Greyhound UK
Encyclopedia
Greyhound UK is a low-cost intercity scheduled coach service in the United Kingdom, owned by FirstGroup and based on the long-established Greyhound
service in the USA.
It began operations on 14 September 2009 as an hourly service between London and Portsmouth or Southampton. Further routes between London and the south coast, and between Swansea and Cardiff, were launched in 2010. On 10 January 2011 Greyhound UK took over operation of overnight coach services between London and Glasgow that had previously been operated by First Glasgow
.
line in early 2009. Each coach has a reduced number of seats instead of the standard layout. Greyhound offers cheaper tickets when booked in advance via their website, similar to Funfares on National Express, and Megabus
.
and Dorset
, and a Swansea to Cardiff service via Bridgend (previously operated by First Cymru
as Shuttle100). Glasgow to London overnight and London to Winchester services started on 10 January 2011 and they have plans for further expansion. Routes are currently:
Calling points are listed below (in alphabetical order):
in 1921. The name and logo continued to be used by Bristol Omnibus Company
(which bought Greyhound in 1936) until 1972. FirstGroup now own the former Bristol Omnibus Company, but their revival of the name is not connected to the former use of the name by their subsidiary; instead it follows FirstGroup's acquisition of the owner of the American Greyhound Lines in 2007, and the logo and livery adopted there from 2009 has been adapted for the United Kingdom.
coaches and 3 Volvo Plaxton Panther coaches. They are numbered in the same SemaVoyager system as other FirstGroup vehicles, and also carry women’s names from popular American songs:
23205 - Long Tall Sally
23206 - Suzy Baby
23207 - Hello Dolly
23315 - Sweet Caroline
23316 - Mrs Robinson
23317 - Good Golly Miss Molly
23318 - Mandy
23319 - Sherry
23320 - Billie Jean
23321 - Proud Mary
23322 - Barbara Anne
23323 - Sharona
23324 - Jolene
23325 - Peggy Sue
The Irizar PB coaches (23315-25) originally had 49 seats, and were used for FirstGroup's National Express contract work; they were based at First's depots at Bristol, Cheltenham & Northampton and used on National Express routes 040 Bristol to London Victoria, 200 Bristol to Gatwick, 412 Gloucester to London Victoria, 222 Hereford to Gatwick and 707 Northampton to Gatwick. After refurbishment they had only 41 seats providing extra legroom and a 41" seat pitch, free wireless internet and at-seat 240V power sockets.
The 3 Plaxton Panther coaches (23205-7) joined the fleet in January 2011, and are used for the London-Glasgow service. They had also previously been used for FirstGroup's National Express contract work, by First Cymru. During refurbishment the coaches were repainted into the Greyhound livery, and the number of seats reduced from 49 to 45; unlike the rest of the Greyhound fleet, they have not received full leather seats.
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
service in the USA.
It began operations on 14 September 2009 as an hourly service between London and Portsmouth or Southampton. Further routes between London and the south coast, and between Swansea and Cardiff, were launched in 2010. On 10 January 2011 Greyhound UK took over operation of overnight coach services between London and Glasgow that had previously been operated by First Glasgow
First Glasgow
First Glasgow is the largest bus company serving the Greater Glasgow area in, Scotland. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
.
Service
Greyhound UK's service is being presented as upmarket, with free Wi-Fi, extra legroom and reclining seats, using refurbished vehicles painted in a livery similar to that which was introduced on the American GreyhoundGreyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
line in early 2009. Each coach has a reduced number of seats instead of the standard layout. Greyhound offers cheaper tickets when booked in advance via their website, similar to Funfares on National Express, and Megabus
Megabus (United Kingdom)
Megabus is a UK coach service operated by Stagecoach Group. It started in 2003 and as of February 2010 operated 19 UK coach routes serving 41 destinations in England, Scotland and Wales. Some services link with Megatrain services which are also operated by Stagecoach...
.
Routes and destinations
Greyhound UK operates from London on separate routes to points in HampshireHampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, and a Swansea to Cardiff service via Bridgend (previously operated by First Cymru
First Cymru
First Cymru Buses Ltd. is a provider of public transport bus services in South Wales. First Cymru was formed from a number of privatised former bus companies, including South Wales Transport. Its headquarters are in Penlan, Swansea...
as Shuttle100). Glasgow to London overnight and London to Winchester services started on 10 January 2011 and they have plans for further expansion. Routes are currently:
| Start | End | Date Started |
|---|---|---|
| London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... |
14 September 2009 |
| Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest... |
||
| Bournemouth Bournemouth Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth... |
1 May 2010 | |
| Fareham Fareham The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation.It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area... |
31 May 2010 | |
| Isle of Wight Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent... |
1 May 2010 | |
| Bournemouth University Bournemouth University Bournemouth University is a university in and around the large south coast town of Bournemouth, UK... |
5 September 2010 | |
| Poole Poole Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council... |
13 September 2010 | |
| Winchester Winchester Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of... |
10 January 2011 | |
| Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
||
| Swansea Swansea Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands... |
Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
20 September 2010 |
Calling points are listed below (in alphabetical order):
| City | Stops | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth Bournemouth Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth... |
Pier Approach | Bournemouth Travel Interchange (near Bournemouth railway station Bournemouth railway station Bournemouth railway station, originally known as Bournemouth East and then Bournemouth Central , is the main railway station serving the town of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth... ) |
||
| Bournemouth University Bournemouth University Bournemouth University is a university in and around the large south coast town of Bournemouth, UK... |
Talbot Campus | |||
| Bridgend Bridgend Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town... |
McArthur Glen McArthur Glen Designer Outlet Wales The Bridgend Designer Outlet is a commercial retail park and outlet store development in Bridgend, Wales, United Kingdom... |
|||
| Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... |
Cardiff Central bus station Cardiff Central bus station Cardiff Central bus station is the main bus transport interchange in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. With 34 stands, it is the largest bus station in the city and in Wales. It is located adjacent to Cardiff Central railway station forming a major bus-rail-cycle-taxi interchange.The station used... , stand B4 |
|||
| Fareham Fareham The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation.It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area... |
Fareham bus station Fareham bus station Fareham bus station serves the town of Fareham, Hampshire, England.The bus station is situated just off West Street in the town centre. National Express Coaches also go from here all over the country... , stand A |
|||
| Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... |
Buchanan bus station Buchanan bus station Buchanan Bus Station is the main bus terminus in Glasgow, Scotland.The bus station is the terminus for journeys between the city and other towns in United Kingdom and international journeys. It was originally built in 1977, close to the former site of Buchanan Street railway station which was... |
|||
| Hamilton Hamilton, South Lanarkshire Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld... |
Hamilton bus station | |||
| London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Bulleid Way Green Line Coach Station Green Line Coach Station is a coach station in London, England, situated in Bulleid Way, Victoria.The station offers coach services within Southeast England by Green Line Coaches and Greyhound UK... (near Victoria station), stand 5 |
Victoria Coach Station Victoria Coach Station Victoria Coach Station is the largest and most significant coach station in London. It serves long distance coach services and is also the departure point for many countryside coach tours originating from London. It should not be confused with the nearby Green Line Coach Station serving Green Line... (Glasgow service only) |
||
| Poole Poole Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council... |
Seldown coach park, stop 2 | |||
| Ringwood Ringwood Ringwood is a historic market town and civil parish in Hampshire, England, located on the River Avon, close to the New Forest and north of Bournemouth. It has a history dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages.... |
Meeting House Lane | |||
| Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island... |
Clarence Pier Clarence Pier Clarence Pier is an amusement pier in Portsmouth, Hampshire. It is located by the Portsmouth Hovercraft terminal. Unlike most seaside piers in the UK, the pier does not extend very far out to sea, instead goes along the coast.... |
The Hard Interchange The Hard Interchange The Hard Interchange is a transport interchange in Portsmouth, southern England. It is located about a mile south-west from the city centre. It offers bus and coach transport, and the neighbouring Portsmouth Harbour Station provides trains to London, Cardiff and Brighton... |
City Centre, Edinburgh Road | North End (near Continental Ferry Port) |
| Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest... |
Town Quay | WestQuay, Castle Way | Cenotaph, Above Bar Street | Bassett Cross Rds or Burgess Road (near University of Southampton University of Southampton The University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed... ) |
| Swansea Swansea Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands... |
Swansea bus station, stand C | |||
History of name
The earliest use of the Greyhound name and logo for coach services in England was by Greyhound MotorsGreyhound Motors
Greyhound Motors, or Bristol Greyhound, was a coach company formed in February 1921 to operate motor coaches from its base in Bristol, England.-History:...
in 1921. The name and logo continued to be used by Bristol Omnibus Company
Bristol Omnibus Company
The Bristol Omnibus Company is the former name of the dominant bus operator in Bristol, one of the oldest bus companies in the United Kingdom. The company once ran buses over a wide area of Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire and neighbouring counties. The name was in operational use until 1985...
(which bought Greyhound in 1936) until 1972. FirstGroup now own the former Bristol Omnibus Company, but their revival of the name is not connected to the former use of the name by their subsidiary; instead it follows FirstGroup's acquisition of the owner of the American Greyhound Lines in 2007, and the logo and livery adopted there from 2009 has been adapted for the United Kingdom.
Fleet
The Greyhound fleet consists of 11 Scania Irizar PBIrizar PB
The Irizar PB is a coach body built on a wide range of chassis. It was designed by Arup Design Research in the UK. Its revolutionary styling and features led to the variant with a Scania chassis being named European Coach of the Year 2004....
coaches and 3 Volvo Plaxton Panther coaches. They are numbered in the same SemaVoyager system as other FirstGroup vehicles, and also carry women’s names from popular American songs:
23205 - Long Tall Sally
23206 - Suzy Baby
23207 - Hello Dolly
23315 - Sweet Caroline
23316 - Mrs Robinson
23317 - Good Golly Miss Molly
23318 - Mandy
23319 - Sherry
23320 - Billie Jean
23321 - Proud Mary
23322 - Barbara Anne
23323 - Sharona
23324 - Jolene
23325 - Peggy Sue
The Irizar PB coaches (23315-25) originally had 49 seats, and were used for FirstGroup's National Express contract work; they were based at First's depots at Bristol, Cheltenham & Northampton and used on National Express routes 040 Bristol to London Victoria, 200 Bristol to Gatwick, 412 Gloucester to London Victoria, 222 Hereford to Gatwick and 707 Northampton to Gatwick. After refurbishment they had only 41 seats providing extra legroom and a 41" seat pitch, free wireless internet and at-seat 240V power sockets.
The 3 Plaxton Panther coaches (23205-7) joined the fleet in January 2011, and are used for the London-Glasgow service. They had also previously been used for FirstGroup's National Express contract work, by First Cymru. During refurbishment the coaches were repainted into the Greyhound livery, and the number of seats reduced from 49 to 45; unlike the rest of the Greyhound fleet, they have not received full leather seats.