Competition breaks out in Derby and Staffs

Tuesday 10th September 2024

As the mood music from Government turns up the volume of “local communities put back in the driving seat”; “new powers to take back control of local bus services” and “public control to be delivered faster and cheaper” with yesterday’s DfT announcement of its upcoming “bus revolution”…

…recent developments in Derbyshire and Staffordshire vividly demonstrate what might prove to be the last vestiges of deregulated competition are alive and well, including one reducing the number of inter-urban bus routes operated jointly by two bus companies on a coordinated timetable, from nine to eight.

It’s the long established route X38 which provides a fast link along the A38 trunk road between Derby and Burton upon Trent and is now a hotbed of fierce competition between its two previously cooperative bus operators, Arriva and trentbarton.

Last week Arriva tore up the previous understanding between the companies whereby a coordinated 20 minute frequency applied…

… and replaced it with its own 20 minute service while an indignant trentbarton responded with its own 15 minute frequency alongside that. Buses now leave Burton upon Trent at 15, 35 and 55 (Arriva) and 10, 25, 40, 55 (trentbarton).

We’ve gone from three buses an hour along this corridor to an unsustainable and unprofitable seven buses an hour.

As well as an old style bus war on the road there’s been a war of words between the two operators.

“Trentbarton Managing Director Tom Morgan has criticised Arriva Midlands for what he says is its “bizarre and perplexing move” to end a 30-year partnership by those operators and their predecessors on route X38 between Burton-upon-Trent and Derby.”

“In an obvious slight directed at trentbarton, Arriva Midlands Head of Commercial Toby France says that the group is “happy to be able to deliver a really good bus service that I am sure will be really well received.” Trentbarton has long described itself as “the really good bus company”. In what may be another intended snub, Mr France notes that Arriva has “a strong record of reliability and punctuality.”

“Mr Morgan has questioned the decision to end the current collaborative approach. “The unilateral and surprise decision by Arriva to run X38 buses at the exact time of ours marks the disappointing end of what has been a friendly partnership which since 1995 has worked well for the public on this key connection between Burton on Derby,” he says.

“It is a bizarre and perplexing move by a massive company owned by a USA private equity firm against a locally run, locally owned bus company which has been serving the people of the East Midlands for 110 years.”

“He adds a belief that Arriva is trying “to muscle us out” from the X38 corridor and says that Trentbarton was “blindsided” by the decision of Arriva. Mr Morgan alleges that the Wellglade Group business asked Derby City Council (DCC) to facilitate a meeting to work through the matter, “but Arriva would not engage.””

The Route One article goes on to state Arriva refutes that allegation saying it approached trentbarton via Derby City Council in April to explore the evolution of the X38, but that “trentbarton chose not to engage in the discussion at that time and we have had no representation from [it] since.”

Arriva has taken the opportunity to extend its enhanced X38 so it now terminates in Derby’s bus station rather than the previous arrangement in the city’s Corporation Street where trentbarton’s X38 continues to stand between journeys.

I took a ride on the route last Thursday to see how the ‘X38 bus war’ was going.

Despite roadworks on the northbound A38 causing slow going where the busy two-lane dual carriageway is reduced to one lane, buses from both companies were keeping well to time.

There must be padding in the timetable as my Arriva bus leaving Burton on time at 13:35, having crawled at a snail’s pace for ten minutes in the A38’s queuing traffic, arrived into Derby bus station at 14:11, just one minute late with the driver making a quick turn around and left on his next journey on time at 14:15.

And, yes, that’s an Arriva leaflet with timetable on the reverse, promoting the new 20 minute service and its extension to the bus station.

Indeed, Arriva staff were manning a table by the X38 departure stand in the bus station with A4 timetables of Derby’s city bus routes printed off from its website following changes made on 31st August, which was good to see.

Over in the former Arriva travel office opposite that pitch …

… there was the usual display of trentbarton timetables including one for its newly enhanced X38 as well as the Arriva promotional leaflet.

It’s nice to see printed leaflets promoting the route as I always see passengers gratefully taking copies which were also available on board the trentbarton buses.

And it looked as though there was another leaflet produced by trentbarton although I didn’t get hold of a copy.

Another thing trentbarton are renowned for is strong branding and you do notice the different approach between the two competitors as their buses compete up and down the A38.

As I travelled along the route last Thursday it came as no surprise there are far too many buses for the number of passengers travelling. It was also noticeable how the extension into Derby bus station is benefitting Arriva with good numbers observed boarding there.

I don’t know if Arriva had wanted to introduce this extension when it says it asked the Council to broker a meeting with trentbarton back in April, nor do I know the arrangements for access into the bus station, but if I was at trentbarton I would seriously consider extending its journeys on the X38 to the bus station and reduce the frequency to every 20 minutes slotted between Arriva’s journeys to create a combined 10 minute coordinated timetable. Perhaps, in due course, with good sense prevailing this could reduce to a more realistic 15 minute frequency between both operators and see if that improvement on the former 20 minute coordinated timetable generates more passengers.

Just a thought.

The current situation is simply unsustainable and someone needs to broker a resolution.

Meanwhile back over the border in Staffordshire Arriva are facing another competitive bout from a new kid on the block in the form of a company called Bus Link.

This new company was incorporated last year and started new route X66 between Lichfield and Tamworth just a few weeks ago on 5th August. It’s owned by James Boddice, a familiar figure on the West Midlands bus scene. He used to run the impressive Midland Classic bus company before selling it to Rotala Group owned Diamond Bus in August 2022.

The X66 runs half hourly and competes directly with Arriva’s hourly X65 which also runs between Lichfield and Tamworth alongside a second hourly route, the 765 which takes a slightly longer route between the two towns via Whittington.

I took a ride on the X66 last Thursday morning as well as observing buses passing in the other direction on the 765, X65 and X66.

There were three sets of temporary traffic lights on the 18 minute end to end journey but when I travelled they were not causing much disruption…

…but I assume there must have been a problem earlier as Arriva’s buses were all running late. For example, the 11:15 Arriva X65 from Tamworth left just after 11:35 and the Bus Link X66 at 11:40 (which I was on) soon caught it up on the way to Lichfield.

Numbers travelling were evenly spread between the two operators with passengers pretty much catching the first bus that came along indicating Bus Link has already made its mark in establishing a presence as no one seemed puzzled by a different coloured bus arriving at the bus stop.

Departures from Lichfield to Tamworth are at 10 and 40 on Bus Link and 20 (X65) and 40 (765) on Arriva although the latter changes during the late afternoon. From Tamworth Bus Link buses depart at 10 and 40 and Arriva at 15 (X65) and 45 (765). Both operators display departure times in the respective bus stations with Bus Link’s presentation easy to see.

Arriva’s X65 takes a slightly different route into and out of Lichfield (taking 20 minutes all told) with the 765 operating via Whittington taking 30 minutes. Bus Link’s X66 takes 18 minutes.

There’s a brightly coloured leaflet promoting the X66 (available on the buses) but nothing for the established 765/X65. Bus Link are currently offering a £3.50 ‘Special day return’ promoted on its bus stop panels.

Prior to the X66 beginning, Bus Link has been operating a tendered circular route 31/32 in Lichfield across the morning and afternoon peak periods.

It’ll be interesting to see how this new hotspot of competition develops. James has a good track record for carving out a niche operation (as he did with Midlands Classic) but this new development is not quite so niche and he’s facing a reinvigorated Arriva and a DfT playing that rather loud mood music of public control.

Roger French

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