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| Founded | October 1980 |
|---|---|
| Ceased operation | October 1982 |
| Service type | Long distance coach operator |
| Routes | 6 |
| Hubs | London |
| Annual ridership | 750,000 |
| Operator | Barton Transport Ellerman Bee Line Excelsior Coaches Grey-Green Morris Bros Park's Motor Group Shearings Wallace Arnold York's Warner Fairfax |
British Coachways was a consortium of independent coach operating companies in the United Kingdom. Formed immediately after the deregulation of coach services in October 1980, it competed with the state-owned National Express and Scottish Bus Group on a range of long-distance routes. Initially composed of six members, it varied in size and composition over its two years of operation to include a range of ten different companies.
The consortium attempted to draw passengers away from the established services by charging significantly lower fares than the existing operators. National Express and Scottish Bus Group responded by reducing fares to similar levels, reducing the appeal of British Coachways' services. In contrast to National Express, operators were given the choice of which vehicle type to operate, so a variety of types were used.
The consortium was not granted access to large facilities in major cities, such as Victoria Coach Station in London, and was forced to use less developed alternative sites. In October 1982 British Coachways was broken up and the brand name abandoned. All but one of its services ceased to operate. The sole survivor was the service between London and Bournemouth, which continued to be operated by former British Coachways member Excelsior Coaches until 1998.