Arriva Sapphire
 | |
 | |
| Parent | Arriva |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 2013 |
| Service type | Luxury bus |
| Routes | 54 (November 2019) |
| Operator | Arriva Buses Wales Arriva Midlands Arriva North East Arriva North West Arriva Shires & Essex Arriva Southern Counties Arriva Yorkshire |
| Website | Website |
Arriva Sapphire is a premium brand used by various Arriva bus subsidiaries in the United Kingdom.
History
In February 2013, Arriva UK Bus ("Arriva") announced that it would launch a premium service under the Sapphire brand for its bus services in the United Kingdom.[1] It is similar to the Stagecoach Gold brand launched by Stagecoach Group ("Stagecoach") in 2007.
Arriva initially launched the Sapphire brand on four pilot routes:[2]
- Arriva Buses Wales' route 1 Wrexham to Chester[3]
- Arriva Midlands' route 31/31a Oadby to Leicester[4]
- Arriva North East's route 7 Darlington to Durham[5]
- Arriva Shires & Essex's route 280 Aylesbury to Oxford[6]
In 2014, the brand was extended to 11 more routes with another six scheduled for conversion in late 2015.[7][8][9]
In 2015, the Sapphire brand was shortlisted for an award for exemplary commitment to customer excellence, at the International Association of Public Transport World Congress & Exhibition.[10]
In 2017, Arriva Sapphire was rebranded with a new logo and livery, in line with the switchover to the new Arriva brand. In 2018, the Arriva Sapphire logo was updated again, to reflect the new brand. [11]
In 2019, Arriva Midlands routes 1, 2, 2E running between Walsall and Cannock/Huntington were downgraded to regular buses after six years of Sapphire.
Routes
As at November 2019, there were 53 Arriva Sapphire routes.
Vehicles
Buses have leather seats, free WiFi, power ports, and a modified two tone blue livery. The initial pilot routes commenced with a mix of refurbished double deck buses and new Wright Pulsar bodied VDL SB200s.[1][22] Mostly since then, new buses have been purchased, primarily Alexander Dennis Enviro400s and Wright StreetLites.[9] A number of Wright Pulsar/Pulsar 2 vehicles have been refurbished to operate Sapphire routes.[23]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Arriva launches Sapphire upgrade". Bus and Coach Professional. Plum Publishing Ltd. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
- ^ "Where We Operate". Arriva Sapphire. Arriva. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Commute with a little bit of sparkle thanks to Sapphire". North Wales Daily Post. Trinity Mirror. 29 April 2013.
- ^ a b "Sapphire is jewel in the crown of Arriva services". Leicester Mercury. Trinity Mirror. 29 June 2013.
- ^ a b "Sapphire launched in north east". Bus & Coach Buyer. AT Graphics Ltd. 11 December 2013.
- ^ a b {{cite 321 Watford to Luton 320 Hemel to rickmansworth http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/arriva-launches-third-sapphire-scheme/ |title=Arriva launches third Sapphire scheme |newspaper=Bus & Coach Buyer |publisher=AT Graphics Ltd |date=25 July 2013}}
- ^ "11 new routes for Arriva's Sapphire". Route One. Diversified Communications UK. 9 July 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Where We Operate". Arriva Sapphire.
- ^ a b "ADL in pole position as Arriva confirms 2015 orders". Bus and Coach Professional. Plum Publishing Ltd. 5 March 2015. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
- ^ "UITP award nomination for Sapphire brand". Bus and Coach Professional. Plum Publishing Ltd. 14 May 2015. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
- ^ "We're upgrading the Chatham to Bluewater 700 services to join our select family of premium Sapphire routes". Arriva. 12 July 2017.
- ^ "Arriva's new luxury buses add touch of sparkle to Derby". Derby Telegraph. Trinity Mirror. 8 August 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Sapphire in Tamworth". Bus & Coach Buyer. AT Graphics Ltd. 16 October 2014.
- ^ "Arriva Leicester welcomes report". Bus & Coach Buyer. AT Graphics Ltd. 15 April 2016.
- ^ a b "New buses set to be launched on the 130 route between Macclesfield and Manchester". Macclesfield Express. Trinity Mirror. 4 September 2015.
- ^ "Stormtroopers travel faster by bus on the new Arriva Sapphire 263 service". Arriva North West. 4 April 2016.
- ^ "Route 362 timetable" (PDF). Transport for Greater Manchester. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
- ^ a b "Double deckers on Arriva Sapphire route". Bus & Coach Buyer. AT Graphics Ltd. 22 April 2015.
- ^ "We're upgrading the Chatham to Bluewater 700 services to join our select family of premium Sapphire routes". Arriva. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ "Sparking in Leeds". Bus & Coach Buyer. AT Graphics Ltd. 21 April 2015.
- ^ https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/yorkshire/services/415---sapphire---selby-to-york/?direction=inbound
- ^ "Sapphire investment brings sparkle to bus services". Arriva. 20 June 2013.
- ^ "Arriva North West & Wales – Initiatives for growth & quality". Bus & Coach Buyer. AT Graphics Ltd. 10 April 2014.
External links
Media related to Arriva Sapphire at Wikimedia Commons- "Arriva Sapphire". Arriva.
