Midland Red

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Midland Red was the fleet and trading name used by the Birmingham & Midland Motor Omnibus Company (BMMO), formed in 1904, for its bus operating activities, which served the English Midlands from 1905.

From its inception, the company operated a few motor buses until these were determined to be unsuitable: despite the company's name, horse traction was solely used until 1912, when the first Tilling Stevens petrol-electric vehicles were purchased. Tilling Stevens became the main supplier of bus chassis to the company which, under its Chief Engineer L.G. Wyndham Shire, adapted and developed the designs to its own requirements, finally designing a vehicle it intended to construct itself.

Between 1923 and 1969, BMMO built most of the buses it operated: up to 1940 these were called 'SOS', and some models were supplied to other bus companies associated with the company. After 1940, they were identified by the company's initials, BMMO, and used solely within the company.

In 1969, Midland Red became part of the National Bus Company (NBC), and the livery was later changed from a deep red to the NBC corporate poppy red.

In 1973 the garages (with the exception of Digbeth Coach Station, Bearwood and Cradley Heath) and routes within the West Midlands county were transferred to the control of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority, leaving Midland Red with country and local routes mainly in Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire; and express services.

In 1981, and in preparation for deregulation, Midland Red was subdivided into separate operating companies like many other National Bus Companies. The newly created bus operating companies were Midland Red North, Midland Red East (which changed its trading name to Midland Fox), Midland Red South, Midland Red West and Midland Red Express.

Today, Arriva owns both Midland Red North and Midland Fox, formerly trading as Arriva Midlands North and Arriva Fox County respectively. Midland Red South was sold first to Western Travel and then on to Stagecoach and became Stagecoach South Midlands, being merged with Thames Transit and then de-merged into Stagecoach Warwickshire. Midland Red West became part of Badgerline and subsequently First Bus and then First Group upon the merger of Badgerline and Grampian Regional Transport, MRW initially being called First Wyvern.

1 Historical list of Midland Red garages (and outstations)
2 MAP Rebranding
3 Split into six companies
4 Privatisation
5 Today
6 First Midland Red Routes
7 First Midland Red Routes (In The Past)
8 Timeline
9 External links

[edit] Historical list of Midland Red garages (and outstations)

Banbury
Bearwood
Birmingham, Digbeth
Bishops Castle, Midland Red West outstation
Brierley Hill, passed to WMPTE
Bromsgrove
Cannock
Coalville
Cradley Heath
Dudley, passed to WMPTE
Evesham
Heath Hayes, formerly Harper Brothers
Hereford
Hinckley
Kidderminster
Kineton, formerly Stratford Blue
Leamington Spa
Leicester, Southgates
Lichfield
Ludlow
Malvern Link
Market Harborough, formerly N&S
Markfield
Nuneaton
Oldbury, passed to WMPTE
Pensnett
Redditch
Rugby
Shrewsbury
South Wigston
Stourbridge, passed to WMPTE
Stafford
Stratford-upon-Avon, formerly Stratford Blue
Sutton Coldfield, passed to WMPTE
Swadlincote
Tamworth
Wellington, Shropshire
Wolverhampton
Worcester, Padmore Street

[edit] MAP Rebranding

From 1977 onwards, the company was rebranded into local brand names under the Viable Network Project, something that was widely adopted throughout NBC and elsewhere as the Market Analysis Project. Each new network spawned a localised brand, as follows:

Avonbus - Stratford-upon-Avon
Chaserider - Cannock and Stafford
Hotspur - Shrewsbury and Ludlow
Hunter - Nuneaton and Hinckley
Lancer - Coalville and Swadlincote
Leamington & Warwick - Leamington Spa
Leicester - Leicester (did not carry area branding names)
Mercian - Tamworth and Lichfield
Reddibus - Redditch
Ridercross - Banbury and Kineton
Rugby Midland Red - Rugby
Severnlink - Worcester, Malvern and Bromsgrove
Tellus - Telford (Wellington)
Wendaway - Kidderminster
Wayfarer - Evesham
Wandaward - Hereford
Midland Express - long-distance and limited stop services

[edit] Split into six companies

In preparation for privatisation of the NBC, Midland Red was split into six new companies in 1981:

Midland Red Express, later renamed Midland Red Coaches - central coach and express services division
Midland Red South - Warwickshire and north Oxfordshire (the Avonbus, Hunter, Leamington & Warwick, Ridercross and Rugby operations)
Midland Red North - Shropshire, south Staffordshire, and northern West Midlands (the Chaserider, Hotspur, Mercian and Tellus operations)
Midland Red West - Herefordshire, Worcestershire, south and east quadrants of West Midlands (the Reddibus, Severnlink, Wanderward, Wayfarer and Wendaway operations)
Midland Red East, later renamed Midland Fox - Leicestershire, south Derbyshire and east Staffordshire (the Lancer and Leicester operations)
Midland Red Engineering, later renamed Carlyle Works Limited - central engineering workshops at Carlyle Road, Birmingham

[edit] Privatisation

Midland Red West was sold on 22 December 1986 to a management team led by managing director Ken Mills, who also took over Midland Red Coaches on that date.

Midland Red South was sold on 10 December 1987 to Western Travel Limited, who also owned the Cheltenham & Gloucester Omnibus Company.

Midland Fox Limited, formerly Midland Red East, was sold on 18 August 1987 to its management. The operations of the Swadlincote depot were purchased by Stevenson's of Uttoxeter.

Midland Red North was sold on 27 January 1988 to Drawlane Limited.

Carlyle Works Limited, formerly Midland Red Engineering, was sold to Frontsource Limited, who also purchased the engineering divisions of an initial eight and later nine companies.

[edit] Today

Arriva has taken over Midland Red North and Midland Fox, trading initially as Arriva Midlands North and Arriva Fox Country, though now simply Arriva Midlands, even upon the retention of two separate operating licences. These companies also include remnants of Derby City Transport and Stevenson's of Uttoxeter.
Stagecoach has taken over Western Travel, parent of Midland Red South and trades as Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Stagecoach in Warwickshire. The Stagecoach in Oxfordshire operation includes Oxford South Midlands.
First has taken over Midland Red West, trading initially as First Wyvern and latterly simply as First.
Stratford Blue, a name ebbing and flowing in and out of fashion, is from 2007 under Stagecoach ownership, having previously been a part of the Ensignbus group

[edit] First Midland Red Routes

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1 Kidderminster - Rifle Range
2 Kidderminster - Habberley - Bewdley - Hales Park
3 Kidderminster - Stourport - The Walshes
X3 Redditch - Bromsgrove - Kidderminster - Kidderminster Hospital - Stourport - The Walshes
5 Kidderminster - Fairfield via Puxton Drive
5A Kidderminster - Fairfield
10 Kidderminster - Offmore - Spennells

21 Stratford - Broadway
22 Worcester Circular
23 Worcester Circular
23 Stratford - Whichford
23A Stratford - Whichford
24 Stratford Circular
25 Stratford - Alcester via Little Alne
26 Stratford - Alcester
28 Stratford - Evesham
29 Stratford - Evesham

31 Henwick Park - Royal Worcs Hospital
32 Kempsey - Claines
33 Warndon - Dines Green
35 Worcester - Warndon.
37 Worcester - The Harleys
37A Worcester - Bradley Green
44 Worcester - The Malverns

51 Redditch - Batchley
55 Redditch - Oakenshaw via Walkwood and Crabbs Cross
56 Redditch - Oakenshaw via Crabbs Cross and Walkwood
57 Redditch - Matchborough via Woodrow and Church Hill
58 Redditch - Matchborough via Woodrow and Church Hill
61 Redditch - Matchborough East via Church Hill North
67 Redditch - Studley via Lakeside and Greenlands
68 Redditch - Webheath
70 Redditch - Astwood Bank via Headless Cross and Crabbs Cross

71 Hereford - Credenhill
71A Hereford - Credenhill
72 Hereford - Bobblestock
72A Hereford - Bobblestock
74 Newton Farm - Hampton Park
74A Newton Farm - Hampton Park
74B Newton Farm - Hampton Park
75 Hereford - Belmont

140 Bromsgrove - Droitwich Spa via Aston Fields
141 Bromsgrove - Droitwich Spa via Aston Fields
143 Redditch - Bromsgrove - Marlbrook via Finstall and Hewell Park
144 Birmingham - Bromsgrove - Worcester via Longbridge and Droitwich
146 Birmingham - Redditch via West Heath and Alvechurch

247 Redditch - Evesham via Alcester and Bidford
292 Kidderminster - Ludlow via Far Forest and Cleobury Mortimer
294 Hagley - Kidderminster - Worcester via Stourport and Ombersley
295 Kidderminster - Wilden - Stourport - Holt Heath - Worcester
300 Kidderminster - Worcester via Bewdley and Hartlebury
303 Kidderminster - Worcester via Hartlebury and Ombersley
334 Kidderminster - Redditch (Alexandra Hospital) via Bromsgrove
492 Leominster - Hereford via Homer

982 Redditch - Barnt Green - Bromsgrove via Alvechurch and Lickey End

[edit] First Midland Red Routes (In The Past)

11 Kidderminster - Areley Kings via Lickhill and Stourport
12 Kidderminster - Areley Kings via Burlish Park and Stourport
13 Kidderminster - The Walshes via Birchen Coppice and Stourport
13A Kidderminster - The Walshes via General Hospital, Birchen Coppice and Stourport
14 Kidderminster - The Walshes via General Hospital, Burlish Park and Stourport
15 Kidderminster - Stourport via Wilden
15A Kidderminster - Stourport via Hoo Brook, Wilden Top & Wilden
15B Kidderminster - Stourport via Wilden and Mill Lane
16 Kidderminster - The Walshes via Stourport (Direct)

52 Redditch - Batchley
53 Redditch - Oakenshaw Circular
53A Redditch - Oakenshaw Circular
54 Redditch - Oakenshaw Circular
54A Redditch - Oakenshaw Circular
59 Redditch - Alexandra Hospital via Matchborough
59 Redditch - Matchborough West - Matchborough - Redditch
60 Redditch - Matchborough - Matchborough West - Redditch
60 Matchborough West - Church Hill - Redditch - Headless Cross - Oakenshaw
65 Redditch - Lakeside Circular
66 Redditch - Lakeside Circular
69 Redditch - Hill Top
71 Redditch - Studley - Littlewood Green
71A Redditch - Studley
71B Redditch - Matchborough - Studley

83 Birmingham - Hawkesley via Selly Oak & Cotteridge
84 Birmingham - Hawkesley via Selly Oak & Cotteridge
85 Birmingham - Longbridge Station via Selly Oak, Cotteridge & Hawkesley
192 Birmingham - Hereford via Kidderminster, Ludlow & Leominster
193 Birmingham - The Walshes via Kidderminster & Stourport
195 Stourbridge - Kidderminster via Hagley Village
197 Hagley Village - Kidderminster via Belbroughton & Blakedown
234 Kidderminster/Stourbridge - Dudley via Wordsley, Brierley Hill, Merry Hill

X92 Birmingham - Hereford (as route 192 but limited stop service)
X93 Birmingham - The Walshes (as route 193 but limited stop service)
X94 Birmingham - Worcester via Kidderminster - Stourport - Henwick

[edit] Timeline

1904: Formation of BMMO.
1905: First services.
1914-1920: Rapid spread of services outside Birmingham to 'Paint the Midlands Red'.
1923: First production run of BMMO buses, SOS 'S' type - one of the first British buses to have pneumatic tyres.
1920s: Development of long-distance coach routes using charabancs.
1927: QL bus produced, the first Midland Red bus to have brakes on all wheels.
1930s: Development of petrol and diesel engines.
1940s: Experiments with under-floor engined single-decker.
1950s: Experiments and developments of integral construction, independent front suspension, air suspension, rubber suspension, glass fibre construction and disc brakes.
1958: Introduction of D9, a new half-cab double deck incorporating most of the successful features developed in the 1950s.
1959: The first of the two unique D10 under-floor engined double deck appeared. In addition, the introduction of the CM5T, an 85+ mile per hour coach, for non-stop motorway services.
1960s: Larger motorway coach introduced, the CM6T between 1963-6.
1970s: Winding down of vehicle production. Last Midland Red bus produced in 1970. Split up of the operating area - West Midlands PTE take the West Midlands Metropolitan area garages.
1980s: Midland Red split into five operating companies and an engineering company. Privatisation by buy-outs.
1990s: Take over by the current conglomerate transport groups.