in the town in 2002. The garage was briefly shared with 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:...
before the larger company moved away from the site. A Powys County Council
Powys County Council
Powys County Council is the governing body for Powys, one of the administrative areas of Wales. It has three area committees — one for each of Brecknockshire, Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire to which the council delegates its functions. The council offices are located in Llandrindod...
contracted route between Machynlleth and Dinas Mawddwy
Dinas Mawddwy
Dinas Mawddwy is a village in Gwynedd, north Wales, just to the side of the A470 so that most visitors pass the village by. Its population is roughly 600. The village marks the junction of the unclassified road to Llanuwchllyn which climbs up through the mountains to cross Bwlch y Groes at its...
was awarded to the company, and private hire work was also operated. Six further routes were acquired in May 2004.
The company expanded gradually over the following few years. Coaching operations were increased with the purchase of new vehicles and the introduction of rail replacement work, first for Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
and later Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
. Route 34, one of the six routes won in 2004, was improved with the introduction of a clockface timetable between Machynlleth and Aberllefenni
Aberllefenni
Aberllefenni is a village in the south of Gwynedd, Wales. It lies in the valley of the Afon Dulas.Part of the ancient county of Merionethshire, it is the location of Foel Grochan, a slate quarry which together with Hen Chwarel and Ceunant Ddu formed the Aberllefenni Slate Quarry, which extracted...
, and is now run on a largely commercial basis. Vehicle tracking, CCTV and ticket machines with smartcard readers were fitted to buses to improve reliability and flexible operation. Lloyds was one of the first bus companies in Wales to use Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
to communicate with passengers.
Two new routes were introduced in 2010. An hourly route X28 between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
was launched in June after Arriva withdrew its similar but shorter route 28. The two-hourly X29, linking Tywyn
Tywyn
Tywyn is a town and seaside resort on the Cardigan Bay coast of southern Gwynedd , in north Wales. The name derives from the Welsh tywyn and the town is sometimes referred to as Tywyn Meirionnydd...
to Machynlleth, was introduced in December 2010.
As from the 5th of September, 2011 the X28 and the X29 services were rebranded Coastliner services operating under the brand name of the Cambrian Coastliner Coast to Coast network embracing quality and reliable services. The flagship vehicle of this network being a new branded X28 Coastliner ADL Enviro 400 double decker with three point belts,11 point state of the art CCTV system and GPS tracking. Other supporting vehicles include new easy access Enviro 200 vehicles.
Operations
The business fleet comprises thirty vehicles with twenty four modern ones. The work undertaken by Lloyds Coaches is diverse, from school and college bus services, local bus services, dial a ride services, and private hire coaching. In 2005 it acquired the tendered Newtown-MachynllethMachynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
bus route, operating it with a new vehicle.
Lloyds also undertakes rail replacement work on behalf of Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
. The company employs in excess of thirty staff, with two support engineering staff, and a management team of four. Wyn Lloyd is founder and owner of the company, Richard Jones is General Manager, Robert Rolfe is Operations Supervisor and Colin Pryce is Administration Supervisor.
See also
Pictures of Buses Operated by Lloyds Coaches