TRIVIA: Places served by the most depots of one operator

[Flange Squeal]

Alton is a smallish market town in Hampshire with a population of around 15-20k people. Stagecoach South are the predominant operator in the town with several routes meeting there from various directions, and used to have a depot in the town after acquiring that part of Alder Valley South. That has long closed though and routes in the town now operated by five different Stagecoach South depots, plus a couple of workings from a small outstation in nearby Farringdon.

Alton, Hampshire - Stagecoach South

• Aldershot (~13 miles) - 9, 65X, 113, 123
• Basingstoke (~13 miles) - 13
• Guildford (~20 miles) - 65
• Farringdon (~4 miles) - 64
• Portsmouth (~27 miles) - 37X, 38, 38X
• Winchester (~20 miles) - 64

This got me wondering what other locations are served by multiple depots/outstations of a single operator. I'm guessing some large cities will no doubt easily beat Alton's six, so smaller towns and the like would perhaps be of most interest.

 

[ACBest]

Lincoln is visited by Stagecoach East Midlands’ Lincoln, Gainsborough, Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Skegness depots - and until a few years ago, was also visited by Newark.

 

[DunsBus]

I remember Dalkeith having services run by all three of Lothian's depots at one time.

 

[RDP]

Canterbury has services from five Stagecoach South East depots and used to have services from six before the through service from Hastings was withdrawn. Most services are provided by Herne Bay with services also provided by Thanet (8, 8A, 8X, 9X, 11 and 43), Dover (12, 15 and 43), Folkestone (16, 17 and 18) and Ashford (1, 1A, 1X, and 649). Thanet, Folkestone and Ashford also operate a number of Canterbury school services while Dover operates the Park & Ride services.

 

[CN04NRJ]

I remember Dalkeith having services run by all three of Lothian's depots at one time.

Technically it still is at Central runs some of the X33s.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Both Brierley Hill and Stourbridge used to be serviced by Travel West Midlands's Birmingham Central, Walsall, Pensnett, Wolverhampton and West Bromwich in the early 2000s (Stourbridge up until 2009!). Nowadays Brierley Hill is down to Wolverhampton, West Bromwich and Pensnett with Stourbridge down to Wolverhampton and Pensnett)

At one stage (early 2000s) Birmingham used to have at least 1 bus from each Travel West Midlands depot, including Coventry!!

 

[EnviroExplorer]

Besides the obvious of Birmingham City Centre, the most I can think of for the West Midlands and National Express is Harborne. Admittedly this is less impressive than Alton though has a similar population size.

Acocks Green operate the 11A/C Outer Circle,
Birmingham Central operate the 23/24,
Pensnett operate the 19,
West Bromwich operate the 48,
Yardley Wood operate the 76.

Other points of intersection have 4 depots at most, mostly with the Outer Circle involved!

 

[cnjb8]

Derby is served by all but one of the Wellglade depots (Derby, Nottingham, Langley Mill, Sutton and Loughborough, the exception being Halfway). It's also served by outstations at Belper, Matlock and Ashbourne.

 

[Simon75]

Chelmsford is served by by First Essex Chelmsford, Basildon and Colchester

 

[JD2168]

Sheffield:
Stagecoach buses from Ecclesfield, Holbrook, Rawmarsh, Chesterfield & Mansfield depot all serve here.
Doncaster:
Stagecoach buses from Barnsley, Rawmarsh, Worksop & Gainsborough depots serve here.

 

[JamesC357]

Chelmsford is served by by First Essex Chelmsford, Basildon and Colchester

And for a couple of months towards the end of last year, was also served by Hadleigh depot, on route 3.

 

[Lewisham2221]

Interesting to note that most of the responses so far a Stagecoach depots. Do they tend to still operate from multiple, smaller, depots in an area, where First and to some extent Arriva have tended to close/merge depots and/or open newer, larger depots?

 

[abbo1234]

Keswick is served by Stagecoach Cumbria, Lillyhall, Carlisle and Kendal, also Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire from Chorley on the X8.

 

[Andyh82]

Keswick is served by Stagecoach Cumbria, Lillyhall, Carlisle and Kendal, also Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire from Chorley on the X8.

And also from Lancaster depot on the summer extra 555s as well?

 

[abbo1234]

And also from Lancaster depot on the summer extra 555s as well?

Forgot about those, LoL.

 

[Bristol LHS]

Newcastle now gets service from all four Stagecoach Busways depots in Tyne and Wear (quite a change from when the Sunderland and South Shields operations were self-contained and inter urban links all with Northern) plus Carlisle on the 685s.

 

[Simon75]

Chester: Arriva Chester, Runcorn, Rhyl and until 22/4/23 Winsford

 

[Statto]

Chester: Arriva Chester, Runcorn, Rhyl and until 22/4/23 Winsford

Chester is also served by Arriva's Wrexham depot

Liverpool is served by all Arriva Merseyside depots, of Birkenhead, Bootle, Green Lane, Speke, St Helens & Southport, also Arriva North West depot in Runcorn

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Huddersfield is served by Arriva from Wakefield, Dewsbury and Heckmondwike depots.

First serve the town from Huddersfield and Halifax depots, with Halifax possibly counting as two (Elmwood and Skircoat Road) but as they're right next to each other that's possibly cheating. Oldham and Bradford were also present in years gone by.

 

[DunsBus]

Galashiels is served by all three Borders Buses depots (Berwick, Galashiels, St Boswells) and two outstations (Hawick, Peebles).

 

[DanNCL]

These are what Newcastle has. For Go North East I've included both the current situation and the situation ten years ago, as ten years ago they had several depots that are now no more thanks to cuts and replacements.
Stagecoach:
Carlisle - 685
South Shields - X34
Slatyford (Newcastle) - 10, 11, 30, 31, 32, 32A, 35, 36, 62, 63, 71, 72, 87, X47, X77, X78, X79, X82, X87, X88
Walkergate (Newcastle) - 1, 12, 22, 22X, 38, 38A, 39, 40, 54, 62, 63, X63
Wheatsheaf (Sunderland) - X24, X24A

Arriva:
Ashington - X14, X15, X18, X20, X21, X22
Blyth - 43, 44, 45, 47, 51, 52, 54, 55, 306, 308, X7, X8, X9, X10, X11, X30
Stockton - X12
The outstation at Alnwick is used for some trips on routes X15 and X18 however it has no allocation. Arriva also use Stagecoach's Walkergate depot as an outstation but no Arriva vehicles are allocated there.

Go North East (present):
Deptford (Sunderland) - 56
Hexham - 10, 74, 684, X85
Hownsgill (Consett) - 6, 12, 47, X30, X31, X45
Percy Main - 1, 307, 309, X39,
Riverside (Gateshead) - 10, 10A, 10B, 21, 27, 53, 54, 57, 58, N21, X10, X21, X58, X71, X72
Washington - 25, 28, 28B, 29, X1

Go North East (ten years ago):
Chester le Street
Crook
Deptford (Sunderland)
Hexham
Percy Main
Stanley
Sunderland Road (Gateshead)
Washington
Winlaton
Since 2013 the depots at Chester le Street and Crook have closed without replacement, the depot at Stanley was replaced by Hownsgill, and the depots at Sunderland Road and Winlaton were replaced by Riverside.

 

[aliceh]

Bournemouth has five from Go South Coast:
- Bournemouth (obviously)
- Poole
- Lymington (X1 and X2)
- Swanage (Purbeck Breezer)
- Ringwood (X3)

I don't think Salisbury depot run anything that far, but I may be wrong

 

[DunsBus]

Sunderland, in Northern General/Go-Ahead Northern days. Buses from the depots at South Shields, Gateshead, Chester-le-Street, Washington, Percy Main, Murton (until its closure), Philadelphia and Sunderland itself could all be seen there.

 

[Djb1]

Manchester (whether we are talking city of, or greater manchester) wouldn’t actually beat Alton’s 6.
Stagecoach manage 6
- Sharston
- Middleton
- Dukinfield
- Digan
- Stockport
- Chorley?

First would previously have held more, but now only 4
- Oldham
- Huddersfield
- Halifax
- Todmorden

Having relinquished 5 other locations in the last 5 or so years
- Bury
- Tameside
- Bolton
- Queens Road
- Rusholme

 

[dgl]

Bridport is served by three First depots, Yeovil, Weymouth and Bridport despite First only operating 3 regular bus routes 6, X53 and X51, none of them being high frequency routes.

 

[Ken H]

Struggling to think of any good ones in Yorkshire. There is Leeds -
Transdev Harrogate (36, 7, X98,X99)
Keighley 60,
Idle A1 and
Malton 743 & 740.
Think they park up 1 or 2 buses in Tadcaster each night. Does that count as another depot?

 

[318266]

Glasgow City Centre is well served by the McGill's depots of:
Balfron (some X10/A)
Bannockburn (some X10/A, X36)
Dundee (some 091)
Greenock (X7, 901, 906/X)
Inchinnan (010, N10, XP21, 23/A, X23, 26, 030, N30, some 091, 153, 164)
Johnstone (3, X21, 38/A)
Larbert (X37)

and the Stagecoach depots of:
Aberhill (some X27)
Ardrossan (X36)
Cumbernauld (X19, X25/A)
Dumfries (X74)
Dunfermline (some X24, some X27)
Glenrothes (some X24, X24A)
Mackinley Place [Kilmarnock] (4, X71, X76, X78, X79)
St Andrew's (some X24)
Waggon Road [Ayr] (X77)
[minus the citylink/megabus services that would be horrific to figure out]

 

[route101]

Glasgow City Centre is well served by the McGill's depots of:
Balfron (some X10/A)
Bannockburn (some X10/A, X36)
Dundee (some 091)
Greenock (X7, 901, 906/X)
Inchinnan (010, N10, XP21, 23/A, X23, 26, 030, N30, some 091, 153, 164)
Johnstone (3, X21, 38/A)
Larbert (X37)

and the Stagecoach depots of:
Aberhill (some X27)
Ardrossan (X36)
Cumbernauld (X19, X25/A)
Dumfries (X74)
Dunfermline (some X24, some X27)
Glenrothes (some X24, X24A)
Mackinley Place [Kilmarnock] (4, X71, X76, X78, X79)
St Andrew's (some X24)
Waggon Road [Ayr] (X77)
[minus the citylink/megabus services that would be horrific to figure out]

Aberdeen and Perth for Megabus/Citylink?

East Kilbride has Caledonia, Scotstoun and Blantyre routes to the town. Used to more depots.

 

[Strathclyder]

From First, Clydebank is presently served by Caledonia (just the 60 now IIRC), Scotstoun (2, 6, M11, M60 & 81) & Dumbarton (1/1A/1B/1D/1E). In times past, Larkfield & Parkhead together would have filled Caledonia's presence in the town. Can't remember off the top of my head if Knightswood ever had any routes in the town in the First era and I'm pretty certain Possil didn't during it's last few years under First.

 

[Flying Snail]

Belfast city would have to be at least 10 for Ulsterbus, not including Metro as they are operationally different under the Translink umbrella. I am not familiar enough with them to be certain, it could be closer to 15.

South of the border Dublin city would be 10 from Dublin Bus including outstations and at least 15 for Bus Eireann, go back 5 years or so and Bus Eireann would have had close to 25, this does include some single bus outbases.

Back when the national Interlink network converged on Athlone daily it would have gotten duties from 7 or 8 different Bus Eireann depots.