Centrebus

Slogan It's a bus that takes you into The Centre!
Founded 2001 (South Yorkshire/North Yorkshire)
25 July 2010 (Centrebus West Yorkshire)
Defunct 13 September 2013 (Centrebus West Yorkshire)
Headquarters Leicester
Service area (Current Service Operations)
Bedfordshire
Hertfordshire
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Rutland
(Former Service Operations)
Leeds
Wakefield
Huddersfield
Service type Bus services
Chief executive Julian Peddle
Website www.centrebus.info

Centrebus[1] is a bus company operating services in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. It is also has a shareholding in High Peak Buses.

History

Plaxton Centro bodied VDL SB120 in April 2007
Northern Counties Palatine bodied Volvo B10M-50 in September 2008

Centrebus was founded in 2001, it was previously known as Anstey Buslines. In 2002, the businesses of inMotion, Dunstable[2][3] and Centrebus, Leicester merged to form the basis of the business today.

Expansion

The business expanded through acquisition. In January 2004, Centrebus acquired the St Albans operation of Blazefield.[3] The business expanded with Hertfordshire contract wins, and taking over the Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead commercial route from Arriva Shires & Essex. In March 2008, Centrebus sold its St Albans operations to Uno.[4]

On 12 February 2005, Centrebus commenced operating in Grantham, following the cessation of MASS Transit.[5]

In June 2007, Centrebus purchased Bowers Coaches,[6] a local bus operator based in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire. Bowers operated services in Cheshire, Derbyshire and Greater Manchester. In April 2012 Centrebus transferred the business into a joint venture with the Wellglade Group to form High Peak Buses with Bowers operations relocated to Trent Barton's Dove Holes depot.[7][8]

In May 2008, the Centrebus shareholders headed by director Julian Peddle, formed Centrebus Holdings with Arriva taking a 40% shareholding. Centrebus Holdings was an independent company from the main business, but was managed by Centrebus on a day-to-day basis. In September 2013, Arriva bought out its partners with the West Yorkshire operations rebranded as Yorkshire Tiger and the Hinckley operations as Hinckley Bus.[9][10][11][12] Despite the name, Centrebus Holdings has never had any shareholding in Centrebus, and was formed to take over K-Line and Stagecoach Huddersfield, and subsequently the Hinckley operations of Arriva Midlands.

In September 2008, Centrebus purchased the local bus operations of the Woods Coaches, Leicestershire business. In August 2009, the business of Trustybus,[13] with operations in Essex and Hertfordshire, was purchased by Centrebus.[14] In August 2010 Centrebus took over the operations of Judges Mini Coaches, Corby with routes serving Kettering, Milton Keynes, Welford, Wellingborough, Wicken and Yardley Gobion.

In May 2011, Centrebus took over West End Travel[15] and its fleet of buses and services in Melton Mowbray and Rural Rider services. In October 2011 Centrebus purchased Paul James Coaches,[16] Saxby from Veolia Transport with 21 buses.

In July 2011 Centrebus took over the business of Kimes Buses, Folkingham. Kimes was founded in 1945 and sold in January 1997 to its employees.[17] It operated a fleet of 23 vehicles at the time of the takeover. Its green and cream livery and the Kimes name were retained by Centrebus.[18] In August 2013 the depot was closed with operations transferred to Centrebus' Grantham depot.[19]

In November 2012, Centrebus closed its Harlow depot with most routes passing to Roadrunner Buses.[20] The remaining routes moved to the Stevenage depot, allowing the business to consolidate its East Hertfordshire operations on a single site.

References

  1. ↑ Companies House extract company no 3872099 Centrebus Limited
  2. ↑ Companies House extract company no 4490145 LQT Limited
  3. 1 2 The proposed acquisition by Arriva plc of the business of Sovereign Bus & Coach Company Ltd Competition Commission December 2004
  4. ↑ Expansion for Uno Oxford & Chiltern Bus Page issue 258 7 March 2008
  5. ↑ Reliance of Great Gonerby Country Bus
  6. ↑ Companies House extract company no 548351 Eric W Bowers Coaches Limited
  7. ↑ Wellglade/Centrebus join up in Buxton Bus & Coach Professional 24 May 2011
  8. ↑ New bus operator hits the road trentbarton
  9. ↑ Centrebus (Holdings) Limited Arriva 9 September 2013
  10. ↑ Arriva takes joint venture control Bus & Coach Professional 12 September 2013
  11. ↑ Arriva unleases its Yorkshire Tiger Archived 18 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Bus & Coach Professional 9 October 2013
  12. ↑ Hinckley Bus Arriva
  13. ↑ Companies House extract company no 4717739 Galleon Travel Limited
  14. ↑ Centrebus Harlow Bus Travel Information
  15. ↑ Companies House extract company no 3741213 Romdrive Limited
  16. ↑ Companies House extract company no 4314235 Garrison Street Limited formerly Paul James Coaches Limited
  17. ↑ Kimes of Folkingham Country Bus
  18. ↑ Millar, Alan (September 2011). "Centrebus and Go-Ahead grow with latest takeovers". Buses. Ian Allan Publishing (678): 6.
  19. ↑ Owner to close Kimes buses in Folkingham Grantham Journal 12 July 2013
  20. ↑ Registrations Received and Service Changes Advised Intalink November 2012
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