News Archive

Since its launch as North West Cheshire's Bus Pages in April 1999, this site has done its best to cover all the major fleet and service news in the region. There have been some big gaps, notably in 2000/01 while I was working in Portugal; however, all the news that we have covered is now brought together in one section to enable stories to be located easily. The index below lists the months for which archive news is available, together with the main headlines for each month.

2005

December 2005 Tribute to Malcolm Barrington
More new buses for Stagecoach and Arriva
November 2005 Goodbye PSBS .... Hello PSI!
ACE Travel buys Marshall Minibus
October 2005 Arriva takes three Citaros for new Airport link
Major service changes in Halewood area
September 2005 Farewell to Gillmoss' last Metrobus as Dart Pointer deliveries commence
Six more 'Merits' for Warrington BT
August 2005 Arriva buys Blue Bus
Stagecoach renumbers
Red Kite takes three Prismas
July 2005 GTL becomes Stagecoach Merseyside
First takes Scanias for Route 1
Warrington Bus Station closes
Arriva buys Omnicities for revamped 500
June 2005 Chesterbus livery spreads
Arriva takes two Dart SLFs on loan
May 2005 Four new Darts for Halton
Slimline Solos for A1A
April 2005 Chester City Transport rebrands as Chesterbus
Many Merseytravel services change hands
March 2005 David Tanner and Norbus cease operations
February 2005 Hybrid Solos arrive for CATCH service in Liverpool
Arriva anounces big investment for Merseyside
January 2005 3122's Indian Summer
GTL takes more Dashes

2004

December 2004 Christmas Services on Merseyside
Norbus BioBus
November 2004 Birkenhead Battery Buses in St. Helens
Cadets for Crewe
Merseypride's VRT Farewell
October 2004 Airport Route 89 Rebranded
Foden Stars at Wirral Bus & Tram Show
September 2004 ACE Travel Hits The Road
August 2004 Merseyline Taken Over by Arriva
July 2004 LMS Buses Ceases Trading
Thirty Secondhand Buses for Arriva NW&W
February 2004 All change at Albert and Brunswick Docks
January 2004 First of 100 B6s and Darts for GTL

2003

December 2003 Chester's Falcons arrive at last
November 2003 North West Travel gets EY's sole Spectra
Chester hires Darts as Falcons are delayed
October 2003 Warrington buys Volvo Merits
Eazibus takes second Solo
June 2003 PMT to close Moreton depot
Glenvale buys CMT buses
April 2003 Halton buys more Dart SLFs...
...and sells Lynxes to 2 Travel
March 2003 Merseypride fleet impounded by HM Customs
Cumfybus buys EMS
February 2003 ANW&W takes on South Cheshire depots
Warrington's MCVs arrive
January 2003 New Darts for Halton
Major service revisions in Liverpool

2002

December 2002 Chester buys two more Marshall Minibuses
Battery Buses launched in St. Helens
November 2002 Birkenhead battery buses hit problems
GTL buys more London Darts
October 2002 Wirral Bus & Tram Show report
End of the road for Citybus & Wingates
September 2002 Marshall Bus (UK)'s demise - The Truth
LMS and Arriva service changes
August 2002 Commonwealth Games Shuttle services
Lynxes for Southport & Skelmersdale
July 2002 First adopts national numbering system
Four new Capital IIs for Halton
June 2002 Ex-MPTE 'Jumbos' on Isle of Man
Warrington Borough Transport's Centenary
May 2002 PSBS to go in Liverpool's redevelopment plans
GTL launches more Liverpool services
Crosville gets two elderly Badgerline Olympians
April 2002 M&CBP's third anniversary
GTL buys more Metrobuses
Norbus launch Jubilee Bus
March 2002 Radonneur tries gas-powered Merc
Crosville gets Ikarus DAFs from Yorkshire
February 2002 ANW absorbs Cymru company and renumbers
First Alero for Huyton Travel
Northern Line Rail Replacement services
January 2002 Urban Bus Challenge routes launched in Liverpool
Big freeze-up affects bus washers

2001

December 2001 Supertravel expands again
Christmas service details
November 2001 The Large Portion Express
April 2001 Arriva Merseyside recasts Wirral network
ELC DAFs enter service
Smithdown Road Tramlines re-appear!
March 2001 Bettabus services taken over by LMS
Vandals force service 202 off the road
Crosville tries Cacciamali electric bus

2000

February 2000 Arriva buys MTL Trust Holdings
January 2000 MTL reported to be for sale

1999

December 1999 Supertravel and Chester get SLF Darts
ANW takes over Nova Scotia, Winsford
November 1999 SMART-Eco expands
Chester gets its first National 2s!
Marshall Dart SLF orders & deliveries
October 1999 MTL Atlantean in fatal accident
August 1999 Flintshire's LINXX scheme
July 1999 MTL punished over St. Helens "cartel"
June 1999 Crosville's Technobus Gullivers appraised
May 1999 Warrington's REs bow out in style
ANW takes over Liverpool SMART services
London SLWs move north
April 1999 Warrington's first eight Dart SLFs in service
Merseyline buys two Halton Lynxes