Go-Ahead acquires four coach operators

[WAB]

East Yorkshire has acquired Procter's Coaches (including Dales and District), Compass Royston, Esk Valley and Fourway Coaches. North Yorkshire is now increasingly East Yorkshire territory.

 

[Delenn]

East Yorkshire has acquired Procter's Coaches (including Dales and District), Compass Royston, Esk Valley and Fourway Coaches. North Yorkshire is now increasingly East Yorkshire territory.

I'm not sure that East Yorkshire has acquired them. Go-ahead has, but they will certainly be working together on some things.

 

[WAB]

I'm not sure that East Yorkshire has acquired them. Go-ahead has, but they will certainly be working together on some things.

That was just what I was told verbally... I've looked at the GA website and they say that EY will be managing the companies.

 

[Delenn]

That was just what I was told verbally... I've looked at the GA website and they say that EY will be managing the companies.

Sounds right. A friend of mine says the internal comms in unclear, but it does say Go Ahead has acquired, not EY. Just semantics though probably.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Here's the press release:

Go-Ahead expands presence in North & West Yorkshire and the North East with acquisition of four regional coach companies

News from Go Ahead

newsroom.go-ahead.com

The Go-Ahead Group is proud to announce the acquisition of four regional coach companies, marking a significant expansion in the North and West Yorkshire, and the North East The acquisition includes Procters Coaches in North Yorkshire, Compass Royston serving Stockton, Middlesbrough & Teesside, Esk Valley operating in North and East Riding of Yorkshire, and Fourway Coaches in West Yorkshire.

With 200 new employees, including skilled drivers, and a fleet of 140 vehicles across five depots, this acquisition significantly strengthens Go-Ahead's foothold in the region and continues to build key relationships with local authorities and commercial partners. The increased capacity will facilitate improved connectivity for customers, linking them to essential destinations such as schools, colleges, and workplaces.

These established and successful companies collectively bring to Go-Ahead a wealth of experience and a diverse range of services, including tendered local bus routes, home-to-school transport, private hire, and commercial contracts. This acquisition underscores Go-Ahead's commitment to enhancing connectivity and service excellence in the region.

Matt Carney, Chief Executive of Go-Ahead Bus said: "This acquisition aligns seamlessly with Go-Ahead's overarching mission to provide reliable, accessible, and sustainable transport solutions. We are committed to upholding our values of caring for our customers, our team, and our communities, while maintaining our position as trusted industry leaders.”

Ben Gilligan, Managing Director for East Yorkshire Buses said: "We are excited to welcome these reputable companies into the Go-Ahead family, this acquisition represents a milestone in our growth journey, allowing us to expand our operations across a broader geography in Yorkshire."

The acquisition builds upon Go-Ahead's existing operations in the region, complementing the success of East Yorkshire Buses. Over recent years, East Yorkshire Buses has expanded its geographical footprint with notable contracts, including JustGo North Lincs in 2020 and more recently the North Riding services operating in North Yorkshire, demonstrating a record of success in regional expansion. Recent customer satisfaction surveys by independent watchdog, Transport Focus, placed East Yorkshire Buses as one of the top performers in the UK, as its operations in the East Riding achieved an impressive 90% overall satisfaction rate.

Kevin Procter, who founded Procters Coaches in 1990, shared his sentiments, "We’re proud of everything we’ve achieved in the past 30 years. I turned my father’s taxi company into Procters Coaches, starting with one minibus and one large coach. We have been on a journey of growth and innovation, and we are excited to hand over to the trusted Go-Ahead Group. We are fully supportive of Go-Ahead’s commitment to our team and their approach to driving positive change in the UK coach market, for local communities, customers, and the region."

It specifically says that Go Ahead is acquiring the 4 companies but in a tweet Go Ahead says East Yorkshire will manage the companies as below:

x.com

x.com

The Go-Ahead Group is excited to announce the acquisition of four regional coach companies in Yorkshire and the North East. Procters Coaches, Compass Royston. Esk Valley and Fourway Coaches will become part of the Go-Ahead Group and be managed by one of our operators,
@EYBuses
. Go-Ahead is committed to reliable, accessible, and sustainable transport solutions. We are pleased to welcome these companies that have a track record of delivering outstanding services for customers.

 

[stevieinselby]

East Yorkshire has acquired Procter's Coaches (including Dales and District), Compass Royston, Esk Valley and Fourway Coaches. North Yorkshire is now increasingly East Yorkshire territory.

Good news ... for Dales & District passengers, at least! Their offering has become increasingly shoddy over recent years, so I'm sure a bit of Go-ahead love will put them back on track and, for example, ensure that timetables are added to their website within a year of starting a service (they started running the RS1 last April but still don't mention it on their website and it isn't showing on bustimes) – they aren't on Twitter and their Facebook posts are written in the unpunctuated all caps style of grandad who's still getting to grips with Windows 98...

The Leeming Bar base may be more useful for some of their North Riding services than Pocklington, although with Pocklington now only running local services and not the X46/X47 they're in danger of having lots of small depots that struggle to justify their existence.

 

[Megafuss]

Not exactly a vote of confidence for the Go North East management team given most of those purchases would have sat better with them geographically

 

[WAB]

The Leeming Bar base may be more useful for some of their North Riding services than Pocklington, although with Pocklington now only running local services and not the X46/X47 they're in danger of having lots of small depots that struggle to justify their existence.

Depends on how their ongoing expansion plans go. I could see a York depot working well to allow them to cover the York, Ripon, Selby, Malton and Thirsk areas.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not exactly a vote of confidence for the Go North East management team given most of those purchases would have sat better with them geographically

Geographically, but not as good a fit in operating terms given the rural nature of the operation? I guess the skillset is more important.

 

[SCH117X]

Dales & District lost a number of routes at the last retendering. The RS1 in Ripon is covered by a, possibly unique, North Yorkshire Council timetable leaflet https://northyorkstravel.info/timetable/RSapr23.pdf which decribes all the RS services, they also cover the first and last workings each way on the RS2 albeit with a change fo route avoid a road with speed bumps.

 

[dodecahedron67]

Depends on how their ongoing expansion plans go. I could see a York depot working well to allow them to cover the York, Ripon, Selby, Malton and Thirsk areas.

Wait & see…

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

From the person with a Dales and District vehicle as their avatar....

Kevin Proctor was focussed on growing the business up to 15 years or so ago. As well as D&D and Proctors, he bought Esk Valley, Compass Royston and Leven Valley. However, it's been apparent that the main growth has been coaching in recent years. From a time when they were perhaps the main North Yorkshire Council operator following Arriva's closure of Richmond depot, they have really reduced their bus operations.

Hodgsons are now the dominant firm around Richmond and Northallerton, and it's an interesting purchase.

 

[stevieinselby]

From the person with a Dales and District vehicle as their avatar....

Kevin Proctor was focussed on growing the business up to 15 years or so ago. As well as D&D and Proctors, he bought Esk Valley, Compass Royston and Leven Valley. However, it's been apparent that the main growth has been coaching in recent years. From a time when they were perhaps the main North Yorkshire Council operator following Arriva's closure of Richmond depot, they have really reduced their bus operations.

Hodgsons are now the dominant firm around Richmond and Northallerton, and it's an interesting purchase.

I would imagine that, like First buying York Pullman, they are more interested in buying the coach businesses and the small stage carriage service just goes along for the ride.

At one point around 2010, Dales & District had a PVR of over 20 ... it's now 4. There's clearly potential to use it as a base to expand the council contract work, but buying it just after the contracts have been awarded suggests that might not be where their main focus is going to be.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I would imagine that, like First buying York Pullman, they are more interested in buying the coach businesses and the small stage carriage service just goes along for the ride.

At one point around 2010, Dales & District had a PVR of over 20 ... it's now 4. There's clearly potential to use it as a base to expand the council contract work, but buying it just after the contracts have been awarded suggests that might not be where their main focus is going to be.

I think it was higher still before 2010 when they had much of the former Arriva work and there was still some sizeable council tendered work. That said, North Yorkshire Council tenders are much reduced since 2010 and, as you say, Hodgsons (and Reliance) has mopped that up.

I know they do some standard coaching and some rail replacement, but thought much was touring work these days (Caledonian Travel?) as well as being a coach dealer. Not the first firm I'd expect GA to purchase but there you go.

 

[MotCO]

Go-Ahead seem to favour buying coaching operations, which is a change of direction. (e.g. Pulhams Coaches). Is this because of uncertainty in the bus field such as franchising and the additional cost of converting to EVs?

 

[Megafuss]

Go-Ahead seem to favour buying coaching operations, which is a change of direction. (e.g. Pulhams Coaches). Is this because of uncertainty in the bus field such as franchising and the additional cost of converting to EVs?

Handy places to have yards mind when it comes to tenders

 

[stevieinselby]

Go-Ahead seem to favour buying coaching operations, which is a change of direction. (e.g. Pulhams Coaches). Is this because of uncertainty in the bus field such as franchising and the additional cost of converting to EVs?

With the potential upsets for stage carriage services around franchising, the long-term impact of the £2 fare cap and commuting patterns, I think there are a number of bus companies that are trying to diversify and get more opportunities for business around contracts for home-to-school transport and rail replacement, as well as private hire, rather than keeping all of their eggs in an increasingly uncertain basket.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Go-Ahead seem to favour buying coaching operations, which is a change of direction. (e.g. Pulhams Coaches). Is this because of uncertainty in the bus field such as franchising and the additional cost of converting to EVs?

Pulhams does have a substantial bus operation and is nicely positioned to the West of Oxford.

With the potential upsets for stage carriage services around franchising, the long-term impact of the £2 fare cap and commuting patterns, I think there are a number of bus companies that are trying to diversify and get more opportunities for business around contracts for home-to-school transport and rail replacement, as well as private hire, rather than keeping all of their eggs in an increasingly uncertain basket.

As First has shown with Truronian (and their more recent purchase with York Pullman), the Amazon contract win, and the big one with Somerset Passenger Solutions, there is a market for "transport solutions" whether that's rail replacement or contracted transport.

The purchase of the Proctors empire is a bit different as it's currently not a massive provider of such services AFAIK. I think they have done some LNER rail replacement but seem to recall Caledonian Travel and Lochs & Glens - taking little old ladies for turkey and tinsel breaks to Pitlochry - were a substantial part of the coaching activity. Don't know how much they do for Northallerton schools but certainly, Richmond seems to be dominated by Hodgsons and Garnetts these days.

 

[Andyh82]

Is “Caledonian Travel” part of this group of companies, or are they unaffected?

 

[MotCO]

Is “Caledonian Travel” part of this group of companies, or are they unaffected?

I had assumed that 'Caledonian Travel' is a holiday company which uses contractor coaches in their (CT) livery. A bit like coach companies participating in Flixbus, painting some coaches green.

Also Silver Service and St Legers Holidays I think do likewise etc.

 

[dmncf]

With the potential upsets for stage carriage services around franchising, the long-term impact of the £2 fare cap and commuting patterns, I think there are a number of bus companies that are trying to diversify and get more opportunities for business around contracts for home-to-school transport and rail replacement, as well as private hire, rather than keeping all of their eggs in an increasingly uncertain basket.

In my opinion this is a big change in behaviour. In the past few decades, I haven't seen examples of the big transport groups making a success of coaches; the coach industry remains dominated by family firms and other small businesses. A recent example I'm thinking of is National Express buying up several coach companies, bringing them together under the Touromo brand, then closing them down.

 

[stevieinselby]

In my opinion this is a big change in behaviour. In the past few decades, I haven't seen examples of the big transport groups making a success of coaches; the coach industry remains dominated by family firms and other small businesses. A recent example I'm thinking of is National Express buying up several coach companies, bringing them together under the Touromo brand, then closing them down.

If National Express can't manage a coach operation then there are questions to be answered...
East Yorkshire has a long history of coaching operations, so this isn't the massive departure for them that it might be for other Go-ahead divisions ... that may be why the new companies are coming under the East Yorkshire umbrella rather than Go North East.

 

[bunty0657]

Is “Caledonian Travel” part of this group of companies, or are they unaffected?

The 'arrangement' is this:

Procters Coaches, Compass Royston and Esk Valley were owned by Kevin Procter. Fourway Coaches was owned by Andy Garratt. All four have been sold to Go-Ahead as a job lot, as is the subject of this thread. Garratt and Procter jointly own Temsa Sales UK, which utilises the former Arriva Bus and Coach and Hughes DAF yard in Cleckheaton that is also Fourway's operating centre. Temsa Sales UK is doing very well and it has been reported somewhere that 100 new coaches are expected to be registered this year, so presumably the combination of that and Go-Ahead being willing to part with a suitable amount of silver has influenced the decision to sell the four coach operators.

Caledonian Travel/Leisure is owned by Garratt and runs its own coaches, albeit on an O'licence under a different entity's name, I believe.

Andy Garratt also owned Solus Coaches of Tamworth until last year, when he sold it to a business owned by/affiliated with the former proprietor of BM Coaches of Hayes, Your Partner in Journey, and various others.

 

[Bristol LHS]

Good news ... for Dales & District passengers, at least! Their offering has become increasingly shoddy over recent years, so I'm sure a bit of Go-ahead love will put them back on track

It can’t really get much worse, they’ve only started taking contactless over the last 12 months, dirty rattly buses and some very variable customer service from the drivers. Got to hope there might be some further enhancements of the 73 (which is good territory by North Yorkshire standards) and maybe a bit of love for the fleet. Was wondering if any of the EY tenders make more sense from Leeming than Pocklington.. probably not?

Hogdsons would be an interesting addition for Go-Ahead now - cement them in North Yorkshire and gives them options in the south of Durham not covered by GNE.

 

[stevieinselby]

It can’t really get much worse, they’ve only started taking contactless over the last 12 months, dirty rattly buses and some very variable customer service from the drivers. Got to hope there might be some further enhancements of the 73 (which is good territory by North Yorkshire standards) and maybe a bit of love for the fleet. Was wondering if any of the EY tenders make more sense from Leeming than Pock.. probably not?

One of the 82/182 diagrams essentially starts/ends in Boroughbridge, at the moment it does half a run in service between York and Boroughbridge in a way that seems designed to deter anyone using it, so I'm not sure what the point is (unless they can access more grant funding for miles in service?), and another one essentially starts/ends in Knaresborough but again does a strange part-journey on the A59 – take out those odd positioning journeys and both Boroughbridge and Knaresborough are closer to Leeming than Pocklington so that would reduce dead mileage. Likewise the bus that runs the 80 starts/ends in Raskelf, which is also closer to Leeming than Pocklington.

What I would really like to see is a through service from Northallerton all the way to Hawes reinstated throughout the week – Dales & District didn't have the gumption to push for that, but maybe with a bit of luck Go-ahead will try to get NYC on side (although we're definitely heading into "Speculative discussion" territory here).

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

What I would really like to see is a through service from Northallerton all the way to Hawes reinstated throughout the week – Dales & District didn't have the gumption to push for that, but maybe with a bit of luck Go-ahead will try to get NYC on side (although we're definitely heading into "Speculative discussion" territory here).

I don't think you can blame the operator for that. Upper Wensleydale is very thin operating territory. The council are quite happy letting a bunch of volunteers drive minibuses - much cheaper!

It can’t really get much worse, they’ve only started taking contactless over the last 12 months, dirty rattly buses and some very variable customer service from the drivers. Got to hope there might be some further enhancements of the 73 (which is good territory by North Yorkshire standards) and maybe a bit of love for the fleet. Was wondering if any of the EY tenders make more sense from Leeming than Pocklington.. probably not?

Hogdsons would be an interesting addition for Go-Ahead now - cement them in North Yorkshire and gives them options in the south of Durham not covered by GNE.

Depends what rates Hodgsons are now running these tenders at. Might not be the most lucrative but, you have to say, their growth is very impressive over recent years.

 

[Delenn]

At least one Dales & District bus now has "Part of Go Ahead" on the back. That didn't take long!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

At least one Dales & District bus now has "Part of Go Ahead" on the back. That didn't take long!

It wouldn't take too long for the bus fleet to be done

I know it was questioned why this purchase has gone under East Yorkshire control. Well, Esk Valley do have a depot at Carnaby near Brid as well as the main one in Whitby, so it is closer to EYMS and they probably have more time to integrate rather than Go North East who are still dealing with the fallout from the strike.

 

[SCH117X]

At least one Dales & District bus now has "Part of Go Ahead" on the back. That didn't take long!

Maybe ought to have what Transdev Blazefield did with Yorkshire Tiger vehicles and add "they are going to make me better" (even if actually meant trip to the scrapyard).

I presume Dales & Distict do not sell a rover ticket any longer given the lack of much roving ability.

I used one years ago 159 from Ripon to Leyburn (now Hodgsons), then a 156 to Bolton Castle (now Little White Bus), 156 to Bedale (now requires a change of bus on Leyburn onto a Hodgsons 155), 144 to Ripon (now only operated as far as Masham but still Dales & District so now requring a Hodgsons 159 onwards). Could possibly narrow down when as from Ripon I caught a 142 (proper number that, no 22 or 82 rubbish) heading towards York which was when the tender was with Harrogate & District and their was a marked difference between Procters basically fitted out vehicles and the then Blazefield (pre Transdev) vehicle.

 

[Swimbar]

Caledonian Travel/Leisure is owned by Garratt and runs its own coaches, albeit on an O'licence under a different entity's name, I believe.

Travel Caledonian Ltd hold Operators Licence PB2046154 for 90 vehicles at various locations including Gomersal. Andrew Garratt and Kevin John Proctor are both directors.