Mayne Coaches

Leon Mayne Coaches

Irizar InterCentury bodied Scania L94IB
in Bolton in February 2008
Slogan Luxury Coaching Since 1920
Parent Mayne family
Founded 1920
Headquarters Clayton
Service area Greater Manchester
Warrington
Service type Coach operator
Depots 2
Fleet 51 (September 2013)
Website www.mayne.co.uk

Mayne Coaches[1] is a coach operator with depots in Manchester and Warrington.

History

Wright Handybus bodied Dennis Dart in January 2008

The company was formed by Arthur Mayne before the World War I, originally delivering furniture from its shop in Bradford, Manchester. In the 1920s Maynes branched out into coach excursions, running trips to the coast and to Buxton. They would later expand to operate trips to football matches and race meetings. By the start of the 1930s, the company had decided to concentrate on passenger transport and would continue to grow during the 1930s relocating from Beswick to its present headquarters in Clayton.[2]

Coach services ceased when World War II broke out and struggled to recover after the war ended, with the costs of fuel, labour and vehicles rising and passenger numbers dropped due to the increase of cars on the road. During the 1960s, the company received numerous take over offers from Manchester Corporation Transport. By resisting the offers, the company was able to grow steadily and would increase its services in the 1980s.[2]

In 1982 Barry Cooper Coaches of Warrington was purchased with 20 coaches by members of the Mayne family. Although this was originally a separate business to Mayne, the Mayne name and red and cream livery were soon adopted. In 1989 the coach operations in Manchester expanded into the Fairclough Street depot. In 1998 Barry Cooper Coaches was renamed Mayne Coaches, and moved to its present site.[2]

Over the years the company has grown from an initial purpose built coach in 1925 and new bus in 1929, with expansion coming through acquisition of local bus and coach operators, and through purchases of new buses and coaches. The company resisted numerous attempts at nationalisation due to a licensing agreement made in 1930 with Manchester Corporation regarding bus service provision.[2]

In January 2008 Mayne's bus division was sold to Stagecoach Manchester.[3][4][5] The Ashton New Road bus depot was sold to supermarket chain Aldi, which commenced demolition in December 2007. The bus fleet then briefly operated from the Fairclough Street coach depot, supplemented with temporary parking at the adjacent Manchester Velodrome. After obtaining Office of Fair Trading clearance on 10 January 2008, the sale of the fleet and registrations was completed on 21 January 2008.[6][7]

The company remains as a coach operator, and was under the ownership of Stephen Mayne until he died in July 2012. The company continues to be run by the Mayne family.

Former bus services

Bus services were operated by a separate legal entity, A Mayne & Son,[8] mainly in East Manchester, with the majority of services running between Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester via Ashton New Road.

Following the sale, the 37 bus fleet was transferred to Stagecoach Manchester's Hyde Road depot and repainted into Stagecoach livery.

Fleet

As at September 2013 the fleet consisted of 51 coaches.[9]

Depots

Mayne Coaches operate out of depots in Clayton and Warrington

References

  1. Companies House extract company no 438523 Mayne Coaches Limited
  2. 1 2 3 4 Company History Mayne
  3. End of the road for bus firm Manchester Evening News 19 November 2007
  4. Stagecoach Group plc Regulatory Announcement regarding OFT Stagecoach
  5. Stagecoach poised to buy Maynes busandcoach.com 21 November 2007
  6. Anticipated Acquisition by Greater Manchester South Buses Limited of A Mayne & Son Limited Office of Fair Trading 16 January 2008
  7. Stagecoach starts Mayne integration busandcoach.com 30 January 2008
  8. Companies House extract company no 308157 Greater Manchester Buses West Limited formerly Greater Manchester Buses East Limited formerly A Mayne & Son Limited
  9. Manchester Independents North West Buses

External links

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