Trivia: The big four

[cactustwirly]

In Reading we have First Berkshire, Arriva the Shires, Thames Travel (Go- Ahead) & Fleet buzz (Stagecoach) However these aren't the main operator Reading Buses (Reading Council) is! But are there any other places where the big four bus companies meet?

 

[bussnapperwm]

Birmingham have their own version of the Big4

Diamond Bus (Rotala)
NXWM (national express)
First midlands
Arriva Midlands

(if you count it as the WM county instead, you'd also be able to add Stagecoach Warwickshire in...)

 

[KendalKing]

In Reading we have First Berkshire, Arriva the Shires, Thames Travel (Go- Ahead) & Fleet buzz (Stagecoach) However these aren't the main operator Reading Buses (Reading Council) is! But are there any other places where the big four bus companies meet?

I can't think of any other town, were them four operators operate, unless you count Transdev.

Then you could count Bolton, both Arriva & First have depots in the Town, with Stagecoach operating in Bolton, from depots at Chorley & Wigan, and Transdev from their depot at Blackburn.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

The only ones that meet here in Glasgow are First and Stagecoach. However Taking Greater Glasgow as a whole we have First, Stagecoach and McGill's (Ex-ASW) all meet at various points...

 

[Polarbear]

Manchester sees First, Transdev, Arriva & Stagecoach with significant operations in the area. High Peak also appear there who are 50% owned by Trent/Barton (Wellglade).

Liverpool used to be a meeting point of three of the big operators until the First operations in Chester & the Wirral were sold to Stagecoach.

 

[Robertj21a]

Probably somewhere on London/Essex boundary - Lakeside ?

 

[tbone]

York has Arriva, First and Transdev and Stagecoach serve the town with Megabus Plus

 

[Deerfold]

Probably somewhere on London/Essex boundary - Lakeside ?

Do Go-Ahead operate around there?

 

[Robertj21a]

Do Go-Ahead operate around there?

Probably somewhere around that area - either ex-Docklands or ex-First ?

 

[robertclark125]

You could add Oxford, although in doing so, First run the trains, not the buses! Arriva serves the city with the 280, and Stagecoach and the Go Ahead group run a co-ordinated bus service.

 

[Y961 XBU]

Manchester has Arriva, First, Stagecoach, Transdev and Go Ahead

 

[Robertj21a]

Manchester has Arriva, First, Stagecoach, Transdev and Go Ahead

Which one is the GoAhead ?

 

[Y961 XBU]

Which one is the GoAhead ?

Think they known as Go Goodwins up here according to what am told

 

[317 forever]

Liverpool may have been a near miss. Go-Ahead were preferred bidders for Gillmoss in 2000 but then withdrew, and it eventually became part of Stagecoach in 2005. Then in 2013 Stagecoach bought Rock Ferry and Chester. So, we could by now have seen the big 4 in Liverpool! (OK, so had Stagecoach missed out at GM they might not have been interested in RF/CH but I don't want to let this get in the way of a good story!).

At Victoria we can see Arriva routes 2, 38 and 73 and Green Line route 757 among others, Go-Ahead routes 11, 36, 44, 170 and 436, Stagecoach Megabus and Oxford Tube, and First Green Line route 702.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Think they known as Go Goodwins up here according to what am told

Goodwins have nothing to do with Go Ahead Group
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Liverpool may have been a near miss. Go-Ahead were preferred bidders for Gillmoss in 2000 but then withdrew, and it eventually became part of Stagecoach in 2005. Then in 2013 Stagecoach bought Rock Ferry and Chester. So, we could by now have seen the big 4 in Liverpool! (OK, so had Stagecoach missed out at GM they might not have been interested in RF/CH but I don't want to let this get in the way of a good story!).

At Victoria we can see Arriva routes 2, 38 and 73 and Green Line route 757 among others, Go-Ahead routes 11, 36, 44, 170 and 436, Stagecoach Megabus and Oxford Tube, and First Green Line route 702.

Central London was my thought because of the First Berkshire Green Line from Windsor

 

[KendalKing]

Manchester has Arriva, First, Stagecoach, Transdev and Go Ahead

According to Go-Ahead website, their have nothing in the Manchester area. Not even trains.

 

[Busaholic]

Liverpool may have been a near miss. Go-Ahead were preferred bidders for Gillmoss in 2000 but then withdrew, and it eventually became part of Stagecoach in 2005. Then in 2013 Stagecoach bought Rock Ferry and Chester. So, we could by now have seen the big 4 in Liverpool! (OK, so had Stagecoach missed out at GM they might not have been interested in RF/CH but I don't want to let this get in the way of a good story!).

At Victoria we can see Arriva routes 2, 38 and 73 and Green Line route 757 among others, Go-Ahead routes 11, 36, 44, 170 and 436, Stagecoach Megabus and Oxford Tube, and First Green Line route 702.

Victoria used to see Stagecoach buses on route 8 (and may do again, I suspect, when Crossrail works are complete) but in meantime has only the night N136 to represent it in addition to the coach routes mentioned

 

[317 forever]

Chelmsford is served by First, Arriva TGM Network Harlow route 59, and Go-Ahead Hedingham routes 14/15. I have seen a cafe almost opposite the bus station called Stagecoach. It is mentioned around 3/4 of the way down the web page below. I have thus seen First, Arriva, Go-Ahead and Stagecoach (cafe) in Chelmsford!

http://www.knowhere.co.uk/Chelmsford/Essex/South-East-England/info/coffeeshops

 

[Busaholic]

Chelmsford is served by First, Arriva TGM Network Harlow route 59, and Go-Ahead Hedingham routes 14/15. I have seen a cafe almost opposite the bus station called Stagecoach. It is mentioned around 3/4 of the way down the web page below. I have thus seen First, Arriva, Go-Ahead and Stagecoach (cafe) in Chelmsford!

http://www.knowhere.co.uk/Chelmsford/Essex/South-East-England/info/coffeeshops

Romford had Arriva, First and Stagecoach for years - then Go-Ahead bought First's share. If you count trains, it also had National Express.

 

[fairysdad]

Poole has Go-Ahead, RATP, and First with two different Go-Ahead brands (Wilts & Dorset's More and Damory). Stagecoach is there as well if you count trains. Bournemouth doesn't have First (or Damory AFAIK), but does have Arriva trains...

 

[Statto]

Leeds don't think served by Go Ahead but served by First-Arriva-Transdev-Stagecoach, Stagecoach is the X62 Hull-Leeds.

 

[northwichcat]

Think they known as Go Goodwins up here according to what am told

If Go Goodwins are or are owned by a UK limited company then it looks like their website: http://www.gogoodwins.co.uk/ wouldn't meet legal requirements as by law they would have to include the company registration number, place of registration (England & Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland) and their registered address. Also if they collect data (which they do) they need to mention who the data controller is. So I very much doubt Go-Ahead own them.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

If Go Goodwins are or are owned by a UK limited company then it looks like their website: http://www.gogoodwins.co.uk/ wouldn't meet legal requirements as by law they would have to include the company registration number, place of registration (England & Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland) and their registered address. Also if they collect data (which they do) they need to mention who the data controller is. So I very much doubt Go-Ahead own them.

Go Goodwins are a family owned independent. They have NOTHING to do with Go Ahead Group

 

[Busaholic]

Go Goodwins are a family owned independent. They have NOTHING to do with Go Ahead Group

Or Go Compare

 

[Emyr]

According to Go-Ahead website, their have nothing in the Manchester area. Not even trains.

...yet.

 

[MK Tom]

Northampton used to have Arriva, Stagecoach and First, with London Midland trains being run by GoAhead. Sadly both Arriva and First have since pulled out.

 

[northwichcat]

Liverpool used to be a meeting point of three of the big operators until the First operations in Chester & the Wirral were sold to Stagecoach.

Huddersfield temporarily had the same three after Stagecoach purchased Yorkshire Traction but they sold the Huddersfield operations to a Centrebus/Arriva consortium which Arriva recently bought out and re-branded as Yorkshire Tiger.

 

[317 forever]

Leeds don't think served by Go Ahead but served by First-Arriva-Transdev-Stagecoach, Stagecoach is the X62 Hull-Leeds.

Bradford also has First, Arriva, Transdev and Stagecoach. Stagecoach just run route 425 (Wakefield - Bradford) on Sunday evenings. They also operate route 444 (Wakefield - Leeds) on Sunday evenings. These 2 routes do not necessarily interwork. Last Sunday I rode an E200 and an MAN-E300 respectively.

In 1996-2006 Orpington was served by Stagecoach, Arriva, Go-Ahead and First.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Cardiff has Cardiff Bus, Newport Bus, First and Stagecoach (as well as smaller companies like Easyway and New Adventure Travel).

You've also got National Express coaches!

 

[Surreyman]

Northampton used to have Arriva, Stagecoach and First, with London Midland trains being run by GoAhead. Sadly both Arriva and First have since pulled out.

Sadly??

Don't you mean joyfully!