North East Buses

Are there any existing threads regarding the various NE bus wars over the years?

Nothing specific I believe.

Been mentioned here and there the odd time in a few other threads over the years though.

(20 May 2021, 9:33 am)MurdnunoC wrote [ -> ]Nothing specific I believe.

Been mentioned here and there the odd time in a few other threads over the years though.

I'm was reading another forum and was just interested. What happened, especially with the magic bus saga?

Main ones I can remember are

SOUTH SHIELDS
Catch A Bus vs Busways/SNE from 1986 to 1997
Redby Travel late 80s
TWOC X2 early 90s

SUNDERLAND.
Catch A Bus vs Busways/SNe from 1987 to 1997
Redby Travel from 1986
OK Travel from 1986
TWOC early 90s
Michael Franks 1986 til ?
Jolly Bus pre 1986 til ?
Welco Early 90s

NEWCASTLE
Andersons 1986 til ?
Derwent Coaches 1986 til ?
OK Travel pre 1986 til 1995
Low Fell Coaches pre 1986 til ?
TWOC early 90s
Welcome early 90s
HMB early 90s


Probably loads more but if others can help answer the ?s and also any that I have missed

Big one I remember and probably the only one I know. Is the GNE bargain bus war against arriva

I loved the welco buses. Drivers were great and it was cheaper than stagecoach to.

(20 May 2021, 6:37 pm)ifm001 wrote [ -> ]Main ones I can remember are

SOUTH SHIELDS
Catch A Bus vs Busways/SNE from 1986 to 1997
Redby Travel late 80s
TWOC X2 early 90s

SUNDERLAND.
Catch A Bus vs Busways/SNe from 1987 to 1997
Redby Travel from 1986
OK Travel from 1986
TWOC early 90s
Michael Franks 1986 til ?
Jolly Bus pre 1986 til ?
Welco Early 90s

NEWCASTLE
Andersons 1986 til ?
Derwent Coaches 1986 til ?
OK Travel pre 1986 til 1995
Low Fell Coaches pre 1986 til ?
TWOC early 90s
Welcome early 90s
HMB early 90s


Probably loads more but if others can help answer the ?s and also any that I have missed

Michael Franks ran til 98 if I remember correctly.
99 at the latest.

Pretty sure HMB were 96/97.

As for my own recollections of bus wars, the one that stands out to me (apart from the local ones mentioned), is Darlington.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darlington_Bus_War loads online about it. But there is still implications of that war now.

More recently the 'alleged' collusion with GNE/ANE and ANE drivers being fed raw meat, still makes me laugh to this day. http://www.passengertransport.co.uk/2011...-raw-meat/

Pretty sure I've posted this previously in another thread, but anyway, here's a video on some of the bus wars which happened in the south following deregulation in 1986.

https://youtu.be/Hltajs9dI6Y

Not sure if it’s wars…well it probably was, the Durham Road wars

Classic and it’s 21 vs Northern 221. Classic was around 50p cheaper iirc.

Sunderland Busways v Redby bus
Farringdon to Hylton 2 27 28 and 29
94-96 I think

Well until that deal happened in 95 with them getting areas to themselves Cleveland Transit and United/Tees had a bit of a battle though out Teesside into North Yorkshire. Both running services against each other. Until United took them over you also had TMS and Robson’s providing competition as well. Now all sadly gone of course either brought out by Stagecoach or Arriva or going bust.