Greyhound Motors

Bus and coach company based in Bristol, England

This article is about the English bus and coach company operating between 1921 and 1972. For other Greyhound bus and coach companies, see Greyhound (disambiguation).

Greyhound Motors

Preserved Bristol MW6G in Bristol in August 2011

Parent| Bristol Omnibus Company
Founded| 1921
Ceased operation| 1972
Headquarters| Bristol
Service area| Bristol
London
Bournemouth
Paignton
Service type| Bus and long-distance coach operator
Hubs| Prince Street (until 1958)
Bristol bus station (from 1958)

Greyhound Motors, later known as Bristol Greyhound, was an English bus and coach company based in Bristol.

## History

[edit]

Greyhound Motors was formed in February 1921 by Sydney Tom Toogood[1] to operate motor buses in Bristol.

In February 1925, it commenced a long-distance coach service between Bristol and London, which has been claimed to be the first long-distance coach service with scheduled stops en route to pick up and set down passengers.[2][3] The journey time was eight hours.[4][5] It later began services from Bristol to Bournemouth and Paignton, and from London to Bournemouth.[6] It also continued to run local bus services in Bristol, competing fiercely with Bristol Tramways.

In 1928, the company was acquired by Bristol Tramways. Greyhound continued to operate as a separate business, including its bus routes in Bristol until 1936.[7][8] The new owners expanded the Greyhound coach operations. In 1934 it was one of the founder members of the Associated Motorways consortium of long-distance coach operators, but continued the London service outside the consortium.

At the beginning of 1936, the company's business was absorbed into Bristol Tramways.[9] Bristol Omnibus Company continued to use the Greyhound name for its long-distance coach services until 1972, when the National Bus Company required Bristol to adopt the new National Express brand.[10]

Shortly before its demise, on 9 January 1972 Greyhound Motors commenced operating an express Bristol to London service via the new M4 motorway.[11]

## Revival of the name

[edit]

In August 2009, FirstGroup who had owned the former Bristol Omnibus Company since April 1988, announced the reintroduction of the Greyhound brand in the United Kingdom.[12] The new Greyhound UK was a byproduct of FirstGroup purchasing the Greyhound Lines business in the United States in February 2007.[13] Greyhound UK also connected Bristol with Swansea and Bristol Airport until March 2015.[14][15] This was the last Greyhound service operated.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Inaugurating the Longest Bus Service". Commercial Motor. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
2. ^ Hibbs, J (1986) The Country Bus David & Charles, p.100
3. ^ Clever Organisation of Long-Distance Operation Commercial Motor 16 December 1932 page 99
4. ^ Inaugurating the Longest Bus Service Commercial Motor 17 February 1925 page 12
5. ^ Improving a Long-Distance Bus Service Commercial Motor 6 April 1926 page 6
6. ^ The New Competition on the London-Bournemouth Route Commercial Motor 17 March 1931 page 131
7. ^ Greyhound Motors Liquidated Commercial Motor 10 January 1936 page 61
8. ^ "Bus and tram routes in 1933". Bristol Vintage Bus Group. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
9. ^ "History of Bristol's buses". Bristol Vintage Bus Group. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
10. ^ Curtis, C and Walker, M (2007) Bristol Omnibus Services: The Green Years Millstream Books ISBN 978-0-948975-80-6 p.156
11. ^ Non-stop motorway express by Greyhound Commercial Motor 7 January 1972 page 15
12. ^ FirstGroup launch Greyhound bus service The Guardian 19 August 2009
13. ^ FirstGroup buys Greyhound buses BBC News 9 February 2007
14. ^ Greyhound speeds airport link to Bristol Archived 12 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach 6 May 2014
15. ^ Greyhound halts bus service between Cardiff and Bristol Airport Wales Online 3 February 2015

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Bristol Greyhound (bus company) at Wikimedia Commons

## Further reading

[edit]

* Hulin, P (1974) Bristol's Buses Published by the author
* Healey, K (2002) Associated Motorways Venture Publications ISBN 1-898432-57-0

* v
* t
* e

Former bus companies of the United Kingdom

National|

* Associated Motorways
* Blazefield Holdings
* British Bus
* British Coachways
* British Electric Traction
* Fraser Eagle
* GRT Group
* HCT Group
* National Bus Company
* Tilling Group

England|

* v
* t
* e

Former bus companies operating in England

North West England|

* Avon Buses
* Birkenhead Transport
* Blackburn Transport
* Blue Bus & Coach Services
* Bluebird Bus & Coach
* Bu-Val Buses
* ChesterBus
* Citibus Tours
* Crosville Motor Services
* Cumberland Motor Services
* Finglands Coachways
* First Chester & The Wirral
* GHA Coaches
* Glenvale Transport
* GM Buses
* Halton Transport
* Jim Stones Coaches
* John Fishwick & Sons
* JPT
* Lancashire United Transport
* Manchester Community Transport
* Maynes Bus
* Maytree Travel
* Merseybus
* MTL
* North Western Road Car Company (1923)
* North Western Road Car Company (1986)
* Pennine Blue
* Red & White Services
* Ribble Motor Services
* Shearings
* Speedwellbus
* Transdev Northern Blue
* UK North
* Yelloway Motor Services

North East England|

* Black Prince Buses
* BrightBus
* Busways Travel Services
* Cleveland Transit
* Durham Travel Services
* Jolly Bus
* Kingston upon Hull City Transport
* Mexborough and Swinton Traction Company
* Northern General Transport Company
* OK Motor Services
* Samuel Ledgard
* Scarlet Band
* South Yorkshire Transport
* Tates Travel
* United Automobile Services
* Venture Transport
* West Riding Automobile Company
* West Yorkshire Road Car Company
* Yorkshire Rider
* Yorkshire Terrier
* Yorkshire Traction

Midlands|

* Barton Transport
* Birmingham City Transport
* Birmingham Motor Traction
* Central Buses
* Chase Coaches
* First Northampton
* Glossopdale Bus Company
* Go West Midlands
* Hulleys of Baslow
* Ludlows
* North Birmingham Busways
* Premiere Travel
* Probus Management
* South Notts Bus Company
* Stevensons of Uttoxeter
* Travel de Courcey
* Travel Merry Hill
* Travel Your Bus
* Yourbus
* Zak's Buses

East of England|

* Eastern National Omnibus Company
* MK Metro

South West England|

* Abus
* Alexcars
* Badgerline
* Bristol Omnibus Company
* Crosville Motor Services
* Devon General
* Greyhound Motors
* Great Western Railway
* Hants & Dorset
* Nippy Bus
* Shamrock Buses
* Silver Star Motor Services
* South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach
* Southern National
* Sureline
* Trathens Travel Services
* WebberBus
* Wessex Bus
* Western Greyhound
* Western National
* Yellow Buses

South East England|

* Alder Valley
* Aldershot & District Traction
* Badger Vectis
* Boro'line Maidstone
* Cavendish Motor Services
* Countryliner
* Eastbourne Buses
* East Kent Road Car Company
* Epsom Coaches
* Fleet Buzz
* Invictaway
* Kent Top Travel
* King Alfred Motor Services
* Maidstone & District Motor Services
* Maidstone Corporation Transport
* Marchwood Motorways
* Moss Motor Tours
* New Enterprise Coaches
* Portsmouth Corporation Transport
* Shamrock Buses
* Southampton Citybus
* Southdown Motor Services
* Southdown Buses
* Thames Transit
* Thames Valley Traction
* Tillingbourne Bus Company
* Velvet
* Yellow Bus Services

Greater London|

* Abellio Surrey
* Bexleybus
* Birch Brothers
* Boro'line London
* Capital Citybus
* Capital Logistics
* Connex
* East Thames Buses
* First London
* Grey-Green
* Harris Bus
* Kentish Bus
* Limebourne
* London Buslines
* London Country Bus Services
* London Country North East
* London Country North West
* London Country South West
* London Easylink
* London Electrobus Company
* London Forest
* London Pride Sightseeing
* London Traveller
* MTL
* NSL Buses
* Quality Line
* Thorpes
* Tower Transit
* Travel London
* Travel Surrey
* Westlink

Scotland|

* v
* t
* e

Former bus companies operating in Scotland

Scottish Bus Group|

* Central Scottish
* Clydeside Scottish
* Eastern Scottish
* Fife Scottish
* Highland Scottish
* Kelvin Central Buses
* Kelvin Scottish
* Lowland Scottish
* Midland Scottish
* Northern Scottish
* Strathtay Scottish
* Western Scottish

Other operators|

* Arriva Scotland West
* A1 Service
* Dart Buses
* First Scotland East
* First Stop Travel
* Gibson's of Moffat
* McKindless
* Munro's of Jedburgh
* Oban and District
* Rapsons
* Scottish Motor Traction
* Strathclyde Buses
* Western SMT

Wales|

* v
* t
* e

Former bus companies operating in Wales

Companies|

* Crosville Motor Services
* Express Motors
* GHA Coaches
* Islwyn Borough Transport
* National Welsh Omnibus Services
* Padarn Bus
* Red & White Services
* Rhondda Transport Company
* South Wales Transport
* Western Welsh

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template