For Sale

[midlandred2003]

Would imagine they will be red/blue/black or red&white,ie any colour.

[the trainbasher]

Barbie Diamond? :-)

[Cedric]

Barbie Diamond? :-)

there will be  diamond  buses in Barbie livery  (with diamond vinlys) until the ex  first vehicles are painted  those that are being  kept

[Solo1]

With 2 weeks  to go till First kidderminster
& Redditch be come diamond bus any know
What buses there r keeping /getting

[winston]

With 2 weeks  to go till First kidderminster
& Redditch be come diamond bus any know
What buses there r keeping /getting

Do we also take the silence from the Dft that the Redditch part of the transaction will go though without an investigation

[Tony]

With 2 weeks  to go till First kidderminster
& Redditch be come diamond bus any know
What buses there r keeping /getting

The buses staying are listed on the main site, I have a list of what is provisionally to move, but it was not finalised when Rotala sent it to me. Mostly darts & Solos and currently at Long Acre being prepared and painted blue

[Ash]

Does anybody know the exact reason why they are being painted blue and not red. Is blue going to be for Kidderminster and red for Redditch.

[midlandred2003]

It looks as if blue is to become the main colour.

[winston]

I did suggest a swop for one of  the Midland companies.  One thing to bear in mind is that Stagecoach may be thwarted in any bid to purchase any further pieces of First.  Also smaller companies are unlikely to buy pieces of First due to the number of them going belly-up.

South Wales will remain with First as they have had to take on Veolias work and there isnt an obvious alternative unless Arriva , Centrebus and Go-Ahead want to move into new areas. 

Centrebus could buy Northampton, but Plymouth could be difficult to sell because Go-Ahead/Stagecoach would be barred.  I think because of the OFT First will have a hard job disposing of any operation.  The logical companies would create a monopoly and the small timers are too weak to take on big company assets.  One only has to look at the amount Go-Ahead hoovered up in East Anglia in 2012!

I think there is NO CHANCE of First finding £82 million of assets to sell by Easter unless the Scottish Government nationalises First's Scottish operations!  Not a bad idea, but the free market zealots would have a fit!

sconehead85

There's a post on the GM buses Yahoo group that suggests Stagecoach have now offered First Group £36.2 million to buy their Bolton & Bury operations as well, I'd bus surprised if they accepted as they may as well dispose of the rest of Manchester if they sell off those two garages. But it does go to show that they could easily raise the £82 million shortfall by sacrificing one decent operation. Personally I think they should retain all the large former PTE operations and sell of some of the smaller operations Potteries, Leicester, Wyvern, Berkshire etc 

[Ash]

It looks as if blue is to become the main colour.

I just thought it would be much simpler to have:

Black diamond - Black country
Blue diamond - Birmingham and Coventry
Red diamond - Redditch and Kidderminster

I still just don't get the reasoning of all blue buses with diamond fleet names it just creates confusion.
.

[winston]

It looks as if blue is to become the main colour.

I just thought it would be much simpler to have:

Black diamond - Black country
Blue diamond - Birmingham and Coventry
Red diamond - Redditch and Kidderminster

I still just don't get the reasoning of all blue buses with diamond fleet names it just creates confusion.
.

There's a Diamond white pictured on their revamped website as well

[Tony]

It looks as if blue is to become the main colour.

I just thought it would be much simpler to have:

Black diamond - Black country
Blue diamond - Birmingham and Coventry
Red diamond - Redditch and Kidderminster

I still just don't get the reasoning of all blue buses with diamond fleet names it just creates confusion.
.

All blue creates confusion? - no all blue makes things simple

[winston]

I did suggest a swop for one of  the Midland companies.  One thing to bear in mind is that Stagecoach may be thwarted in any bid to purchase any further pieces of First.  Also smaller companies are unlikely to buy pieces of First due to the number of them going belly-up.

South Wales will remain with First as they have had to take on Veolias work and there isnt an obvious alternative unless Arriva , Centrebus and Go-Ahead want to move into new areas. 

Centrebus could buy Northampton, but Plymouth could be difficult to sell because Go-Ahead/Stagecoach would be barred.  I think because of the OFT First will have a hard job disposing of any operation.  The logical companies would create a monopoly and the small timers are too weak to take on big company assets.  One only has to look at the amount Go-Ahead hoovered up in East Anglia in 2012!

I think there is NO CHANCE of First finding £82 million of assets to sell by Easter unless the Scottish Government nationalises First's Scottish operations!  Not a bad idea, but the free market zealots would have a fit!

sconehead85

There's a post on the GM buses Yahoo group that suggests Stagecoach have now offered First Group £36.2 million to buy their Bolton & Bury operations as well, I'd bus surprised if they accepted as they may as well dispose of the rest of Manchester if they sell off those two garages. But it does go to show that they could easily raise the £82 million shortfall by sacrificing one decent operation. Personally I think they should retain all the large former PTE operations and sell of some of the smaller operations Potteries, Leicester, Wyvern, Berkshire etc

There's also suggestions on another Forum that First may now been prepared to sell their entire London bus operation to meet the disposal targets, I'd personally like to see NX Group re-enter the London bus market on scale, a deal like that could add another 885 buses to its UK bus business

[winston]

It looks as if blue is to become the main colour.

I just thought it would be much simpler to have:

Black diamond - Black country
Blue diamond - Birmingham and Coventry
Red diamond - Redditch and Kidderminster

I still just don't get the reasoning of all blue buses with diamond fleet names it just creates confusion.
.

I think Diamond should have all buses based at both Long Acre & Tividale blue and the Redditch & Kidderminster operations retain the red

[PM]

I did suggest a swop for one of  the Midland companies.  One thing to bear in mind is that Stagecoach may be thwarted in any bid to purchase any further pieces of First.  Also smaller companies are unlikely to buy pieces of First due to the number of them going belly-up.

South Wales will remain with First as they have had to take on Veolias work and there isnt an obvious alternative unless Arriva , Centrebus and Go-Ahead want to move into new areas. 

Centrebus could buy Northampton, but Plymouth could be difficult to sell because Go-Ahead/Stagecoach would be barred.  I think because of the OFT First will have a hard job disposing of any operation.  The logical companies would create a monopoly and the small timers are too weak to take on big company assets.  One only has to look at the amount Go-Ahead hoovered up in East Anglia in 2012!

I think there is NO CHANCE of First finding £82 million of assets to sell by Easter unless the Scottish Government nationalises First's Scottish operations!  Not a bad idea, but the free market zealots would have a fit!

sconehead85

There's a post on the GM buses Yahoo group that suggests Stagecoach have now offered First Group £36.2 million to buy their Bolton & Bury operations as well, I'd bus surprised if they accepted as they may as well dispose of the rest of Manchester if they sell off those two garages. But it does go to show that they could easily raise the £82 million shortfall by sacrificing one decent operation. Personally I think they should retain all the large former PTE operations and sell of some of the smaller operations Potteries, Leicester, Wyvern, Berkshire etc

There's also suggestions on another Forum that First may now been prepared to sell their entire London bus operation to meet the disposal targets, I'd personally like to see NX Group re-enter the London bus market on scale, a deal like that could add another 885 buses to its UK bus business

I would also like NatEx to reenter London as long as this doesnt divert resources away from the west midlands like last time