Midland (bus operator)

Midland (bus operator)
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]

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

  1. ^ a b Millar, Alan (March 2009). "What Julian Did Next". Buses (648): 30–35. 
  2. ^ Midland Bus - Fleet List

External links


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