Stagecoach Yorkshire

History

Traction Group was formed in 1986, when Barnsley-based Yorkshire Traction was sold to its management and employees, led by Frank Carter. In 2000 Sheffield-based Yorkshire Terrier was taken over along with the operations of Andrews, South Riding, Sheffield Omnibus, and Kingsman, all in Sheffield, which all competed with Mainline in the city.

Barnsley & District was formed in July 1990 when Traction bought Tom Jowitt Travel of Tankersley. It was enlarged in 1992 when Pride of The Road, Royston was purchased, and in 1995, when the bus operations of Globe of Barnsley were taken over.

Mainline was sold to FirstGroup, became First Mainline and then First South Yorkshire. It still competes with Stagecoach Yorkshire and Stagecoach Sheffield today, which brings Britain's largest two bus groups into competition with each other.

Following the takeover by Stagecoach, Barnsley & District was closed and absorbed into Yorkshire Traction in July 2006, and three months later the Stagecoach in Chesterfield operation was transferred into Stagecoach Yorkshire from Stagecoach East Midlands.

From Sunday 20 May 2008 the company is operating a brand new bus service across Barnsley and South Yorkshire. There have been a number of changes, presented as a bid to improve the service but really major service reductions. Many cross-border services into West Yorkshire have been withdrawn, especially between Barnsley and the Huddersfield areas, a former Yorkshire Traction stronghold.

In May 2008, following rumours that Arriva would purchase Stagecoach's Huddersfield operations, it was announced that Centrebus Holdings would buy the division. That company was a partnership between the Centrebus owner and Arriva, which held a 40% stake. It is now Yorkshire Tiger, wholly owned by Arriva.

Stagecoach Yorkshire division's first Stagecoach Gold service commenced on Monday 10 November 2014, operated by Stagecoach in Chesterfield and running between Sheffield, Chesterfield and Matlock.

Depots

Fleet

Stagecoach Yorkshire's vehicles are mainly varied. Traction Group was known for a lot of variety among its bus fleet; Yorkshire Traction's fleet included the unique KIRN Mogul with East Lancashire Flyte body, a large fleet of Scania buses dating back to the 1990s, which were relatively rare then, and Traction has been the only major buyer of MAN 14.220s, all with East Lancs Myllennium bodies. Many more rare vehicles operate in the fleet, as well as more familiar vehicles, such as Dennis Darts, with Plaxton and Alexander bodies, low-floor Dart SLFs and Volvo B6BLEs with East Lancashire Spryte bodies, plus some ex-Blazefield Volvo B10Bs and B10BLEs with Wright bodies and Alexander ALX200-bodied Volvo B6LEs.

The company's last MCW Metrobuses were withdrawn in the first quarter of 2007.

Terrier's fleet is a bit more standardised with East Lancashire Spryte-bodied Dennis Darts and Volvo B6BLEs, East Lancashire Myllennium-bodied DAF SB220s, a single low-floor Volvo B6 with Plaxton Pointer bodywork, and now 10 Alexander Dennis Pointer Darts. More recently, 25 MAN 18.240s with Alexander ALX300 bodywork joined the fleet, replacing all the remaining Alexander Dash-bodied Volvo B6s, and allowing the single low-floor Plaxton Pointer example to be cascaded (first to Doncaster, then to Barnsley where it currently resides).

Since Stagecoach takeover, 20 new Alexander Dennis Pointer Darts have entered service at Rawmarsh and Ecclesfield, of which 17 of the 20 are branded for routes 88, and 108/9, along with seven MCV Evolutions at Rawmarsh and 30 Alexander ALX300-bodied MAN 18.240s (25 at Sheffield and the remaining 5 to Barnsley).

2009 saw more vehicles added with 9 Enviro 400 based at Barnsley and branded for service 66 (Barnsley - Elescar).

In 2010 Sheffield received fifteen brand new Enviro 400's branded for service 88 and directly replaced the previous buses on this route, which moved on to new route 87 (Lowedges - High Green). More ALX 300 were transferred from Oxford and were placed into service on new service 79 (Batemoor - Eccelsfield). Also three Optare solos were transferred in from Preston Bus (later sold to Rotala) to operate new service SL2 linking the Stannington estate with the tram at Malin Bridge. Rawmarsh and Barnsley received seven Enviro 200s each.

In 2011 Holbrook depot received 21 Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 Hybrids for service 120 (Halfway/Crystal Peaks - Royal Hallamshire Hospital/Fullwood). Ecclesfield Depot received 6 Enviro 200's for the enhanced supertram Link service between Stocksbridge and Middlewood.

In 2012 more Enviro 200's entered service. 6 entered service in Barnsley on Townlines 1 (replacing Optare Solo's). These Optare Solo's were re-assigned to Holbrook depot for a new Supertram Link service between Crystal Peaks and Killamarsh. Holbrook depot also received 8 Enviro 200's for service 25 between Woodhouse and Bradway. In October 2012 the Sheffield Depots became partners in the Sheffield Bus Partnership. Ecclesfield Depot gained service 57, Stocksbridge - Sheffield. Towards the end of 2012 and into early 2013 another 19 Enviro 400 Hybrids were starting to be delivered. These will be used on service 52, Woodhouse - Hillsborough. When these enter service Holbrook depot will be only served by Alexander Dennis Products and 5 Optare Solo's. These been E400 Hybrids, E200's and 5 Optare solo's for the SL3.