Arriva Sapphire

{{Infobox Bus transit

|name = Arriva Sapphire

|logo = Arriva Sapphire logo.svg

|image = Arriva Sapphire SN15 LPJ 1947 Yorkshire Route 110 Leeds Bus Station Feb 2018.jpg

|image_caption = Arriva Yorkshire Alexander Dennis Enviro400 in Leeds in February 2018

|company_slogan =

|parent = Arriva

|founded = April 2013

|defunct =

|headquarters =

|locale =

|service_area =

|service_type = Luxury bus

|alliance =

|routes = 29 (July 2024)

|fleet =

|operator = Arriva Buses Wales
Arriva Midlands
Arriva North East
Arriva North West
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Southern Counties
Arriva Yorkshire

|ceo =

|leader =

|website = {{URL|https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/about-us/sapphire/|Website}}}}

Arriva Sapphire is a luxury brand used by various Arriva bus subsidiaries in the United Kingdom.

History

File:Arriva Sapphire Logo.png

File:Arriva Sapphire 2017 logo.png

In February 2013, Arriva UK Bus announced that it would launch a Luxury service under the Sapphire brand for its bus services in the United Kingdom.{{cite news |url=http://busandcoach.com/news/articles/archive/arriva-launches-sapphire-upgrade/ |title=Arriva launches Sapphire upgrade |newspaper=Bus and Coach Professional |publisher=Plum Publishing Ltd |date=21 February 2013 |access-date=1 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104222317/http://busandcoach.com/news/articles/archive/arriva-launches-sapphire-upgrade/ |archive-date=4 January 2017 |url-status=dead }} It is similar to the Stagecoach Gold brand launched by Stagecoach Group in 2007.

Arriva initially launched the Sapphire brand on four pilot routes:{{cite web |url= http://www.arrivasapphire.co.uk/where-we-operate |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130501120638/http://www.arrivasapphire.co.uk/where-we-operate |url-status= dead |archive-date= 1 May 2013 |title=Where We Operate |website=Arriva Sapphire |publisher=Arriva}}

Arriva Buses Wales' route 1 Wrexham to Chester{{cite news |url= http://www.dailypost.co.uk/business/business-news/arriva-bus-wales-lauch-new-3186279 |title=Commute with a little bit of sparkle thanks to Sapphire |newspaper=North Wales Daily Post |publisher=Trinity Mirror |date=29 April 2013}}
Arriva Midlands' route 31/31a Oadby to Leicester{{cite news |url= http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Sapphire-jewel-crown-Arriva-services/story-19428414-detail/story.html |title=Sapphire is jewel in the crown of Arriva services |newspaper=Leicester Mercury |publisher=Trinity Mirror |date=29 June 2013}} this route now uses any vehicles
Arriva North East's route 7 Darlington to Durham{{cite news |url= http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/sapphire-launched-north-east/ |title=Sapphire launched in north east |newspaper=Bus & Coach Buyer |publisher=AT Graphics Ltd |date=11 December 2013}}
Arriva Shires & Essex's route 280 Aylesbury to Oxford{{cite news |url= http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/arriva-launches-third-sapphire-scheme/ |title=Arriva launches third Sapphire scheme |newspaper=Bus & Coach Buyer |publisher=AT Graphics Ltd |date=25 July 2013}}

In 2014, the brand was extended to 11 more routes with another six scheduled for conversion in late 2015.{{cite news |url= http://www.route-one.net/industry/operations/11-new-routes-arrivas-sapphire/ |title=11 new routes for Arriva's Sapphire |newspaper=Route One |publisher=Diversified Communications UK |date=9 July 2014}}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web |url= https://www.arrivasapphire.co.uk/where-we-operate/ |title=Where We Operate |website=Arriva Sapphire}}{{cite news |url=http://busandcoach.com/news/articles/archive/adl-in-pole-position-as-arriva-confirms-2015-orders/ |title=ADL in pole position as Arriva confirms 2015 orders |newspaper=Bus and Coach Professional |publisher=Plum Publishing Ltd |date=5 March 2015 |access-date=1 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104222907/http://busandcoach.com/news/articles/archive/adl-in-pole-position-as-arriva-confirms-2015-orders/ |archive-date=4 January 2017 |url-status=dead }}

In 2017, Arriva Sapphire was rebranded with a new logo and livery, in line with the switchover to the new Arriva brand. In 2018, the Arriva Sapphire logo was updated again, to reflect the new brand.{{cite web |url= https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/kent-and-surrey/floating/sapphire-700/ |title=We're upgrading the Chatham to Bluewater 700 services to join our select family of premium Sapphire routes. |publisher=Arriva |date=12 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020062646/https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/kent-and-surrey/floating/sapphire-700/ | archive-date=20 October 2018}}

In 2019, Arriva Midlands routes 1, 2, 2E running between Walsall and Cannock/Huntington were downgraded to regular buses after six years of Sapphire. Further routes across the country have since been withdrawn or removed from the Sapphire brand.

In 2022, Arriva started to phase out the Sapphire brand nationally, with the majority of buses being repainted into the standard Arriva livery or replaced with new buses.

Routes

File:Arriva Alexander Dennis Enviro400 (YY14 WFU) on High Street, Oxford.jpg in October 2014]]

File:Arriva Wright StreetLite DF (LK14 FTN)-2 (cropped).jpg in August 2014]]

File:Arriva Kent & Surrey YX17NEJ (side), Chatham Bus Station, 16 January 2018 (cropped).jpg in January 2018]]

File:AlexanderDennis Enviro200 MMC YX17 NPE MiltonKeynes (cropped).jpg in May 2018]]

File:10772 SN66VYT (50131574012) (cropped).jpg (with rebranded Arriva logo) in July 2020]]

As of July 2024, there were 29 Arriva Sapphire routes.

class="wikitable"
Service no. ! Route start ! Route end
colspan="3"\| Arriva Buses Wales
scope=row \| 1 \| Wrexham \| Chester
scope=row \| 12/X12 \| Rhyl \| Llandudno
scope=row \| 10/10A \| Connah's Quay / Flint \| Chester
colspan="3"\| Arriva North East
scope=row \| 1/5/5A/X1 \| Darlington \| Bishop Auckland, Crook and Tow Law
scope=row \| 3/X3/X3A/X4 \| Middlesbrough \| Lingdale, Skelton, Loftus and Whitby
scope=row \| 7 \| Darlington \| Durham
colspan="3"\| Arriva Shires & Essex
scope=row \| 5/6 \| Lakes Estate \| Wolverton
scope=row \| 133 \|Colchester & Braintree \|Stansted Airport
colspan="3"\| Arriva Southern Counties
scope=row \| 480 \| Temple Hill \| Gravesend
490/491 \|Gravesend \|Valley Drive or Riverview Park
colspan="3"\| Arriva Yorkshire
scope=row \| 110 \| Leeds \| Wakefield{{cite news \|url= http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/sparkling-leeds/ \|title=Sparking in Leeds \|newspaper=Bus & Coach Buyer \|publisher=AT Graphics Ltd \|date=21 April 2015}}
scope=row \| 163 \| Leeds \| Castleford via Garforth and Kippax
scope=row \| 168 \| Leeds \| Castleford via Woodlesford
scope=row \| 229 \| Leeds \| Huddersfield via Birstall and Heckmondwike
scope=row \| 231/232 \| Wakefield \| Huddersfield via Lepton, Flockton, Overton and Horbury
scope=row \| 415 \| York \| Selby via York Designer Outlet

class="wikitable"

Service no.

! Route start

! Route end

colspan="3"| Arriva Buses Wales

scope=row | 1

| Wrexham

| Chester

scope=row | 12/X12

| Rhyl

| Llandudno

scope=row | 10/10A

| Connah's Quay / Flint

| Chester

colspan="3"| Arriva North East

scope=row | 1/5/5A/X1

| Darlington

| Bishop Auckland, Crook and Tow Law

scope=row | 3/X3/X3A/X4

| Middlesbrough

| Lingdale, Skelton, Loftus and Whitby

scope=row | 7

| Darlington

| Durham

colspan="3"| Arriva Shires & Essex

scope=row | 5/6

| Lakes Estate

| Wolverton

scope=row | 133

|Colchester & Braintree

|Stansted Airport

colspan="3"| Arriva Southern Counties

scope=row | 480

| Temple Hill

| Gravesend

490/491

|Gravesend

|Valley Drive or Riverview Park

colspan="3"| Arriva Yorkshire

scope=row | 110

| Leeds

| Wakefield{{cite news |url= http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/sparkling-leeds/ |title=Sparking in Leeds |newspaper=Bus & Coach Buyer |publisher=AT Graphics Ltd |date=21 April 2015}}

scope=row | 163

| Leeds

| Castleford via Garforth and Kippax

scope=row | 168

| Leeds

| Castleford via Woodlesford

scope=row | 229

| Leeds

| Huddersfield via Birstall and Heckmondwike

scope=row | 231/232

| Wakefield

| Huddersfield via Lepton, Flockton, Overton and Horbury

scope=row | 415

| York

| Selby via York Designer Outlet

=Former services=

class="wikitable"
Service no. ! Route start ! Route end ! Notes
colspan="4"\| Arriva North East
scope=row \| 5/5A \|Middlesbrough \|Easington \|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.
scope=row \| 6 \|Durham \|Bishop Auckland and Cockfield \|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.
scope=row \| 22 \|Durham \|Sunderland \|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.
scope=row \| 23 \|Sunderland \|Hartlepool \|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.
scope=row \| 24 \|Durham \|Hartlepool \|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.
scope=row \| X21/X22 \|Newbiggin and Ashington \|Newcastle-upon-Tyne \|Routes removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the introduction of new buses and repaint of existing buses into standard livery.
scope=row \| 43 \|Morpeth \|Newcastle-upon-Tyne \|Route removed from the Sapphire brand, with the allocation now formed of buses in various liveries and specifications.
scope=row \| 44/45 \|Dinnington \|Newcastle-upon-Tyne \|Routes removed from the Sapphire brand, with the allocation now formed of buses in various liveries and specifications.
colspan="4"\| Arriva North West
scope=row \| 38 \|Crewe \|Macclesfield \|Arriva North West ceased operating service in April 2023, route now operated by D&G Bus
362 \|Chorley \|Wigan \|Arriva North West ceased operating the route in September 2023, now operated by Go North West under the Bee Network franchising system. Buses branded for this route were transferred to Wythenshawe Depot and Hemel Hempstead, and can be seen operating various Arriva routes in South Manchester and Hertfordshire.
575 \|Wigan \|Bolton \|Arriva North West ceased operating the route in September 2023, now operated by Go North West under the Bee Network franchising system. Buses branded for this route were transferred to Wythenshawe Depot and Hemel Hempstead, and can be seen operating various Arriva routes in South Manchester and Hertfordshire.
263 \|Manchester \|Altrincham \|Route effectively removed from the Sapphire brand in September 2023, with existing buses being withdrawn from service and replaced by a variety of Sapphire and non-Sapphire buses cascaded from Bolton Depot, which has been shut down due to the introduction of the Bee Network.
colspan="4"\| Arriva Yorkshire
scope=row \| 166 \|Leeds \|Castleford \|Route withdrawn and replaced in part by revised routes 163 and 164.
scope=row \| 167 \|Leeds \|Castleford \|Route withdrawn and replaced in part by revised route 168.
colspan="5"\| Arriva Midlands
scope=row \| 31/31A/31E \| Haymarket Bus Station, Leicester \| Oadby Grange & Coombe Rise \|Services 31/31E now operated by standard buses. Service 31A was ceased in March 2020 until January 2023 when it was reinstated
scope=row \| X3 \|Leicester City Centre \|Market Harborough \|Frequency reduced and Sapphire buses moved elsewhere in 2021.
X84 \|St Margaret's Bus Station \|Rugby via Lutterworth \|Mainly being used on normal buses, however sometimes Sapphire branded buses are used.
scope=row \| 38 \|Derby Bus Station \|Sinfin \|Vehicles repainted into standard Arriva livery in early 2022.
scope=row \| 110 \|Tamworth \|Birmingham{{cite news \|url= http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/sapphire-tamworth/ \|title=Sapphire in Tamworth \|newspaper=Bus & Coach Buyer \|publisher=AT Graphics Ltd \|date=16 October 2014}} \|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.
scope=row \| 158 \|Leicester \|Hinckley-Nuneaton via Earl Shilton & Barwell \|Vehicles are being repainted from January 2023.
colspan="4"\| Arriva The Shires
scope=row \| 320 \|Hemel Hempstead \|Rickmansworth \|Withdrawn on 17 April 2022 and replaced by new route 20 and extended route 321.
scope=row \| 321 \|Luton \|Watford \|Buses repainted into Arriva Standard Livery throughout 2021 and route declassified.
scope=row \| 280 \|Aylesbury \|Oxford \| Route replaced by routes X7 and X8.{{cite web \|title=Aylesbury service changes \|url=https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/changes-to-your-bus-services-in-aylesbury-jan-24 \|website=arrivabus.co.uk \|publisher=Arriva Buses UK \|access-date=25 February 2024}}
scope=row \| X7/X8 \|Aylesbury \|Oxford \| Routes withdrawn in July 2024.{{cite web\|url=https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/proposed-closure-of-aylesbury-and-high-wycombe-depots\|title=Proposed closure of Aylesbury and High Wycombe depots\|work=Arriva Shires & Essex\|access-date=31 July 2024}}
colspan="4"\| Arriva Southern Counties
scope=row \| 101 \|Gillingham \|Maidstone \|Buses repainted into Arriva Journey Mark.
470 \|Dartford \|Gravesend \|Route withdrawn and replaced by the revised route 480
480A \|Gravesend \|Riverview Park \|Route renumbered to 491
490A \|Gravesend \|Singlewell, Valley Drive \|Route renumbered to 490
scope=row \| 700{{Cite web \|title=We're upgrading the Chatham to Bluewater 700 services to join our select family of premium Sapphire routes. \|url=https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/kent-and-surrey/floating/sapphire-700/ \|url-status=dead \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20181020062646/https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/kent-and-surrey/floating/sapphire-700/ \|archive-date=20 October 2018 \|website=Arriva}} \|Bluewater \|Chatham \|Buses repainted into Arriva Journey Mark, route now uses any suitable vehicle.

class="wikitable"

Service no.

! Route start

! Route end

! Notes

colspan="4"| Arriva North East

scope=row | 5/5A

|Middlesbrough

|Easington

|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.

scope=row | 6

|Durham

|Bishop Auckland and Cockfield

|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.

scope=row | 22

|Durham

|Sunderland

|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.

scope=row | 23

|Sunderland

|Hartlepool

|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.

scope=row | 24

|Durham

|Hartlepool

|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.

scope=row | X21/X22

|Newbiggin and Ashington

|Newcastle-upon-Tyne

|Routes removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the introduction of new buses and repaint of existing buses into standard livery.

scope=row | 43

|Morpeth

|Newcastle-upon-Tyne

|Route removed from the Sapphire brand, with the allocation now formed of buses in various liveries and specifications.

scope=row | 44/45

|Dinnington

|Newcastle-upon-Tyne

|Routes removed from the Sapphire brand, with the allocation now formed of buses in various liveries and specifications.

colspan="4"| Arriva North West

scope=row | 38

|Crewe

|Macclesfield

|Arriva North West ceased operating service in April 2023, route now operated by D&G Bus

362

|Chorley

|Wigan

|Arriva North West ceased operating the route in September 2023, now operated by Go North West under the Bee Network franchising system. Buses branded for this route were transferred to Wythenshawe Depot and Hemel Hempstead, and can be seen operating various Arriva routes in South Manchester and Hertfordshire.

575

263

|Route effectively removed from the Sapphire brand in September 2023, with existing buses being withdrawn from service and replaced by a variety of Sapphire and non-Sapphire buses cascaded from Bolton Depot, which has been shut down due to the introduction of the Bee Network.

colspan="4"| Arriva Yorkshire

scope=row | 166

|Leeds

|Castleford

|Route withdrawn and replaced in part by revised routes 163 and 164.

scope=row | 167

|Leeds

|Castleford

|Route withdrawn and replaced in part by revised route 168.

colspan="5"| Arriva Midlands

scope=row | 31/31A/31E

| Haymarket Bus Station, Leicester

| Oadby Grange & Coombe Rise

|Services 31/31E now operated by standard buses.
Service 31A was ceased in March 2020 until January 2023 when it was reinstated

scope=row | X3

|Leicester City Centre

|Market Harborough

|Frequency reduced and Sapphire buses moved elsewhere in 2021.

X84

|St Margaret's Bus Station

|Rugby via Lutterworth

|Mainly being used on normal buses, however sometimes Sapphire branded buses are used.

scope=row | 38

|Derby Bus Station

|Sinfin

|Vehicles repainted into standard Arriva livery in early 2022.

scope=row | 110

|Tamworth

|Birmingham{{cite news |url= http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/sapphire-tamworth/ |title=Sapphire in Tamworth |newspaper=Bus & Coach Buyer |publisher=AT Graphics Ltd |date=16 October 2014}}

|Route removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery.

scope=row | 158

|Leicester

|Hinckley-Nuneaton via Earl Shilton & Barwell

|Vehicles are being repainted from January 2023.

colspan="4"| Arriva The Shires

scope=row | 320

|Hemel Hempstead

|Rickmansworth

|Withdrawn on 17 April 2022 and replaced by new route 20 and extended route 321.

scope=row | 321

|Luton

|Watford

|Buses repainted into Arriva Standard Livery throughout 2021 and route declassified.

scope=row | 280

|Aylesbury

|Oxford

| Route replaced by routes X7 and X8.{{cite web |title=Aylesbury service changes |url=https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/changes-to-your-bus-services-in-aylesbury-jan-24 |website=arrivabus.co.uk |publisher=Arriva Buses UK |access-date=25 February 2024}}

scope=row | X7/X8

|Aylesbury

|Oxford

| Routes withdrawn in July 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/latest-news/proposed-closure-of-aylesbury-and-high-wycombe-depots|title=Proposed closure of Aylesbury and High Wycombe depots|work=Arriva Shires & Essex|access-date=31 July 2024}}

colspan="4"| Arriva Southern Counties

scope=row | 101

|Gillingham

|Maidstone

|Buses repainted into Arriva Journey Mark.

470

|Dartford

|Gravesend

|Route withdrawn and replaced by the revised route 480

480A

|Gravesend

|Riverview Park

|Route renumbered to 491

490A

|Gravesend

|Singlewell, Valley Drive

|Route renumbered to 490

scope=row | 700{{Cite web |title=We're upgrading the Chatham to Bluewater 700 services to join our select family of premium Sapphire routes. |url=https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/kent-and-surrey/floating/sapphire-700/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20181020062646/https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/kent-and-surrey/floating/sapphire-700/ |archive-date=20 October 2018 |website=Arriva}}

|Bluewater

|Chatham

|Buses repainted into Arriva Journey Mark, route now uses any suitable vehicle.

Vehicles

Buses have leather seats, free WiFi, power ports, and a modified two tone blue livery. The initial pilot routes commenced with a mix of refurbished double deck buses and new Wright Pulsar bodied VDL SB200s.{{cite web |url= http://www.arriva.co.uk/media/news/2013/20-06-2013 |title=Sapphire investment brings sparkle to bus services |website=Arriva |date=20 June 2013}} Mostly since then, new buses had been purchased, primarily Alexander Dennis Enviro400s, Wright StreetLites and Wright StreetDecks. A number of Wright Pulsar/Pulsar 2 vehicles had been refurbished to operate Sapphire routes.{{cite news |url= http://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/arriva-north-west-wales-initiatives-growth-quality/ |title=Arriva North West & Wales – Initiatives for growth & quality |newspaper=Bus & Coach Buyer |publisher=AT Graphics Ltd |date=10 April 2014}} In 2020 a selection of Optare Versas in Yorkshire were repainted into the new Arriva Sapphire livery.

References

External links

{{commons category-inline}}
{{cite web |url= https://www.arrivabus.co.uk/about-us/sapphire/ |title=Arriva Sapphire |publisher=Arriva}}

Category:2013 establishments in the United Kingdom

Sapphire

Category:Bus transport brands

Category:Luxury brands

Category:2022 disestablishments in the United Kingdom

Arriva Sapphire

History

Routes

=Former services=

Vehicles

See also

References

External links