March of the Giants

There were significant shifts in ownership during 2005. In fact, after a period of stability from the mid-1990s, it was all change in the bus industry with sales, closures and collapses. Who was buying and selling in 2005 and who disappeared? It was the march of the giants…

BUYING

• Arriva (Blazefield Sovereign Hatfield/Stevenage-Jan; Blue Bus [Bolton]-July) (also Sippel of Rhine-Mainz, Germany)
• Centrebus, Grantham (MASS Reliance-Feb)
• D&G, Stoke-on-Trent (Choice Travel-April)
• Dunnline (MASS Lincoln-May)
• Go Ahead (Tellings Golden Miller, Dartford to Metrobus-March; Southern Vectis/Solent Blueline-May; Stagecoach Lewes-Sept; Birmingham Coach Co-Dec)
• National Express (Tellings Golden Miller, London/Surrey bus-June)
• Network Colchester [formerly Arriva] (Supreme, Hadleigh [Colchester bus ops]-July)
• Stagecoach (Dennis’s, Dunkinfield-April; Glenvale-July, Scottish Citylink 35%-Sept; Traction Group-Dec)
• Tellings Golden Miller (National Express Airlinks-Feb)
• Transdev (Yellow Buses-Dec)
• Veolia [Connex] (Bebb-Oct)

CLOSED OR CEASED TRADING

• 2 Travel, Swansea-May
• Black Prince, Morley-July (some routes and vehicles to First)
• Darlington Green Bus-May
• Morley’s, Whittlesey-Oct (routes to Alec Head)
• Stagecoach (Yellow Taxibus, Fife)-Nov
• Supreme, Hadleigh-July (Colchester buses to Network Colchester)
  

OTHER

• Stagecoach in its 25th year sold the last of its overseas concerns outside North America, in New Zealand