When Stroud's buses were green (and even red)
Stagecoach & other operators
Bringing the Story
Up-to-Date
Part 2. The final chapter of the Stroud's Buses book concluded in 2003 on a rather upbeat note. What has happened subsequently? Part 1 here
Vehicles and Operators
Ebley Coaches began using the Ebley Bus brand in 2004, making the change official with the formation of Ebley Bus Ltd in Autumn 2004. This operated alongside Ebley Coaches, from the same address. It was reported at the time that there was a concern at the dominance of the bus side of the business to the detriment of the coaching side.
 Two new minibuses appeared on the 37 to Cashes Green, one seen here climbing Rowcroft on its way to the town centre terminus reintroduced in August 2005 |
 Given trends in niche tendering, in something of a surprise, Nailsworth Outstations passed to Stagecoach in August 2005 |
Meanwhile, during 2004 and 2005, there continued a seemingly inordinate round of small changes to the contracted rural services to the east of Stroud with, from December 2004, the introduction of night services on Friday and Saturday evenings.
In August 2005 the one-bus 881 (Cirencester-Kemble-Tetbury) "rail replacement" service passed from Alexcars to Stagecoach and was unusual in that the drivers travel by train between Stroud and Kemble to effect the mid-day change over.
August 2005
Stagecoach made a further raft of changes, seeing that operator completely abandon the areas to the south and east, leaving services to Mason Road/Uplands, Chalford, Minchinhampton, Tetbury and Cirencester to Ebley Bus. Although there remained the 182 on schooldays, the August 2005 changes saw the end of regular Stagecoach services along the length of the Golden Valley to Chalford, noteworthy as a route established by the National in 1919, one over which successor Western National and newcomer Red Bus fought in the 1920s and one seeing services operated at twenty minute intervals in the Bristol days. In 1903, the GWR established a series of rail halts along the route from Chalford to Stonehouse as a defensive position against motorbus operation, the local service being run down in 1957 and closed in 1964, the bus having then triumphed.
Stagecoach regained the whole of the 40 (Stroud-Nailsworth-Horsley-Wootton) where previously it had peak work only, plus the Nailsworth outstations mentioned above. The services operated by award-winning Cotswold Experience (23A/B Sheepscombe/Miserden areas; 25 Bisley/Oakridge; 27 Thrupp Lane/Bowbridge Lane; and the aforesaid Nailsworth outstations) passed either to Ebley Bus or Stagecoach, seeing the end of Cotswold Experience's two-vehicle workings.
It was at this time that Stagecoach chose to reintroduce town centre running by extending the 37 from Merrywalks to Rowcroft. This service had acted as a catalyst for on-street running immediately upon the introduction of Metro-branded minibuses ahead of the first bus station closure in 1992. Prior to the 37s, buses of fewer than 34 seats had permission to use London Road/Russell Street upon the reopening of the bus station in 1997.
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