Blue Bus and Coach Services

      For other companies known as "Blue Bus", see Blue Bus (disambiguation).
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      Blue Bus
      logo
      image
      A Blue Bus Ikarus Polaris 489 bodied DAF SB220
      Founded May 1991
      Defunct July 2005
      Headquarters Horwich, United Kingdom (until 2002); Bolton, United Kingdom (2002-2005)
      Service area Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, West Yorkshire
      Service type Bus and coach Services
      Destinations Bolton, Wigan, Leigh, Manchester, St Helens, Preston, Leyland, Chorley, Trafford Centre, Bury
      Fleet 95 buses at peak
      Operator Blue Bus and Coach Services Ltd
      A Blue Bus MAN 18.220 with Alexander ALX300 bodywork, no. 27, pulling into Bolton Bus Station having completed the long trip from Manchester via Eccles and Walkden.

      Blue Bus and Coach Services Ltd was a large independent bus company serving the area of Greater Manchester. The company operated within the area covered by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, as well as areas of Lancashire and Merseyside. It was active between 1991 and 2005, and is now part of Arriva North West.

      History

      Blue Bus was formed in 1991 by Roger Jarvis and Alan Turner, two former managers of Shearings. It was based at a former railway works in Horwich, six miles to the west of Bolton. The first type of bus to be acquired in bulk was the Leyland Leopard, which were followed by a number of Leyland Atlanteans.[1]

      The company launched its first local route in May 1991, running between Bolton and Horwich via Chorley New Road every 15 minutes in competition with GM Buses. Each of the five services introduced to give this combined frequency served a different estate in Horwich. A 20-minute service along Chorley Old Road from Bolton to the Johnson Fold estate was next to be introduced, followed by a series of routes in Wigan. The first of these ran to Shevington. It was decided to open an outpost at Appley Bridge to act as a local base for the Wigan routes.[1]

      New routes were added to the network following contract wins, and a number of commercial routes were also introduced, taking the company into new areas such as Manchester. In addition, the company gained work from a holiday company, Alfa Tours. Five coaches were acquired for this, with two were specially branded for Alfa.[1]

      Blue Bus purchased a depot in Huddersfield in August 1994, launching a service to Marsden in competition with Yorkshire Rider. This venture was later expanded into Bradford. Rider was taken over by First Group in 1996, and Blue Bus' West Yorkshire operation was withdrawn. Just weeks later, FirstBus took over Blue Bus's main Bolton rival, GM Buses North.[1]

      During 2001, after Stagecoach sold the East Lancashire end of the Ribble company to Blazefield, Blue Bus started intensive competition against newly-formed Lancashire United in the Bolton area. Blue Bus took over operation of the Bolton end of Lancashire United in August 2002, acquiring the former Ribble depot, staff, services and several vehicles. The head office was moved to the former Lancashire United office at Bolton Bus Station, and the Horwich base was later closed down, with most buses moving to Bolton. This acquisition saw rivalry develop between Blue Bus and FirstBus, with Blue Bus moving onto the 400 TransLancs Express service and introducing an X9 Express service into Manchester. Both companies eventually withdrew and the services were withdrawn.[1]

      In early 2005 Blue Bus sold its Appley Bridge depot to South Lancs Travel along with six buses and all of the depot's routes. This allowed the company to focus on its depots in Bolton and Eccles, with a proposal to expand further having gained tenders in Salford and Manchester on eight routes.[1]

      On 31 July 2005, Blue Bus was acquired by the Arriva subsidiary Arriva North West and Wales.[1]

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      Services operated

      Blue Bus operated numerous bus services, including the following:[2]

      • 6: Bolton - Little Hulton - Walkden - Swinton - Manchester
      • 6A: Bolton - Little Hulton - Walkden - Swinton - Manchester
      • 7: Bolton - Little Hulton - Walkden - Swinton - Manchester
      • 9: Bolton - Horwich - Blackrod
      • 25: Bolton - Farnworth - Walkden - Swinton - Weaste - Manchester
      • 36A: Bolton - Little Hulton - Walkden - Swinton - Manchester
      • 55: Pendleton - Westwood Park - Eccles
      • 61: Eccles - Westwood Park (circular)
      • 62: Eccles - Westwood Park (circular)
      • 63: Brookhouse - Eccles - Manchester
      • 64: Eccles - Brookhouse - Westwood Park (circular)
      • 65: Eccles - Brookhouse - Westwood Park (circular)
      • 69: Eccles - Westwood Park - Pendleton - Stretford
      • 70: Clifton - Swinton - Eccles - Pendleton - Manchester
      • 70: Hope Hospital - Eccles - Swinton - Clifton
      • 71: Clifton - Swinton - Weaste - Pendleton - Manchester
      • 73: Clifton - Swinton - Weaste - Pendleton - Manchester
      • 74: Pendleton - Agecroft (circular)
      • 75: Pendleton - Agecroft (circular)
      • 99: Sale - Northenden - Southern Cemetery - Manchester
      • 111: Preston - Penwortham - Leyland - Eccleston - Standish - Wigan
      • 113: Preston Hospital - Preston - Leyland - Standish - Wigan
      • 116: Wigan - Standish - Charnock Richard - Leyland - Preston - Faringdon Park* [* Saturdays only]
      • 126: Bolton - Horwich - Lever Park
      • 127: Blackrod - Westhoughton - Deane - Bolton
      • 200: Bolton - Atherton - Leigh - Golborne - Ashton - Haydock - St Helens
      • 243: Bolton - Ramsbottom - Rawtenstall
      • 273: Bolton - Ramsbottom - Rawtenstall
      • 290: Manchester - Trafford Park - Trafford Centre - Flixton - Partington
      • 291: Manchester - Trafford Park - Trafford Centre - Flixton
      • 293: Eccles - Trafford Park (circular)
      • 400: Bolton - Bury - Rochdale - Oldham - Ashton - Stockport
      • 478: Bolton - Breightmet - Radcliffe - Bury
      • 484: Hope Hospital - Eccles - Swinton - Pendlebury - Agecroft - Prestwich
      • 502: Bolton - Barrow Bridge
      • 505: Bolton - Markland Hill
      • 505: Bolton - Markland Hill - Middlebrook
      • 505: Bolton - Markland Hill - Middlebrook - Horwich (Pennine Road)
      • 508: Bury - Tottington - Hawkshaw - Tonge Moor - Bolton
      • 510: Bolton - Withins - Bury
      • 511: Bury - Ainsworth - Radcliffe
      • 515: Bolton - Ladybridge (circular)
      • 515: Bolton - Ladybridge - Middlebrook - Aspull - Wigan
      • 516: Horwich - Horwich Parkway Station
      • 516: Horwich - Westhoughton - Atherton - Leigh - (Trafford Centre, as 673)
      • 517: Horwich - Middlebrook - Horwich Parkway Station
      • 520: Bolton - Willows - Hulton Hospital - Morris Green
      • 521: Bolton Hospital - Westhoughton - Wingates - Blackrod
      • 523: Bolton - Bury
      • 525: Bolton - Halliwell - Astley Bridge - Hall i'th' Wood - Bolton (circular)
      • 526: Bolton - Halliwell - Smithills
      • 527: Bolton - Hall i'th' Wood - Astley Bridge - Halliwell - Bolton (circular)
      • 528: Bolton - Astley Bridge - Belmont
      • 529: Bolton - Astley Bridge - Eagley
      • 535: Bolton - Asltey Bridge - Belmont - Blackburn* [* Sundays only]
      • 538: Bolton - Astley Bridge - Andrew Lane
      • 538: Bolton - Astley Bridge - Bank Top - Dunscar - Bromley Cross - Bolton
      • 539: Andrew Lane - Astley Bridge - Bolton
      • 539: Bolton - Bromley Cross - Dunscar - Bank Top - Astley Bridge - Bolton
      • 540: Bolton - Westhoughton - Daisy Hill
      • 544: Bolton - Darcy Lever - Little Lever (circular)
      • 545: Bolton - Harwood
      • 547: Bolton - Westhoughton - Daisy Hill (circular)
      • 548: Bolton - Westhoughton - Daisy Hill (circular)
      • 550: Farnworth - New Bury - Walkden (circular)
      • 554: Bolton - Farnworth - Walkden - Peel Green - Eccles - Trafford Centre* [* Non-Schooldays]
      • 556: Bolton - Farnworth - Walkden - Peel Green - Eccles - Trafford Centre [Sundays only]
      • 557: Prestolee - Farnworth - Highfield
      • 563: Bolton - Bromley Cross - Edgworth
      • 570: Bolton - Lever Edge - Morris Green
      • 572: Bolton - Lever Edge (circular)
      • 573: Trafford Centre - Worsley - Little Hulton - Bolton - Lostock - Horwich - Blackrod - Aspull - Wigan
      • 573: Coppull - Standish - Horwich - Bolton
      • 575: Bolton - Lostock - Horwich - Blackrod - Aspull - Wigan
      • 575: Bolton - Lostock - Horwich - Blackrod - Aspull - Wigan - Bolton Hospital
      • 576: Horwich - Middlebrook
      • 576: Bolton - Middlebrook - Horwich - Blackrod - Aspull - Wigan
      • 577: Bolton - Lostock - Brazley - Horwich (Pennine Road)
      • 581: Atherton - Bolton Hospital - Farnworth
      • 605: Ashton Heath - Ashton-in-Makerfield - Bryn (circular)
      • 607: Ashton Heath - Ashton-in-Makerfield - Bryn - Marus Bridge - Wigan
      • 609: Leyland Park - Hindley - Pennington Green - Aspull - Wigan
      • 611: Wigan - Shevington - Wrightington Hospital (circular)
      • 612: Wigan - Shevington - Wrightington Hospital (circular)
      • 613: Wigan - Orrell - Kitt Green - Shevington - Wrightington Hospital - Standish
      • 613: Wigan - Orrell - Kitt Green - Shevington - Standish
      • 614: Wigan - New Springs (circular)
      • 615: Wigan - Aspull
      • 616: Shevington - Standish - Middlebrook - Westhoughton
      • 616: Bolton - Lostock - Horwich - Blackrod - Aspull - Wigan
      • 620: Bolton - Hag Fold - Atherton - Hindley - Ashton - Haydock - St Helens
      • 621: Haworth Road - Bradford Interchange - Bierley
      • 622: Wigan - Kitt Green
      • 622: Kitt Green - Wigan - Platt Bridge - Leigh - Astley - Worsley - Trafford Centre
      • 624: Wigan - Kitt Green (circular)
      • 627: Wigan - Pemberton - Kitt Green - Shevington - Wigan (circular)
      • 629: Wigan - Platt Bridge - Hindley - Castle Hill
      • 633: Wigan - Worsley Mesnes - Windy Arbour - Pemberton - Kitt Green
      • 634: Wigan - Shevington - Standish - Wigan (circular)
      • 635: Wigan - Shevington - Standish - Wigan (circular)
      • 637: Wigan - Shevington - Kitt Green - Pemberton - Wigan (circular)
      • 637: Wigan - Shevington - Kitt Green
      • 640: Standish - Boars Head - Wigan
      • 641: Standish - Red Rock - Boars Head - Wigan
      • 642: Wigan - Bradley Mills
      • 643: Wigan - Standish - Shevington - Wigan (circular)
      • 651: Atherton - Hindley - Ashton-in-Makerfield
      • 673: Leigh - Astley - Boothstown - Worsley - Trafford Centre
      • 700: Trafford Centre - Bolton - Ladybridge - Westhoughton - Wigan - Aspull - Wigan
      • 715: Bolton - Ladybridge - Westhoughton - Wigan - Aspull - Wigan
      • M9: Manchester - Farnworth - Worsley - Peel Green - Eccles - Pendleton - Lower Broughton - Manchester
      • M10: Brookhouse - Peel Green - Eccles -Hope Hospital - Pendleton - Lower Broughton - Manchester
      • M70: Clifton - Swinton - Eccles - Pendleton - Manchester
      • X1: Little Lever - Walkden - Atherton - Wigan - Blackpool - Fleetwood
      • X9: Bolton - Lostock - Blackrod
      • X9: Bolton - Farnworth - Manchester
      • X11: Doffcocker - Bolton - Westhoughton - Wigan - Blackpool - Fleetwood
      • X14: Pendleton - Walkden - Wigan - Blackpool - Fleetwood
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      Vehicle types

      Blue Bus had a wide variety of buses in its fleet, including the following:[3]

      Single-deck buses
      Double-deck buses
      Low-floor buses (known as "Blue Buggy Buses")
      Minibuses
      Coaches
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      Preserved vehicles

      When Blue Bus was sold, one vehicle was not included in the transfer to Arriva. CSF 160W, a Leyland Leopard with Alexander AY bodywork, was retained by Roger Jarvis for preservation. After brief use with the Preston operation, it is now stored at the Wigan Coachways depot in Wigan, still in the later two-tone Blue Bus livery.

      So far, this is the only Blue Bus vehicle in preservation.

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      See also

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      References

      1. ^ a b c d e f g "Blue Bus - A short History". 
      2. ^ "Blue Bus - Routes". 
      3. ^ "Blue Bus - Fleet". 
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      External links
      Bus companies
      Railway companies
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      Last modified on 6 February 2013, at 12:45