Go Ahead acquires Pulhams

[Flange Squeal]

I know they’re not strictly ‘West Country’, but they have been mentioned in this thread in the last couple of pages and it didn’t seem worth starting a new thread on rumours. But there’s muttering going on verbally and on social media regarding Pulhams Coaches being acquired by Go-Ahead Group. Not clear if it just relates to the bus services or includes the coaching side too, as with Dartline, but perhaps something to keep an eye on incase there is any truth to it. Can’t see anything official anywhere so to be taken with a firm pinch of salt at present!

 

[Parebunks]

I know they’re not strictly ‘West Country’, but they have been mentioned in this thread in the last couple of pages and it didn’t seem worth starting a new thread on rumours. But there’s muttering going on verbally and on social media regarding Pulhams Coaches being acquired by Go-Ahead Group. Not clear if it just relates to the bus services or includes the coaching side too, as with Dartline, but perhaps something to keep an eye on incase there is any truth to it. Can’t see anything official anywhere so to be taken with a firm pinch of salt at present!

Just confirmed: https://newsroom.go-ahead.com/news/go-ahead-expands-into-the-cotswolds-by-buying-pulham-sons Includes coach and bus sides, will be managed as part of Oxford Bus.

The Go-Ahead Group has bought Pulham & Sons (Coaches) Limited, a long established family run bus and coach operator in the Cotswolds.

Pulhams, which has a fleet of 90 buses and coaches and employs 126 people, is a well-known and respected local business serving communities in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. It will become part of Go-Ahead’s Oxford Bus Company division – which presently comprises Thames Travel, Carousel Buses and City Sightseeing Oxford as well as the eponymous Oxford Bus Company.

Based in Bourton-on-the-Water, Pulhams has won multiple awards for delivering high standards, and currently holds both DVSA Earned Recognition and Guild of British Coach Operators accreditation. The company is one of the oldest established passenger transport companies in Britain, having been founded in 1880 to carry passengers into Cheltenham from nearby villages by horse and cart.

The acquisition will expand Go-Ahead’s Oxford business to the west and see improved connectivity between Pulhams’ bus services in Oxfordshire and the wider Go-Ahead network of services. In addition, it will enable Go-Ahead to expand its coaching operations – which in the Oxford division already include the airline services to Heathrow and Gatwick, and National Express branded operations - by developing the coach hire side of the Pulhams business across the wider business operating area.

As part of Go-Ahead’s business strategy, The Next Billion Journeys, the group is committed to investing, and expanding, in regional buses in Britain. The deal is Go-Ahead’s third acquisition in a year, following the purchase of Dartline in Devon and Southdown Buses in West Sussex.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Funnily enough, I turned off the Fosse Way the other week to look at the depot and was mightily impressed by the facility. The extent of the fleet had passed me by a bit and I did wonder if it might be catching the eye of a prospective purchaser; I confess I thought more of Stagecoach but Go Ahead probably is a more realistic purchaser.

Just hope that Go Ahead do continue the good work and it takes after Go South Coast rather than the Go East (Anglian Bus) experience

 

[Chris 76]

Last Saturday morning (3rd June) I was driving eastbound on the M25 in Surrey, and saw a Pulhams coach on an Oxford Airline service heading west. It would have been the 10.05 from Gatwick. I was wondering if Oxford Bus Company routinely hire coaches from other operators for Airline, but today's news suggests there was more to it.

 

[Mwanesh]

Funnily enough, I turned off the Fosse Way the other week to look at the depot and was mightily impressed by the facility. The extent of the fleet had passed me by a bit and I did wonder if it might be catching the eye of a prospective purchaser; I confess I thought more of Stagecoach but Go Ahead probably is a more realistic purchaser.

Just hope that Go Ahead do continue the good work and it takes after Go South Coast rather than the Go East (Anglian Bus) experience

Totally agree with you on that. Go East have been hopeless. I used to see Anglian Bus years ago it's all gone after they messed it up. The whole Go East is a basket case

 

[Doctor Fegg]

One of our two local buses is run by Pulhams (the other is Stagecoach) and I think this is broadly positive. Pulhams are a good bunch and run reliable, clean buses, but they clearly had less financial firepower than the big groups. Our bus (the X9) only started accepting card payment in November 2022, amazingly, and even that took a county council grant. I've never seen any publicity for the service other than that put out by the town council. Having Oxford Bus Company behind them should give the service a better chance of succeeding.

Unfortunately Pulhams never joined the £2 fare cap scheme, with one exception. OBC are apparently briefing that DfT rules won't allow them to add extra services, so it'll stay uncapped. The X9 is about £7 for a return from Charlbury to Witney, which is just eight miles by road, which understandably many people baulk at. Given that Diamond/Rotala managed to join the fare cap partway through, I hope a solution is found here.

 

[37114]

I was driving down the Fosse Way today and passed loads of Pulhams buses (including a 23 plate MCV bodied Volvo) and thought how nice it was to see a large independent thriving in a rural area and wondered to myself what their long term future would be. Now I know...

 

[67thave]

An interesting purchase but one which seems to make sense.
At first glance, the Cotswolds are not good bus turf. They're posh and rural. At the same time, the Cotswolds have poor train access and are a very popular area for domestic and foreign tourism. A New Forest Tour-esque service linking some of the key spots to Oxford would be quite successful methinks. Honestly, I'm surprised that none exists currently!
Buying Pulham's also expands Go-Ahead's service area deep into Stagecoach territory. The cynic in me smells a bit of a bus war coming on...

 

[MotCO]

I wonder if it will be retained as a separate unit with its distinctive livery? That seems to be the way with other current acquisitions - there seems to be no outward difference at Southdown PSV for example.

 

[cnjb8]

May be far-fetched but I wonder if GoAhead are looking to establish a national presence in the private hire market, similar to National Express and their Touromo business. Dartline and Pulhams both have sizeable coach fleets and GoNorth East established their Voyager brand for hiring not long ago.

 

[johnw]

Thames Travel and Carousel seem more Go East than Go South.

 

[bussnapperwm]

It'll be interesting to see where they expand next.

It also puts GoAhead in Stagecoach Midlands territory, with the Pulhams 51 and 801 both going to Moreton-in-Marsh, with the 51 going to Stratford-upon-Avon

 

[Russel]

Totally agree with you on that. Go East have been hopeless. I used to see Anglian Bus years ago it's all gone after they messed it up. The whole Go East is a basket case

Go East is an embarrassment, especially Hedingham.

 

[RT4038]

It'll be interesting to see where they expand next.

It also puts GoAhead in Stagecoach Midlands territory, with the Pulhams 51 and 801 both going to Moreton-in-Marsh, with the 51 going to Stratford-upon-Avon

Not too sure that Moreton in Marsh is really Stagecoach Midlands territory - they only reach it on a few trips on subsidised services 1 & 2 from Stratford on a circuitous route via Chipping Campden. Service 51 is a 'minimum cost' contract to Warwickshire County Council, and is unlikely to be forming the basis of any commercial service! Moreton-in-Marsh is really not good bus territory!

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Not too sure that Moreton in Marsh is really Stagecoach Midlands territory - they only reach it on a few trips on subsidised services 1 & 2 from Stratford on a circuitous route via Chipping Campden. Service 51 is a 'minimum cost' contract to Warwickshire County Council, and is unlikely to be forming the basis of any commercial service! Moreton-in-Marsh is really not good bus territory!

Indeed - Moreton is really Pulhams territory. Think people's imaginations are getting a bit carried away; they'll not be any bus war. What Pulhams have been good at is picking up work that Stagecoach West has been unable to cover but otherwise, I don't see much else changing.

 

[47550]

Sadly my one experience of Pulhams was not a good one - driver speeding past the bus stop earlier this year without stopping on a rural route to Broadway. Not pleased at all - especially as it was snowing at the time !

 

[RELL6L]

I don't see there's any chance of a bus war here, no-one is going to be stupid.

I dare say Stagecoach and Go Ahead will keep each other honest in tenders for routes around Witney and Cheltenham but no way Go Ahead will challenge Stagecoach on the S1 or S3 into Oxford nor say the 51 Swindon-Cirencester-Cheltenham.

Not in anyone's interest. Keep Pulham's as a small local operator with its existing markets, take out some back office costs and let it alone. As long as they don't take the big-company approach of setting profit margin targets for routes, then withdraw one route at a time each time expecting the others to cover the depot overheads...

 

[Parebunks]

Agreed that a full-on bus war seems unlikely, Go-Ahead already burned their fingers in that direction trying out the 500 to Woodstock. There is a new park and ride opening at Eynsham next year, though, Witney operations might make them more competitive for getting that contract? Coach hire has always seemed the core of the Pulhams business to me, my guess would be that they keep that as a separate brand and integrate the bus services a bit more comprehensively, particularly in Oxfordshire.

 

[MotCO]

I dare say Stagecoach and Go Ahead will keep each other honest in tenders for routes around Witney and Cheltenham but no way Go Ahead will challenge Stagecoach on the S1 or S3 into Oxford nor say the 51 Swindon-Cirencester-Cheltenham.

How much depot spare space do Pulhams have? Is there room to take on new contracts or reallocate work from other Go-Ahead garages?

 

[W-on-Sea]

How much depot spare space do Pulhams have? Is there room to take on new contracts or reallocate work from other Go-Ahead garages?

Not sure, but I suppose it's possible that two of their Oxfordshire services, the 15 (Witney-Abingdon) and the 19 (Witney-Carterton), each requiring one bus, might be transferred to Thames Travel, as they (the 15 at any rate) might fit more logically into their geographical area of operation

 

[peterblue]

I anticipate GoAhead are trying to get a foothold into the coaching business. Most of Pulham's bus work is fairly small and marginal.

 

[Parebunks]

Had a proper look at the bus work Pulhams are doing at the moment on bustimes.org - PVR is about 18, worked out for me as generally one bus each for the X9, 51, 802, 855, P/Q (with an extra needed for peaks on the 802 and for late mornings on the X9), 2 interworking the 15 and 19, 2 on the 606, 3 on the 801 (which has a crazy amount of layover time. It could be a regular hourly service with three vehicles, though would need to skip Northleach), and four for the 99.
Then it's a variety of weekly shopper-style routes, only needing one bus between them - curious as to how heavily supported by Gloucestershire County Council these are. Considering the announcement cited 90 vehicles included, definitely the coaches as the selling point! Would seem to make more sense to run the 15/19 from a Thames Travel/Oxford Bus Company depot, a lot of unnecessary deadheading running them out from Bourton.

 

[DaveLondon]

Had a proper look at the bus work Pulhams are doing at the moment on bustimes.org - PVR is about 18, worked out for me as generally one bus each for the X9, 51, 802, 855, P/Q (with an extra needed for peaks on the 802 and for late mornings on the X9), 2 interworking the 15 and 19, 2 on the 606, 3 on the 801 (which has a crazy amount of layover time. It could be a regular hourly service with three vehicles, though would need to skip Northleach), and four for the 99.
Then it's a variety of weekly shopper-style routes, only needing one bus between them - curious as to how heavily supported by Gloucestershire County Council these are. Considering the announcement cited 90 vehicles included, definitely the coaches as the selling point! Would seem to make more sense to run the 15/19 from a Thames Travel/Oxford Bus Company depot, a lot of unnecessary deadheading running them out from Bourton.

Don't forget they have a number of Operating Centres including one for 20 vehicles near Witney.

 

[W-on-Sea]

In tourist season I reckon the 801 could generate enough trade to warrant a more frequent than hourly service. It's a useful link for non-tourists, too, but as effectively the principal public transport link to the honeypot of Bourton-on-the-Water I've seen it packed full on numerous occasions.

I suspect one valid justification for the extensive layover time is that traffic jams between, in particular, Moreton and Stow (and to a lesser extent onto Bourton) can really mess with running times. It's not just that it's difficult bus territory, it's difficult road territory in places!

 

[bristol1996]

It's a shame really as the Pulham entity is very well kept and run very very well. Now that Go Ahead have bought it, watch the outfit go downhill!

 

[Doctor Fegg]

Very pleased to report that Pulhams are joining the £2 fare cap from 1st July under their new ownership.

 

[Parebunks]

Changes coming in at Pulhams after the acquisition, all taking effect from 27th November as far as I'm aware:
801:

the Cheltenham to Moreton-in-Marsh via Bourton-in-the-Water route will be extended to an hourly daytime service Monday to Saturday and a two-hourly daytime service on Sundays and public holidays

L (taken over from Marchants):

We have been notified by Gloucestershire County Council that we have been unsuccessful with our recent tender bid for the L service. Our final day of operation will be Saturday 25th November 2023.
The Go Ahead Group owned Pulhams Coaches will operate the service from Sunday 26th November 2023.

99:

Amendment to timetable and addition of stop at Horton Road in Gloucester.

As well as a couple of new routes won as tenders from Oxfordshire County Council, which are yet to be publicly announced - I understand these to be 64 (4 times a day Carterton-Swindon, 3 extending to Witney), and 68 (Faringdon to Wantage via Uffington, 4 times a day). The Oxford Bus Company has also won some work with this tranche, all funded with Bus Service Improvement Plan money. I imagine there'll be some changes to Pulhams' commercial routes at the same time, perhaps greater integration with the other Go-Ahead operations?

 

[Parebunks]

Timetable for 64 is now out. 4/day to Witney, 3/day to Carterton. Some diversions via Burford round school times. Good to have the link back, but it is a bit barebones, hopefully can be improved!

 

[MasterSpenny]

Looking through buslistsontheweb.co.uk, it would appear Pulhman have now got 2 MCV Evoras: FF73BUS and GG73BUS.

The plates listed above are what they are being reregistered to, and were initially registered as BV73MLE and BV73MLF.

 

[DaveHarries]

[.....] but it is a bit barebones, hopefully can be improved!

I have often thought that Lechlade could do with a better level of service than it has.

Dave