Blackburn Bus Company

This article is about the current Transdev subsidiary. For the historic Atherton based bus company, see Lancashire United Transport.

Lancashire United Ltd

File:Lancashire United logo.gif
Founded	15 April 2001
Headquarters	Manner Sutton Street, Blackburn (Head office: Prospect Park, Harrogate
Service area	United Kingdom)
Service type	Bus services
Destinations	Blackburn, Hyndburn, Accrington, Clitheroe, Burnley, Rossendale, Preston, Bolton, Manchester.
Fleet	Approx. 164 buses
Operator	Blazefield Group
Chief executive	Stuart Wilde
Website	www.lancashireunited.co.uk

Lancashire United is an English bus operator, running mainly in and around the boroughs of Blackburn and Hyndburn. Lancashire United Ltd is a subsidiary of the Transdev Group.

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. The resultant company was named Lancashire United for buses operating in the Ribble Valley, Hyndburn, Bolton and Blackburn and a separate operating company, Burnley and 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A number of service revisions followed with many marginal services withdrawn and a number of school contracts were terminated.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.

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 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. The Blackburn garage remains in use. The Blazefield Group became part of the multi-national transport Transdev group in 2006.

Acquisition of Blackburn Transport

On 22 January 2007, Lancashire United acquired the business of Blackburn Transport from Blackburn with Darwen Council, a move that was anticipated for months. The company stated that all drivers from Blackburn Transport would remain, as would all fare deals and passes. The buy out 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 contituent fleets, as the original depot at Manor Sutton Street is too small to house them all.

Acquisition of Northern Blue

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 .

Services & operations

The company operates bus services Around Blackburn, Hynburn and interurban routes to Bolton, Clitheroe, Manchester, Burnley and Preston from its Blackburn bases at Intack and Mannor 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', 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.

Routes

Lancashire United routes

• Route 152

Preston - Blackburn - Padiham - Burnley.

• Route 225

Bolton - Darwen - Blackburn - Clitheroe.

• Route 241

Accrington - Clayton le Moors - Great Harwood - Whalley - Clitheroe.

• Route 280/X80

Preston - Mellor - Whalley - Clitheroe - Skipton

(Note: 280 runs via Barnoldswick and Thornton, X80 runs via West Marton).

'The Lancashire Way' routes

• The Lancasire Way X40

Whalley - Great Harwood - Accrington - Haslingden - Helmshore - Prestwich - Manchester.

• The Lancashire Way X41

Whalley - Great Harwood - Accrington - Haslingden - Prestwich - Manchester.

'Spot On' routes

• Spot On Route 1 (formerly Blackburn Transport Track 1)

Accrington - Church - Blackburn - Ewood - Darwen - Darwen Cemetery

• Spot On Route 2 (formerly Blackburn Transport Tracks 2 & 15)

Brownhill - Blackburn - Royal Blackburn Hospital - Chapels - Darwen

• Spot On Routes 6 & 7 (formerly Hyndburn Circular routes 6, 6a, 7 & 7a)

Circular route connecting Blackburn, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, Clayton le Moors, Great Harwood and Rishton.

• Spot On Routes 8 & 9 (formerly Blackburn Transport Tracks 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D)

Circular route connecting Blackburn - Tesco - Intack - Shadsworth - Queens Park & Audley, route 8 operates clockwise and route 9 operates Anti-clockwise.

Former Blackburn Transport routes

• Track 4

Blackburn - Higher Croft circular

• The OC / Track 5

Blackburn Outer Circle anticlockwise Blackburn Outer Circle Clockwise

• Track 10

Blackburn - Witton Wensly Fold

• Track 11

Blackburn - Witton Gorse Road

• Track 12

Blackburn - Lamack - Revidge

• Track 13

Blackburn - Revidge - Mellor/Mellor Brooke

• Track 14

Blackburn - Little Harwood - Sunnybower

• Track 16

Blackburn - Royal Blackburn Hospital - Darwen - Hoddlesden or Spring Vale

• Track 18

Blackburn - Mill Hill - Feniscowles

• Track 19

Blackburn - Ewood - Leyburn Road - Feniscowles

• Track 19

Sunnybower - Blackburn - Ewood - Leyburn Road - Feniscowles (Evenings & Sundays)

• Track 21

Openshaw Drive - Blackburn - Mill Hill

• Track 22A

Blackburn - Mill Hill - Moorgate - Leyburn Road - Green Lane circular

• Track 22C

Blackburn - Mill Hill - Green Lane - Leyburn Road - Moorgate circular

• Track 22

Blackburn - Mill Hill - Moorgate - Green Lane circular (Evenings and Sundays)

Clitheroe Local Services

Routes formerly operated by Accrington Transport

• 5,5a

Downham - Clitheroe - Ribchester - Longridge

• C2

Clitheroe - Low Moor - Chatburn - Sawley - Grindleton(Circular)

• C4

Clitheroe - Peel Park (Circular)

• C5,C15

Clitheroe - West Bradford & Waddington (Circular)

• C25

Clitheroe - Whalley - Brockhall - Copster Green - Blackburn

Various School Services

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 Lynxs. By September 2001, most of these had been replaced by more modern Leyland Olympians, more Leyland Lynxs and some brand new Volvo B10BLEs, bodied by Wrightbus. Over 30 of these were purchased, and are still in 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. Inlcuded were Dennis Darts, Volvo Olympians and some other Volvo single-deckers.

The company's first new double-decker bus was a Volvo B7TL, again with Wrightbus bodywork, highlighting the companies preferences, which at the time seemed to be Leyland and Volvo, and mainly Wrightbus-bodied buses. This bus was painted in the black and red Lancashire Way livery and was purchased in late 2005.

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 purple livery for routes 6 & 7 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.

Current fleet

Buses operated by Lancashire United (some of which were inherited from Blackburn Transport).

Type	Body	Number
Dennis Dart	Plaxton/Transbus	16	About 4 of these are in green spot on livery for Spot On Route 2.
Optare MetroRider	Optare	14	Six 11m Optare Versas have been ordered and are due to replace the remaining Optare MetroRiders.
Volvo B6R	East Lancs	4
Volvo B7RLE	Wrightbus	25	Some of these carry a purple spot on livery for Spot On Routes 6 & 7, and the rest carry a deeper shade of purple for Spot On Route 1 .
Volvo B10BLE	Wrightbus		These buses carry various liveries, some carry branding for route 152 and 225, six of the ex blackburn transport vehicles still carry the now obsolete Blackburn Transport livery whilst at least six carry a red spot on livery for Spot On Routes 8 & 9 A few others carry the standard Spot On livery.
Leyland Olympian	Leyand
Leyland Olympian	E.C.W		Some of these are painted in the traditional blue and cream livery, while some carry the all-yellow school bus colours.
Leyland Olympian	ROE
Volvo Olympian	Northern Counties	3	2 of these still retain the purple and orange livery for Blackburn Outer Circle route

Liveries

Lancashire United's buses can be recognised by the distinctive blue and cream livery, although there is a variation regarding the special Lancashire Way routes to and from Manchester, which are in a special black and red colour scheme with a distinctive Lancashire rose, the 'Spot On' buses are predominantly white , with 'coffee' skirts and a relief in varying colours of each route they operate, buses in the Blackburn area are gradually being branded as Spot On.

Awards & 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. The route has since been upgraded and branded The Lancashire Way as services X40/X41.

• 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
• List of bus companies
• Transdev

External links

• Transdev website
• Lancashire United website
• The Lancashire Way website
• Spot On website