Keighley Bus Company

The Keighley Bus Company[1] is a bus operator based in Keighley, West Yorkshire. It is a subsidiary of Transdev Blazefield. Commencing in July 2016, the business is progressively being rebranded from Transdev in Keighley.

Keighley Bus Company
Wright Eclipse bodied Volvo B7RLE
in October 2011
ParentTransdev Blazefield
HeadquartersKeighley
Service areaWest Yorkshire
Service typeBus services
Routes27 (October 2013)
HubsKeighley
Bradford
Leeds
Skipton
Ilkley
Otley
Fleet113 (October 2013)
Websitewww.keighleybus.co.uk

History
Northern Counties Palatine bodied Leyland Olympian
Brönte Bus in Haworth in 2016

Keighley & District was part of the West Yorkshire Road Car Company[2] owned by Tilling & British Automobile Traction.

In 1948, along with other companies that were then part of the Tilling Group, West Yorkshire Road Car Company was nationalised. In 1968 West Yorkshire Road Car Company became part of the National Bus Company.[3]

In 1987 West Yorkshire Road Car Company was sold in a management buyout to former East Yorkshire Motor Services managing director Alan Stephenson's AJS Group and in December 1988 split into smaller companies, one of which was Keighley & District Travel Limited.[1][3]

In 1991 Keighley & District Travel was one of a number of AJS Group subsidiaries sold to Blazefield Travel.[4][5][6][7]

In January 2006 Keighley & District Travel was included in the sale of Blazefield Travel to Transdev.[8][9] Keighley & District was rebranded as Transdev in Keighley. Starting from July 2016, the company is again being rebranded, this time as the Keighley Bus Company.[10]

As of 20 September 2017, The Keighley Bus Company is also operating route 8 between Selby and Drax after the fall of Utopia Coaches.

Routes and Brands[11][12]

The Keighley Bus Company

A rebrand of the company commenced in 2016 from the former Transdev in Keighley branding. This brought a new two tone green livery. A number of different services operate under this brand such as the 62, 67, and 72, as well as a number of school services that is operated by the company. This livery is also used for services including Brontë Bus and Keighley Jets.

AireLine

This is the brand for the 60 service that operates along the River Aire. AireLine serves Keighley, Bingley, Shipley, and Leeds. This service is operated by 6 Volvo B9TL Eclipse Geminis in a Red and Green Livery, offering free WiFi, USB power, and next stop information.[13]

Brontë Bus

This brand offers 3 services between Keighley and Haworth. Services include B1 to Stanbury, B2 to Oakworth, and B3 to Oxenhope and Hebden Bridge. This service is operated by 4 Volvo B7RLE Eclipses in a two tone Green livery, offering free WiFi and USB power.[14]

DalesWay

This is the brand for the 66 service that operates along the Yorkshire Dales. DalesWay serves Keighley, Cross Hills, and Skipton. This service is currently operating with 3 temporary Volvo B7TL Eclipse Geminis in a Blue and Red livery, Offering free WiFi and USB power.[15]

The Shuttle

This is the brand for the 662 service between Keighley, Bingley, Shipley, and Bradford. This service is operated by 14 Volvo B7RLE Eclipses in a two tone Blue livery, offering free WiFi and USB power.[16]

Keighley Jets

This is the brand for 17 local services in and around Keighley. This service is operated by 5 Mellor Stratas and 8 Optare Solos, all in a two tone Green livery, offering free WiFi, USB power, and next stop information.[17][18]

In 2016, the Keighley Bus Company gained the contract for routes 963 (Wharfedale Hospital to Holt Park, 966 (Yeadon/Guiseley circular) and 967 (Leeds Bradford Airport to Menston). It uses the brand "Wharfedale Links" for these services. The Keighley Bus Company then gained the route 965 (Otley/Weston Circular) from First Leeds. [19]

Fleet

As at October 2013 the fleet consisted of 113 buses.

The various types include:

and others.[20]

References
  1. Companies House extract company no 2113404 Keighley & District Limited
  2. Companies House extract company no 91413 Welwyn & Hatfield Line Bus Company Limited formerly AJS Developments Limited formerly West Yorkshire Road Car Company Limited
  3. A brief history Harrogate Bus Company
  4. Companies House extract company no 2188825 Blazefield Travel Group Limited
  5. AJS sells remaining bus firms Commercial Motor August 1991
  6. Jenkinson, Keith A (1999). Small is Beautiful, The Story of the AJS Group and Blazefield Holdings. Autobus Review Publications. ISBN 0907834426.
  7. "First for Fearnley in UK Bus move". busandbcoach.com. 26 January 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
  8. "Transdev acquires Blazefield Group". busandcoach.com. 7 January 2006. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
  9. "A new stop for Blazefield". Yorkshire Post. 9 January 2006.
  10. "Transdev rolls out two more rebrands". Buses Magazine. No. 738. September 2016. p. 9.
  11. "Keighley bus company routes and brands". transdevbus.co.uk. 25 November 2020.
  12. "The Keighley Bus Company – bustimes.org". bustimes.org. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  13. The Keighley Bus Company [@keighleybus] (19 July 2020). "🤩 Take the first look at our bigger, better buses for #Aireline, starting here in #Leeds by the fabulous @jlandpartners. Stay tuned for more this evening as we take you along the route all the way to #Keighley in style 😎 More seats. More space. More #Aireline t.co/VSQjWsjAv2" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  14. The Keighley Bus Company [@keighleybus] (15 May 2017). "Brontë Bus gets bigger this weekend. Pop down and meet your Brontë Bus team on Saturday outside Haworth station! t.co/5VfCsslV7C t.co/znWHkAes3I" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  15. Hornby, Alex [@alextransdev] (30 June 2020). "#Dalesway is growing up and going double deck. We're giving everyone more room on board as we get busier between Keighley, @AiredaleNHSFT Hospital and Skipton. This is ahead of even better double deck buses before the end of the year. #CleanSafeReadytoGo t.co/Z7DWfjbJvz" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  16. "Makeover for Keighley buses". Keighley News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  17. Hornby, Alex [@alextransdev] (25 August 2017). "Our latest new arrivals in #Keighley, part of our £7m+ investment this year, begin to settle in at their new home #KeighleyJets @keighleybus t.co/8W0oVrrTnz" (Tweet). Retrieved 3 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  18. "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  19. http://www.keighleybus.co.uk/news.jsp?newsID=2193
  20. "Fleet list". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.

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