Centrebus

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Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart SLF in Leicester City Centre in October 2011
Founded 2001
Headquarters Leicester
Service area Bedfordshire
Hertfordshire
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Nottinghamshire
Through its High Peak joint venture:
Derbyshire
Greater Manchester
Cheshire
Service type Bus services
Chief executive Peter Harvey
Website www.centrebus.info

Centrebus[1] is a privately owned company that operate a number of bus operations around Bedfordshire, Grantham, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Rutland and Nottinghamshire, mainly in areas where Arriva has scaled down its bus operations. It is also operates in the High Peak area through a 50% shareholding in High Peak.

History

Plaxton Centro bodied VDL SB120 in April 2007
Northern Counties Palatine bodied Volvo B10M-50 in September 2008
Trustybus liveried Alexander Dennis Enviro 200 in Hatfield in April 2010

Centrebus was founded in 2001, it was previously known as Anstey Buslines.

Expansion

In June 2007 Centrebus purchased Bowers Coaches,[2] a local bus operator based in Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire. Bowers operated services in Cheshire, Derbyshire and Greater Manchester. Some services operated under the Cheshire Connect brand. In April 2012 Centrebus entered a joint venture with the Wellglade Group to form High Peak with Bowers operations relocated to Trent Barton's Dove Holes depot.[3][4]

In March 2008, Centrebus sold its St Albans operations to Uno.[5]

In May 2008 Centrebus' shareholders headed by director Julian Peddle, formed Centrebus Holdings with Arriva taking a 40% shareholding. In September 2013 Arriva bought out its partners with the West Yorkshire operations rebranded as Yorkshire Tiger and the Hinckley operations as Hinckley Bus.[6][7][8][9] Centrebus Holdings does not own 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 Woods Coaches Leicestershire business. In August 2009 the business of Trustybus,[10] with operations in Essex and Hertfordshire, was purchased by Centrebus.[11] In August 2010 Centrebus took over the operations of Judges Mini Coaches, Corby with routes serving Kettering, Milton Keynes, Welford, Wellingborough, Wicken and Yardley.

In May 2011 Centrebus took over West End Travel[12] and their fleet of buses and services in Melton Mowbray and their Rural Rider services. In October 2011 Centrebus purchased Paul James Coaches,[13] 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.[14] 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.[15] In August 2013 the depot was closed with operations transferred to Centrebus' Grantham depot.[16]

In November 2012 Centrebus closed its Harlow depot with most routes passing to Roadrunner Buses.[17] The remaining routes moved to the Stevenage depot. Centrebus further reduced their presence in the area, with the cessation of route 319 in December 2012[18] and 5, 22, 90, 91, 354 and M1-M5 in March/April 2013.[19]

See also

References

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

External links

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Major bus companies based in the East Midlands
Derbyshire
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Northamptonshire
Nottinghamshire
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