The West of England coach operator is to become part of Go-Ahead’s Pulhams Coaches operation, and adds to the group’s expanding network of UK coach operators
The Go-Ahead Group has agreed a deal to acquire Cheltenham-based coach and bus operator Swanbrook Transport. The company operates local bus routes, home to school services and carries out private hire, and will become part of Pulhams Coaches, which sits in Go-Ahead’s Oxford division.
This latest deal builds on Go-Ahead’s recent acquisitions across England, including four coach companies across West and North Yorkshire and the North East, and, says the company, further strengthens its service offering for schools, businesses, private hire and local authority partners.
The move makes Go-Ahead one of the largest coach operators in the UK with over 400 coaches based at depots nationwide, from the South West to the North East, integrating its network with existing bus operations.
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Go-Ahead’s Oxford Bus Company said: “Pulhams Coaches already has an excellent reputation in the Cheltenham area as both a local bus operator, and as specialist providers of coach services. Our acquisition of another reputable operator in the area in Swanbrook is an exciting opportunity to provide an even greater range of services locally and integrate it with our existing network.”
CEO of Go-Ahead Bus Matt Carney added: “We’re delighted to welcome Swanbrook to the Go-Ahead Group, and to grow our presence in the UK coach market. As a company, we’re committed to connecting communities, so providing coach services across the country for schools, groups, small business and local authority partners is important to us. This is an exciting expansion of our coach operation to provide for more customers in the West of England.”
John Thomas, Operations Director of Swanbrook Transport, commented: “We are excited by the opportunities that joining such a prestigious group as Pulhams and Go-Ahead will bring to the company. Having established our business as a well respected operation in the local area we believe this is the natural progression for the business to further develop and be well equipped to meet the challenges of the industry for the future.”
