Connect Buses
Connect Buses covers all aspects of the bus operations that are part of the Rotala Group.
Central Connect
Central Connect is a bus operator in the West Midlands. It is made up of the merger of Zak's, North Birmingham Busways and Birmingham Motor Traction.
On March 3 2008, Central Connect purchased the Go West Midlands operations from Go-Ahead. [1]
Bus services operated by Central Connect
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Night Bus Services
- 5N Birmingham - Yardley Wood
- 9N Birmingham, Broad Street -Halesowen Bus Station
- 14N Birmingham, Broad Street - Stechford
- 16N Birmingham, Broad Street - Kingstanding
- 22N Birmingham - Kitwell
- 50N Birmingham - Druids Heath
- 58N Birmingham - Birmingham International
- 63N Birmingham - Rubery
- 104N Birmingham - Sutton Coldfield
Park & Ride Services
- PRN Coventry - Courthouse Green
New Routes as 03/03/08
| Route | Terminals | Via | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Birmingham | Druids Heath | Kings Heath and Maypole | |
| 56 | Birmingham | Brownhills West | Aldridge | Weekdays only |
| 56A | Birmingham | Brownhills West | Aldridge, Hundred Acre | Evenings and Sundays only |
| 57 | Redditch | Matchborough Circular | Woodrow | |
| 58 | Redditch | Matchborough Circular | ||
| 64 | Birmingham | Bromsgrove | Rubery & Lickey End | |
| 74/74E | Birmingham | Dudley Port | West Bromwich Bus Station | |
| 81 | Birmingham | Brandhall | Smethwick & Warley | Evening and Sunday working (Centro contract) |
| 86 | Woodgate Valley South | Rubery Great Park | Weoley Castle Square | |
| 87/87E | Birmingham | Tividale | Smethwick and Oldbury | |
| 93 | Bromsgrove | Charford | Worcester County Contract | |
| 97 | Birmingham | Chelmsley Wood | Bordesley Green | |
| * | * | * | * | * |
| 119 | Sutton Coldfield | Falcon Lodge | ||
| 120 | Birmingham | Dudley | Londonderry & Oldbury | Now only 2 early morning trips on M-F and Sat kept. Maj withdrawn |
| 146 | Birmingham | Redditch | Kings Norton and Alvechurch | Majority of services extended to Evesham on 246 |
| 158 | Birmingham | Bloxwich | Kingstanding | Centro Contract |
| 200 | Oldbury | Bearwood, Brandhall | Circular | Centro Contract |
| 201 | Oldbury | Brandhall, Bearwood | Circular | Centro Contract |
| 205 | Dudley | Blackheath | Portway | |
| 209 | Dudley | Merry Hill | Oakham | Centro contract |
| 213 | Brierley Hill | Fatherless Barn | Cradley Heath | Centro Contract |
| 245 | Merry Hill | Dudley | Cradley Heath and Netherton | Centro Contract |
| 247 | Redditch | Evesham | Alcester and Bidford Upon Avon | |
| 266 | Wall Heath | Waterfront West | Merry Hill | Centro Contract |
| 267 | Stourbridge | Kingswinford | Ashwood Park | |
| 298 | Stourbridge | Pedmore Fields | ||
| 299 | Stourbridge | Pedmore Fields | ||
| 300 | Merry Hill | Walsall | Dudley and Wednesbury | Sunday Service |
| 342 | Walsall | Beechdale | Willenhall | Centro Contract |
| 343 | Catshill | Redditch | Hewell Park | Sunday Service |
| 357 | Walsall | Aldridge | Centro Contract | |
| 399 | Walsall | Wednesbury | ||
| 401 | West Bromwich | Bilston | ||
| 401E | Yew Tree | Walsall | ||
| 402 | West Bromwich | Tipton | ||
| 404 | West Bromwich | Walsall | ||
| 410 | West Bromwich | Wednesbury | Friar Park | |
| 451 | West Bromwich | Sutton Coldfield | ||
| 510 | Wolverhampton | Perton | Centro Contract | |
| 532 | Wolverhampton | Northwood Park | Circular | Centro Contract |
| 533 | Wolverhampton | Northwood Park | Circular | Centro Contract |
| 544 | Wolverhampton | Dudley | Bilston | Centro Contract |
| 581 | Wolverhampton | Merry Hill | Sunday Service/ Centro contract | |
| 600 | Erdington | Circular | ||
| 836 | Minworth | The Arthur Terry School | School Contract | |
Surrey Connect
Surrey Connect was formed in 2005, when Rotala purchased the Addlestone, Surrey operations of Centra. The operated a number of tendered routes for Surrey County Council, the main ones being the 400 (Staines - Shepperton), 426/446 (Staines - Woking) and 472 (Woking - Byfleet). They also operated a number of other less frequent and schools routes. In June 2007, the operations were partly sold to Wiltax, who were (and still are) based next door. Routes were transferred to Wiltax, along with three buses; the others were transferred to other parts of Connect Buses. The exceptions were that routes 426/446 were taken over by Travel London (West), now Travel Surrey, which also acquired the fleet of buses branded for the service. Routes 236 (East Grinstead - Westerham) and 540 (Woldingham - East Surrey Hospital) are still run with Surrey Connect branding, but from the Heathrow Depot of the Flights Hallmark part of Rotala. [2] [3]
Wessex Connect
Wessex Connect was founded in Bristol by Rotala, through its subsidiary company Flights Hallmark to provide Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council with an alternative to the near monopoly currently held in the city by First Group.
In a deal which was finalised in March 2007 Wessex Connect took over two of the City's park and ride schemes. The Long Ashton operation was won from Bristol City Council while car park firm NCP gave Wessex Connect the contract for the Avonmouth scheme.
Approximately 68 buses run by South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach Company were taken over in late 2007 and most will be replaced by newer environmentally friendly easy access vehicles. Routes, which are currently contracted from Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council to South Gloucestershire Bus and Coach Company will transfer to Wessex Connect. The change of ownership will take place gradually as each contract is due to be renewed with the relevant local council.
The third line of attack was developed in collaboration with The University of the West of England, 'Ulink', a new high quality low cost bus service for students and staff.
Bus services operated by Wessex Connect
- Park and Ride
A4 Portway - (Service 902)
Long Ashton (Service 903)
- Council supported bus services
503 Totterdown - Windmill Hill - Bedminster - Broadmead
510 Bedminster Down - Bedminster - Hotwells
511 Stockwood - Knowle - Bedminster
517 Emersons Green - Downend - Frenchay - Parkway Station - Filton - Southmead - Westbury - Shirehampton - Avonmouth
518 Emersons Green - Downend - Frenchay - Parkway Station - Filton - Southmead - Westbury - Shirehampton (Dursley Road)
532 Keynsham - Oldland Common - Cadbury Heath - Aspects (Longwell Green)
533 Keynsham - Oldland Common - Cadbury Heath - Aspects - Kingswood - Downend - Staple Hill (Off-peak) - Mangotsfield (Peak services only)
558 Knowle - St Anne's - Broomhill - Brislington Village
559 Knowle - St Anne's - Broomhill - Brislington Tesco
584 Kingswood to Sea Mills
585 The Centre to Sea Mills
586 The Centre to Hotwells
587 Kingswood to Hotwells
626 Bristol Centre to Wotton under Edge
627 Yate - Charfield - Wotton under Edge
686 Wotton under Edge - Chipping Sodbury - Kingswood, Bristol
- Ulink
U1: Frenchay - Victoria Street, Temple Meads and Bower Ashton
U2: Frenchay - Victoria Street
U3: Frenchay – Glenside, St Matthias and Victoria Street
U4: Frenchay - Victoria Street (non-stop service)
See also
References
External links
- Connect Buses Website
- Rotala Group Website
- Flights Hallmark Website
- Bristol City Council - Park and Ride
- Bristol UWE - Bus Services
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