Arriva Southern Counties facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arriva Southern Counties

An Enviro 400 bus on route 700, which travels from Chatham Waterfront Bus Station to the Bluewater Shopping Centre. This photo was taken in July 2024.
Parent	Arriva UK Bus
Founded	November 1986 (1986-11)
Headquarters	Maidstone
Service area	Essex Harlow Hemel Hempstead Kent Watford Ware
Service type	Bus services
Hubs	Chatham, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells
Depot(s)	11
Operator	Arriva Colchester Arriva Kent & Sussex Arriva Kent Thameside Arriva Medway Towns Arriva Southend
Web site	www.arrivabus.co.uk

Arriva Southern Counties is a major bus company that runs services in the English counties of Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire, and Surrey. It is part of Arriva UK Bus, a large transport group owned by Deutsche Bahn, Germany's main railway company.

The company operates many local bus routes that help people travel between towns and cities. One of its main divisions is Arriva Kent Thameside, which serves the north-west part of Kent.

The Story of Arriva Southern Counties

How It All Started

The history of Arriva Southern Counties begins in the 1980s. Back then, many bus services were run by the government's National Bus Company. In 1986, a local company called Maidstone & District was sold to its managers.

This new company grew by buying other smaller bus companies. For example, it bought New Enterprise Coaches in 1988 and Boro'line Maidstone in 1992. This made it a much bigger operator in the Kent area.

Becoming Arriva

This bus, number 5916, was new in 1994. It is shown here in a special cream and blue design. It was used in West Kent for many years before being preserved in 2013.

In the 1990s, a large company called British Bus bought several bus operators in the south of England. In 1995, it also bought the company that owned Maidstone & District. After this, the company was renamed Invictaway. This was an old brand name that had been used for bus services to London.

A year later, in 1996, an even bigger group called the Cowie Group bought British Bus. The Cowie Group decided to rebrand all of its companies with a single, modern name. In 1997, they chose the name Arriva.

So, in April 1998, Invictaway was officially renamed Arriva Southern Counties. Other local bus companies were also brought into the Arriva family and organized into different divisions, like Arriva Kent & Sussex and Arriva Kent Thameside.

Recent Changes

Over the years, Arriva Southern Counties has continued to change.

• 2015: Arriva bought two bus networks, Network Colchester and Network Harlow, and renamed them Arriva Colchester and Arriva Harlow.
• 2021: The company closed its depots in Sheerness and Guildford. Some routes were taken over by other bus companies like Chalkwell Coaches and Stagecoach South.
• 2024: The special Fastrack bus routes were transferred to another company, Go-Ahead London.
• 2025: In April, new electric buses began running on some routes, making travel cleaner and quieter.

What Arriva Southern Counties Does

Arriva Southern Counties runs many different bus services. These include regular local routes, services between towns, and routes that are run under contract for local councils. The company is split into several divisions, each serving a different area.

• Arriva Kent & Sussex: Runs buses in towns like Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, and Sevenoaks.
• Arriva Kent Thameside: Serves the areas of Dartford, Gravesend, and Northfleet.
• Arriva Medway Towns: Operates in Chatham, Gillingham, and Sittingbourne.
• Arriva Southend: Provides bus services around Southend-on-Sea and nearby towns.
• Arriva Colchester: Runs local buses in the city of Colchester.

Special Bus Services

Arriva has created special branded routes to offer a better travel experience.

Sapphire Routes

In the Kent Thameside area, routes 480, 490, and 491 are part of the Sapphire brand. These buses are easy to spot with their light blue and silver design. Inside, they have comfortable leather-style seats, free WiFi, and USB ports to charge your phone. These routes connect places like Dartford, Bluewater, Gravesend, and Riverview Park.

Southend Route 9

This route, which runs between Rayleigh and Shoeburyness, has its own fun branding. The buses are decorated with the slogan “We’re heading to the beach,” perfect for a trip to the seaside.

Park & Ride

Arriva runs the Park & Ride service in Colchester for Essex County Council. This service allows people to park their cars at a large car park on the edge of the city and take a bus into the center or to the train station. This helps reduce traffic in the city.

Fastrack Busway

Until November 2024, Arriva operated the Fastrack bus service in Kent. This was a special bus rapid transit system, meaning the buses often had their own dedicated lanes to avoid traffic. The buses had a cool purple and blue design.

Fastrack connected key places like Dartford, Bluewater, and Ebbsfleet International railway station. It was a popular and quick way to get around the area. In 2024, the service was taken over by another company.

Where Are the Buses Kept?

Arriva Southern Counties has several depots where its buses are stored, cleaned, and maintained. The current depots are in:

• Colchester
• Gillingham
• Maidstone
• Northfleet
• Tunbridge Wells
• Southend

Gallery

• 

  A Maidstone & District bus, number 5896 (Leyland Olympian), photographed on 1 October 1988

• 

  Kentish Bus RML2574, a long AEC Routemaster, at a bus rally in July 1993.

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  MLL818, a London Country Green Line bus, photographed on 25 September 2022.

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  Londonlinks bus AN264 at the 2012 North Weald Bus Rally.

• 

  This Leyland Olympian bus was originally used for Invictaway services. Photographed on 19 June 2017.

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  Bus 5909, a Leyland Olympian, in Tunbridge Wells operating route 6.

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  Arriva Medway Towns 6419, a double-decker bus, seen operating a special shuttle service in Weybridge.

• 

  Arriva Kent Thameside 3272, a Dennis Dart bus, seen on route 308 in Sevenoaks.

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  Arriva Guildford & West Surrey 3944, a bus branded for routes 34/35, seen at the University of Surrey.

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  An Arriva bus in Southend, photographed on 8 May 2013.

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  Network Colchester 190, a double-decker bus, seen on 5 June 2011.

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  A Network Harlow bus on Route 724 at Heathrow Central Bus Station on 8 March 2014.

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  Arriva Guildford & West Surrey 3122 in Horsham, West Sussex, on route 62, seen on 3 September 2008.

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  Arriva Southern Counties 6465 on Route 492 in Bexleyheath, photographed on 29 December 2014.