Trivia: Towns with a large number of operators

[Omnidekkalover]

Two towns spring to mind when I think of this. Bakewell with TM travel, Stagecoach, Andrews of Tideswell, trentbarton and High Peak operating regular services there. The other town being Stamford with Delaine, Stagecoach, Centrebus, Transport/Call Connect and Blands operating regular bus services.

 

[Flange Squeal]

Guildford, Surrey

- Carlone
- Compass Travel
- Falcon Buses
- First Berkshire (Railair)
- Metrobus
- National Express
- Reptons Coaches
- Safeguard Coaches
- Stagecoach South
- White Bus

 

[stevieinselby]

Quite a few small towns across North Yorkshire with 4 or 5 operators:

Malton (Transdev Coastliner, Go-ahead East Yorkshire, 21 Transport, North Yorkshire Council, Ryecat, York Pullman*)
Skipton (Transdev Keighley, Transdev Burnley, Stagecoach, Lonsdale, North Yorkshire Council, Transdev Harrogate*)
Wetherby (Transdev Harrogate, Connexions, Arriva, North Yorkshire Council, York Pullman*)
Ripon (Transdev Harrogate, Go-ahead East Yorkshire, Go-ahead Procters, Hodgsons, North Yorkshire Council)

* weekends, or even summer weekends, only

At one point in 2012/13, Skipton could boast Transdev Burnley, Transdev Harrogate, Transdev Keighley, Transdev Lancashire, First Leeds, Pennine, Pride of the Dales, Little Red Bus, Jacksons* and York Pullman*

 

[ACBest]

Newark-on-Trent don’t do too badly, with services from Stagecoach, Central Connect, Centrebus, Marshalls of Sutton-on-Trent, CT4N, Nottinghamshire County Council and CallConnect.

 

[RDP]

Tunbridge Wellls has Arriva, Stagecoach, Brighton & Hove (including Metrobus), Go Coach, Autocar, Hams Travel and Compass Travel providing local bus services. There are also other companies providing London commuter and school services.

 

[A S Leib]

Watford has Arriva, Sullivan Buses or whoever replaced them, Red Rose Travel, Red Eagle Buses, Uno and RailAir (I think First?).

Edit: I think Metroline took the TfL Sullivan Buses routes in Watford, but with Sullivan Buses keeping the 306 to Borehamwood, for a total of seven in Watford.

St. Albans also has seven: Arriva, Centrebus, Uno, Sullivan Buses, Red Rose, Red Eagle, Whitbread Wonderbus.

 

[Bedford OB]

Bury St Edmunds has eight without including long distance coaches - Coach Services, Dan's, Fareline, High Suffolk CT, Konectbus (Chambers), Mulleys, Simonds, Stephensons.

 

[greenline712]

Watford has Arriva, Sullivan Buses or whoever replaced them, Red Rose Travel, Red Eagle Buses, Uno and RailAir (I think First?).

Edit: I think Metroline took the TfL Sullivan Buses routes in Watford, but with Sullivan Buses keeping the 306 to Borehamwood, for a total of seven in Watford.

St. Albans also has seven: Arriva, Centrebus, Uno, Sullivan Buses, Red Rose, Red Eagle, Whitbread Wonderbus.

Metroline left Watford in 2009.
Whitehead Wanderbus are in north Herts, not south.
Sullivan are still in Watford; they've never left!!

 

[A S Leib]

Metroline left Watford in 2009.
Whitehead Wanderbus are in north Herts, not south.
Sullivan are still in Watford; they've never left!!

I was working off of the Intalink website, which lists Metroline as operating the TfL 142 and 258. Whitbread runs the W8/W8A from Meppershall once per month.

 

[Strathtay 260]

Hamilton in Scotland has Stagecoach, First Bus, JMB Travel, Stuart’s Coaches, Whitelaw Coaches and even National Express to Birmingham and London. It also is home to bus firm Parks of Hamilton despite not operating any services in the town. Nearby, Airdrie has 8 unique operators - First Bus, Scottish Citylink, McGill’s Midland Bluebird, ARG Travel, JMB Travel, Stuart’s Coaches, McNairn’s Coaches and Canavan Travel.

 

[stadler]

Central London has six bus operators:

Arriva
First
Go Ahead
Metroline
Stagecoach
Transport UK

It used to be a lot more but so many operators have been bought by others.

 

[Andyh82]

Central London has six bus operators:

Arriva
First
Go Ahead
Metroline
Stagecoach
Transport UK

It used to be a lot more but so many operators have been bought by others.

A lot more than that if you include non TFL services such as the five tour operators, Reading Buses, Stagecoach Oxfordshire, various routemaster based tours etc

 

[greenline712]

Th

I was working off of the Intalink website, which lists Metroline as operating the TfL 142 and 258. Whitbread runs the W8/W8A from Meppershall once per month.

The timetables for WW Routes 8 and 8A serve St Albans, not Watford. A quick check of the timetables would show this.

Technically, I suppose you are correct in re Metroline 142 and 258 . . . however, I'd discount those two routes are they are fully tendered, not commercial, which I took as being the point of the OP.

 

[317 forever]

Central London has six bus operators:

Arriva
First
Go Ahead
Metroline
Stagecoach
Transport UK

It used to be a lot more but so many operators have been bought by others.

It could be 7 next year if Uno bid for and win route 13

 

[Busoccultation]

Watford has Arriva, Sullivan Buses or whoever replaced them, Red Rose Travel, Red Eagle Buses, Uno and RailAir (I think First?).

Edit: I think Metroline took the TfL Sullivan Buses routes in Watford, but with Sullivan Buses keeping the 306 to Borehamwood, for a total of seven in Watford.

St. Albans also has seven: Arriva, Centrebus, Uno, Sullivan Buses, Red Rose, Red Eagle, Whitbread Wonderbus.

Metroline got the 142 in 2023 and the 258 in February this year, both of those routes came over from RATP and was operated by Arriva Garston in the past.

Sullivan never ran any TfL routes into Watford and their commercial work hasn't changed much recently.

 

[A S Leib]

The timetables for WW Routes 8 and 8A serve St Albans, not Watford. A quick check of the timetables would show this.

That's what I originally said.

 

[Bristol LHS]

Quite a few small towns across North Yorkshire with 4 or 5 operators:

Northallerton used to be able to boast 6 - Dales & District/Proctors, Hodgsons, North Yorkshire Council, Reliance, Coatham (previously Abbots), and Arriva on summer Sundays.

Now down to just the first three, as Reliance and Coatham’s routes have been picked up by Hodgsons, and the town is off the Moors Bus network this year, sadly.

 

[EnviroExplorer]

I always enjoy a visit to Lichfield which is now peaking at 7 operators, and definitely the most varied in the Midlands, vehicles from the following can be seen

Arriva Midlands North
Bus Link
D&G Chaserider
Diamond East Midlands
National Express West Midlands
Select Bus Services
South Staffs Coaches

 

[Omnidekkalover]

Matlock isn’t in short supply of operators either including:
Stagecoach
Andrews of Tideswell
High Peak
trentbarton
Ashbourne Community Transport

 

[greenline712]

That's what I originally said.

You did .... my apologies ... the perils of skim-reading posts!!

 

[markymark2000]

Chester has 7. Aintree Coachlines, Als Coaches, Arriva North West, Arriva Wales, D&G, M&H Coaches, Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancs.

Wrexham has 8. Arriva Wales, Lloyds Coaches, M&H Coaches, Pats Coaches, Stagecoach, Tanat Valley Coaches, Valentines, Wrexham Taxis

I believe though that the crown goes to Hereford with 910. Celtic Travel, DRM Bus, First Worcestershire, Lugg Valley, Newport Bus, Nick Maddy, Sargeants, Stagecoach South Wales, Stagecoach West, Yeomans

 

[Omnidekkalover]

Bustimes puts it at 10 with nick maddy being the 10th operator for hereford

 

[markymark2000]

Bustimes puts it at 10 with nick maddy being the 10th operator for hereford

I thought I'd included them in that list. Ooops. Thank you

 

[JD2168]

Sheffield has:
First, Stagecoach (both Yorkshire & East Midlands), TM Travel, South Pennine, High Peak, Andrew’s of Tideswell & Sheffield Community Transport.

Rotherham has:
First, Stagecoach, TM Travel, Globe Holidays, South Pennine & Cawthorne’s Travel.

Doncaster has:
First, Stagecoach, Arriva (2 round trips on 496), Globe Holidays, Hornsbys Travel, Wilfreda Beehive (Doncaster Infirmary to Mexborough Montagu Shuttle)

 

[mlambeuk]

York has:
First, York Pullman( part of first), connexions, East Yorkshire, Transdev, Arriva and North Yorkshire County Council.

 

[Shaun_92]

Sheffield has:
First, Stagecoach (both Yorkshire & East Midlands), TM Travel, South Pennine, High Peak, Andrew’s of Tideswell & Sheffield Community Transport.

Rotherham has:
First, Stagecoach, TM Travel, Globe Holidays, South Pennine & Cawthorne’s Travel.

Doncaster has:
First, Stagecoach, Arriva (2 round trips on 496), Globe Holidays, Hornsbys Travel, Wilfreda Beehive (Doncaster Infirmary to Mexborough Montagu Shuttle)

Doncaster also has David Goodfellow Travel (Service x4 Monday to Saturday Daytime)

 

[ServerHoster]

Chester (I know, it's a city, not a town) has:
Arriva Wales, Arriva North West, Stagecoach, D&G Bus, Al's Coaches, Aintree Coachline, M&H Coaches (operating for TrawsCymru).
Up to you as to whether you define the different Arriva divisions as one operator or separate.
Although Arriva and Stagecoach operate most routes, the other operators only have 1 or 2 routes going to Chester

Warrington:
Warrington's Own Buses (obviously), Arriva Merseyside, Arriva North West, Omega Busways/Howards Travel, Ashcroft Travel, Bee Network (operated by Stagecoach), and "Link Network", who I had never heard of until I saw them on the BusTimes list of routes in Warrington.