Arriva take over Midland

[Ck]

I have heard a rumour that ARRIVA could be making an offer for midland anybody know if this is true

[PM]

Havent heard that rumour tho there was a rumour in the past that they were looking at Hansons in the past and we all know what bus industry rumours are like!!

[Tony]

Midland, Black Diamond, Bakers, Hansons ......
It seems either Arriva are very active at the moment or anybody that wants to start a rumour looks at the big groups and starts with the firdst alphabetically!

[PM]

Haha thats so true tony-we all like excitement!! Yeah tho it is a true point that arriva seem to be more interested than ever in their midlands business. Lets wait and see

[Isle of Stroma]

I have heard a rumour that ARRIVA could be making an offer for midland anybody know if this is true

>YAWN< Has joker James been flapping his jaw again?

[richie]

interesting to see what happens rumour was rife with diamond and arriva but time will tell

[winston]

Midland, Black Diamond, Bakers, Hansons ......
It seems either Arriva are very active at the moment or anybody that wants to start a rumour looks at the big groups and starts with the firdst alphabetically!

I notice in this week's Route One that Arriva Midlands MD Bob Hind is retiring from 31st July and being replaced by a former NX man Alex Perry, although Alex finished NX as Ops director in the coaches division, would I be right in saying that he held a senior management position at TWM/NXWM at some stage of his NX career?

[richie]

Midland, Black Diamond, Bakers, Hansons ......
It seems either Arriva are very active at the moment or anybody that wants to start a rumour looks at the big groups and starts with the firdst alphabetically!

I notice in this week's Route One that Arriva Midlands MD Bob Hind is retiring from 31st July and being replaced by a former NX man Alex Perry, although Alex finished NX as Ops director in the coaches division, would I be right in saying that he held a senior management position at TWM/NXWM at some stage of his NX career?

yea he has had a few titles

[winston]

Surely, the only way Arriva would get their hands on Diamond Bus is by making a takeover approach for the whole of Rotala Plc. It's doubtful that Rotala would be prepared to sell just the Diamond Bus operation unless it's seriously underperforming......

interesting to see what happens rumour was rife with diamond and arriva but time will tell

[PM]

I doubt they would sell diamond unless it was to raise money for buying another company maybe even in the north west-possibly in First's disposals. A clever move now would be for rotala to register first's entire redditch network to gain dominance there

[winston]

I doubt they would sell diamond unless it was to raise money for buying another company maybe even in the north west-possibly in First's disposals. A clever move now would be for rotala to register first's entire redditch network to gain dominance there

Don't Red Diamond already compete on the majority of First's Redditch routes as it is, I doubt First will close down any more operations than part of Scotland East & North Devon. It defeats the object of trying to raise funds to pay off debt through disposals

[PM]

I imagine first may have to close down more operations in the future if no one wants them and they are loss making and there is a major competitor eg stagecoach in northampton then theyll have to close these operations

[Discodave]

dont think Arriva would want anything at the moment they just probberly want to concentrate on the subsided stuff first to see how it goes and if people in other parts of the west mids like arriva diamond and midland are not doing that bad midland have made a sucess of some ex arriva routes in the midlands the 9 walsall-bentley is one 2 dedicated newish buses for a start

[j_rp_wright]

Been told Midland drivers have got a meeting tomorrow regarding a possible take over!.....

[winston]

I could see Arriva potentially acquiring Midland, as their services & garage is based typically where Arriva's existing commercial services operate in to the West Midlands i.e. Walsall & Wolverhampton

They only way Arriva would get their hands on Diamond Bus, is if the made an offer for the entire Rotala Plc, it's unlikely that Rotala would be prepared to sell just its WM operation to Arriva