Warrington Borough Transport
Encyclopedia
Warrington Borough Transport (WBT) is a bus
operator running a network of services within the Borough of Warrington
, England
and into the surrounding area, including Altrincham
, Leigh
, Earlestown
and Northwich
. The network of services is marketed under the Network Warrington name, with both names appearing on vehicles and publicity. The limited company
"Warrington Borough Transport Ltd" is wholly owned by Warrington Borough Council, which makes WBT one of the few remaining municipal bus companies
in the United Kingdom
today.
The company was named UK Bus Operator of the Year at the 2008 UK Bus Awards, in part due to their success in increasing ridership by 20% over the past two years and attaining up to 98% satisfaction in customer surveys.
started operating a network of five radial tram
ways from the town centre in 1902, with the first motor bus service starting in 1913. Buses replaced trams on routes starting in 1931, with the infrastructure starting to require major renewal which could not be justified economically. The last tram operated in 1935.
Services expanded rapidly after the Second World War as new housing estates grew in areas such as Orford
and Great Sankey
. The conversion of bus routes with conductors
into one-man operated services began in 1965 as changes in society such as home entertainment and the increasing availability of cars forced cost savings on all bus operators in the country.
Warrington was designated as a new town
in 1968, which led to new housing estates planned in the Birchwood
and Westbrook
areas of town. As such, Warrington Borough Council Transport Department (as the transport department was then called) started operating new services to these new developments as they started to grow in the 1970s and beyond. The department also began operating new services jointly with Crosville
upon the split of the old Stockport
-based North Western Road Car Company
in 1972.
Following the deregulation of bus services
in the UK, Warrington Borough Transport Ltd took over operations as a limited company, albeit owned 100% by the council. The company's mission was that if money could be made by operating services deemed uneconomic by other operators, then WBT should assume operation. This policy led to an increase in services operated as other bus companies who ran into the area decided to concentrate on their own core areas.
Competition
from other operators flared up in 1995, with the new North Western
company (operating as "Warrington Goldlines") duplicating the vast majority of the existing bus network with their own services, taking over from another new competitor MTL (operating as "Lancashire Travel") when they decided to stop competing after a few months. In retaliation, WBT began operating new services in competition with North Western, to places such as Wigan
, St Helens
, Widnes
, Runcorn
, Chester
and Liverpool
– even starting a local minibus service in Northwich. After 18 months of intense competition, both companies decided to scale-back. WBT kept routes to Prescot
and St Helens, whilst giving up operations to the Birchwood area of town in favour of North Western, who later rebranded as Arriva
.
In February 2002, Arriva decided to close its depot in Warrington and transfer interurban routes to depots in neighbouring towns. WBT resumed operation of town routes to Birchwood, Cinnamon Brow and Woolston, but transferred the St Helens route back to Arriva. Further withdrawals by Arriva led to the takeover of routes to Leigh in 2005 and Altrincham in 2006. The latest new route for the company began in July 2008 and serves the new Chapelford Urban Village housing development, with initial funding provided by the developers.
Large investments have been made in more recent times to replace the fleet with new low-floor single deck buses that are wheelchair accessible and more friendly to people with pushchairs, and marketing efforts have seen the introduction of the Metro Map, to highlight the relatively straight-forward nature of the network operated (in an Underground-style format
).
When managing director Nigel Featham took up a similar role at Arriva Yorkshire
in May 2008, John Bannister—finance director at WBT since its formation as a limited company in 1986—was promoted to take his place. Bannister was suspended from his post in April 2009 and sacked a month later, the reason reported to have involved "inappropriate behaviour with a female colleague". Operations director Charlie Shannon performed the role in the interim until a new managing director, David Squire, was appointed in August 2010.
Budget cuts by Warrington Borough Council have resulted in the network of Sunday evening services operated by Warrington Borough Transport being completely withdrawn from Sunday 27 June 2010, as these socially necessary services no longer receive any subsidy from the council. The company continues to operate a service during daytime shopping hours on a commercial basis.
. Colours in the table appear on publicity but not on vehicles.
services, although WBT operates a seasonal Saturdays-only scheme to Warrington town centre to cater for Christmas shopping. This began in 2005 with a single service from the Northwest Regional Development Agency
offices at Centre Park business park, but was expanded in 2007 to operate from two separate sites: car parking available at the Warrington Collegiate
campus to the north of the town centre, and at the Bruntwood Wilderspool Park business park to the south (next to Morrisons
), both locations just off the A49
. The service will operate in 2011 on Saturdays between 19 November and 24 December, eight buses an hour from each site during the daytime.
As a condition of planning consent for the B&Q
superstore next to the M62
at Winwick
, a section of the car park was designated as "Park & Ride" albeit using the existing bus services and fares provided by WBT and Arriva. There were up to seven buses an hour during Monday to Saturday daytimes provided by the two operators, however the success of this scheme was questionable due to the lack of a dedicated express bus service to the town centre, tickets which were not interchangeable between the two operators, and a lack of publicity for the facility. B&Q withdrew from the scheme in 2006, claiming that the facility "was being abused".
s, operate at peak times for pass-holding employees, and are not available to the general public. Services operated include:
There are also a number of routes which operate in conjunction with special events, and thus only operate on certain days of the year. Some routes are free, others have a flat fare, whilst a few require pre-booking. Recent shuttle services operated include:
, Newman High School, St Gregory's Catholic High School
, Great Sankey High School
and Priestley Sixth Form College
.
to another route, but there is a special add-on "throughfare" for journeys to Warrington Hospital. Day Rover tickets allow a whole day's travel on all WBT services, costing a little more than the maximum day return fare. Change is available from the driver, but customers are asked to provide the exact change if possible.
Up to two children under 5 can travel for free when accompanied by an adult. Other children under 16 can travel for around half price, with teenagers recommended to carry proof of age in the form of an Under 16 Permit. Free concessionary travel
is available to senior citizen
s and the disabled on display of a valid pass, after 0930 on Mondays to Fridays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Season ticket
s for all WBT services can be purchased from the inspectors' office at Warrington Interchange. These passes are only valid with a photocard, and can be purchased for either the Warrington town area or the whole network, including routes to neighbouring towns. Weekly, monthly and annual versions are available.
The Transport for Greater Manchester System One range of tickets is accepted for journeys within Greater Manchester
, but is also valid outside the county as far as Lymm Church
and Culcheth
Library on routes from Altrincham
and Leigh
respectively. The Merseytravel
range of tickets is accepted for journeys within Merseyside
only. WBT also participates in the PLUSBUS
scheme for add-ons to rail tickets.
) at the junction with Chester Road (A5060), on the southern periphery of the town centre close to the crossing of the Mersey
at Bridge Foot (53°23′02"N 2°35′26"W). The two main sheds to the rear of the site were originally built in 1943 for Fairey Aviation
and used to assemble wings for their Fulmar bomber
, before being bought by Warrington Corporation in 1947 as a place to park buses. The site eventually became the main operational centre, with the frontage of the depot dating from 1964 and consisting of a reception area and vehicle inspection bays at ground level with offices above. The maintenance facilities are licensed to perform MOT tests for HGV
s and PSV
s.
The original tram system was operated from an eight-track depot at the junction of Mersey Street and Lower Bank Street. A purpose built bus garage was constructed on Lower Bank Street in 1930, although buses were also housed in the old tram sheds following the withdrawal of trams. Despite the move to the new Wilderspool garage, the old staff canteen on Lower Bank Street remained in use until the opening of the new bus station in 1979. The building was demolished in 1981 and is today the site of a DW Sports Fitness Club.
The current depot's location next to the old Wilderspool Stadium
and close to the town centre led to interest from developers in redeveloping the site of the depot and the stadium during 2006. As part of this, a new depot would have been constructed at the nearby Centre Park business park on the other side of the Mersey but still close to the town centre. Whilst WBT were reported to be seriously considering the proposed move, the scheme never moved beyond the drawing board and foundered around the end of the year having failed to gain favour with council planning officers.
The inspectors' office on the main concourse at Warrington Interchange provides for season ticket sales and information.
es) and 18 double-decker bus
es . The single deck fleet is 100% low-floor
and—along with three low-floor double-deckers—operates all of the company's scheduled bus network. The remaining step-entrance double-deckers operate on school and contract services.
There is a small reserve fleet consisting of vehicles that are stored pending further use or awaiting disposal, but these are not included in the list below. Additionally, the company also maintains an East Lancs
bodied Leyland PD2/40 (Special) dating from 1965, which is a heritage vehicle used on special occasions and available for private hire.
s and liveries
in its history, as follows:
accreditation in 2004, and attained the Charter Mark
award for customer service in 2005. Accreditation in Health & Safety management in the work place was achieved in 2008 with the award of the OHSAS 18001 certificate, a first for a UK bus operator.
WBT gained national recognition after being named UK Bus Operator of the Year at the 2008 UK Bus Awards, after having been runners-up in the Shire Operator of the Year category in 2007 behind the highly-regarded Stagecoach Cambridge
. The driving team were also shortlisted for Industry People of the Year in 2007, with the company's marketing efforts being shortlisted for Marketing Campaign of the Year in 2008.
Locally, the company has won several awards at the Warrington Business Awards, winning the Social Responsibility Award in 2001 and 2007 and the Business Survivor Award in 2003. They were also awarded overall winner at The Mayor's Sustainable Business Awards in 2007.
The company's Manchester based advertising agency And Partners have won several awards for their "Good Signs" campaign: gold award in the Regional Newspaper Campaign category at the 2007 Fresh Creative Awards; named Best Regional Press Ad of 2007 in Campaign magazine's end of year review; gold award for Best Press Campaign and silver award for Best Advertisement on a Mobile Medium at the Roses Advertising Awards 2008. The campaign consisted of a series of adverts featuring bus signage promoting recent achievements in humorous fashion, including "Please mind the step, it's brand spanking new" highlighting investment in new vehicles and "Please do not hug the driver while bus is in motion" referring to high levels of customer satisfaction in surveys.
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...
operator running a network of services within the Borough of Warrington
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
, 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...
and into the surrounding area, including Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
, Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
, Earlestown
Earlestown
Earlestown forms the western part of Newton-le-Willows, a town in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 10,274.-History:...
and Northwich
Northwich
Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane...
. The network of services is marketed under the Network Warrington name, with both names appearing on vehicles and publicity. The limited company
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
"Warrington Borough Transport Ltd" is wholly owned by Warrington Borough Council, which makes WBT one of the few remaining municipal bus companies
Municipal bus companies
A municipal bus company is an operator of bus services owned by the local government authority. This article lists all current municipal bus companies in the United Kingdom....
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
today.
The company was named UK Bus Operator of the Year at the 2008 UK Bus Awards, in part due to their success in increasing ridership by 20% over the past two years and attaining up to 98% satisfaction in customer surveys.
History
Warrington Corporation TramwaysWarrington Corporation Tramways
Warrington Corporation Tramways was the owner and operator of an electric tramway system in the early 20th century serving the town of Warrington, at the time a county borough of Lancashire, England...
started operating a network of five radial tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
ways from the town centre in 1902, with the first motor bus service starting in 1913. Buses replaced trams on routes starting in 1931, with the infrastructure starting to require major renewal which could not be justified economically. The last tram operated in 1935.
Services expanded rapidly after the Second World War as new housing estates grew in areas such as Orford
Orford, Warrington
Orford is a suburb of Warrington, England. The "hamlet of Orford" was originally a small area north of the township of Warrington, centred on Orford Green. Orford now describes a large area between the town centre and the M62, incorporating other small communities, such as Longford...
and Great Sankey
Great Sankey
Great Sankey is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It is west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 24,211.-History:...
. The conversion of bus routes with conductors
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...
into one-man operated services began in 1965 as changes in society such as home entertainment and the increasing availability of cars forced cost savings on all bus operators in the country.
Warrington was designated as a new town
New towns in the United Kingdom
Below is a list of some of the new towns in the United Kingdom created under the various New Town Acts of the 20th century. Some earlier towns were developed as Garden Cities or overspill estates early in the twentieth century. The New Towns proper were planned to disperse population following the...
in 1968, which led to new housing estates planned in the Birchwood
Birchwood
Birchwood is a civil parish in the north-eastern part of Warrington, Cheshire, England with a population of 11,395 . Historically a part of Lancashire, it is the easternmost part of the Warrington urban area. It was built during the time of much expansion in Warrington as it became a "new town"...
and Westbrook
Westbrook, Warrington
Westbrook is a ward and suburb in the North West area of Warrington. It forms part of the civil parish of Burtonwood, to part of which it gives its name. It is part of the "new-town" of Warrington. The main part of Westbrook was built in the early 1980s...
areas of town. As such, Warrington Borough Council Transport Department (as the transport department was then called) started operating new services to these new developments as they started to grow in the 1970s and beyond. The department also began operating new services jointly with 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...
upon the split of the old Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
-based North Western Road Car Company
North Western Road Car Company (1923)
The North Western Road Car Company was a bus company located in Stockport, England. Formed in 1923 from the existing bus services of the British Automobile Traction Company Limited operations based in Macclesfield, the new company grew to operate bus services in five counties The North Western...
in 1972.
Following the deregulation of bus services
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 the UK, Warrington Borough Transport Ltd took over operations as a limited company, albeit owned 100% by the council. The company's mission was that if money could be made by operating services deemed uneconomic by other operators, then WBT should assume operation. This policy led to an increase in services operated as other bus companies who ran into the area decided to concentrate on their own core areas.
Competition
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
from other operators flared up in 1995, with the new 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 :...
company (operating as "Warrington Goldlines") duplicating the vast majority of the existing bus network with their own services, taking over from another new competitor MTL (operating as "Lancashire Travel") when they decided to stop competing after a few months. In retaliation, WBT began operating new services in competition with North Western, to places such as 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...
, St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
, Widnes
Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
, Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
, 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 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...
– even starting a local minibus service in Northwich. After 18 months of intense competition, both companies decided to scale-back. WBT kept routes to Prescot
Prescot
Prescot is a town and civil parish, within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It is 8 miles to the east of Liverpool city centre and lies within the historic boundaries of Lancashire. At the 2001 Census, the population was 11,184 .Prescot marks the beginning of the...
and St Helens, whilst giving up operations to the Birchwood area of town in favour of North Western, who later rebranded as 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...
.
In February 2002, Arriva decided to close its depot in Warrington and transfer interurban routes to depots in neighbouring towns. WBT resumed operation of town routes to Birchwood, Cinnamon Brow and Woolston, but transferred the St Helens route back to Arriva. Further withdrawals by Arriva led to the takeover of routes to Leigh in 2005 and Altrincham in 2006. The latest new route for the company began in July 2008 and serves the new Chapelford Urban Village housing development, with initial funding provided by the developers.
Large investments have been made in more recent times to replace the fleet with new low-floor single deck buses that are wheelchair accessible and more friendly to people with pushchairs, and marketing efforts have seen the introduction of the Metro Map, to highlight the relatively straight-forward nature of the network operated (in an Underground-style format
Tube map
The Tube map is a schematic transit map representing the lines and stations of London's rapid transit railway systems, namely the London Underground , the Docklands Light Railway and London Overground....
).
When managing director Nigel Featham took up a similar role at Arriva Yorkshire
Arriva Yorkshire
Arriva Yorkshire is a division of Arriva which operates bus services around West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and the southern areas of North Yorkshire in England.-History:Arriva Yorkshire was formed as a combination of mergers of previous...
in May 2008, John Bannister—finance director at WBT since its formation as a limited company in 1986—was promoted to take his place. Bannister was suspended from his post in April 2009 and sacked a month later, the reason reported to have involved "inappropriate behaviour with a female colleague". Operations director Charlie Shannon performed the role in the interim until a new managing director, David Squire, was appointed in August 2010.
Budget cuts by Warrington Borough Council have resulted in the network of Sunday evening services operated by Warrington Borough Transport being completely withdrawn from Sunday 27 June 2010, as these socially necessary services no longer receive any subsidy from the council. The company continues to operate a service during daytime shopping hours on a commercial basis.
Main services
The table below shows the main service routes operated by WBT, correct . All services operate from Warrington Bus InterchangeWarrington Bus Interchange
Warrington Bus Interchange is a bus station in the town of Warrington, Cheshire, England.The building opened on 21 August 2006, next to the site of a temporary terminus that had been in use for the past thirteen months...
. Colours in the table appear on publicity but not on vehicles.
| Number | Warrington to | Via | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, 2 | Westy Westy Westy is a suburban district in Warrington, England.The village of Westy is a suburban area, itself unofficially a suburb of Latchford. The area features mainly inter-war council housing, however some of these homes are now privately owned... |
Latchford Latchford Latchford is a suburban district and electoral ward of the unitary borough of Warrington, in Cheshire, England. It is around one mile south of Warrington town centre and has a total resident population of 7,856.... (Circular) |
||
| 3 | Martinscroft Martinscroft Martinscroft is a part of the civil parish of Woolston in Warrington, Cheshire, England.It is rumoured that Battery Lane in the village got its name from where Oliver Cromwell stored his weapons during his visit in the civil war.... |
Bruche Bruche Bruche is a large suburb of Warrington, England.It forms the old border of Poulton and Warrington.As of 2005 it is home to the Bruche Police Training Centre, a national police training centre.- See also :... , Woolston |
||
| 4, 4A | Woolston | Padgate Padgate Padgate was a village on the edge of Warrington, England, and today it is a large residential part of the town. During World War II it had a small RAF Station. RAF Padgate will be well-remembered by thousands of young men who were selected for RAF national service and on this site received their... , Bruche Bruche Bruche is a large suburb of Warrington, England.It forms the old border of Poulton and Warrington.As of 2005 it is home to the Bruche Police Training Centre, a national police training centre.- See also :... |
||
| 5 | Altrincham Altrincham Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington... |
Stockton Heath Stockton Heath Stockton Heath is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north of the Bridgewater Canal and to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal, which divides Stockton Heath from Latchford and north Warrington... , Thelwall Thelwall Thelwall is a suburban village in Warrington, North Cheshire, England, close to the Lymm junction of the M6.-Geography:Thelwall nowadays borders the villages of Lymm and Grappenhall, and , Latchford. It is also one of the two principal settlements of Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish... , Lymm Lymm Lymm is a large village and civil parish within the Warrington borough of Cheshire, in North West England. Lymm was an urban district of Cheshire from 1894 to 1974. The civil parish of Lymm incorporates the hamlets of Booths Hill, Broomedge, Church Green, Deansgreen, Heatley, Heatley Heath, Little... , Warburton Warburton, Greater Manchester Warburton is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Cheshire, Warburton lies on the south bank of the River Mersey between the borough of Warrington and Greater Manchester. Today, the village remains... , Dunham Massey Dunham Massey Dunham Massey is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The parish includes the villages of Sinderland Green, Dunham Woodhouse and Dunham Town, along with Dunham Massey Park, formerly the home of the last Earl of Stamford and owned by the National Trust... , Bowdon Bowdon, Greater Manchester Bowdon is a suburban village and electoral ward in the Altrincham area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:... |
||
| 6 | Lymm Lymm Lymm is a large village and civil parish within the Warrington borough of Cheshire, in North West England. Lymm was an urban district of Cheshire from 1894 to 1974. The civil parish of Lymm incorporates the hamlets of Booths Hill, Broomedge, Church Green, Deansgreen, Heatley, Heatley Heath, Little... |
Stockton Heath Stockton Heath Stockton Heath is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north of the Bridgewater Canal and to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal, which divides Stockton Heath from Latchford and north Warrington... , Cobbs Estate, Grappenhall Grappenhall Grappenhall is a suburban village in Warrington, Cheshire, England. It is situated along the Bridgewater Canal, and forms one of the principal settlements of Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish... , Thelwall Thelwall Thelwall is a suburban village in Warrington, North Cheshire, England, close to the Lymm junction of the M6.-Geography:Thelwall nowadays borders the villages of Lymm and Grappenhall, and , Latchford. It is also one of the two principal settlements of Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish... , Statham |
||
| 7, 7A | Grappenhall Grappenhall Grappenhall is a suburban village in Warrington, Cheshire, England. It is situated along the Bridgewater Canal, and forms one of the principal settlements of Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish... |
Stockton Heath Stockton Heath Stockton Heath is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north of the Bridgewater Canal and to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal, which divides Stockton Heath from Latchford and north Warrington... , Cobbs Estate (7) |
||
| 8, 9 | Hatton Hatton, Warrington Hatton is a small village some 6 km south of Warrington, Cheshire .It lies on the B5356 road between the villages of Daresbury and Stretton. It has one public house, The Hatton Arms. This is a Grade II listed building which formerly incorporated a post office and a village store.-External... |
Stockton Heath Stockton Heath Stockton Heath is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north of the Bridgewater Canal and to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal, which divides Stockton Heath from Latchford and north Warrington... , Cobbs Estate (8), Appleton Thorn (8), Stretton Stretton, Cheshire Stretton is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England not far from Warrington. The parish includes the village of Lower Stretton. It is at the very southern tip of Warrington, about seven miles south of the town centre. It has a large hotel and is the site of Warrington's private hospital,... |
||
| 10, 10X | Hatton Hatton, Warrington Hatton is a small village some 6 km south of Warrington, Cheshire .It lies on the B5356 road between the villages of Daresbury and Stretton. It has one public house, The Hatton Arms. This is a Grade II listed building which formerly incorporated a post office and a village store.-External... |
Gainsborough Rd, Stockton Heath Stockton Heath Stockton Heath is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north of the Bridgewater Canal and to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal, which divides Stockton Heath from Latchford and north Warrington... , Cobbs Estate, Appleton Thorn, Stretton Stretton, Cheshire Stretton is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England not far from Warrington. The parish includes the village of Lower Stretton. It is at the very southern tip of Warrington, about seven miles south of the town centre. It has a large hotel and is the site of Warrington's private hospital,... |
Evening service only, 10X terminates at Appleton Thorn | |
| 11, 11A, 12, 12A | Loushers Lane | Latchford Latchford Latchford is a suburban district and electoral ward of the unitary borough of Warrington, in Cheshire, England. It is around one mile south of Warrington town centre and has a total resident population of 7,856.... (11A, 12A), Gainsborough Rd (Circular) |
||
| 13 | Westbrook | Whittle Brook, Whittle Hall Whittle Hall Whittle Hall is housing estate within the parish of Great Sankey in the town of Warrington, North West England. Its more exact location is in-between the old centre of Great Sankey, the new built Chapleford, and the Omega Development Site . The area falls under the WA5 postal code... , Kingswood |
||
| 14, 15 | Great Sankey Great Sankey Great Sankey is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It is west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 24,211.-History:... |
Whittle Brook, Lingley Green, Penketh Penketh Penketh is a civil parish in the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is about west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 8,699.The emblem/badge of Penketh is three kingfishers.-History:... (Circular) |
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| 16, 16A | Dallam Dallam, Warrington Dallam is a suburb of Warrington, England. It is home to a Royal Mail rail terminus on the main West Coast Main Line railway, opposite a large Eddie Stobart distribution centre. Considerably smaller than most suburbs of Warrington, Dallam alongside its slightly larger neighbour Bewsey... |
General Hospital, Bewsey Bewsey Bewsey and Whitecross is a ward to the west of the town centre of Warrington, England . The town's General Hospital is within the ward. The area is served by the 16/16A bus route from Dallam to Warrington. In terms of other facilities the Sankey Valley Park runs through Bewsey, and there is a... |
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| 17 | Gemini | Chapelford, Westbrook | "Chapelford Connector" | |
| 18, 18A | Callands | Old Hall, Westbrook, Gemini (18A) | ||
| 19 | Leigh Leigh, Greater Manchester Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss.... |
Winwick Winwick, Cheshire Winwick is a village and civil parish in the borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. Historically within Lancashire, until 1 April 1974, Winwick was administered as part of Lancashire with the rest of north Warrington. It is situated about three miles north of Warrington town centre, near... , Croft Croft, Cheshire Croft is a village and civil parish in Warrington, Cheshire, England, about five miles north of Warrington town centre. According to the 2001 Census it had a population of 2,920. It is a rural, residential district.... , Culcheth Culcheth Culcheth is a large village approximately 6 miles north-east of Warrington, England. It is the principal settlement in Culcheth and Glazebury civil parish. The village has many amenities which make it a popular place to live. These include a library, a village hall, sports facilities, two... , Glazebury |
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| 20, 21 | Longford Longford, Warrington Longford is a district to the north-east of Warrington, a unitary authority in the north-west of England. Precise boundaries are hard to determine, as the Longford Brook is some way south of the area usually thought of now as Longford, between Winwick Road to the west, Long Lane to the south, and... |
Orford (Circular) | ||
| 20A, 21A | Longford Longford, Warrington Longford is a district to the north-east of Warrington, a unitary authority in the north-west of England. Precise boundaries are hard to determine, as the Longford Brook is some way south of the area usually thought of now as Longford, between Winwick Road to the west, Long Lane to the south, and... |
Orford, Dallam Dallam, Warrington Dallam is a suburb of Warrington, England. It is home to a Royal Mail rail terminus on the main West Coast Main Line railway, opposite a large Eddie Stobart distribution centre. Considerably smaller than most suburbs of Warrington, Dallam alongside its slightly larger neighbour Bewsey... , Bewsey Bewsey Bewsey and Whitecross is a ward to the west of the town centre of Warrington, England . The town's General Hospital is within the ward. The area is served by the 16/16A bus route from Dallam to Warrington. In terms of other facilities the Sankey Valley Park runs through Bewsey, and there is a... , General Hospital (Circular) |
Early morning and Sunday service only | |
| 22 | Vulcan Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry was a British locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire .-History:It was originally opened in 1832 as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches and crossings, and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway... |
Winwick Winwick, Cheshire Winwick is a village and civil parish in the borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. Historically within Lancashire, until 1 April 1974, Winwick was administered as part of Lancashire with the rest of north Warrington. It is situated about three miles north of Warrington town centre, near... , Newton-le-Willows Newton-le-Willows Newton-le-Willows is a small market town within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it is situated about midway between the cities of Manchester and Liverpool, to the east of St Helens, to the north of Warrington and to the south of... , Earlestown Earlestown Earlestown forms the western part of Newton-le-Willows, a town in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 10,274.-History:... |
Evening and Sunday service terminates at Earlestown | |
| 23, 23A | Cinnamon Brow Cinnamon Brow Cinnamon Brow is an area on the east side of Warrington, England, between Orford and Birchwood. It has a population of around 12,000 residents living in approximately 3,600 houses .-Facilities:... |
Padgate Padgate Padgate was a village on the edge of Warrington, England, and today it is a large residential part of the town. During World War II it had a small RAF Station. RAF Padgate will be well-remembered by thousands of young men who were selected for RAF national service and on this site received their... , Blackbrook, Orange Grove (23A) |
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| 24, 24A | Oakwood | Padgate Padgate Padgate was a village on the edge of Warrington, England, and today it is a large residential part of the town. During World War II it had a small RAF Station. RAF Padgate will be well-remembered by thousands of young men who were selected for RAF national service and on this site received their... , Blackbrook, Fearnhead, Birchwood Birchwood Birchwood is a civil parish in the north-eastern part of Warrington, Cheshire, England with a population of 11,395 . Historically a part of Lancashire, it is the easternmost part of the Warrington urban area. It was built during the time of much expansion in Warrington as it became a "new town"... (24), Birchwood Park (24A) |
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| 25, 25C | Gorse Covert | Orford, Locking Stumps, Birchwood Birchwood Birchwood is a civil parish in the north-eastern part of Warrington, Cheshire, England with a population of 11,395 . Historically a part of Lancashire, it is the easternmost part of the Warrington urban area. It was built during the time of much expansion in Warrington as it became a "new town"... , Oakwood |
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| 25B | Ryefields | Retirement Village shoppers' service | 1 return journey only | |
| 26 | Gorse Covert | Orford, Cinnamon Brow Cinnamon Brow Cinnamon Brow is an area on the east side of Warrington, England, between Orford and Birchwood. It has a population of around 12,000 residents living in approximately 3,600 houses .-Facilities:... , Locking Stumps, Birchwood Birchwood Birchwood is a civil parish in the north-eastern part of Warrington, Cheshire, England with a population of 11,395 . Historically a part of Lancashire, it is the easternmost part of the Warrington urban area. It was built during the time of much expansion in Warrington as it became a "new town"... , Oakwood |
Evening and Sunday service only | |
| 27 | Gorse Covert | Orford, Blackbrook, Locking Stumps, Birchwood Birchwood Birchwood is a civil parish in the north-eastern part of Warrington, Cheshire, England with a population of 11,395 . Historically a part of Lancashire, it is the easternmost part of the Warrington urban area. It was built during the time of much expansion in Warrington as it became a "new town"... , Oakwood |
Evening and Sunday service only | |
| 28, 28A | Leigh Leigh, Greater Manchester Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss.... |
Padgate Padgate Padgate was a village on the edge of Warrington, England, and today it is a large residential part of the town. During World War II it had a small RAF Station. RAF Padgate will be well-remembered by thousands of young men who were selected for RAF national service and on this site received their... , Longbarn, Birchwood Birchwood Birchwood is a civil parish in the north-eastern part of Warrington, Cheshire, England with a population of 11,395 . Historically a part of Lancashire, it is the easternmost part of the Warrington urban area. It was built during the time of much expansion in Warrington as it became a "new town"... (28), Locking Stumps, Risley, Culcheth Culcheth Culcheth is a large village approximately 6 miles north-east of Warrington, England. It is the principal settlement in Culcheth and Glazebury civil parish. The village has many amenities which make it a popular place to live. These include a library, a village hall, sports facilities, two... , Glazebury |
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| 29 | Collins Green | Sankey Bridges Sankey Bridges Sankey Bridges is part of the parish of great sankey in Warrington, a unitary authority in the north-west of England. Located around the crossing of the main turnpike road between Warrington, Prescot and Liverpool over the Sankey Brook, it became home to many industries after the opening of the... , Great Sankey Great Sankey Great Sankey is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington and the ceremonial county of Cheshire in England. It is west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 24,211.-History:... , Lingley Green, Whittle Hall, Westbrook, Gemini, Kingswood, Burtonwood Burtonwood Burtonwood and Westbrook is a civil parish in the outermost suburbs of Warrington in Cheshire, England. Historically within Lancashire, the name Burtonwood is known worldwide as the location of the former RAF Station Burtonwood military camp. Burtonwood village itself is a few miles away from the... |
Short journeys terminate at Lingley Green or Westbrook | |
| 30 | Penketh Penketh Penketh is a civil parish in the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is about west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 8,699.The emblem/badge of Penketh is three kingfishers.-History:... |
Sankey Bridges Sankey Bridges Sankey Bridges is part of the parish of great sankey in Warrington, a unitary authority in the north-west of England. Located around the crossing of the main turnpike road between Warrington, Prescot and Liverpool over the Sankey Brook, it became home to many industries after the opening of the... |
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| 31 | Penketh Penketh Penketh is a civil parish in the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is about west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 8,699.The emblem/badge of Penketh is three kingfishers.-History:... |
Sankey Bridges Sankey Bridges Sankey Bridges is part of the parish of great sankey in Warrington, a unitary authority in the north-west of England. Located around the crossing of the main turnpike road between Warrington, Prescot and Liverpool over the Sankey Brook, it became home to many industries after the opening of the... |
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| 32, 32A | Penketh Penketh Penketh is a civil parish in the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is about west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 8,699.The emblem/badge of Penketh is three kingfishers.-History:... |
Sankey Bridges Sankey Bridges Sankey Bridges is part of the parish of great sankey in Warrington, a unitary authority in the north-west of England. Located around the crossing of the main turnpike road between Warrington, Prescot and Liverpool over the Sankey Brook, it became home to many industries after the opening of the... |
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| 37A | Altrincham Altrincham Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington... |
Latchford Latchford Latchford is a suburban district and electoral ward of the unitary borough of Warrington, in Cheshire, England. It is around one mile south of Warrington town centre and has a total resident population of 7,856.... , Thelwall Thelwall Thelwall is a suburban village in Warrington, North Cheshire, England, close to the Lymm junction of the M6.-Geography:Thelwall nowadays borders the villages of Lymm and Grappenhall, and , Latchford. It is also one of the two principal settlements of Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish... , Statham, Lymm Lymm Lymm is a large village and civil parish within the Warrington borough of Cheshire, in North West England. Lymm was an urban district of Cheshire from 1894 to 1974. The civil parish of Lymm incorporates the hamlets of Booths Hill, Broomedge, Church Green, Deansgreen, Heatley, Heatley Heath, Little... , Broomedge Broomedge Broomedge is a village in Cheshire, England.... , Little Bollington Little Bollington Little Bollington is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The Bridgewater Canal runs through the western side of the parish from south-west to north, and Dunham Park lies to the north east of the parish, across the... , Bowdon Bowdon, Greater Manchester Bowdon is a suburban village and electoral ward in the Altrincham area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:... |
Sunday service only | |
| 38 | Altrincham Altrincham Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington... |
Latchford Latchford Latchford is a suburban district and electoral ward of the unitary borough of Warrington, in Cheshire, England. It is around one mile south of Warrington town centre and has a total resident population of 7,856.... , Thelwall Thelwall Thelwall is a suburban village in Warrington, North Cheshire, England, close to the Lymm junction of the M6.-Geography:Thelwall nowadays borders the villages of Lymm and Grappenhall, and , Latchford. It is also one of the two principal settlements of Grappenhall and Thelwall civil parish... , Statham, Lymm Lymm Lymm is a large village and civil parish within the Warrington borough of Cheshire, in North West England. Lymm was an urban district of Cheshire from 1894 to 1974. The civil parish of Lymm incorporates the hamlets of Booths Hill, Broomedge, Church Green, Deansgreen, Heatley, Heatley Heath, Little... , Warbuton Warburton, Greater Manchester Warburton is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Cheshire, Warburton lies on the south bank of the River Mersey between the borough of Warrington and Greater Manchester. Today, the village remains... , Dunham Massey Dunham Massey Dunham Massey is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The parish includes the villages of Sinderland Green, Dunham Woodhouse and Dunham Town, along with Dunham Massey Park, formerly the home of the last Earl of Stamford and owned by the National Trust... , Bowdon Bowdon, Greater Manchester Bowdon is a suburban village and electoral ward in the Altrincham area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.-History:... |
Sunday service only | |
| 45 | Northwich Northwich Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane... |
Stockton Heath Stockton Heath Stockton Heath is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north of the Bridgewater Canal and to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal, which divides Stockton Heath from Latchford and north Warrington... , Stretton Stretton, Cheshire Stretton is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England not far from Warrington. The parish includes the village of Lower Stretton. It is at the very southern tip of Warrington, about seven miles south of the town centre. It has a large hotel and is the site of Warrington's private hospital,... , Antrobus, Great Budworth Great Budworth Great Budworth is a civil parish and village, approximately north of Northwich, England, within the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire. It lies off the A559 road, east of Comberbach, northwest of Higher Marston and southeast of Budworth Heath... , Higher Wincham, Lostock Gralam Lostock Gralam Lostock Gralam is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, situated to the east of Northwich. The civil parish of Lostock Gralam also includes the small hamlet of Lostock Green... |
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| 46 | Northwich Northwich Northwich is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies in the heart of the Cheshire Plain, at the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane... |
Stockton Heath Stockton Heath Stockton Heath is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north of the Bridgewater Canal and to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal, which divides Stockton Heath from Latchford and north Warrington... , Stretton Stretton, Cheshire Stretton is a village and civil parish in Cheshire, England not far from Warrington. The parish includes the village of Lower Stretton. It is at the very southern tip of Warrington, about seven miles south of the town centre. It has a large hotel and is the site of Warrington's private hospital,... , Comberbach Comberbach Comberbach is a civil parish and small village in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, located between Northwich and Warrington. The village sports a new Memorial Hall , a Bowling Club, two pubs - the Spinner and Burgamot, and the Drum... , Anderton Anderton with Marbury right|thumb|Map of civil parish of Anderton with Marbury within the former borough of Vale RoyalAnderton with Marbury is a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It had a population of 582 according to the 2001 census, and... , Barnton Barnton Barnton is a civil parish and village in the north-west of England, just outside the town of Northwich, in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire... |
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| 48 | Dudlows Green | Latchford Latchford Latchford is a suburban district and electoral ward of the unitary borough of Warrington, in Cheshire, England. It is around one mile south of Warrington town centre and has a total resident population of 7,856.... , Stockton Heath Stockton Heath Stockton Heath is a civil parish and suburban area of the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north of the Bridgewater Canal and to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal, which divides Stockton Heath from Latchford and north Warrington... , Cobbs Estate, Appleton |
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| 101 | Centre Park | Town Centre Shuttle (Circular) | "Centrelink" |
Night services
There are no year-round night bus services operated, although WBT has in the past operated a seasonal night bus network centered on Warrington town centre over the Christmas and New Year period. The services ran between 2004 and 2008 with the support of Warrington Borough Council, several parish councils, town centre licensees and Cheshire Police, but sufficient funding was not forthcoming for 2009 due to a decline in passenger numbers the previous year. At its peak six separate services were operated serving most suburbs as well as Birchwood and Burtonwood.Park & ride services
There are currently no dedicated year-round park and ridePark and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
services, although WBT operates a seasonal Saturdays-only scheme to Warrington town centre to cater for Christmas shopping. This began in 2005 with a single service from the Northwest Regional Development Agency
Northwest Regional Development Agency
The Northwest Regional Development Agency is the regional development agency for the North West England region and is a non-departmental public body.....
offices at Centre Park business park, but was expanded in 2007 to operate from two separate sites: car parking available at the Warrington Collegiate
Warrington Collegiate
Warrington Collegiate is a learning provider in Warrington for people aged 16 and over. Located on Winwick Road, Warrington, England, the college mainly offers vocational courses, and is an alternative to Priestley College- Courses :...
campus to the north of the town centre, and at the Bruntwood Wilderspool Park business park to the south (next to Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
), both locations just off the A49
A49 road
The A49 is a major road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrington and Wigan before terminating at its junction with...
. The service will operate in 2011 on Saturdays between 19 November and 24 December, eight buses an hour from each site during the daytime.
As a condition of planning consent for the B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
superstore next to the M62
M62 motorway
The M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
at Winwick
Winwick
Winwick may refer to:*Winwick, Cambridgeshire, England*Winwick, Cheshire, England*Winwick, Northamptonshire, England...
, a section of the car park was designated as "Park & Ride" albeit using the existing bus services and fares provided by WBT and Arriva. There were up to seven buses an hour during Monday to Saturday daytimes provided by the two operators, however the success of this scheme was questionable due to the lack of a dedicated express bus service to the town centre, tickets which were not interchangeable between the two operators, and a lack of publicity for the facility. B&Q withdrew from the scheme in 2006, claiming that the facility "was being abused".
Contract services
WBT operate a variety of works and contract services. Work services generally operate in conjunction with large employers or business parkBusiness park
A business park or office park is an area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. All of the work that goes on is commercial, not industrial or residential....
s, operate at peak times for pass-holding employees, and are not available to the general public. Services operated include:
- Birchwood Park shuttle: Birchwood – Birchwood Park business park
- O2 works service: Warrington – O2 call centreCall centreA call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
(Preston BrookPreston BrookPreston Brook is a civil parish in the borough of Halton, a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is located to the south-east of Runcorn and is adjacent to the M56 motorway. It contains the villages of Preston Brook and Preston on the Hill.In the 2001 Census, the...
) - Olympic Park shuttle: Birchwood – Olympic Park business park
- United UtilitiesUnited UtilitiesUnited Utilities Group PLC is the UK's largest listed water business. The Group owns and manages the regulated water and waste water network in the north west England, through it subsidiary United Utilities Water PLC , which is responsible for the vast majority of the group's assets and...
works service: Warrington – United Utilities offices (Dawson House and Lingley Mere)
There are also a number of routes which operate in conjunction with special events, and thus only operate on certain days of the year. Some routes are free, others have a flat fare, whilst a few require pre-booking. Recent shuttle services operated include:
- CreamfieldsCreamfieldsCreamfelds is a large dance music festival featuring DJs and live acts. It is held annually on the August Bank Holiday weekend in Daresbury, Cheshire, England, just outside of Liverpool where it had previously been held for a number of years. It is renowned for being headlined every year by the...
: Warrington / Manchester – Creamfields (DaresburyDaresburyDaresbury is a small rural village, civil parish and ward in the unitary authority of Halton and part of the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is covered by the Weaver Vale constituency...
) - Warrington Disability Awareness Day: Warrington – Disability Awareness Day (Walton Gardens)
School services
WBT operate a number of school services in addition to their main network. These include services to Lymm High SchoolLymm High School
Lymm High School is an English comprehensive school, located in Lymm, Warrington, Cheshire, of which the grammar school part had a history stretching back to the late 16th century...
, Newman High School, St Gregory's Catholic High School
St Gregory's Catholic High School
St Gregory's Catholic High School is a Roman Catholic co-educational voluntary aided comprehensive school that educates approximately 970 children between 11 and 16 years of age. It is located in the town of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is now a specialist Humanities College...
, Great Sankey High School
Great Sankey High School
Great Sankey High School is a secondary school located in Warrington, Cheshire. The school is a state school, built in the 1970s and extensions have included a mathematics & humanities block and theatre. The school also has a linking leisure centre and arts theatre...
and Priestley Sixth Form College
Priestley College
Priestley Sixth Form and Community College is a sixth form college located on Loushers Lane, Warrington, England. It also offers adult courses, professional training on another site, and is an associate college of the University of Salford.- Pass Rates :...
.
Ticket types
WBT offers a selection of tickets that can be bought with cash from the driver. Single journey tickets vary in price depending on the length of journey, as do day return tickets which allow a return journey to be made on the same day. Neither of these ticket types allow a transferTransfer (public transit)
A transfer allows the rider of a public transportation vehicle who pays for a single-trip fare to continue the trip on another bus or train. Depending on the network, there may or may not be an additional fee for the transfer...
to another route, but there is a special add-on "throughfare" for journeys to Warrington Hospital. Day Rover tickets allow a whole day's travel on all WBT services, costing a little more than the maximum day return fare. Change is available from the driver, but customers are asked to provide the exact change if possible.
Up to two children under 5 can travel for free when accompanied by an adult. Other children under 16 can travel for around half price, with teenagers recommended to carry proof of age in the form of an Under 16 Permit. Free concessionary travel
Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007
The Concessionary Bus Travel Act 2007 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which entitles all English people who are either disabled or over the age of 60 to free travel on local buses at off-peak times anywhere within England ;...
is available to senior citizen
Senior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
s and the disabled on display of a valid pass, after 0930 on Mondays to Fridays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.
Season ticket
Season ticket
A season ticket is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time.-Sport:In sport, a season ticket grants the holder access to all regular-season home games for one season without additional charges. The ticket usually offers a discounted price over purchasing a ticket for each of...
s for all WBT services can be purchased from the inspectors' office at Warrington Interchange. These passes are only valid with a photocard, and can be purchased for either the Warrington town area or the whole network, including routes to neighbouring towns. Weekly, monthly and annual versions are available.
The Transport for Greater Manchester System One range of tickets is accepted for journeys within 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...
, but is also valid outside the county as far as Lymm Church
St Mary's Church, Lymm
St Mary's Church, Lymm, is in the village of Lymm, Cheshire, England, standing on a bank overlooking Lymm Dam. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building...
and Culcheth
Culcheth
Culcheth is a large village approximately 6 miles north-east of Warrington, England. It is the principal settlement in Culcheth and Glazebury civil parish. The village has many amenities which make it a popular place to live. These include a library, a village hall, sports facilities, two...
Library on routes from Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
and Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
respectively. The Merseytravel
Merseytravel
Merseytravel Merseytravel Merseytravel (MPTE, or Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
range of tickets is accepted for journeys within 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...
only. WBT also participates in the PLUSBUS
PLUSBUS
PLUSBUS is an add-on ticket, which can be purchased with rail tickets in Great Britain. It allows unlimited travel on participating bus operators' services in the whole urban area of rail-served towns and cities.-History:...
scheme for add-ons to rail tickets.
Offices and depot
The main depot and offices for WBT are located on Wilderspool Causeway (A49A49 road
The A49 is a major road in western England, which traverses the Welsh Marches region. It runs north from Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire via Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Whitchurch, then continues through central Cheshire to Warrington and Wigan before terminating at its junction with...
) at the junction with Chester Road (A5060), on the southern periphery of the town centre close to the crossing of the Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
at Bridge Foot (53°23′02"N 2°35′26"W). The two main sheds to the rear of the site were originally built in 1943 for Fairey Aviation
Fairey Aviation
The Fairey Aviation Company Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer of the first half of the 20th century based in Hayes in Greater London and Heaton Chapel and RAF Ringway in Greater Manchester...
and used to assemble wings for their Fulmar bomber
Fairey Fulmar
The Fairey Fulmar was a British carrier-borne fighter aircraft that served with the Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War. A total of 600 were built by Fairey Aviation at its Stockport factory between January 1940 and December 1942...
, before being bought by Warrington Corporation in 1947 as a place to park buses. The site eventually became the main operational centre, with the frontage of the depot dating from 1964 and consisting of a reception area and vehicle inspection bays at ground level with offices above. The maintenance facilities are licensed to perform MOT tests for HGV
Large Goods Vehicle
A large goods vehicle , is the European Union term for any truck with a gross combination mass of over...
s and PSV
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...
s.
The original tram system was operated from an eight-track depot at the junction of Mersey Street and Lower Bank Street. A purpose built bus garage was constructed on Lower Bank Street in 1930, although buses were also housed in the old tram sheds following the withdrawal of trams. Despite the move to the new Wilderspool garage, the old staff canteen on Lower Bank Street remained in use until the opening of the new bus station in 1979. The building was demolished in 1981 and is today the site of a DW Sports Fitness Club.
The current depot's location next to the old Wilderspool Stadium
Wilderspool Stadium
Wilderspool Stadium is a rugby league stadium located in Warrington, England. The ground was Warrington RLFC's old ground before moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium. It holds just over 9,000, after substantial decreases for crowd safety...
and close to the town centre led to interest from developers in redeveloping the site of the depot and the stadium during 2006. As part of this, a new depot would have been constructed at the nearby Centre Park business park on the other side of the Mersey but still close to the town centre. Whilst WBT were reported to be seriously considering the proposed move, the scheme never moved beyond the drawing board and foundered around the end of the year having failed to gain favour with council planning officers.
The inspectors' office on the main concourse at Warrington Interchange provides for season ticket sales and information.
Fleet
WBT has a fleet of 112 active buses, consisting of 94 single-deck buses (including 6 minibusMinibus
A minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
es) and 18 double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
es . The single deck fleet is 100% low-floor
Low-floor bus
A low-floor bus is a bus that has no steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. Being low floor improves the accessibility of the bus for the public, particularly the elderly or infirm, or those with push chairs, and increasingly, those in wheelchairs.In the modern...
and—along with three low-floor double-deckers—operates all of the company's scheduled bus network. The remaining step-entrance double-deckers operate on school and contract services.
There is a small reserve fleet consisting of vehicles that are stored pending further use or awaiting disposal, but these are not included in the list below. Additionally, the company also maintains an East Lancs
East Lancashire Coachbuilders
East Lancashire Coachbuilders Limited was a manufacturer of bus bodies and carriages founded in 1934 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England.In 1994 the company expanded in to new premises and commenced a programme of development that resulted in a range of single and double deck buses which was the...
bodied Leyland PD2/40 (Special) dating from 1965, which is a heritage vehicle used on special occasions and available for private hire.
Current fleet
| Chassis | Bodywork | Image | Number | Seating Capacity | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single deck | ||||||
| Dennis Dart SLF | Marshall Capital Marshall Capital The Marshall Capital was a single-decker bus body built by Marshall between 1997 and 2003. It was typically placed on the Dennis Dart SLF chassis, but it was also built on other chassis and used to rebody older chassis.... MCV MCV Bus and Coach MCV Bus and Coach is a British manufacturer of bus bodies founded in late 2002 after buying the assets of defunct bus builder Marshall Bus who closed down in the summer of that year... Capital |
28 | 40 or 41 | 1999–2003 | Low-floor | |
| VDL SB120 VDL SB120 The VDL SB120 is a low-floor light-weight midibus produced from 1999 by VDL Bus International of the Netherlands primarily for the UK market.... |
Wright Merit Wright Cadet Wright Cadet The Wright Cadet was a midibus body built by British coachbuilder Wrightbus, solely on the DAF/VDL SB120; it was sold via VDL dealer Arriva Bus & Coach. For a time, Volvo additionally sold the chassis/body combination, however the body was marketed as the Merit.The Cadet was replaced by the Wright... |
48 | 39 | 2003–2008 | Low-floor Five vehicles from Arriva Bus & Coach 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... dealer stock |
|
| Volvo B7RLE Volvo B7RLE Volvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE... |
Wright Eclipse 2 Wright Eclipse The Wright Eclipse is a low-floor single-deck bus body built by Wright on Volvo B7 chassis. It shares its design with the Wright Solar on Scania L94 chassis.... |
12 | 45 | 2009 | Low-floor | |
| Optare Solo Optare Solo The Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative... |
Optare Solo Optare Solo The Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative... |
6 | 25 | 2011 | Low-floor | |
| Total (single deck) | 94 | |||||
| Double deck | ||||||
| Volvo B7TL Volvo B7TL Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of Volvo Olympian... |
Alexander ALX400 Alexander ALX400 The Alexander ALX400 is a 2-axle double-decker bus body built by Walter Alexander Coachbuilders... |
3 | 47 (upper) 25 (lower) 72 (total) |
1999 | Low-floor Formerly London Central London Central London Central is one of many operators of London Buses. It was established in late 1988 as one of 12 operating subsidiaries of London Buses Limited , and was privatised to the Go-Ahead Group in September 1994... , arrived 2011 |
|
| Leyland Olympian Leyland Olympian The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:... |
Northern Counties Palatine Northern Counties Palatine The Northern Counties Palatine is a step-entrance double-decker bus body built by Northern Counties of Wigan, UK. It was built mainly on Leyland Olympian and Volvo Olympian chassis, although some were also built on DAF, Volvo B10M Citybus and Scania chassis... |
 |
2 | 47 (upper) 30 (lower) 77 (total) |
1990 | Formerly Harrogate & District Harrogate & District Transdev Harrogate & District is a local bus operator based in Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Blazefield Group which is itself owned by the international transport company Transdev.... , arrived 2004 |
| Leyland Olympian Leyland Olympian The Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:... |
Alexander Walter Alexander Coachbuilders Walter Alexander Coachbuilders was a Scottish bus coachbuilder and operater based in Falkirk.-History:Walter Alexander, notice a lack expasion by the Falkirk and District Tramways Company's especially in to Grangemouth which never hdd a tram line. In 1913 Alexander's Motor Service was created to... |
 |
2 | 47 (upper) 32 (lower) 79 (total) |
1992 | Formerly Huntingdon & District Stagecoach in The Fens Stagecoach in Huntingdonshire is the trading name of Stagecoach in The Fens Limited, which runs services throughout Huntingdon, the Fens and surrounding areas... , arrived 2003 |
| Volvo Olympian Volvo Olympian The Volvo Olympian was a rear-engine double decker bus built by Volvo at Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was first built in 1992 and entered production in March 1993, replacing the Leyland Olympian.... |
Alexander (Belfast) Walter Alexander Coachbuilders Walter Alexander Coachbuilders was a Scottish bus coachbuilder and operater based in Falkirk.-History:Walter Alexander, notice a lack expasion by the Falkirk and District Tramways Company's especially in to Grangemouth which never hdd a tram line. In 1913 Alexander's Motor Service was created to... |
11 | 47 (upper) 31 (lower) 78 (total) |
1996 | Formerly Dublin Bus Dublin Bus Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is... , arrived 2008–9 |
|
| Total (double deck) | 18 | |||||
| Total (all vehicles) | 112 | |||||
Future fleet
More ALX400 vehicles and some Wright Gemini vehicles are currently on order, with further double-deck buses potentially to follow.Past fleet
Previous types of buses in use with the company include:- Leyland Titan
- CrossleyCrossley MotorsCrossley Motors was a British motor vehicle manufacturer based in Manchester, England. They produced approximately 19,000 high quality cars from 1904 until 1938, 5,500 buses from 1926 until 1958 and 21,000 goods and military vehicles from 1914 to 1945.Crossley Brothers, originally...
Mancunian - BristolBristol Commercial VehiclesBristol Commercial Vehicles was a vehicle manufacturer of in Bristol, England. Most production was of buses but trucks and railbus chassis were also built....
K6G - FodenFoden TrucksFoden Trucks was a British truck and bus manufacturing company which has its origins in Sandbach, Cheshire in 1856. PACCAR acquired the company in 1980, and ceased to use the marque name in 2006.-History:...
PVD6 - Daimler FleetlineDaimler FleetlineThe Daimler Fleetline is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis built between 1960 and 1973 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, and from 1973 until 1980 in Farington, Lancashire, England. However, the last complete vehicle did not enter service until 1983...
- Leyland Panther CubLeyland Panther CubThe Leyland Panther Cub was a rear-engined single-decker bus built by Leyland Motor Corporation in the United Kingdom.It was a derivative of the Panther that Leyland were forced into building for an influential customer, it was only offered on the home market, and only bought by operators in...
- Bristol REBristol REThe Bristol RE was a rear-engined single-deck bus chassis built by Bristol Commercial Vehicles from 1962 until 1982. It is widely considered the most successful of the first generation of rear-engined single-deckers....
- Leyland AtlanteanLeyland AtlanteanThe Leyland Atlantean is a model of double-decker bus built by Leyland in the United Kingdom from 1958 to 1986....
- Dennis DominatorDennis DominatorThe Dennis Dominator was Dennis's first rear-engined double-decker bus chassis, it was launched in 1977. Dennis had been absent from the bus manufacturing market since the last Lolines were produced in 1967. The Dominator was described as bespoke, with numerous options...
- Leyland OlympianLeyland OlympianThe Leyland Olympian was a double-decker bus built by British Leyland/Leyland Bus in the United Kingdom from 1980 to 1993. It was the last Leyland bus model in production before the demise of Leyland Bus.-Construction:...
- Dodge S56Dodge 50 SeriesThe Dodge 50 Series, later known as the Renault 50 Series were light commercial vehicles produced in the UK by Chrysler Europe and later Renault Véhicules Industriels between 1979 and 1993....
- Dennis DartDennis DartThe Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
- Optare MetroriderOptare MetroRiderThe Optare MetroRider was a midibus built by Optare between 1989 and 2000. Optare based the original design on the MCW Metrorider after Optare bought the rights following a decision by MCW to end bus production. This model also replaced the less successful StarRider.The MetroRider was an integral...
Preserved vehicles
There are examples of several former vehicles that used to operate for the company that are now preserved or undergoing restoration. Some of these are located at transport museums, whilst others can be seen at rallies and historic running days around the country. Many of the earlier examples feature the traditional Warrington licence plate area letter code "ED".Branding
WBT has used a number of different brandBrand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
s and liveries
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
in its history, as follows:
- Warrington Corporation Tramways
-
- The original livery adopted on trams and early motorbuses was a deep crimson and light yellow, with ornate gold lettering and lining.
- Warrington Corporation
- In 1945 a new livery was introduced of maroon with ivory bands, three bands on double deckers and one on single deck vehicles.
- Warrington Borough Council
- Following the local government reorganisation of 1974Local Government Act 1972The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, vehicles started appearing in a mainly light red livery with a large white band around the windows. The new logoLogoA logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
of Warrington Borough Council was applied, consisting of a large stylised "W" encompassing the CheshireCheshireCheshire 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...
sheaf of wheatWheatWheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and the Lancashire roseRed Rose of LancasterThe Red Rose of Lancaster is the county flower of Lancashire.The exact species or cultivar which the red rose relates to is uncertain, but it is thought to be Rosa gallica officinalis....
. This would be replaced with the borough's revised coat of armsCoat of armsA coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
in the early 1980s.- Advertising liveries
- The first all-over advertisingAdvertisingAdvertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
bus appeared in 1977 when a Daimler FleetlineDaimler FleetlineThe Daimler Fleetline is a rear-engined double-decker bus chassis built between 1960 and 1973 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, and from 1973 until 1980 in Farington, Lancashire, England. However, the last complete vehicle did not enter service until 1983...
was painted in a mainly white livery with graphics advertising Baldwins, the local LeylandBritish Leyland Motor CorporationBritish Leyland was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968 as British Leyland Motor Corporation Ltd . It was partly nationalised in 1975 with the government creating a new holding company called British Leyland Ltd which became BL Ltd in 1978...
car dealershipCar dealershipA car dealership or vehicle local distribution is a business that sells new or used cars at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. It employs automobile salespeople to do the selling...
. Other all-over advertisements have appeared for Vladivar VodkaVladivar VodkaVladivar Vodka is a brand of vodka distilled in the UK. Originally made in Warrington by the G & J Greenall distillery, the brand was sold in 1990 to Whyte and Mackay and is today made in Scotland...
and Warrington WolvesWarrington WolvesWarrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
amongst others.
- The original livery adopted on trams and early motorbuses was a deep crimson and light yellow, with ornate gold lettering and lining.
- Warrington Borough Transport
-
- Upon the establishment of the arms-lengthArm's length principleThe arm's length principle is the condition or the fact that the parties to a transaction are independent and on an equal footing. Such a transaction is known as an "arm's-length transaction"...
company WBT Ltd in 1986, a new logo appeared incorporating the borough coat of arms. The primary colours of red and white remained generally the same until the white was replaced with ivory in the late 1990s, although vehicles started to appear with a "Welcome aboard" legend in the front windscreen and forward near-side window.- CoachLines of Warrington
- Set up as a subsidiarySubsidiaryA subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
company in 1987 offering coachCoach (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...
hire and a programme of tours and excursions, the coach fleet built up to 14 vehicles before being downsized around 1995. The subsidiary ceased trading a few years later. The livery used was Aircraft Blue and Canary Yellow diagonal stripes on a Naples Blue livery.- MiniLines
- Mini bus services to PenkethPenkethPenketh is a civil parish in the Borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. It is about west of Warrington town centre. It has a population of 8,699.The emblem/badge of Penketh is three kingfishers.-History:...
and Dudlows Green were started in 1987 and used a primrose and blue livery, the colours used by the local rugby league clubWarrington WolvesWarrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
. The MiniLines fleet was repainted into the standard red and white livery around 1995.- Mid-Cheshire Bus Lines
- Four vehicles bought in 1988 to operate newly acquired services to Northwich retained the blue and cream livery of their previous owner, Eastbourne BusesEastbourne BusesEastbourne Buses was a bus operator running within the Borough of Eastbourne and into the surrounding area, including Pevensey, Hailsham, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield and East Grinstead, with a fleet of around 50 vehicles...
. Crosville were said to be unhappy at the introduction of this brand due to the fact that they had used it as a local branding scheme for vehicles in the Northwich area in the early part of the 1980s, the original Mid Cheshire Bus Co Ltd having sold out to North Western in 1924. A new service to WarburtonWarburton, Greater ManchesterWarburton is a village and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Cheshire, Warburton lies on the south bank of the River Mersey between the borough of Warrington and Greater Manchester. Today, the village remains...
saw the arrival of four additional vehicles from Preston BusPreston BusPreston Bus is a bus operator running within the city of Preston, England and into the surrounding area. In 2009, it was acquired by the Stagecoach Group and was rebranded Stagecoach in Preston, before they were subsequently ordered to sell the company as a result of competition concerns...
in 1990 wearing a similar blue and cream livery. The fleetname would be phased out of use by 1995, with the vehicles receiving standard WBT red and white livery.- MidiLines
- New deliveries of Dennis DartDennis DartThe Dennis Dart is a rear-engined midibus built by Dennis in the United Kingdom. More than 11,000 were built during 18 years of production....
s up until 1995 received the CoachLines livery but with MidiLines fleetnames. New deliveries and repaints from 1995 onwards retained the MidiLines branding as secondary to the main WBT logo on the standard red and white/ivory livery.- Route branding
- This has been attempted on some high-profile services since 1995, albeit mainly taking the form of white lettering on the front windscreen and forward-most side windows. Such route branding includes Chester CitySprint (30X Warrington - Chester), Runcorn CitySprint (X1 Runcorn - Liverpool), The Runcorn Link (T11 Warrington - Murdishaw), The Northwich Link (45A/46A Warrington - Northwich Sunday services) and The Trafford Link (5 Warrington - Trafford CentreTrafford CentreThe 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...
). In 1999, new low floor buses were delivered with extra yellow logos for the 20•21 circular services, and in 2001 two buses featured purple and blue branding for the 16•16A service. Both of these brands have been lost in recent years as a common pool of low-floor buses has been established.- Super Mini and Super Midi
- The fleet renewal started in 1998 saw new mini and (low-floor) midi buses appearing with this branding instead of the ones previously used (i.e. MiniLines and MidiLines).
- network warrington
- To co-incide with the 2006 opening of the new bus interchange in Warrington town centre, the front-line fleet has been rebranded in a new red livery with cream and orange circular detailing, designed by Samantha Beeley. The fleetname "network warrington" is used, with "warrington borough transport" appearing underneath in small letters. The original design contained the strapline "connecting warrington" but this was soon replaced by "making warrington move". The borough coat of arms was deliberately left off the sample vehicle, but was added after 92% of respondents to feedback questionnaires felt it should.
- Centrelink
- A special purple and yellow livery and brand was introduced in 2002 for the minibus that originally operated the town centre circular service, with publicity and timetable leaflets designed by Best Impressions. This was replaced in 2008 with a new low-floor bus featuring a scheme based on the standard livery, with route branding using the established purple and yellow colours.
- Upon the establishment of the arms-length
Awards and accreditations
The company gained Investors in PeopleInvestors in People
Launched in 1991 Investors in People is a business improvement tool administered by UK Commission for Employment and Skills and supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ....
accreditation in 2004, and attained the Charter Mark
Charter Mark
The Customer Service Excellence, is an accreditation for organisations and an independent validation of achievement.-History:...
award for customer service in 2005. Accreditation in Health & Safety management in the work place was achieved in 2008 with the award of the OHSAS 18001 certificate, a first for a UK bus operator.
WBT gained national recognition after being named UK Bus Operator of the Year at the 2008 UK Bus Awards, after having been runners-up in the Shire Operator of the Year category in 2007 behind the highly-regarded Stagecoach Cambridge
Stagecoach Cambridgeshire
Stagecoach Cambridgeshire is a bus company in England, which is part of the Stagecoach Group.Its headquarters are in Cambridge, and it operates services under the following brand names:—...
. The driving team were also shortlisted for Industry People of the Year in 2007, with the company's marketing efforts being shortlisted for Marketing Campaign of the Year in 2008.
Locally, the company has won several awards at the Warrington Business Awards, winning the Social Responsibility Award in 2001 and 2007 and the Business Survivor Award in 2003. They were also awarded overall winner at The Mayor's Sustainable Business Awards in 2007.
The company's Manchester based advertising agency And Partners have won several awards for their "Good Signs" campaign: gold award in the Regional Newspaper Campaign category at the 2007 Fresh Creative Awards; named Best Regional Press Ad of 2007 in Campaign magazine's end of year review; gold award for Best Press Campaign and silver award for Best Advertisement on a Mobile Medium at the Roses Advertising Awards 2008. The campaign consisted of a series of adverts featuring bus signage promoting recent achievements in humorous fashion, including "Please mind the step, it's brand spanking new" highlighting investment in new vehicles and "Please do not hug the driver while bus is in motion" referring to high levels of customer satisfaction in surveys.
See also
- Warrington Corporation TramwaysWarrington Corporation TramwaysWarrington Corporation Tramways was the owner and operator of an electric tramway system in the early 20th century serving the town of Warrington, at the time a county borough of Lancashire, England...
- Transport in WarringtonTransport in Warrington-Rail:The town has two main railway stations, Bank Quay on the London to Glasgow and Chester - Warrington - Newton-le-Willows - Manchester lines, and Central on the Liverpool - Widnes - Manchester line and the Transpennine route. Bank Quay is much altered, but Central is of some architectural...
- List of bus operators of the United Kingdom
External links
- Warrington Borough Transport official website
- Transport section on Warrington Borough Council's website
- Yahoo Group mailing list for news, pictures and information on bus operations in Warrington area
- Warrington buses in Czech Museum
- Collection of photographs of Warrington Borough Transport and its predecessors
- Restoration project for Warrington tram no. 2
- Pole to Pole - short documentary about a Polish rock star turned bus driver