| Synopsis: |
In 2011 Badgerline marked a quarter century as a separate business. Created prior to privatisation, although the brand name was established in 1985, it was not until the following year that the company was formally established, initially as a subsidiary of NBC prior to the sale to its management. Under its new owners the company grew through acquisition of other local operators, such as Western National and Midland Red West and of companies elsewhere in Britain, most notably Eastern National, Potteries Motor Traction and Yorkshire Rider. In 1995, the year of its merger with GRT to form FirstBus (later FirstGroup), Badgerline operated no fewer than 4000 buses across the UK as well as having a toehold in the burgeoning railway franchising business through a shareholding in Great Western Trains. The Badgerline bus service extended as far as Cippenham, Gloucester, Salisbury, Taunton, Yeovil and also operated National Express Coaches to London.In this book, Martin Curtis and Mike Walker, both of whom were involved in the management buy-out in 1986, provide a pictorial account of Badgerline, with a fascinating selection of photographs showing Badgerline buses across the country, in a variety of liveries. |