Uno buses route S5
Encyclopedia
Uno bus route S5 is a St Albans
local bus service, linking the Cottonmill estate with the City Centre. It operates together with route S4
.
by London Country Bus Services
in October 1976. They replaced a variety of earlier routes and were unusual for the time in being numbered with a lettered prefix (S) to designate the town or city they operated in rather than in the 3xx or 8xx series normally used for services in the area.
Upon the privatisation of London Country Bus Services
in September 1986, the St Albans area network passed to successor company London Country North East
. London Country North East was in turn divided into two companies, with Sovereign Bus & Coach acquiring the St Albans, Welwyn Hatfield and Stevenage local networks and various rural services connecting these towns.Bus deregulation a month later largely left the network unchanged with the daytime services being registered commercially and the evening services being tendered.
Sovereign itself was acquired by Blazefield Holdings
and significant investment in the St Albans network was undertaken with a new fleet of Dennis Dart buses. During this period the services underwent frequent changes until the current pattern of the S5 (and its sister route S4) only serving the area to the south west of the City Centre (in place of providing cross-City links) was established. However, Brazefield could not make an adequate financial return on its Hertfordshire operations and began to dispose of them in favour of concentrating on its core Leeds
and Yorkshire
businesses in late 2003/2004.
The St Albans local network, along with various services connecting St Albans to other Hertfordshire towns, was sold to Liecestershire firm Centrebus
who already had a small presence in the town on rural services run from its Luton base. Services largely remained unchanged and Centrebus kept all of the S4's designated vehicles (KC03 PGK and KC03 PGU), albeit repainting them a few times.
However, the City network remained problematic both operationally and financially and Uno
took over all services operated from Centrebus' St Albans depot on 4 March 2008. Initially the fleet retained Centrebus livery, but during summer 2008 they were repainted into the Best Impressions designed livery to match the rest of the Uno buses.
to provide a combined 15 minute frequency.
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
local bus service, linking the Cottonmill estate with the City Centre. It operates together with route S4
Uno buses route S4
Uno bus route S4 is a local bus service in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, linking Cottonmill to St Albans city centre . It operates together with route S5.-History:...
.
History
S5 was one of six new local routes introduced in St AlbansSt Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
by London Country Bus Services
London Country Bus Services
London Country Bus Services was a bus company that operated in South East England from 1969 until split up and sold in 1986 under Margaret Thatcher's government's bus deregulation scheme.-Creation:...
in October 1976. They replaced a variety of earlier routes and were unusual for the time in being numbered with a lettered prefix (S) to designate the town or city they operated in rather than in the 3xx or 8xx series normally used for services in the area.
Upon the privatisation of London Country Bus Services
London Country Bus Services
London Country Bus Services was a bus company that operated in South East England from 1969 until split up and sold in 1986 under Margaret Thatcher's government's bus deregulation scheme.-Creation:...
in September 1986, the St Albans area network passed to successor company London Country North East
London Country North East
London Country North East was a bus operator in South East England and London. It was formed from the split of London Country Bus Services in 1986 and operated a fleet of around 350 buses from six garages, with its headquarters located in Hatfield....
. London Country North East was in turn divided into two companies, with Sovereign Bus & Coach acquiring the St Albans, Welwyn Hatfield and Stevenage local networks and various rural services connecting these towns.Bus deregulation a month later largely left the network unchanged with the daytime services being registered commercially and the evening services being tendered.
Sovereign itself was acquired by Blazefield Holdings
Blazefield Group
Transdev Blazefield is one of the main bus groups in England. Owner of several bus companies around the Yorkshire and Lancashire regions, since 2006 it has been part of the international transport company Transdev.-History:...
and significant investment in the St Albans network was undertaken with a new fleet of Dennis Dart buses. During this period the services underwent frequent changes until the current pattern of the S5 (and its sister route S4) only serving the area to the south west of the City Centre (in place of providing cross-City links) was established. However, Brazefield could not make an adequate financial return on its Hertfordshire operations and began to dispose of them in favour of concentrating on its core Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
businesses in late 2003/2004.
The St Albans local network, along with various services connecting St Albans to other Hertfordshire towns, was sold to Liecestershire firm Centrebus
Centrebus
Centrebus is a privately owned company that operate a number of services around Leicester and Leicestershire, Grantham, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, mainly in areas where Arriva has scaled down its bus operations. Centrebus also competes with Arriva on some routes in Leicester, Luton and Stevenage...
who already had a small presence in the town on rural services run from its Luton base. Services largely remained unchanged and Centrebus kept all of the S4's designated vehicles (KC03 PGK and KC03 PGU), albeit repainting them a few times.
However, the City network remained problematic both operationally and financially and Uno
Uno (bus company)
Uno is a bus service operated by the University of Hertfordshire, England, serving members of the general public, and also its own students and staff...
took over all services operated from Centrebus' St Albans depot on 4 March 2008. Initially the fleet retained Centrebus livery, but during summer 2008 they were repainted into the Best Impressions designed livery to match the rest of the Uno buses.
Route (one direction only)
S5 operates every 30 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes and it is jointly timetabled with Uno buses route S4Uno buses route S4
Uno bus route S4 is a local bus service in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, linking Cottonmill to St Albans city centre . It operates together with route S5.-History:...
to provide a combined 15 minute frequency.
- St Albans 'St Peters Street' Stop 5
- St Albans Abbey
- St Albans Abbey railway stationSt Albans Abbey railway stationSt Albans Abbey railway station serves the city of St Albans, in Hertfordshire, England, being situated about 1 km south of the city centre in the St Stephen's area of the city. It is the terminus of the Abbey Line from Watford Junction, which is part of the London Midland franchise...
- St AlbansSt AlbansSt Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
Abbey View Retail Park (for Premier FoodsPremier FoodsPremier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
' Offices, Sainsbury's etc.) - St Julians Hill
- Watling View School
- Holyrood Crescent
- Trumpington Drive shops (SPARSPARSpar , trades from approximately 12400 stores in 34 countries worldwide and is the world's largest independent voluntary retail trading chain. Spar was founded in the Netherlands in 1932 by retailer Adriaan Van Well and now, through its affiliate organisations, operates through most European...
, LondisLondisLondis is the name for two convenience store franchises operating in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The stores form a symbol group and are all owned on a franchise basis.-Great Britain:...
) - Cottonmill 'Maynard Drive'
- St AlbansSt AlbansSt Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
Abbey View Retail Park (for Premier FoodsPremier FoodsPremier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
' Offices, Sainsbury's etc.) - and back to the City Centre