Western Greyhound

Western Greyhound

Founded	1998
Headquarters	Western House, St Austell Street, Summercourt, Newquay TR8 5DR
Locale	United Kingdom
Service area	Cornwall, Devon
Routes	63
Fleet	109 in service plus 7 heritage vehicles
Web site	http://www.westerngreyhound.com/index.php

Western Greyhound is a bus operator based in Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It operates many services throughout the county and also into Devon. Established at the start of 1998, it has been judged the Independent Bus Operator of the Year on several occasions.

Contents 1 History 2 Routes 2.1 Mid-Cornwall 2.2 West Cornwall 2.3 North Cornwall 2.4 South East Cornwall 3 Fleet 3.1 Heritage fleet 4 Liveries 5 References 6 External links

History

Western Greyhound was established in January 1998 to take over the three vehicles and the contracts of Cornishman Coaches, whose owner was retiring. The new company's managing director was Mark Howarth who had previously managed Western National, the local Badgerline Group (later First Group) operation, and he was joined by Robin Orwell who had also worked for Badgerline. Within a few weeks R&M Coaches, another local operator, also sold out to Western Greyhound which brought one more vehicle and an office near Newquay bus station.^[1] This left one other independent bus operator in the town, Pleasure Travel Minicoaches, but this went out of business and the contracts were also taken on by Western Greyhound.^[2]

The company expanded beyond contract and private hire work with their first public timetabled services on 14 December 1998. These two routes (592 and 594) were contracts awarded by Cornwall County Council and were operated by three new minibuses. Further contracts were awarded in 2001, and double deck buses were added to the fleet to operate school routes given up by Western National. Since then many more routes have been added to the network including some from Plymouth Citybus and DAC Coaches in the south east, and Hookways in the north. There have also been new routes instigated, such as Newquay to Bodmin, linking the two largest towns in the county hitherto not connected by bus, and a coastal route from Newquay to St Ives.^[2]

The expanding fleet needed to operate these additional services saw the company move to a larger depot at nearby Summercourt. Initially it used established facilities there, but in 2004 a new purpose-built depot and offices were constructed. In the same year the old Newquay bus station was closed and replaced by a new facility. This is owned by the County Council but is managed on their behalf by Western Greyhound, and their town centre shop was moved into new premises on the site.^[2] The company maintains its bus stops and uses satellite tracking to monitor its fleet.^[1]

The company won the Independent Operator of the Year at the UK Bus Awards in 2006, was runner up in 2007, but won it again in both 2008 and 2009. Mark Howarth himself was elected president of the Omnibus Society in 2010,^[1] having previously been the Chairman of the Confederation of Passenger Transport South West Region.^[2]

Routes

Western Greyhound operates throughout Cornwall, and to Plymouth and Exeter in Devon. The routes below (correct in 2010) are given in the four geographical areas identified on the company's route maps.^[3][4]

Mid-Cornwall

• PR1 Langarth Park – Victoria Square (Truro Park and Ride)
• PR1a Langarth Park - Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske (Truro Park and Ride)
• 500 Truro – Penryn – Falmouth – Helford Passage
• 505 Tregustick – Smugglers Trevelgue – Newquay (summer only)
• 510 Newquay – Camelford – Cornwall – Okehampton – Exeter
• 521 Newquay – St Dennis – Foxhole – St Austell
• 522 Truro – Probus – St Dennis – St Austell
• 523 Lostwithiel – St Austell – Luxulyan
• 524 St Austell St Blazey Par – Fowey
• 525 St Austell – Charlestown – St Blazey – Par
• 526 St Austell – Mevagissey – Heligan Gardens – Gorran Haven
• 527 Newquay – Summercourt – St Austell – Eden Project
• 528 St Austell – Stenalees
• 529 St Austell – Roche – Lanivet – Bodmin
• 547 Newquay – Perranporth – Hayle – St Ives (summer only)
• 550 Truro – Tregony – Portscatho – St Mawes
• 551 Truro – Tregony – Portscatho – Veryan
• 552 Bridgeview Estate – Bromfield – Foxdown (Wadebridge)
• 555 Padstow – Wadebridge – Bodmin – Bodmin Parkway
• 556 Newquay – Newquay Airport – Watergate Bay – Padstow
• 557 St Columb Major – Padstow
• 558 Hendra – Trencreek – Trerice Drive (Newquay)
• 559 Chester Road – Trerice Drive – Morrisons (Newquay)
• 583 Truro – St Agnes – Perranporth
• 584 Wadebridge – Polzeath – Port Isaac – Camelford
• 585 Newquay – Crantock – St Newlyn East – Truro
• 586 Newquay – Quintrell Downs – St Newlyn East – Truro
• 587 Newquay – Crantock – Perranporth – Royal Cornwall Hospital – Truro
• 588 Mayfield – Pentire (Newquay)
• 590 Newquay – Truro – Penryn – Falmouth (summer only)
• 591 Ponsharden – Prince of Wales Pier (Falmouth Park and Ride)
• 593 St Columb Major – Bodmin – Liskeard
• 594 St Columb Major – Wadebridge – Camelford – Boscastle
• 596 Trelander – Boscawen Street (Truro)
• 597 Newquay – St Columb Major – Trispen – Truro

West Cornwall

• 501 Penzance – St Buryan – Porthcurno – Land's End
• 504 Penzance – Mousehole – St Buryan – Land's End – St Just
• 507 St Just – Pendeen – Gurnard's Head
• 508 Penzance – Gurnard’s Head – St Ives
• 509 Penzance – Sancreed – St Just
• 511 Pendennis Road – Manor Way – Treneere (Penzance Circular)
• 512 Alverton – Lansdowne Estate (Penzance Circular)
• 513 Penzance – Marazion – Leedstown
• 515 Penzance – Hayle – Gwithian
• 516 Penzance – Nancledra – St Ives
• 537 Helston – Cury – Mullion – Kuggar – Ruan Minor – The Lizard
• 538 Helston – Mawgan – Goonhilly – St Keverne – Coverack
• 540 Troon – Camborne – Portreath – Redruth
• 546 Hayle Towans – St Ives (summer only)
• 547 St Ives – Hayle – Perranporth – Newquay

North Cornwall

• 510 Exeter – Okehampton – Launceston – Camelford – Newquay
• 518 Bude – Stratton - Marhamchurch – Widemouth Bay
• 519 Bude – Red Post – Kilkhampton – Hartland
• 520 Bude – Kilkhampton – Crimp – Morwenstow
• 576 Bude – Launceston – Callington – Plymouth
• 577 Launceston – Milton Abbot – Tavistock
• 584 Camelford – Delabole – Port Isaac – Wadebridge
• 594 Boscastle – Camelford – Wadebridge – St Columb Major
• 595 Bude – Widemouth Bay – Crackington Haven - Boscastle
• 599 Bude – Holsworthy – Okehampton – Exeter

South East Cornwall

• 536 Liskeard – Rilla Mill
• 572 Plymouth – Looe – Polperro
• 573 Liskeard – Looe – Polperro
• 574 Liskeard – Callington
• 575 Liskeard – Trago Mills – East Taphouse – St Neot
• 576 Plymouth – Callington – Launceston – Bude
• 577 Tavistock – Milton Abbot – Launceston
• 581 Liskeard – Hessenford – Widegates
• 592 Liskeard – Saltash – Plymouth
• 593 St Columb Major – Bodmin – Liskeard

Fleet

Western Greyhound operates a varied fleet. The largest part (as at 10 August 2010) consists of 60 minibuses and 25 midibuses, most of which have coach seats. They also have 8 single deck and 21 double deck vehicles. In addition, there is a small fleet of heritage vehicles that are used for special services and charters.^[5]

Fleet number range	Type	Seats	Comments
201 – 208	Mercedes-Benz Citaro	39 or 42	8 single deck buses
301 – 304	Mercedes-Benz 413CDi	16	4 minibuses with UVG bodies for Corlink demand-responsive services
401 – 402	Alexander Dennis Enviro400	78	2 coach-seated double deck buses
440 – 443	Dennis Trident 2 with Plaxton President body	75	4 double deck buses
444 – 445	Dennis Trident 2 with East Lancs Lolyne body	82	2 double deck buses
450 – 499	Volvo Olympian East Lancs Pyoneer body	84	13 double deck buses
500 – 599	Mercedes-Benz O814 Plaxton Beaver 2 body	27 – 33	55 coach-seated minibuses (plus 3 spares) 8 bus-seated minibuses
701 – 708	Optare Solo M710SE	23	8 coach-seated midibuses
816 – 817	Optare Solo M850	28	2 midibuses
910 – 988	Optare Solo M920	31 or 33	24 midibuses

Heritage fleet

Fleet number	Registration	Type	Built	Comments
RM1062	62 CLT	AEC Routemaster	1962	London Transport red livery
RM1783	783 DYE	AEC Routemaster	1964	Converted to open top
RMA11	NMY 648E	AEC Routemaster	1967
RML2737	SMK 737F	AEC Routemaster	1967	London Transport red livery
RF	MLL 528	AEC Regal IV	1952	Single deck, formerly with Green Line[1]
258	LFJ 858W	Bristol VRT/SL3 with ECW body	1980
259	JWV 259W	Bristol VRT/SL3 with ECW body	1981
282	LUA 282V	Leyland Leopard PSU5D/4R with Plaxton Supreme body	1980	Coach, previously with Cornishman Coaches;[2] not in service
347	MHJ 347F	Leyland Titan PD3/4 with East Lancs body	1967	Formerly with Southend Corporation Transport;[1] not in service
2748	EOO 590	Bristol Lodekka FLF6B with ECW body	1962	Formerly with Eastern National;[1] not in service

Liveries

Most service buses are in a bright green livery with a thin yellow strip. A large fleet name and a greyhound logo are applied in white. The Citaros used on the Truro Park and Ride service are painted blue,^[5] Two Citaros used as spare vehicles (207/208) are painted red. One Mercedes-Benz/Plaxton Beaver minibus (599) is in a silver livery.^[5]

Bright green has not always been the fleet livery. When the services were first introduced the main colour was pink. This was used for several years but when First Group introduced a blue and pink livery to their buses in the area a decision was taken to change the buses to a green livery which was paler than the colour now used.^[1]

References

External links

• Western Greyhound official website

Bus companies operating in South West England Bristol Bugler Coaches · First Bristol · First Somerset & Avon · Wessex Connect · South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach Cornwall First Devon & Cornwall (including Truronian) · Plymouth Citybus · Stagecoach South West · Western Greyhound · Devon First Devon & Cornwall · Plymouth Citybus · Stagecoach South West Dorset First Hampshire & Dorset · Yellow Buses (list of routes) · Wilts & Dorset (services) Gloucestershire Buglers · Cotswold Green · First Somerset & Avon · Stagecoach West (Stagecoach in Cheltenham, Stagecoach in Gloucestershire, Stagecoach in the Cotswolds) · Thamesdown Transport Somerset Berrys Coaches · Buglers · Damory Coaches · First Hampshire & Dorset · First Somerset & Avon · Nippy Bus · Quantock Motor Services · South West Coaches · Stagecoach South West · Webberbus Wiltshire Connect2Wiltshire · First Somerset & Avon · Stagecoach in Swindon · Thamesdown Transport · Wilts & Dorset (services) National Megabus · National Express