Service type Luxury bus | Founded April 2013 Routes 29 (February 2017) | |
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Slogan Making everyday journeys sparkle Fleet Alexander Dennis Enviro400Wright Pulsar/Pulsar 2Wright StreetLite |
Arriva Sapphire is a premium brand used by various Arriva bus subsidiaries in the United Kingdom.
Contents
History
In February 2013, Arriva announced it would be launching a premium service under the Sapphire brand for its bus services in the United Kingdom. It is similar to the Stagecoach Gold brand launched by Stagecoach in 2007.
The brand was rolled out initially on four pilot routes:
In 2014, the brand was rolled out on a further 11 routes with another six scheduled for conversion in late-2015.
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.
Routes
As at February 2017 there were 29 Arriva Sapphire routes.
Arriva Buses Wales
Arriva Midlands
Arriva North East
Arriva North West
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Southern Counties
Arriva Yorkshire
Vehicles
Buses have leather seats, free WiFi, power points 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. Mostly since then new buses have been purchased, primarily Alexander Dennis Enviro400s and Wright StreetLites. A number of Wright Pulsar/Pulsar 2 vehicles have been refurbished to operate Sapphire routes.