Network Colchester
Encyclopedia
Network Colchester is a Tellings-Golden Miller
bus
operating company. TGM have upgraded the fleet, and it is no longer the second from bottom bus company, profit wise. Its main operations are Colchester
town services in competition with First Essex
, Essex County Council and Suffolk County Council
contract services.
The company has its roots in 1904 with the establishment of Colchester Corporation Tramways
, operating, at its peak, 4 routes and 18 trams. Bus operation started up in 1928 as Colchester Corporation Transport to replace the trams, the first route to be axed being High Street - East Gates followed by Lexden - North Station, North Station - Hythe and North Station - Recreation Ground. With bus deregulation
in 1986 the company was renamed Colchester Borough Transport and became an arms length division of the council. In 1993, during a bus war with Eastern National
(later First Essex), the company was sold to British Bus for the sum of £1, but the new owners took on considerable debts. After discussions the bus war ended in 1994 with a share out of routes between the two companies. In 1996 British Bus was taken over by the Cowie Group, which in 1997 became Arriva
, the company being rebranded as Arriva Colchester, the Tuscan red & cream livery being replaced by Arriva corporate colours. Profits did not improve and the company was sold to Tellings Golden Miller (TGM) in 2004, placed under the control of Burton's Coaches and rebranded as Network Colchester. The introduction of a pair of Scania N230UD chassied East Lancs Olympus double-deckers in 2008 saw the first appearance of the Network Colchester.com fleetname.
Ironically, in 2008, Arriva
bought Tellings
, bringing ownership full circle. The Network Colchester name has continued however. In early 2010 the Burton's Coaches operations were sold to their management by TGM but ownership of Network Colchester remained with the TGM Group.
It was then relocated to expanded premises, previously Supreme Coaches, at Heath Business Park, Grange Way in the Old Heath district of Colchester. This depot was taken on by Network Colchester long before the closure of Magdalen Street. The Magdalen street depot is now used by First Essex.
School Contracts:
Works Contracts:
Tellings-Golden Miller
Tellings-Golden Miller , a subsidiary of Arriva, is a bus service and coach operator in the United Kingdom.-Golden Miller:Reputedly, Fred Varney began the Golden Miller company with the winnings from a bet made on the horse Golden Miller, which won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in...
bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
operating company. TGM have upgraded the fleet, and it is no longer the second from bottom bus company, profit wise. Its main operations are Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
town services in competition with First Essex
First Essex
First Essex Buses Limited is owned by First Group. First Essex carries around 29 million passengers each year on a network of routes serving Essex and the surrounding areas. It arose from an amalgamation of Eastern National and Thamesway Buses, whose yellow/maroon livery has only recently disappeared...
, Essex County Council and Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council is the administrative authority for the county of Suffolk, England. It is run by 72 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions...
contract services.
The company has its roots in 1904 with the establishment of Colchester Corporation Tramways
Colchester Corporation Tramways
Colchester Corporation Tramways served the town of Colchester in Essex from 28 July 1904 until 8 December 1929.-Infrastructure:The system opened in 1904, and was complete when its final section from St Botolph's station to the Recreation Ground was opened on 28 January 1906.Electrical power was...
, operating, at its peak, 4 routes and 18 trams. Bus operation started up in 1928 as Colchester Corporation Transport to replace the trams, the first route to be axed being High Street - East Gates followed by Lexden - North Station, North Station - Hythe and North Station - Recreation Ground. With bus deregulation
Bus deregulation
Bus deregulation in Great Britain came into force on 26 October 1986, as part of the Transport Act 1985.The 'Buses' White Paper was the basis of the Transport Act 1985, which provided for the deregulation of local bus services in the whole of the United Kingdom except for Northern Ireland and...
in 1986 the company was renamed Colchester Borough Transport and became an arms length division of the council. In 1993, during a bus war with Eastern National
Eastern National Omnibus Company
Eastern National was a bus operating company in south east England from 1929 to the 1990s.-Early history:Eastern National Omnibus Company Ltd started in 1929 as a joint venture between the London and North Eastern Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and the National Omnibus &...
(later First Essex), the company was sold to British Bus for the sum of £1, but the new owners took on considerable debts. After discussions the bus war ended in 1994 with a share out of routes between the two companies. In 1996 British Bus was taken over by the Cowie Group, which in 1997 became Arriva
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...
, the company being rebranded as Arriva Colchester, the Tuscan red & cream livery being replaced by Arriva corporate colours. Profits did not improve and the company was sold to Tellings Golden Miller (TGM) in 2004, placed under the control of Burton's Coaches and rebranded as Network Colchester. The introduction of a pair of Scania N230UD chassied East Lancs Olympus double-deckers in 2008 saw the first appearance of the Network Colchester.com fleetname.
Ironically, in 2008, Arriva
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...
bought Tellings
Tellings-Golden Miller
Tellings-Golden Miller , a subsidiary of Arriva, is a bus service and coach operator in the United Kingdom.-Golden Miller:Reputedly, Fred Varney began the Golden Miller company with the winnings from a bet made on the horse Golden Miller, which won the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National in...
, bringing ownership full circle. The Network Colchester name has continued however. In early 2010 the Burton's Coaches operations were sold to their management by TGM but ownership of Network Colchester remained with the TGM Group.
Depots
The depot was at Magdalen Street, Colchester until March 2008.It was then relocated to expanded premises, previously Supreme Coaches, at Heath Business Park, Grange Way in the Old Heath district of Colchester. This depot was taken on by Network Colchester long before the closure of Magdalen Street. The Magdalen street depot is now used by First Essex.
Registered routes
Correct as of 29 August 2010'- 1: Colchester Town Service: Greenstead Elm Cresent or Hamlet Drive - Town Centre - Ambrose Ave - Prettygate
- 2: Colchester Town Service: Horkesley Heath - Town Centre - High Woods - Severalls Business Park
- 2B: Colchester Town Service: Boxted - Horkesley Heath - Town Centre - High Woods - Severalls Business Park
- 5: Colchester Town Service: Lexden (Poets Estate) - Town Centre - General Hospital
- 6: Colchester Town Service: Old Heath(Grange Way) - Town Centre
- 8/8A: - Colchester Town Service: Monkwick - Town Centre - North Station - General Hospital- High Woods
- 9: Colchester Town Service: Head Street - Gilberd School (Schooldays)
- 78: Colchester - Brightlingsea (early morning/evenings Mon to Sat, all day Suns/B Hols)ECC
- 105: Colchester - Walton-on-the-Naze via Thorpe-le-Soken, Tendring, Great Bromley ECC
- 107: Colchester - Walton-on-the-Naze via Thorpe-le-Soken, Tendring, Great Bromley ECC
- 109: Colchester - Walton on-the-Naze via Thorpe-le-Soken, Frating, Elmstead Market ECC
- 115 Weeley - Tendring Technology College (Lower School) via Little Clacton (Schooldays) ECC
- 701: Harwich (Lighthouse) - Colchester (Norman Way Schools) (Schooldays)
- 703: Jaywick (Tamarisk Way) - Colchester (Norman Way Schools) (Schooldays)
- 704: Great Holland (Baptist Church) - Colchester (Norman Way Schools) (Schooldays)
School Contracts:
- JM1011: Tollesbury - Tiptree Thurstable School (operates as service 611)
- JM1009: Rowhedge - Colchester Charles Lucas School (operates as service 609)
- NM0065: Frinton on Sea (Rail Gates) - Tendring Technology College(Lower) (operates as service 665)
- NM0067: Frinton on Sea (Esplanade) - Tendring Technology College (Lower) (operates as service 667)
- NM0668: Kirby le Soken - Tendring Technology College (Lower) (operates as service 668)
Works Contracts:
- 801 Ipswich - Grampian Country FoodsGrampian Country FoodsGrampian Country Foods was a Scottish-based meat processing company, now part of the UK division of Netherlands-cooperative, Vion NV.Established in 1980 by a Scottish farming family, Grampian expanded quickly through pan-UK acquisition. Moving its headquarters to Edinburgh and then Leeds, it became...
Witham - 802 Harwich - Grampian Country Foods Witham
- 803 Clacton - Grampian Country Foods Witham