Durham Travel Services

Durham Travel Services^[1] was a bus and coach operator in England.

History

Durham Travel Services was founded in 1987 by Peter Lee and Eric Bowerbank, initially as a coach charter operator in Durham. In 1993, it expanded with the acquisition of York Pullman from Kingston-upon-Hull City Transport.^[2] In 1997, it gained a contract to operate disabled services under contract to Nexus.^[3]

In February 2000, the York Pullman business was sold to First York.^[2] Durham Travel Services also operated express services under contract to National Express.

On 20 January 2001, Durham Travel Services diversified into operating bus services under contract to Transport for London, when it commenced operating route 185 under the London Easylink banner.^[4] It was awarded the contract to operate route 42 from 20 April 2002, but actually began operating the route on 19 January 2002 under sub-contract to Connex.

On 21 August 2002, Durham Travel Services was placed in administration after it was discovered company director Peter Lee had embezzled £590k, rendering the business insolvent.^[5][6][7] The routes were initially taken over initially by Blue Triangle using a combination of its own buses and those of other operators.^[8] Both later passed to East Thames Buses with the new operator taking over the leases of the former London Easylink buses.

Fleet

London Easylink operated route 185 with Plaxton President bodied Volvo B7TLs, and route 42 initially with Dennis Darts leased from Connex, until the intended East Lancs Myllennium bodied Scania N94UBs were delivered.^[9]

Depots

Durham Travel Services operated out of a depot in Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, with main offices located in Seaham, County Durham. London Easylink operated from the Transo premises facility on Old Kent Road.^[4]

References

Former bus companies of the United Kingdom National Associated Motorways Blazefield Holdings British Bus British Coachways British Electric Traction Fraser Eagle GRT Group National Bus Company Thomas Tilling England Former bus companies operating in England North West England Birkenhead Transport Blackburn Transport Blue Bus and Coach Services Bluebird Bus and Coach Bu-Val Buses ChesterBus Citibus Tours Crosville Motor Services Finglands Coachways First Chester & The Wirral Glenvale Transport GM Buses Lancashire United Transport JPT Maynes Bus Maytree Travel MTL North Western Road Car Company (1923) North Western Road Car Company (1986) Pennine Blue Red & White Services Ribble Motor Services Speedwellbus Transdev Northern Blue UK North Yelloway Motor Services North East England Black Prince Buses Busways Travel Services Durham Travel Services Geldards Coaches Jolly Bus Leon Motors Mexborough and Swinton Traction Company Northern General Transport Company OK Motor Services Samuel Ledgard South Yorkshire Transport United Automobile Services Venture Transport West Riding Automobile Company West Yorkshire Road Car Yorkshire Rider Yorkshire Terrier Yorkshire Traction Midlands A2Z Travel Barton Transport Birmingham City Transport Birmingham Motor Traction Chase Coaches First Northampton Glossopdale Bus Company Go West Midlands Ludlows North Birmingham Busways People's Express Premiere Travel Probus Management South Notts Bus Company Stevensons of Uttoxeter Travel Merry Hill Travel Your Bus Wesley Coaches Zak's Buses Eastern England Eastern National Omnibus Company MK Metro TWH Bus & Coach South West England Badgerline Bristol Omnibus Company Devon General Greyhound Motors Great Western Railway Hants & Dorset Motor Services Shamrock Buses Southern National Sureline Truronian Western Greyhound Western National South East England Alder Valley Aldershot & District Traction Badger Vectis Boro'line Maidstone Brijan Tours Bygone Buses Cavendish Motor Services Centra City Clipper Countryliner East Kent Road Car Company Invictaway Kent Top Travel Maidstone & District Maidstone Corporation Transport Marchwood Motorways Moss Motor Tours Portsmouth Corporation Transport Shamrock Buses Southampton Citybus Southdown Motor Services Thames Transit Thames Valley Traction Tillingbourne Bus Company Velvet Yellow Bus Services Greater London Bexleybus Birch Brothers Boro'line London Capital Citybus Capital Logistics Connex East Thames Buses First London Grey-Green Harris Bus Imperial Buses London Buslines London Country Bus Services London Country North East London Country North West London Country South East London Country South West London Easylink London Electrobus Company London Forest London Pride Sightseeing London Traveller MTL NSL Buses Thorpes Travel London Travel Surrey Westlink Scotland Former bus companies operating in Scotland Scottish Bus Group Central Scottish Clydeside Scottish Eastern Scottish Highland Scottish Kelvin Central Buses Kelvin Scottish Lowland Scottish Midland Scottish Northern Scottish Western Scottish Other operators Arriva Scotland West A1 Service Dart Buses First Stop Travel Gibson's of Moffat McKindless Munro's of Jedburgh Oban and District Scottish Motor Traction Strathclyde Buses Western SMT Wales Former bus companies operating in Wales Companies Crosville Motor Services Islwyn Borough Transport National Welsh Omnibus Services Padarn Bus Red & White Services Rhondda Transport Company South Wales Transport Western Welsh