MK Metro

File:MK Metro logo.png

File:MK Metro bus, 2 May 2009.jpg at Milton Keynes station in May 2009]]

File:MK Metro bus 58.jpg bodied Dennis Dart]]

File:MK Metro 3621 YN55 PZY.jpg bodied Scania L94UB branded for route 5 in Central Milton Keynes shortly after the takeover by Arriva]]

File:MK Metro 2446 YN03 NCF.jpg on high-frequency route 8 at Milton Keynes station in early 2009]]

File:Arriva Shires & Essex 3926 BG59 FCV.jpg in a dedicated silver livery on route 300 after the Arriva takeover]]

In 1997, Stagecoach was ordered by the Office of Fair Trading to divest of its operations in Milton Keynes and Huntingdon. This followed an investigation in 1996 into its acquisition of Cambus Holdings which was deemed to have led to an unacceptable monopoly of bus operations in Cambridgeshire, Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford and Mid Bedfordshire.[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140402142426/http://www.oft.gov.uk/OFTwork/mergers/register-fair-trading/lieu/stagecoach-holdings Stagecoach Holdings plc and Cambus] Office of Fair Trading 5 June 1996

The assets of Milton Keynes Citybus[http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/01963446 Companies House extract company no 1963446] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725194823/http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/01963446 |date=25 July 2014 }} Milton Keynes City Bus Limited were purchased on 2 May 1997 by bus entrepreneur Julian Peddle, using a new company Premier Buses Limited[http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/03339369 Companies House extract company no 3339369] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725193209/http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/03339369 |date=25 July 2014 }} Premier Buses Limited both to operate in Huntingdon (under the Premier Buses brand name) and also as a holding company with which to purchase MK Metro.[http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/31/1823563.pdf Changes to competition law and policies adopted 1997] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051106020305/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/31/1823563.pdf |date=6 November 2005 }} Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development The operation was rebranded as MK Metro with a bright yellow and blue livery introduced.

In February 2006, the business was purchased by Arriva and integrated into its Arriva Shires & Essex subsidiary.[https://web.archive.org/web/20071028062541/http://www.arriva.co.uk/arriva/en/media_centre/press_releases/2006/2006-02-13/ Arriva acquires MK Metro Ltd] Arriva 13 February 2006[http://www.busandcoach.com/news/articles/arriva-acquires-mk-metro-in-56m-deal Arriva acquires MK Metro in £5.6m deal] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20150430052714/http://www.busandcoach.com/news/articles/arriva-acquires-mk-metro-in-56m-deal |date=30 April 2015 }} Bus & Coach Professional 15 February 2006 The MK Metro brand was retained with a new logo introduced in 2007.

On 25 April 2010, the Arriva brand and livery were introduced. Milton Keynes services began to operate under the sub brand of MK Star, and the change of name coincided with a number of controversial service changes.

The fleet ranged from mainly Dennis Darts (high floor and low floor, with a variety of bodywork), to Mercedes-Benz minibuses and Optare Solos. Double-deck Optare Spectras, and Wright Solar bodied Scania L94UBs were also operated.

• Dennis Dart
• Dennis Dart SLF
• VDL SB120
• Mercedes-Benz Vario
• Optare Solo
• Optare Spectra
• Scania L94UB
• Alexander Dennis Enviro300
• Mercedes-Benz Citaro

MK Metro ran over 30 services. Most routes passed through or served Central Milton Keynes. However, routes 16 and 30/31 did not. The routes were generally numbered from 1 to 30, although there were some omissions and some routes in the 30s, as well as a new service numbered 300.[http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/transport/displayarticle.asp?id=57102 Milton Keynes Council – Bus Timetables] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205065501/http://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/transport/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=57102 |date=5 December 2008 }} Accessed 9 November 2008.[http://mkmetro.co.uk/timtables.html here MK Metro – Bus Timetables] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917185351/http://www.mkmetro.co.uk/timtables.html |date=17 September 2008 }} Accessed 9 November 2008.

The key services were numbered 1 to 8, and ran every 10 to 20 minutes. Key services ran through the busiest parts of the city, for example to Bletchley and the District centres. Intermediate services ran from every 20 minutes up to every hour. These routes cover areas in more detail, for example serving through the grid squares, while key services mostly ran on the main roads. The other routes ran at a frequency of every hour or less. These services linked locations outside Milton Keynes into the city, or linked neighbourhoods into the nearest centre.

Note that this list of routes is for historical interest. It is not a list of the current routes operated by Arriva Shires & Essex.

• 1 / B / C: City Centre – Green Park – Newport Pagnell – Olney – Bedford / Northampton
• 2: Westcroft – Oxley Park – Grange Farm – City Centre – Willen – Poets Estate – Newport Pagnell
• 4 / A / E: Wolverton – Stony Stratford – City Centre – Hospital – Whaddon Way – Bletchley
• 5 / E: Wolverton – Bradville – City Centre – Hospital – Bletchley – Lakes Estate
• 7 / E: Wolverton – Stantonbury – City Centre – Bletchley – Newton Longville / Lakes Estate
• 7 A: Wolverton – Great Linford – Neath Hill – City Centre
• 8: Westcroft – Shenley Brook End – City Centre – Kingston – Bletchley / Woburn Sands

These routes were operated by MK Metro after its take-over by Arriva, but before the rebranding and new timetable launch on 24 April 2010.

• 2E: Wolverton – Heelands – City Centre – Willen – Poets Estate – Newport Pagnell
• 3E: Wolverton – Great Linford – City Centre – Shenley Church End – Furzton – Westcroft
• 6 / A: Wolverton / Bradville – Heelands – City Centre – Hospital- Emerson Valley – Bletchley
• 9 / A: City Centre – Shenley Lodge – Furzton – West Bletchley – Bletchley
• 12: Wolverton – Greenleys – Bradwell – City Centre – Kents Hill – Open University – Caldecotte
• 20: Bletchley – Tattenhoe – Westcroft – City Centre – Hospital – Walnut Tree
• 26E: Bletchley – Furzton – City Centre – Walnut Tree – Kingston Centre
• 29: Bletchley – Hospital – Oldbrook – City Centre – Crownhill – Shenley Church End
• 32: City Centre – Buckingham – Little Tingewick (peak hours)
• 39: Bletchley – Whaddon Way – Oldbrook – City Centre – Crownhill – Shenley Church End
• 300: City Centre – Broughton Gate – Kingston / Magna Park

• 11: Milton Keynes – Monkston – Kingston – Woburn Sands – Bow Brickhill – Bletchley
• 13: Stony Stratford – Stantonbury – City Centre – Bletchley – Lakes Estate
• 14: City Centre – Stony Stratford – Old Stratford – Deanshanger / Wicken
• 16: Bletchley – West Bletchley – Emerson Valley – Westcroft
• 17A: Milton Keynes – Moulsoe – Cranfield
• 17B: City Centre – Great Linford – Newport Pagnell – Cranfield
• 18: City Centre – Woolstone – Woughton Park – Simpson – Bletchley
• 30 / 31: Newport Pagnell – Wolverton – Stony Stratford – Bletchley
• 32A: Buckingham Town Service
• 33: Milton Keynes – Blue Bridge – Wolverton – Hanslope – Roade – Northampton
• (NN)11 Northampton – Kingsley – Parklands – Links View – Kingsley – Northampton (only serves Links View on return from Parklands)
• (NN)21 Northampton – University Avenue Campus – Kingsthorpe – University Park Campus (ceased due to contract loss)

{{Reflist|30em}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090311063837/http://www.mkmetro.co.uk/ www.mkmetro.co.uk/]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100407231722/http://www.arrivabus.co.uk/mkstar/ www.arrivabus.co.uk/mkstar]
• [https://www.flickr.com/groups/2379227@N21/ Flickr gallery]

{{Arriva Group UK}}

{{Defunct British Bus Companies}}

{{Transport in Milton Keynes}}

Category:Arriva Group bus operators in England

Category:Transport in Milton Keynes

Category:1997 establishments in England

Category:2010 disestablishments in England

Category:Transport companies established in 1997

Category:Transport companies disestablished in 2010

Category:Former bus operators in Bedfordshire

Category:Former bus operators in Buckinghamshire

Category:Former bus operators in Northamptonshire