- Midland (bus operator)
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A Dennis Dart SLF of Choice Travel in blue and cream D&G Bus and Coach livery
Midland, previously known as Choice Travel is a limited bus company operating mostly in the Wolverhampton area of the West Midlands. Some services also operate in the Staffordshire area.
Contents
History
The company was originally started as LIYELL limited established by ex-London Forest manager Tom Young and business partner Barrie Marsden in 1992 with two Leyland Leopard coaches and three Leyland Nationals in a lime green and yellow livery, from which the company got its name. The first bus services operated were route 171 (Walsall - Leamore - Bloxwich - Mossley) and route 700 (Perton - Codsall High School). "Midland Choice Travel", as the company was originally known, recruited ex-London Forest manager Steve Deveraux and Trent Buses manager Keith Shayshutt. Over the next few years the business thrived; during the 1993 West Midlands Travel bus strike a fleet of 30 buses were hired from across the country to cover services.
During the late 1990s, Choice Travel acquired the business of Metropolitan Omnibus (formed by a group of former Stevensons managers) and its network of routes throughout the Black Country on former Stevensons routes. The Metropolitan fleet of Mercedes and Dodge mini and midibuses soon sported the smart yellow of Choice, with the lime green and dark green exchanged for contrasting shades of blue. Former Stevensons MD and Metropolitan manager Julian Peddle bought a share in the company and it joined his "Status Bus & Coach Group" in 1999.[1]
As part of Choice Travel's commitment to public transport development, it embarked on a new partnership with Centro and Travel West Midlands to launch a the new Showcase route branded "Superline". Superline ran along the main arterial route between Walsall-Leamore-Bloxwich and Mossley, using their own respective service numbers (Choice 171 and TWM 301). To demonstrate their commitment to the venture, Choice purchased four new low-floor Optare Excel buses for the route, displacing existing buses to other routes.
Choice became the target of another buy-out when it was acquired by Stoke-on-Trent based D&G Bus and Coach. This enabled Choice to further update its fleet with newer low floor Dennis Darts (sporting Plaxton, East Lancs and Marshall bodies) and some mid life Mercedes-Benz midibuses. A new livery of D&G cream and blue was initially used.[1]
In March 2009, fellow Walsall and Wolverhampton bus operator A2Z Travel had its licence revoked. At the time, they operated numerous routes with over thirty buses in the area, many of behalf of Centro. An agreement was struck at the last minute, which saw several of A2Z's routes and buses transfer to Choice Travel in Wednesfield, in addition to the Operations Manager of A2Z. Any trace of A2Z Travel was removed and replaced with the new fleetname of Midland. Initially, this was used just on former A2Z route, but in Mid-2009 it was decided to adopt this as the new fleetname.
This coincided with a new look for the whole D&G Brand, of a smart two-tone red livery. A concentrated effort was then launched to repaint the whole fleet and install digital destination equipment in all buses, something which was completed by 2010. As part of this scheme, buses have also started being refurbished into a special Midland moquette.
In March 2010, Midland obtained the operations and most buses of Oldbury based bus company Midland Rider. Operations were transferred to the Wednesfield depot, where for a short period the companies' operations were kept apart. Most of the Midland Rider buses however were not low floor and were soon withdrawn, with all Midland Rider services becoming Midland operated by the summer.
Operations
The company is owned by Stoke-On-Trent based company D & G Coach and Bus Ltd. The company also operates services in other parts of the West Midlands as well as Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire from its base in Wednesfield.
The company operates mostly subsidised services, from Centro, Shropshire Council, Worcestershire County Counil and Staffordshire County Council, with a handful of commercial routes operated.
The company employees approximately 110 bus drivers.
Routes
Midland currently operates the following routes:
Route Starting Point Terminating Point 9 Walsall Lodge Farm 10 Wolverhampton Perton 18 Lyndale Park Wolverhampton 19 Walsall Bloxwich 23 Cannock Hednesford 23A Cannock Cannock Wood 25 Aldridge Dudley Fields 25E Bilston New Cross Hospital 26A Wolverhampton Stowlawn 28E Wolverhampton New Invention 35 Druids Heath Walsall X56 Birmingham Boney Hay 57 Wolverhampton Bilston 62 Cannock Lichfield 62A Cannock Lichfield 63 Fordhouses Wolverhampton 63A Fordhouses Wolverhampton 64 Penn Wolverhampton 75 Aldridge Kingstanding 76 Walsall Old Oscott 80 Bilston Moxley 81 Walsall Lichfield X96 Merry Hill Centre Wollaston Farm 105 Sutton Coldfield Mere Green, Sainsburys 110 Cheslyn Hay High School Featherstone 200 Oldbury/Bearwood Circular Service 201 Oldbury/Bearwood Circular Service 227 Stourbridge Kinver 229 Bilston Sedgley 240 Cradley Heath Stourbridge 282 Merry Hill Centre Gornal Wood 282 Stourbridge Norton 297B Stourbridge Sedgley 298 Stourbridge/Pedmore Fields Circular Service 299 Stourbridge/Pedmore Fields Circular Service 334 Walsall Bilston 530 Wolverhampton Rocket Pool 531 New Cross Hospital Rocket Pool 610 Wednesbury Dudley 637 Walsall Hough Road 646 West Bromwich Stone Cross 647 Bearwood Weoley Castle 756 Perry Barr St Francis of Assisi School 803 Wolverhampton Brewood 810 Wolverhampton Cannock 901 Boley Park Lichfield 991 Walsall Lichfield FREE Wombourne Wombourne Sainsburys Blue Squares = Denotes this service is subsidised by either Sainsburys, Staffordshire County Council or Centro.
Former routes
- 8: Wolverhampton - Long Knowle
- 10: Wolverhampton - Cannock
- 15/15A: Lichfield - Chase Terrace
- 15/15E: Walsall Circular via Leamore - Bloxwich - Lower Farm (15E) & Blakenall
- 22: Mossley - Featherstone
- 29E: Walsall - Willenhall
- 30/30E: Walsall Circular via Blakenall (30E) - Lower Farm & Bloxwich
- 171/171A: Walsall - Leamore - Bloxwich - Mossley & Neachells (171A)
- 319: Walsall - Turnberry Estate
- 329: Walsall - Blakenall
- 347: Ryders Hayes - Bloxwich
- 350: Walsall - Manor Hospital
- 351: Walsall - Cannock
- 360: Walsall - Aldridge
- 362: Blowxich - Pelsall - Brownhills Community School (School Service)
- 367: Walsall - Castlefort
- 511/11: Wolverhampton - Fallings Park - The Scotlands - Underhill
- 522: Wolverhampton - Coseley - Princes End
- 644: West Bromwich - Tipton
- 700: Perton - Codsall High School (School Service)
- 702: Rose Hill - Willenhall - Pinson Road - Pool Hayes School (School Service)
- 810: Wolverhampton - Perton
Fleet
As of April 2010, the fleet consists of:[2]
- 50 Dennis Dart and Dennis Dart SLF (Bodied by Plaxton and Marshall)
- 18 Optare Solo
- 2 Volvo B6BLE
- 2 Optare Excel
- 1 DAF SB220
- 1 Leyland Lynx
A Mercedes-Benz OH1416/Wright Urbanranger in Choice's original yellow and green livery in Wolverhampton.In the past the fleet was more varied. The original fleet consisted mostly of Leyland Nationals and Leopards, and Dodge minibuses were also popular. Choice's Managing Director, Tom Young, was never shy to experiment: unusual purchases were four Wright Urbanranger bodied Mercedes-Benz OH1416's, similar in body design to the comparable Liberator bodies of the Volvo B10B, and the fore-runner to the low floor chassis of the Mercedes-Benz O405, but which did not sell in large numbers following the advent of the low-floor bus. Young also purchased a pair of new step-entrance Northern Counties bodied Dennis Darts for route 171; the ageing Leyland Nationals were withdrawn in favour of newer stock. The merger with Status Bus & Coach saw new types arrive, including Wright Handybus bodied Dennis Darts, Marshall bodied Dennis Lances and former Ipswich Buses dual entrance Northern Counties bodied Dennis Lances.
See also
References
- ^ a b Millar, Alan (March 2009). "What Julian Did Next". Buses (648): 30–35.
- ^ Midland Bus - Fleet List
External links
Herefordshire First Midland Red (as part of First Midlands)
Shropshire Staffordshire Arriva Midlands · BakerBus · Blue Bus · First Potteries (as part of First Midlands) · Wardle Transport (part of Arriva Midlands
Warwickshire Stagecoach in Warwickshire (as part of Stagecoach Midlands)
West Midlands (PTE) AM PM Travel · Central Buses · Central Connect · Diamond Bus · Hansons · Midland · National Express Coventry · National Express West Midlands · The Green Bus · Travel de Courcey
Worcestershire First Midland Red (as part of First Midlands) · Hardings
National Categories:- Bus operators in England
- Bus transport in the West Midlands (county)
- Transport in Walsall
- Transport in Wolverhampton
- Companies based in Wolverhampton
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