First Manchester

[Solo1]

http://www.route-one.net/articles/Employees/Two_Manchester_depots_to_close__says_First

[Stuharris 6360]

From this weeks London Bus News

"FirstGroup has put the Manchester bus operation on sale in cut-price deal.
The Manchester operation is FirstGroup's fourth largest regional bus network, with depots at Bury, Oldham, and
Bolton being included in the sale.
The move comes as FirstGroup recently found itself under pressure by activist investors to break up the firm after
it refused a takeover bid from Apollo Global Management in 2018."

[mikestone]

Have they?
;
An item appeared first in the Telegraph on 4th February quoting unnamed industry sources . A response in the form of a notice to staff appeared on the Merseyside bus group, which of course merely stated that under stock exchange rules they couldn't say.

[winston]

Have they?
;
An item appeared first in the Telegraph on 4th February quoting unnamed industry sources . A response in the form of a notice to staff appeared on the Merseyside bus group, which of course merely stated that under stock exchange rules they couldn't say.

Looks like it originated from the Telegraph article, has the same mistake i.e. Bury being a current depot, it's been closed down, it should read Queens Road, Oldham & Bolton depots instead.

[Tony]

Go ahead get Queens Road https://www.go-ahead.com/en/media/news/2019/go-ahead-agrees-terms-with-firstgroup-to-purchase-manchester-bus.html

[midlandred2003]

I was expecting Go Ahead to acquire part of Manchester, I also think Transdev will take Bolton or Oldham.

[markcf83]

Arriva North West or Stagecoach Manchester to buy one of them too I reckon.

[midlandred2003]

I don't expect either of those two company's to be involved.

[winston]

Arriva North West or Stagecoach Manchester to buy one of them too I reckon.

Arriva won't buy anything, rumours not so long suggested Arriva would ideally like out of the UK altogether. DB have large debts & their monopoly on German trains is being eroded.

There was press speculation that DB might also be looking to partially float Arriva on the stock exchange to raise funds to pay down DB debt.

Stagecoach will be unable to participate in any deals due to competition concerns.

[BK63 YWP]

Is NX going to have a bash at Manchester?

[D10]

New licence applied for by Go-Ahead to operate Queens Road Depot. I assume that the the name of "GO-AHEAD XX LTD" is a mistake and the XX will in fact be something more geographical to the area!

PC2021320 SN GO-AHEAD XX LTD
Director(s): DAVID BROWN, ELODIE BRIAN
4 MATTHEW PARKER STREET, Go-Ahead Group PLC, LONDON, SW1H 9NP
Operating Centre: QUEENS ROAD DEPOT, QUEENS ROAD, MANCHESTER,
M8 8UT
Authorisation: 165 vehicle(s)
Transport Manager(s): JOHN ROXBURGH, ANDREW WILSON

[Tony]

New licence applied for by Go-Ahead to operate Queens Road Depot. I assume that the the name of "GO-AHEAD XX LTD" is a mistake and the XX will in fact be something more geographical to the area!

PC2021320 SN GO-AHEAD XX LTD
Director(s): DAVID BROWN, ELODIE BRIAN
4 MATTHEW PARKER STREET, Go-Ahead Group PLC, LONDON, SW1H 9NP
Operating Centre: QUEENS ROAD DEPOT, QUEENS ROAD, MANCHESTER,
M8 8UT
Authorisation: 165 vehicle(s)
Transport Manager(s): JOHN ROXBURGH, ANDREW WILSON

Go-Ahead XX Ltd is a dormant company that was used for the license application. It was renamed Go North West Limited  on the 21st February so that will be the legal name on vehicles

[Solo1]

Wonder who will buy the Oldham depot as rotala have Bolton go ahead have Manchester

[markcf83]

Re Oldham. It's believed that it will be added to the West Yorkshire fleet.

[Trident 4609]

First have sold their Bolton depot to Rotala. The Vantage busway is not included in the sale.

https://www.firstgroup.com/about-us/news/first-manchester-announces-intention-sell-bolton-depot-and-operations-rotala-plc