Edwards Coaches
 | |
 | |
| Parent | Mike Edwards |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1925 |
| Headquarters | Llantrisant |
| Service area | South Wales, Bristol |
| Service type | Bus & Coach services |
| Fleet | 225 (October 2014) |
| Website | www.edwardscoaches.co.uk |
Edwards Coaches[1] is a family-owned coach company based in Llantrisant, near Pontypridd in South Wales.
History
[edit]
In 1925 Edwards Coaches was founded by George Edwards.[2] Over recent years, the company has expanded by acquiring several smaller local firms. Today, their fleet consists mainly of single decker coaches used for holiday tours and private hire but they also have a number of double-decker buses primarily for school contracts and park and ride services. Edwards Coaches carry around 7,100 students to school every day and around 80,000 customers on holidays each year. A small fleet of service buses is maintained to operate a group of local bus services.[3]
On 7 January 2011, Swansea based coach holiday operator Diamond Coach Holidays went into administration.[4] In the week after Diamond collapsed, Edwards took over £1m in holiday bookings (many of these from ex Diamond customers). On 25 January 2011, after talks with administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers, Edwards Coaches agreed to buy the firm becoming the largest coach holiday operator in Wales[5] In 2016, as Silcox Coaches of Pembroke Dock were going out of business, Edwards took over their school contracts and some of their bus services.[6] The local bus services however did not last long and have since been retendered.[citation needed]
During the 2021 Go North West strike, Edwards Coaches was one of a number of bus operators who provided vehicles and drivers to operate services on behalf of Go North West along with Selwyns Travel and Midland Classic.[7]
National Express
[edit]Edwards Coaches are a National Express contractor and as of June 2019 operate services on routes:[8]
- 040 [Bristol]– London Via University West of England, Hammersmith and Earls Court on selected Journeys.
- 040 Whitetree [Durdham Down]- London Victoria Coach Station[London] Via Black Boy Hill- Clifton Down Station- University West of England [Clifton Triangle]- Bristol Bus and Coach Station- Earls Court[University West Of England and Hammersmith on selective journeys]
- 040 London Victoria Coach Station- Weston Super Mare Interchange Via Bristol Bus and Coach Station. [Hammersith on selective journeys]
100 - Bristol Bus Station- Digbeth Coach Station [Digbeth] Via Gloucester Transport Hub and Cheltenham on selected journeys,
100- Bath Bus Station [Bath]- Digbeth Coach Station.[Digbeth] Via Bristol Bus Station & Cheltenham Spa
- 200 Bristol– Heathrow – Gatwick
- 201 Swansea – Cardiff – Newport – Bristol – Heathrow – Gatwick
- 202 Swansea – Cardiff – Newport – Bristol – Heathrow Airport
- 216 Cardiff – Newport – Bristol Airport
401-Swindon Bus Station[Swindon]–London Victoria Coach Station[London]- Queens Drive, Coate Water and Heathrow Central Bus Station.
401-Trowbridge- London Victoria Coach Station via Melksham- Devizes - Wroughton-Swindon Bus Station- Queens Drive [Swindon]- Coate Water[Swindon]- Heathrow Central Bus Station and Earls Court
403-Bath Bus Station [Bath]- London Victoria Coach Station via London Road-Box- Rudloe - Corsham - Chippenham Cepen Park[Sainsburys] and Chippenham the Bridge. Via Heathrow Central Bus Station and Reading Mereoak Park and Ride on selected journeys- Earls Court is also served.
- 502- Barnstaple [Barnstaple]- London Victoria Coach Station.[London] via South Molton-Tiverton- Wellington [Somerset] -Taunton-North Petherton-Bridgwater-Heathrow Central Bus Station & Earls Court [London]
502- Bideford- London Victoria [London] via Yelland- Fremington- Bickington[North Devon]- Barnstaple- South Molton-Tiverton- Wellington[Somerset]- Taunton- North Petherton-Bridgwater- Bristol Bus and Coach Station - Heathrow Central Bus Station and Earls Court [London]
503- Penzance - London Victoria Coach Station[London] via Crowlas- Camborne Cornwall- Newquay- Launceston- Okehampton- Exeter[City Centre]- Exeter [Honiton Road]- Taunton Deane Services and London Earls Court [London]
503- London Victoria Coach Station[London]- Penzance via Heathrow Central Bus Station- Taunton Deane Services- Exeter [Honiton Road]- Exeter [City Centre] Okehampton-Launceston-Newquay-Camborne[Cornwall]& Crowles
- 507 Swansea – Cardiff – London
- 508 Haverfordwest – Pembroke – Carmarthen – Swansea – Cardiff – Reading – London
- 509 Cardiff – Newport – London
From May 2017, Edwards commenced operating more National Express services previously operated by South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach from a new depot in Avonmouth.[9][10][11]
Fleet
[edit]As at October 2014, the fleet consisted of 225 buses and coaches.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Companies House extract company no 4045308 Edwards Coaches Limited
- ^ On the Buses South Wales Echo 22 May 2007
- ^ Omnibuses Blog reports Edwards commencing local bus services
- ^ "Swansea's Diamond Coaches goes into administration". BBC News. 7 January 2011.
- ^ "Pontypridd firm buys Swansea-based Diamond Holidays". BBC News. 25 January 2011.
- ^ "Edwards to provide school transport as Silcox seeks buyer". BBC News. 2 June 2016.
- ^ "#NoGo: solidarity with the Go NW bus strike". Manchester Trades Union Council. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
- ^ National Express Coach Handbook – 10th Edition. British Bus Publishing. 2015. ISBN 978-1-904875-80-2.
- ^ New £12m National Express depot to bring 120 jobs to Bristol Bristol Post 22 March 2017
- ^ Edwards Coaches wins 10 year NatEx contract Coach & Bus Week 5 April 2017
- ^ Edwards buys Avonmouth depot Route One 20 April 2017
- ^ Fleetlist Coach & Bus Week issue 1161 28 October 2014 page 62
External links
[edit]
Media related to Edwards Coaches at Wikimedia Commons- Company website
