National Bus Company (UK) 3002573 224004283 2008-07-06T22:16:38Z Keith D 2278355 /* Break-up and privatisation */ dab [[Scarborough]] -> [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire]] [[Image:National Bus Company.gif|logo|right]] The '''National Bus Company''' was a [[bus company]] in [[England and Wales]]. ==History== Although the UK government had floated the idea since 1967, the UK state-owned '''National Bus Company''' (NBC) was formed on 1 January 1969 under the terms of the [[Transport Act 1968]]. Its antecedents were the already state-owned [[Transport Holding Company]]'s subsidiaries (known as the [[Tilling Group]] companies) and [[British Electric Traction]], who sold to the THC in November 1967. In 1970 the company was enlarged when it acquired the former country area buses of [[Greater London Council|London Transport]], the bus operations of the [[County Borough]]s of [[Exeter]] and [[Luton]] and the Gosport & Fareham Omnibus Company. Buses were operated by locally managed subsidiary companies with their own fleetnames and liveries. In the early years of the company there was some rationalisation, generally leading to the amalgamation of operators into larger units and the transfer of areas between them. An example was the transfer of the 'land-locked' [[Trowbridge]] operations from [[Western National]] to [[Bristol Omnibus Company|Bristol Omnibus]], in 1970. In 1972, NBC introduced corporate images. Henceforward, its coaches were branded as National Travel and painted in unrelieved white, with the NBC logo and the 'NATIONAL' name in alternate red & blue letters, being rebranded as [[National Express Coaches|National Express]] soon afterwards. The addition of blue and white stripes appeared first in 1978. National Travel was the country's first attempt at a uniformly marketable express network, which superseded both [[Associated Motorways]] and the plethora of other services provided by individual NBC subsidiaries. Around the same time, the company launched a wide number of UK holiday services under the banner NATIONAL TRAVEL. The coaches were managed by a small number of areas and included travel agent booking offices based at major bus stations. This brand and its travel agent booking offices existed until the mid 1990s when the coach holiday division closed. It has however been recently relaunched under the name EUROLINES which now operate services across Europe from the UK, booked through the main National Express website. [[Image:Bristol VR XDV609S.jpg|thumb|right|Western National 1129 (XDV609S), a [[Bristol VR]] in the leaf green version of the NBC corporate livery]] However, back in the 1970s, all local service buses adopted a uniform design, generally in either leaf green or poppy red, initially at any rate with white relief, and bearing the company fleetname in white with the new NBC "double-N" arrow logo. There were, however, exceptions: buses operating in the area of the [[Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive]] became yellow in a similar fashion to the PTE's own fleet but to the NBC design; and Jones (Aberbeeg) (taken over in 1969) and Midland General, both initially liveried in blue, until 1980; plus the [[Northern General]] subsidiary, Sunderland District, where blue was retained for a short period. Although NBC operated throughout England and Wales, it was by no means in a monopoly position. As well as [[Greater London Council|London Transport]], which provided services in [[Greater London]] and the fleets of the [[municipal bus companies]] and [[Passenger Transport Executive]]s, some rural areas and a few small towns were served by independent operators. The National Bus Company inherited from the Transport Holding Company 75% holdings in the bus manufacturers [[Bristol Commercial Vehicles]] and [[Eastern Coach Works]]. In 1969 NBC formed a joint venture with [[British Leyland]] (the 25% owner of Bristol and ECW), by which British Leyland became a 50% owner of the NBC's manufacturing companies. The joint venture designed and built a new single-deck bus, the [[Leyland National]]. The first bus was delivered in 1972, and it remained in production until 1986. The National was also available to other bus operators. In 1982 NBC sold its 50% interest in the joint venture (including Bristol and ECW) to British Leyland. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, services were reviewed under a process known within instigator [[Midland Red]] as the Viable Network Project and subsequently more generally as the ''Market Analysis Project'' or MAP. Each company carefully considered its existing and potentially new demands, surveyed on and off bus, and recast local networks to reflect the results, indicating to local authorities those services requiring subsidy. As part of MAP, local area identities were invariably introduced, with new fleetnames applied to buses, bus stops, timetables and publicity. The process culminated in the splitting of several larger NBC subsidiaries. From October 1986 buses were [[bus deregulation|deregulated]] and progressively [[privatisation|privatised]], and the remaining larger companies were forcibly broken up. The sales spawned a renewed interest in individual liveries, and the "double-N" logo disappeared, except on express services (becoming the property of [[National Express Coaches|National Express]]). Most local companies passed from state control to their managers. The independence of many, however, was short-lived, as they were acquired by the emerging large private bus groups, represented today by: *[[Arriva]] *[[ComfortDelGro Corporation]] *[[First Group]] *[[Go-Ahead Group]] *[[National Express Group]] *[[Stagecoach Group]] *[[Transdev]] ==Subsidiaries== ===Original companies=== The original bus-operating subsidiaries of the National Bus Company in 1969 and 1970 were: *[[Aldershot and District Traction|Aldershot & District]] *[[Bath Tramways Motor Company|Bath Services]] ''- absorbed by Bristol Omnibus in December 1969. Buses continued to carry "Bath" fleetnames.'' *[[Black and White Luxury Coaches]] *[[Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company|Brighton, Hove & District]] - ''became a subsidiary of Southdown in January 1969'' *[[Bristol Omnibus Company|Bristol]] ‡ *[[Cheltenham District Traction|Cheltenham District]] - ''a subsidiary of Bristol'' *[[County Motors (Lepton) Limited|County Motors]] - ''absorbed by Yorkshire Traction 1969'' *Crinage's - ''coach fleetname and livery used by Southern Vectis'' *[[Crosville]] *[[Cumberland Motor Services|Cumberland]] *[[Devon General]] ''- absorbed Exeter Corporation buses [[April 1]], [[1970]]'' *[[East Kent Road Car Company|East Kent]] *[[East Midland Motor Services|East Midland]] *[[Eastern National Omnibus Company|Eastern National]] *[[East Yorkshire Motor Services|East Yorkshire]] *[[Eastern Counties Omnibus Company|Eastern Counties]] *Fountain Coaches - ''coach fleetname and livery used by Southern Vectis'' *[[Gateshead and District Omnibus Company|Gateshead & District]] - ''a subsidiary of Northern General'' *[[London_Passenger_Transport_Board#Omnibuses_and_Coaches|Green Line]] - ''coach fleetname and livery used by London Country'' *[[Greenslades Tours Limited]] - ''coaches only'' *Grey Cars - ''coach fleetname and livery used by Devon General'' *[[Hants & Dorset Motor Services|Hants & Dorset]] *[[Hebble Motor Services|Hebble]] - ''coaches only'' *[[Jones Omnibus Services|Jones]] ''- Independent operator acquired April 1969'' *[[RoadCar|Lincolnshire]] *[[London Country Bus Services|London Country]] - ''formed [[January 1]], [[1970]] from the country area services of [[Greater London Council|London Transport]]'' *[[Maidstone & District Motor Services Ltd|Maidstone & District]] *[[Mansfield District Traction|Mansfield District]] *[[Mexborough and Swinton Traction|Mexborough & Swinton]] - ''absorbed by Yorkshire Traction 1969'' *[[Midland General]] *[[Midland Red]] (Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company) *[[Neath and Cardiff Luxury Coaches]] *[[Go North East|Northern General]] *[[North Western Road Car Company (1923)|North Western]] *Notts & Derby - ''fleetname used by Midland General, it had been a separate company until 1953.'' *Oxford ([[Oxford Bus Company|City of Oxford Motor Services]]) *[[Potteries Motor Traction]] *Provincial ([[Provincial Traction Company Limited|Gosport and Fareham Omnibus Company]]) ''- acquired from the Swaine Group [[January 1]], [[1970]]'' *[[Red & White]] *[[Rhondda Transport|Rhondda]] *[[Ribble Motor Services|Ribble]] *[[Royal Blue Coach Services|Royal Blue]] - ''coach fleetname and livery used by Western National'' *[[Samuelson Transport Limited|Samuelson]] ''- coaches only'' *[[Shamrock and Rambler]] - ''coach fleetname and livery used by Hants and Dorset'' *[[Sheffield United Tours]] *[[South Midland]] ''- coaches only'' *[[South Wales Transport|South Wales]] *[[Southdown Motor Services|Southdown]] *[[Southern National Omnibus Company|Southern National]] - ''absorbed by Western National in November 1969'' *[[Southern Vectis]] *[[W. C. Standerwick Limited|Standerwick]] - ''coach operating subsidiary of Ribble'' *[[Stratford Blue]] (Stratford-upon-Avon Blue Motors) - ''a subsidiary of Midland Red'' *[[Sunderland District Omnibus Company|Sunderland District]] - ''a subsidiary of Northern General'' *[[Thames Valley Traction]] *[[Thomas Bros (Port Talbot) Limited|Thomas Bros]] *[[Tilling's Transport]] (NBC) Limited - ''coaches only'' *Timpson ([[A. Timpson and Sons]]) - ''coaches only'' *[[Trent Motor Traction]] *[[Tynemouth and District Transport]] - ''a subsidiary of Northern General'' *[[Tyneside Omnibus Company]] - ''a subsidiary of Northern General'' *[[United Automobile Services]] *[[United Counties Omnibus|United Counties]] - ''acquired Luton Corporation buses January 1970'' *[[United Welsh Services|United Welsh]] *[[Venture Transport]] - ''acquired April 1970'' *[[Wakefield's Transport|Wakefield's]] - ''absorbed by Northern General 1969'' *[[West Riding Automobile Company|West Riding]] *[[West Yorkshire Road Car|West Yorkshire]] † *[[Western National]] *[[Western Welsh Omnibus Company|Western Welsh]] *[[Wilts and Dorset]] *[[Yorkshire Traction]] *[[Yorkshire Woollen District Transport|Yorkshire Woollen]] ‡ Bristol Omnibus Company also operated city services in [[Bristol]] for Bristol Joint Services, a joint undertaking of the company and Bristol City Council. They also leased services from the [[county borough]] of [[Gloucester]], buses in the city bearing a ''Gloucester'' fleetname and city [[coat of arms]]. † [[West_Yorkshire_Road_Car_Company#Keighley-West_Yorkshire|Keighley-West Yorkshire]] Services Limited, jointly owned by West Yorkshire and the [[borough]] of [[Keighley]], operated by this company. They also provided municipal bus services for the [[county borough]] of [[York]] on behalf of the [[West_Yorkshire_Road_Car_Company#York-West_Yorkshire|York-West Yorkshire]] Joint Committee. ===Consolidation=== NBC pursued a policy of merging subsidiaries to form larger regional companies. At the same time some of its operations and depots passed to [[Passenger Transport Executive|passenger transport executives]]. On [[January 1]], [[1972]], North Western was split up: part going to the [[Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive|SELNEC PTE]], the remainder to Crosville and Trent. In 1973 the operations of Midland Red within the area of [[West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive|West Midlands PTE]] passed to the executive. <table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse"> <tr><td colspan="3" align="center" bgcolor="#c8c8ff">'''NBC bus-operating subsidiaries in 1981''' <tr> <td> #[[United Automobile Services]] #[[Go North East|Northern General]] #[[Cumberland Motor Services|Cumberland]] #[[Ribble Motor Services|Ribble]] #[[West Yorkshire Road Car|West Yorkshire]] #[[East Yorkshire Motor Services|East Yorkshire]] #[[West Riding Automobile Company|West Riding / Yorkshire Woollen]] #[[Yorkshire Traction]] #[[East Midland Motor Services|East Midland / Mansfield]] #[[RoadCar|Lincolnshire]] #[[Potteries Motor Traction]] #[[Trent Motor Traction]] #[[Midland Red]] #[[Crosville Motor Services|Crosville]] #[[United Counties Omnibus|United Counties]] <td> <ol start=16> <li>[[Eastern Counties Omnibus Company|Eastern Counties]] <li>[[South Wales Transport|South Wales / De Cymru]] <li>[[National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd.|National Welsh / Cymru Cenedlaethol]] <li>[[Bristol Omnibus Company|Bristol]] <li>[[Oxford Bus Company|Oxford South Midland]] <li>[[Eastern National Omnibus Company|Eastern National]] <li>[[Thames Valley and Aldershot Omnibus Company|Alder Valley]] <li>[[London Country Bus Services|London Country / Green Line]] <li>[[Western National]] / [[Devon General]] <li>[[Hants & Dorset Motor Services|Hants & Dorset]] <li>[[Southern Vectis]] <li>[[Gosport and Fareham Omnibus Company|Provincial]] <li>[[Southdown Motor Services|Southdown]] <li>[[Maidstone & District Motor Services Ltd|Maidstone & District]] <li>[[East Kent Road Car Company|East Kent]] </ol> </td> <td> [[Image:NBC 1981.png|300px]] </td> </table> By 1978 the following bus-operating companies existed: *[[Thames Valley and Aldershot Omnibus Company|Alder Valley]] - ''formed [[January 1]], [[1972]] from Aldershot & District and Thames Valley *[[Bristol Omnibus Company|Bristol]] - ''absorbed Cheltenham District Traction in 1975, separate "Cheltenham" fleetname retained'' *[[Crosville Motor Services|Crosville]] *[[Cumberland Motor Services|Cumberland]] *[[Devon General Omnibus and Touring Company|Devon General]] ''became subsidiary of Western National in 1971'' *[[East Kent Road Car Company|East Kent]] *[[East Midland Motor Services|East Midland]] - ''absorbed Mansfield District in 1975, separate "Mansfield" fleetname retained'' *[[East Yorkshire Motor Services|East Yorkshire]] *[[Eastern Counties Omnibus Company|Eastern Counties]] *[[Eastern National Omnibus Company|Eastern National]] *[[Hants & Dorset Motor Services|Hants & Dorset]] - ''absorbed Wilts & Dorset 1972'' *[[Jones Omnibus Services|Jones]] ''(finally absorbed by National Welsh 1980)'' *[[RoadCar|Lincolnshire]] *[[London Country Bus Services|London Country]] *[[Maidstone & District Motor Services Ltd|Maidstone & District]] *[[Midland Red]] (Birmingham and Midland Motor Omnibus Company) - ''absorbed Stratford Blue 1971'' *[[National Travel London]] - ''formed 1974 from Samuelson, Timpson's and Tillings (as National Travel South East), renamed 1978'' *[[National Travel East]] - ''formed 1973 (as National Travel North East) from Hebble, Sheffield United Tours. Renamed 1977'' *[[National Travel South West]] - ''formed 1973 from Black & White, Greenslades, Grey Cars *[[National Travel West]] formed 1977 from National Travel North West (formed 1974 from Standerwick) and National Travel Midlands (formed 1973 from part of former South Midland)'' *[[National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd.|National Welsh]] - ''formed 1978 from Western Welsh (which had absorbed Rhondda in 1971 and Red and White'' *[[Go North East|Northern General]] - ''absorbed Sunderland District, Tynemouth & District, Venture 1975; absorbed Tyneside, Gateshead & District 1976'' *Oxford ([[Oxford Bus Company|City of Oxford Motor Services]]) - ''absorbed South Midland January 1971'' *[[Potteries Motor Traction]] *Provincial ([[Provincial Traction Company Limited|Gosport and Fareham Omnibus Company]]) *[[Ribble Motor Services|Ribble]] *[[South Wales Transport|South Wales]] - ''absorbed Neath & Cardiff, Thomas Bros, United Welsh 1971'' *[[Southdown Motor Services|Southdown]] - ''absorbed Brighton, Hove & District, March 1974'' *[[Southern Vectis Omnibus Company|Southern Vectis]] *[[Trent Motor Traction]], absorbed Midland General 1971 *[[United Automobile Services]] *[[United Counties Omnibus|United Counties]] *[[West Riding Automobile Company|West Riding]] *[[West Yorkshire Road Car|West Yorkshire]] *[[Western National]] *[[Yorkshire Traction]] *[[Yorkshire Woollen District Transport|Yorkshire Woollen]] - ''under West Riding management'' ===Break-up and privatisation=== In 1981 Midland Red, which had lost its core area, was broken into smaller operating companies. Most of the National Travel companies were closed down in the mid 1980s, with coaches mainly going to local bus companies. Wessex National was formed from part of National Travel South West, and Pilgrim Coaches from part of National Travel West. In preparation for the introduction of bus deregulation in 1986, and for privatisation soon after, many of the companies were broken up into smaller units. In some cases the names of earlier companies - such as [[Wilts and Dorset]] or North Western - were revived, although often with quite different areas to their namesakes. <table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="center" style="border-collapse: collapse"> <tr><td colspan="3" align="center" bgcolor="#c8c8ff">'''NBC bus-operating subsidiaries at privatisation''' <tr> <td> #[[Northumbria Motor Services|Northumbria]] #[[Go North East|Northern General]] #[[Arriva North East|United]] #[[Cumberland Motor Services|Cumberland]] #[[Ribble Motor Services|Ribble]] #[[West Yorkshire Road Car|West Yorkshire]] #[[East Yorkshire Motor Services|East Yorkshire]] #[[West Riding Automobile|West Riding / Yorkshire Woollen]] #[[Yorkshire Traction]] #[[North Western Road Car Company (1986)|North Western]] #[[Crosville Motor Services|Crosville]] #[[East Midland Motor Services|East Midland / Mansfield]] #[[RoadCar|Lincolnshire]] #[[Potteries Motor Traction]] #[[Trent Motor Traction]] #[[Arriva North-West & Wales|Crosville Wales]] #[[Arriva Midlands|Midland Red North]] #[[Midland Red West]] #[[Midland Fox]] #[[Stagecoach South Midlands|Midland Red South]] #[[United Counties Omnibus|United Counties]] #[[Cambus Limited|Cambus]] #[[Milton Keynes City Bus]] #[[Eastern Counties Omnibus Company|Eastern Counties]] #[[Arriva Shires & Essex|Luton & District]] #[[Eastern National Omnibus Company|Eastern National]] <td> <ol start=27> <li>[[South Wales Transport|South Wales / De Cymru]] <li>[[National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd.|National Welsh / Cymru Cenedlaethol]] <li>[[Cheltenham and Gloucester Limited|Cheltenham & Gloucester]] <li>[[Oxford Bus Company|Oxford]] <li>[[Stagecoach South Midlands|South Midland]] <li>[[Badgerline]] <li>[[Bristol Omnibus Company|Bristol]] <li>[[Western National]] <li>[[North Devon Limited|North Devon (Red Bus)]] <li>[[Devon General]] <li>[[Southern National]] <li>[[Wilts and Dorset]] <li>[[Stagecoach South East|Hampshire Bus]] <li>[[Southern Vectis]] <li>[[Gosport and Fareham Omnibus Company|Provincial]] <li>[[Alder Valley|The Beeline]] <li>[[Alder Valley|Alder Valley South]] <li>[[Southdown Motor Services|Southdown]] <li>[[Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company]] <li>[[Arriva Shires & Essex|London Country North West]] <li>[[Arriva Shires & Essex|London Country North East]] <li>[[London Country South West]] <li>[[Arriva Southern Counties|Kentish Bus]] <li>[[Stagecoach South East|Hastings & District]] <li>[[Maidstone & District Motor Services Ltd|Maidstone & District]] <li>[[East Kent Road Car Company|East Kent]] </ol> </td> <td> [[Image:NBC 1986.png|300px]] </td> </table> {| class="wikitable" ! Original company ! Year of split ! Companies formed ! Privatisation |- | Alder Valley | 1986 |Alder Valley North - renamed [[Berks Bucks Bus Company|The Beeline]] |1987 |- | Alder Valley | 1986 |[[Alder Valley South]] | 1987 |- |Bristol |1983 |[[Bristol Omnibus Company|Bristol]] (Cityline) |1987 |- |Bristol |1983 |[[Badgerline]] |1986 |- |Bristol |1983 |[[Cheltenham and Gloucester Limited|Cheltenham & Gloucester]] |1986 |- |Crosville |1986 |[[Crosville Motor Services|Crosville]] |1988 |- |Crosville |1986 |[[Arriva North-West & Wales|Crosville Wales]] |1987 |- |Cumberland |Gained Ribble's North Cumbrian operations in 1986 |[[Stagecoach North West|Cumberland]] |1987 |- |East Kent |n/a |[[Stagecoach South East|East Kent]] |1987 |- |East Midland |n/a |[[East Midland Motor Services|East Midland]] |1988 |- |East Yorkshire |n/a |[[East Yorkshire Motor Services|East Yorkshire]] |1987 |- |Eastern Counties |1984 |[[Ambassador Travel (Eastern Counties)|Ambassador Coaches]] |1987 |- |Eastern Counties |1984 |[[Cambus Limited|Cambus]] |1986 |- |Eastern Counties |1984 |[[Eastern Counties Omnibus Company|Eastern Counties]] |1986 |- |Eastern National |n/a |[[Eastern National Omnibus Company|Eastern National]] |1986 |- |Hants & Dorset |1983 |[[Stagecoach South East|Hampshire Bus]] |1987 |- |Hants & Dorset |1983 |[[Shamrock and Rambler]] |1987 |- |Hants & Dorset |1983 |[[Wilts and Dorset Bus Company|Wilts & Dorset]] |1987 |- |Lincolnshire |n/a |[[RoadCar|Lincolnshire]] |1988 |- |London Country |1987 |[[Arriva Shires & Essex|London Country North East]] |1988 |- |London Country |1987 |[[Arriva Shires & Essex|London Country North West]] |1988 |- |London Country |1987 |London Country South East - renamed [[Arriva Southern Counties|Kentish Bus]] |1988 |- |London Country |1987 |[[London Country South West]] |1988 |- |Maidstone & District |1986 |[[Stagecoach South East|Hastings & District]] |1987 |- |Maidstone & District |1986 |[[Arriva Southern Counties|Maidstone & District]] |1987 |- |Midland Red |1981 |Midland Red East renamed [[Midland Fox]] |1987 |- |Midland Red |1981 |Midland Red Express - renamed [[Midland Red Coaches]] |1986 |- |Midland Red |1981 |[[Arriva Midlands|Midland Red North]] |1988 |- |Midland Red |1981 |[[Stagecoach South Midlands|Midland Red South]] |1987 |- |Midland Red |1981 |[[Midland Red West]] |1986 |- |National Travel East |n/a |[[National Travel East]] |1987 |- |National Welsh |n/a |[[National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd.|National Welsh]] |1987 |- |Northern General |n/a |[[Go-Ahead Northern|Northern General]] |1987 |- |Oxford |1986 |[[Oxford Bus Company]] |1987 |- |Oxford |1986 |[[Stagecoach South Midlands|South Midland]] |1986 |- |Pilgrim Coaches |n/a |[[Pilgrim Coaches Limited]] |1987 |- |Potteries |n/a |[[Potteries Motor Traction|PMT Limited]] |1986 |- |Provincial |Gained part of Hants & Dorset 1983 |[[First in Hampshire & Dorset|Provincial Bus Company]] |1987 |- |Ribble |1986 Transfer of North Cumbrian operations |[[Stagecoach North West|Cumberland]] |1988 |- |Ribble |1986 |[[North Western Road Car Company (1986)|North Western]] |1988 |- |Ribble |1986 |[[Stagecoach North West|Ribble]] |1988 |- |South Wales |n/a |[[First Cymru|SWT]] |1987 |- |Southdown |1986 |[[Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company]] |1987 |- |Southdown |1986 |[[Stagecoach South East|Southdown]] |1987 |- |Southern Vectis |n/a |[[Southern Vectis]] |1986 |- |Trent |n/a |[[Trent Motor Traction]] |1986 |- |United |1986 |[[Northumbria Motor Services|Northumbria]] |1987 |- |United |1986 |[[Arriva North East|United]] |1987 |- |United Counties |1986 |[[Arriva Shires & Essex|Luton & District]] |1987 |- |United Counties |1986 |[[Milton Keynes City Bus]] |1987 |- |United Counties |1986 |[[United Counties Omnibus|United Counties]] |1987 |- |Wessex National |n/a |[[Wessex National Limited]] |1987 |- |West Riding / Yorkshire Woollen |n/a |[[West Riding Automobile Company|West Riding]] |1987 |- |West Yorkshire |n/a |[[West Yorkshire Road Car|West Yorkshire]] |1987 |- |Western National / Devon General |1983 |[[Devon General]] |1986 |- |Western National / Devon General |1983 |[[North Devon Limited|North Devon (Red Bus)]] |1988 |- |Western National / Devon General |1983 |[[Southern National]] |1988 |- |Western National / Devon General |1983 |[[Western National]] |1987 |- |Yorkshire Traction |n/a |[[Yorkshire Traction]] |1987 |} Two additional non bus-operating subsidiaries were also disposed of in 1988: *[[National Express]] Limited was sold to its management. *[[Victoria Coach Station]] Limited passed to the state-owned [[London Regional Transport|London Transport]]. The [[Scarborough, North Yorkshire|Scarborough]] operations of [[United]] passed to [[East Yorkshire Motor Services]] in 1987. ==Sources== *Stewart J Brown, ''NBC: antecedents and formation'', [[Shepperton]], 1983 *D R Kennedy and A Kennedy, ''National Bus Company 1981'', [[Oxford]], 1982 *Ray Stenning, ''A National Bus Company Album'', [[Wiveliscombe]], 1979 *Ray Stenning, ''The Years before National 1948 - 1968'', [[Swindon]], 1982 {{History of bus transport in the United Kingdom}} [[Category:Transport operators of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Bus operating companies]] [[Category:Bus transport in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Former nationalised industries of the United Kingdom]]