Lancashire United

Infobox Bus transit
name = Lancashire United Ltd

logo_size = 220

---

image_caption = A Lancashire United Dennis Dart with Plaxton Pointer bodywork in Darwen.
founded = 15 April 2001
headquarters = Manner Sutton Street, Blackburn (Head office: Prospect Park, Harrogate)
service_area = UK
service_type = Bus services
destinations = Blackburn, Accrington, Clitheroe, Burnley, Haslingden, Preston, Bolton, Manchester.
fleet = Approx. 135 buses
operator = Blazefield Group
ceo = Russell Revill, Managing Director
website = [http://www.lancashireunited.co.uk/ www.lancashireunited.co.uk]

Transdev Lancashire United is an English bus operator, running mainly in and around the boroughs of Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley . [" [http://www.lancashireunited.co.uk/about/index.asp "More about Lancashire United"] " Lancashire United Website 2nd February 2008] The company was founded in April 2001 following the buyout of "Stagecoach Ribble" by Blazefield Holdings [" [http://www.busandcoach.com/featureStory.aspx?id=1230 "Blazefield:Going for growth"] " Bus & Coach website 2nd February 2008] and has since overcome other operators. Since 2006 "Lancashire United Ltd" has been a subsidiary of the global Transdev Group. [" [http://www.transdevplc.co.uk/operations/blazefield-group "Transdev Operations - Blazefield Group"] " Transdev website 2nd February 2008] .

History

In 2001, Stagecoach sold its former Ribble operations in Blackburn, Hyndburn, Clitheroe and Bolton to the Blazefield Group after a series of reasonably high-profile industrial disputes. [" [http://www.busandcoach.com/featureStory.aspx?id=1230 "Blazefield:Going for growth"] " Bus & Coach website 2nd February 2008] The resultant company was named "Lancashire United" for buses operating in the Ribble Valley, Hyndburn, Bolton and Blackburn and a separate operating company, "Burnley & Pendle Travel" was set up to operate buses in that area (see Burnley & Pendle). Investment commenced in new vehicles almost immediately, with over 30 brand new single-decker buses arriving in the September of that year, displacing Stagecoach's much older models.

A number of service revisions followed with many marginal services withdrawn and a number of school contracts were terminated. Much of this work, mainly contracted to Lancashire County Council, was picked up by Northern Blue. A focus was then made on developing high quality trunk routes, namely the 152, 225 & Hyndburn Circulars. Also later the X1.

Later, in 2002, the Bolton garage was sold on to independent operator Blue Bus run by Roger Jarvis, who eventually sold out to Arriva in 2005. The contracted services in the Clitheroe area were given up and the garage was sold to a housing developer. Most of the Clitheroe contracted work passed into the hands of the Northern Blue bus company. The Clitheroe services were operated by LUL for a second time through the Northern Blue takeover, however these passed out of LUL's service profile in June 2008. The original Blackburn garage acquired from Ribble remains in use. The Blazefield Group became part of the multi-national transport Transdev group in 2006. [" [http://www.transdevplc.co.uk/operations/blazefield-group "Transdev Operations - Blazefield Group"] " Transdev website 2nd February 2008]

Acquisitions

* Blackburn Transport

On 22 January 2007, Lancashire United acquired the business of Blackburn Transport from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, a move that was anticipated for months. [" [http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/mergers_ea02/361227/Lancashire.pdf "Lancashire United buys Blackburn Transport - The Details"] " oft.gov.uk - Retrieved 17 May 2007] The company stated that all drivers from Blackburn Transport would remain, as would all fare deals and passes. [" [http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/mergers_ea02/361227/Lancashire.pdf "Acquisition of Blackburn Transport"] " 2nd February 2008] The buyout increased Lancashire United's fleet size by over 130 buses.

Initially, the appearance of the Blackburn Transport buses remained the same. The company now operates from two depots in Blackburn. The former Blackburn Transport Depot at Intack is only to be rented for a short period and it is likely that a new site will be found to base all buses from both constituent fleets, as the original depot at Manner Sutton Street is too small to house them all.

* Northern Blue/Accrington Transport

On 5 August 2007, Blazefield acquired the businesses of Northern Blue of Burnley and Accrington Transport, the company inherited a further batch of 65 buses to their fleet [" [http://www.busandcoach.com/newsStory.aspx?id=1509 "Acquistion of Northern Blue"] ] . Transdev Accrington Transport moved into the business of the Transdev Lancashire United depot at Intack to improve the appearance of the Transdev Lancashire United fleet. [" [http://www.lancashireunited.co.uk/gfx/news/customernews/LUCN19.pdf "Customer News 19"] ] On March 16 2008, Lancashire United took over the Accrington local bus network from Accrington Transport. [" [http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/bus/service_changes/information.asp Accrington bus service changes] ]

Services and operations

The company operates bus services around Blackburn, Hyndburn and interurban routes to Bolton, Clitheroe, Manchester, Burnley and Preston and various school services from its Blackburn bases at Intack and Manner Sutton St. In a similar fashion with other Blazefield Group/Transdev group companies, as well as its regular bus routes it operates separately marketed, high quality routes such as The Lancashire Way and Spot On [ [http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/business/news/display.var.1386565.0.transport_companys_change_of_name.php Transport Company's Change Of Name (from Lancashire Telegraph) ] ] [" [http://www.lancashireunited.co.uk/times/spoton.asp "Spot On Timetables"] ] , both routes which use differently liveried buses to the traditional fleet colour scheme. Most other buses within the fleet have route brandings on them, despite the fact they retain the traditional blue and cream appearance.

Interurban routes

Fares

The company sell a wide range of tickets besides single and return fares, from day, 7 day and annual travel tickets, which can be purchased at a travel office in Blackburn town centre as well as on the bus. [" [http://www.lancashireunited.co.uk/fares/index.asp "Lancashire United Fares"] ]

Ticket Types

Fares for Young People

In September 2007 the Young Person's Saver Card scheme was revised and extended, applying to young people aged 11 to 16. Children aged between 11 and 16 can travel at the reduced rate, but need to obtain a Young Person's Saver Card. [" [http://www.lancashireunited.co.uk/fares/youngpeople.asp "Fares For Young People"] ]

;Student discounts

Students can benefit from discount fares on season tickets providing they show a valid student id card to the driver. On The Lancashire Way holders of any current NUS Card may receive a discount of 10% off the price of any Adult Fare available from the driver (except Ribble Valley Day Ranger).

Blackburn College students aged 16 - 19 can now benefit from a bus pass valid on all Lancashire United and Burnley & Pendle services for only £60 per term providing a valid student college id card is shown to the driver, other students on learner support funds can also benefit from this. [" [http://www.blackburn.ac.uk/site/studentsupportservicesadvice/transporttravelinformation.htm Blackburn College Transport and Travel] "Blackburn College travel - Retrieved 24 April 2008]

Concessionary Fares

Passengers over 60 and disabled people can travel for free with a Now card as of April 1 2008. [" [http://www.nowcard.org/ Now Card] "Now Card - Retrieved 24 April 2008] [" [http://www.transportforlancashire.com/downloads/leaflets/concessionary.pdf Concessionary travel] "Transport for Lancashire - Retrieved 15th June 2008]

Fleet

Fleet history

When Lancashire United took over Stagecoach Ribble in April 2001, the fleet was predominantly made up of aging buses. These included double-decker models such as Leyland Atlanteans and Bristol VRs and single-decker models such as Leyland Lynxes and Leyland Nationals. The new company also inherited a couple of Mini Pointer Darts and Mercedes minibuses with the Clitheroe depot. Not all of these vehicles were repainted into LUL blue and cream, many just had LUL logos covering the Stagecoach ones retaining their distinctive striped livery. By September 2001, most of these had been replaced by more modern Leyland Olympians, more Leyland Lynxes and some brand new Volvo B10BLEs, bodied by Wrightbus. Over 30 of these were purchased, and are still providing quality low floor service today. They were the company's first buses bought new to them.

Whilst the Leyland Olympians and Volvo B10BLEs remained with the company for years, other models were bought and sold, mainly middle aged versions at the time. Included were Dennis Darts, Volvo Olympians and some other Volvo single-deckers, many cascaded from Blazefield's other operations in Yorkshire.

During 2006 the company had five Volvo B7TL/Plaxton President buses, however one of these buses was badly damaged after a fatal accident in 2006 on the M66 [cite web | url=http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2006/9/28/931469.html | title=Bus driver dies after collision with lorry | date=2006-09-28 | work=Bury Times | publisher=Newsquest Media Group] accessdate=2008-08-15 ] and has now been repaired and transferred to fellow Transdev Blazefield company Harrogate & District. Therefore LUL had only 4 of these currently in the fleet, In summer 2008 two additional Volvo B7TL/Plaxton Presidents were transferred in from Yorkshire Coastliner, with an additional Wright-bodied double decker in Lancashire Way livery.

In 2007, now under Transdev ownership, Lancashire United gained a batch of 25 Wrightbus-bodied Volvo single-deckers, these were painted in a white and sandy gold livery, with a purple livery for routes 6 & 7 (previously Hyndburn Circular) and a deeper shade of purple for route 1 with the Spot On logo. Altogether, they cost £3,750,000. These were originally destined for Burnley & Pendle, but due to the acquisition of Blackburn Transport they were diverted to Lancashire United. [" [http://www.spotonbus.com/ "Introducing 'Spot On' by Lancashire United"] "Spot On Bus - Retrieved 25 May 2007] [" [http://omnibuses.blogspot.com/2007/05/other-word-isnt-off.html "Lancashire United's new Spot On service"] "Omnibuses.blogsot.com - Retrieved 25 May 2007]

In early 2008 Lancashire United gained a second batch of brand new buses in the form of 6 Optare Versas for Spot On routes 18, 19, 22 and 22A serving the Mill Hill, Leyburn Road and Feniscowles areas of Blackburn, these are the newest Optares in Blackburn since the Optare MetroRiders were purchased by Blackburn Transport in 1998. [" [http://picasaweb.google.com/alex.davies10/TransdevLancashireUnitedBuses/photo#5186961486917946786 "Optare Versa Image"] "] [" [http://www.photolibrary.blackburntransportnet.co.uk/buses/optaremetrorider/optare2index.htm "Blackburn Transportnet.co.uk Photolibrary"] ]

Current fleet

This is a detailed list of the buses operated by Lancashire United (some of which were inherited from Blackburn Transport and Accrington Transport/Northern Blue) [" [http://webzoom.freewebs.com/nwbus/Website%20Transdev%20East%20Lancashire.xls Lancashire United fleet list] ] .

(All the photographs in the table are of Lancashire United's own vehicles, showing the varying liveries the company has as well.)

Liveries

Lancashire United's buses originally were clearly recognised by the distinctive blue and cream livery, although this is now mainly confined to just 2 routes, the 152 and 225 with a few route unbranded buses in traditional livery.

More recently LUL's buses can be seen in a "wide variety of liveries."

These include:

* Spot On - these buses are predominantly white, with 'coffee' skirts and a relief in varying colours of each route they operate, the livery also features lifestyle pictures of passengers advertising attractive features of the service on the back of the buses. Lancashire United's buses in the Blackburn area are gradually being branded as Spot On.

* The Lancashire Way - This livery is in the same style of Burnley & Pendles The Witch Way but with a distinctive red Lancashire rose, this livery can be seen on one Wright Eclipse Gemini, one Wright Eclipse Urban and one Wright Renown, while 2 of the Plaxton Presidents wear white rather than silver.

* School buses - buses used mainly on school and college routes, mainly double-deck vehicles, carry an all-yellow livery scheme.

* Ribble Valley Express - these buses carry the spot on style livery but with a larger red circle and route branding below the windows. [" [http://p.jackson.fotopic.net/p46206100.html Bus in Ribble Valley Express livery] ]

*Eclipse Driver Training - Training vehicles wear a white, blue and yellow livery for Blazefields Eclipse Driver Training. [" [http://jel-transdev.fotopic.net/p37835822.html Bus in Eclipse training livery] ]

Defunct liveries

Liveries from bought-out companies

* Blackburn Transport - a number of buses still wear the old green & cream and green, cream & yellow livery of this now defunct operator, but the colour-scheme is now rapidly disappearing.

* Accrington Transport/ Northern Blue - many buses have "Transdev Lancashire United" branding on Accrington Transport/ Northern Blue liveried buses, these liveries are also expected to disappear over time.

Awards and honours

*In 2004 Lancashire United were winners of the "Marketing Award for Local Authorities and Joint Projects" at the prestigious Bus Industry Awards held in London, for their joint work with Lancashire County Council in promoting route X1-X2 to Manchester. Parts of the route have since been upgraded and branded The Lancashire Way as services X40/X41. Clitheroe is no longer served and Whalley only served at peak times, a far cry from the hourly service to Manchester before. [" [http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/Environment/images/Travel%20Info.pdf "National Transport Awards 2004"] ]

*Lancashire United's Lancashire Way route was shortlisted at the 2007 Manchester Tourism Awards at Hilton Deansgate Hotel. They were entered into the "Tourism Transport Provider of the Year" category at the event by the judges.

See also

*Blackburn Transport
*Blazefield Group
*Transdev Burnley & Pendle
*Transdev Harrogate & District
*Transdev Keighley & District
*Transdev Yorkshire Coastliner
*Transdev Northern Blue
*Transdev

*List of bus companies

References

External links

* [http://www.lancashireunited.co.uk/ Lancashire United website]
* [http://www.transdevplc.co.uk/ Transdev website]