central coachways

[Stevo]

Thanks for everyone bringing back memories of what was certainly an interesting time. One ride that sticks in my memory was a Central liveried National on the Bromsgrove to Halesowen route that had been taken over from Stevensons. I seem to remember things like North East bus Bristol LHs and Merc L608Ds in Selly Oak with those MRW Nationals. I don't know if those 20% profits came that soon but if they did they were false, because you can't go on buying hardly any new vehicles for more than 4 years - just 5 Darts in 1991 then the 6 B10Bs in 1994. It wasn't till Dec 1995 that fleet renewals started with the B10Bs.

[PM]

I thought the 20% profits were mostly 1996 onwards with the arrival of the b6's and increasing of frequencies/use of low floor buses?

The most interesting period for me is that 1996-2006 ish TWM period. Massive investment, smart fleet, quality image, very customer-focussed as well.

[winston]

I thought the 20% profits were mostly 1996 onwards with the arrival of the b6's and increasing of frequencies/use of low floor buses?

The most interesting period for me is that 1996-2006 ish TWM period. Massive investment, smart fleet, quality image, very customer-focussed as well.

Not sure then, it must have been after the merger with NX that they broke the 20% profit margin barrier

2004 onwards focus shifted to expanding Travel London, TWM became neglected with the majority of new bus investment going to London for new Tfl tender wins

[PM]

I thought the 20% profits were mostly 1996 onwards with the arrival of the b6's and increasing of frequencies/use of low floor buses?

The most interesting period for me is that 1996-2006 ish TWM period. Massive investment, smart fleet, quality image, very customer-focussed as well.

Not sure then, it must have been after the merger with NX that they broke the 20% profit margin barrier

2004 onwards focus shifted to expanding Travel London, TWM became neglected with the majority of new bus investment going to London for new Tfl tender wins

I agree that from 2004 the focus seemed to be on turning around TL and TWM was ignored as by then most core corridors had been upgraded. Tellingly though, in 2006 routes like the 50 were relaunched using tridents, not actual new buses as would have been the case before.

Golden years were 1997-2004. TWM seemed pretty untouchable, passenger numbers rising, corridors constantly being upgraded, routes like 44 developed listening to customer feedback.

Then, investment started going into London, we saw a series of odd route ideas eg X City 46 towards the end of the TWM era. Admittedly, the Centro relaunches were a positive point but many not with new buses. The marketing became more and more lacklustre and ineffective.

The networks started to become hacked apart. West Brom mini link-gone. Much of the old TMH routes-gone. Express routes-gone. Suburban link routes gone-here I mean stuff like 68A/C, 44. Ie not core routes but useful local links for people.

Then network reviews started  ::) :'( :'(