Centrebus facts for kids
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Enviro200 operating service 20 in Leicester with the revised Centrebus logo.
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| Slogan | Your local bus service provider |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Wenlock Way, Leicester |
| Service area | Bedfordshire Hertfordshire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Rutland |
| Service type | Bus services |
| Depot(s) | Grantham Leicester Luton |
| Fleet | 380+ (August 2024) |
| Chief executive | Julian Peddle |
| Web site | www.centrebus.info |
Centrebus is a bus company based in Leicester, England. It runs bus services in several areas, including Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Rutland. Centrebus is also connected to other bus companies like High Peak Buses and D&G Bus.
Contents
The History of Centrebus
Centrebus started in 2001. It was first known as Anstey Buslines. In 2002, different bus companies joined together. These included inMotion from Dunstable, Lutonian from Luton, and the original Centrebus from Leicester. This merger created the Centrebus company we know today.
Past Bus Operations
Centrebus has taken over and sold parts of its business over the years.
- In 2004, Centrebus bought the St Albans operations from Blazefield. They later sold this part to Uno in 2008.
- In 2005, Centrebus began running buses around Grantham. This happened after another company, MASS Transit, closed down.
- In 2007, Centrebus bought Bowers Coaches. This company ran services in Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Greater Manchester. In 2012, Bowers Coaches joined with the Wellglade Group to form High Peak Buses.
- Centrebus also bought the local bus services of Woods Coaches in Leicestershire in 2008.
- In 2009, Centrebus took over Trustybus, which operated in Essex and Hertfordshire.
- In 2010, Centrebus took over Judges Mini Coaches in Corby. This added routes serving places like Kettering and Milton Keynes.
- In 2011, Centrebus took over West End Travel in Melton Mowbray. They also bought Paul James Coaches in Saxby with 21 buses.
- In 2011, Centrebus took over Kimes Buses from Folkingham. Kimes Buses had been running since 1945. Centrebus kept the Kimes name and its green and cream bus colors. The Kimes depot closed in 2013, and its operations moved to Centrebus's Grantham depot.
Changes to Bus Routes
Centrebus has also changed some of its depot locations over time.
- In 2012, Centrebus closed its Harlow depot. Most routes went to Roadrunner Buses. Other routes moved to the Stevenage depot.
- In 2017, the Saxby depot closed. Its services moved to the Leicester or Grantham depots.
- In 2019, the Corby depot closed. Services moved to other Centrebus depots or different bus companies.
- In 2021, the Stevenage depot closed. Most services moved to the Luton depot. Some routes were taken over by other companies like Trustybus and Richmonds.
Centrebus Depots
Centrebus currently operates from four main locations in England:
- Wenlock Way in Leicester: This is for the Leicester bus services. It is also the main office for the Centrebus Group.
- Tollemache Road in Grantham: This depot handles the Grantham bus services.
- Hallsteads, Dove Holes: This is for the High Peak bus services.
- Bilton Way in Luton: This depot manages the Luton and Hertfordshire bus routes.
Centrebus Bus Fleet
As of August 2024, Centrebus has over 360 buses. Most of these are single-deck vehicles. Centrebus is updating its buses with a new design. The front of the bus is orange, and the back is blue. A wide white stripe separates these colors diagonally.
Electric Buses in the Fleet
Centrebus is adding electric buses to its fleet.
- In 2021, Leicester City Council received funding for electric buses. Centrebus now operates five Yutong E12 electric buses. These are used for the University Hospitals of Leicester Hospital Hopper service.
- In late 2022, Centrebus added six more Yutong E10 buses. These are used for the 40 Orbital route.
- In April 2023, three smaller Yutong E9 electric mini-buses joined the Leicester fleet. They are used for the Hop! Leicester City Centre free bus service.
Centrebus Bus Routes
Centrebus operates several important bus routes. These include the Leicester Orbital, Hop!, and the LC7 Uppingham–Leicester.
LC7 Bus Service
The LC7 is a bus service that travels between Uppingham and Leicester. It mostly follows the A47 road.
This service used to go further, from Uppingham to Peterborough. That part of the route was stopped and replaced by a less frequent service.
In January 2017, Centrebus said the LC7 route was not making enough money. However, the route continued running. This was thanks to £60,000 in funding from two local councils. This funding covered the cost of the route until January 2018. The route has continued to receive funding from Rutland County Council and Leicestershire County Council.
In April 2025, as part of a review by Leicestershire County Council, the 747 service was renamed to LC7.
Fab 80's Bus Service
The Fab 80's was a bus service operated by Centrebus's Stevenage depot. It started in 2015 and included three routes: 80, 81, and 81A. These routes ran from Westmill Estate in Hitchin, through Hitchin town, to either Purwell or Ninesprings Way and Stevenage.
The buses used were Optare Solo SR models. These replaced older Optare Solos. This was part of a plan to offer Wi-Fi, more frequent services, and newer buses. However, the Stevenage depot closed in 2021. This led to the loss of a contract for route 81A. Route 81 was also greatly reduced and no longer served Purwell. This meant the end of the Fab 80s brand. Enviro 200s from the Luton Depot replaced the Optare Solo SR buses.
314 and 315 Bus Services
These routes run between Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City. They have two different paths. Route 314 goes through Codicote and Langley. It also has a twice-daily extension to The Priory School. Route 315 goes through Whitewell and Kimpton. In 2023, route 315 was extended to Hitchin instead of ending at Kimpton.
In the past, these routes mainly used Plaxton Centro buses. Since the Stevenage depot closed, the routes now use Enviro200s and Optare Solo SRs from the Luton depot.
