Arriva Midlands

 

 

 

In September 1981 Midland Red North^[2] was formed with 230 buses operating from six depots in Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands as part of the breakup of the Midland Red bus company.^[3] In May 1983 the Ludlow depot was closed. In January 1988 Midland Red North was sold to the Drawlane Transport Group.^[4] In November 1992 it was sold to British Bus which in August 1996 was sold to the Cowie Group.^[5][6][7]

In 2003 the Arriva Midlands North garages in Crewe, Macclesfield and Winsford were transferred to Arriva North West. These had previously been operated by Crosville and had adopted the "Midland Redline" fleetname after transfer to Midland Red North. The remaining parts of Arriva Midlands North were combined with Arriva Derby and Arriva Fox County to form Arriva Midlands. Buses still operate with Arriva Midlands North legal name (except Burton upon Trent which used Stevensons of Uttoxeter).

In February 2007 the business of Chase Coaches was purchased with 27 buses with operations integrated into Arriva's Cannock depot.^[8] In late 2007 a new ChaseLinx brand (similar to the Leicester Linx brand) was introduced, reflecting the purchase of Chase Coaches.

In December 2007 Swadlincote depot closed with operations transferred to Burton upon Trent. In August 2008 the Hinckley depot and services were sold to Centebus Holdings.^[9] In January 2009 Shifnal depot closed while in the same month Bridgnorth reopened.

In December 2010 the business of Wardle Transport, Stoke-on-Trent was purchased with 64 buses,^[10][11] followed in June 2011 by the Staffordshire operations of D&G Bus with 30 buses that was integrated with Wardle Transport^[12][13] and in August 2012 Midland of Wednesfield from D&G Bus with 61 buses.^[14]

In May 2015, D&G Bus purchased Wardle transport back from Arriva Midlands with 19 buses.^[15][16][17]

On 23 April 2017 the Wednesfield depot closed with some services passing to Diamond Buses with nine vehicles and the remainder of vehicles reallocated to other depots.^[18][19] The depot had only reopened in March 2013 after a refurbishment.^[20]

In 2017, four Arriva Shires & Essex depots (Milton Keynes, Luton, Aylesbury and High Wycombe), and their routes, were transferred into the management of Arriva Midlands. The vehicles were renumbered in late 2018 and early 2019 to avoid multiple vehicles having the same fleet numbers.^[21]

Arriva announced that from 1 April 2018 that no buses from their Cannock depot would run during the evenings and Sundays as a result of Staffordshire County Council funding cuts.^[22] Hundreds signed an online petition within the first week, which quickly lead to thousands including backing from two local MPs.^[23]

In November 2020 it was announced that the Cannock Depot would be sold to D&G bus, with services being operated under the Chaserider brand from the end of service on 9 January 2021.^[24][25]

 

In 1994 Derby City Transport was privatised and sold to British Bus.^[26] In August 1996 British Bus was purchased by the Cowie Group and the operation rebranded as Arriva Derby.^[27]

Arriva previously had a depot in Burton Upon Trent until August 2016 when the operations passed to Midland Classic.

 

In September 1981 Midland Red East^[28] was formed with 181 buses operating from five depots in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire as part of the breakup of the Midland Red bus company, and in January 1984 was renamed Midland Fox.^[3] In 1987 it was privatised in a management buyout. Several smaller operators including Loughborough Bus & Coach Company were purchased and in 1989 it was sold to the Drawlane Group. In November 1992 it was sold to British Bus which in August 1996 was sold to the Cowie Group and later renamed Arriva Fox County.^[5]

Arriva Midlands East currently operate from three depots within the Leicestershire area these are Thurmaston, Coalville and Barwell.

In September 2013, Arriva purchased Centrebus Groups shares in Centrebus Holdings with their Hinckley operations becoming Hinckley Bus which operated as a part of Arriva Midlands ^[29][30] During late 2018 they merged operations into the main Arriva Midlands business.

Arriva announced in August 2021 after 64 years they will be closing their South Wigston depot during October 2021 with all services moving to Thurmaston depot.^[31]

Arriva Midlands operate eleven depots as of January 2022 in:^[32]

• Derby
• Shrewsbury
• Tamworth
• Telford
• Thurmaston also the HQ for Arriva Midlands
• Barwell
• Milton Keynes
• Luton
• Aylesbury
• High Wycombe

In 2017, four Arriva Shires & Essex depots (Milton Keynes, Luton, Aylesbury and High Wycombe), and their routes, were transferred into the management of Arriva Midlands. The vehicles were renumbered in late 2018 and early 2019 to avoid multiple Arriva Midlands vehicles sharing the same fleet numbers.^[21]

In 2018 the Cannock depot began closing entirely on Sundays due to county council subsidy cuts, leaving Cannock without buses, with the Cannock depot being sold to D&G bus in January 2021.

In 2023, Arriva announced that it planned to close the Oswestry depot as a result of low patronage and financial difficulties following the Covid-19 pandemic. Most services operated from Oswestry would be moved to Shrewsbury and Arriva Buses Wales' Wrexham depot if the planned closure is approved.^[33] The closure went ahead in early summer 2023.

• Cannock - purchased by D&G Bus in November 2020, and was transferred on 9 January 2021.^[34]
• Burton-upon-Trent - purchased by Midland Classic in 2016^[35]
• Wednesfield - closed in 2017 due to loss of most Transport for West Midlands contracted services. Nine vehicles and remaining tendered routes sold to Diamond Bus. Commercially run routes 35, and 35A were moved to Cannock Depot, while routes 10, 10A, and 10B were transferred to Telford Depot. Service 10 has since been withdrawn by Arriva (after a spell being operated by Cannock depot) with the 10A & 10B now operated by National Express.
• Bridgnorth depot, an outstation of Telford, operated services 585-588 in South Staffordshire along with service 9, 297, 101 and 436. The depot closed with the ending of the 585-588 routes in 2012 with services being operated by Shrewsbury (436) and Telford (other routes). It was located on the Stanmore Industrial Estate.
• Wellington - replaced by new depot in Telford.
• Southgates - Former Midland Fox garage closed in 2009 and operations were merged with the Thurmaston Depot
• Wigston - Closed 31 October 2021
• Oswestry - Operated by Arriva since early 2000s after moving from previous Midland Red depot. Operated services 2/2A/2C, 53, 54, 405, 449, 79A, 71, X5 prior to decision to close depot in early 2023. Services 53 and X5 transferred to Shrewsbury whereas services 2/2A/2C transferred to Arriva Wales Wrexham; all remaining routes were reallocated to other operators.

• Company website
•   Media related to Arriva Midlands at Wikimedia Commons