First York

First York operates local bus services, with a network centring around the cathedral city of York, North Yorkshire, England. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup, which operates bus, rail and tram services across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

First York
A First York Wright StreetDeck passing under the York city walls in March 2023
ParentFirstGroup
Founded1932 (1932)
HeadquartersYork, North Yorkshire
England
Service areaNorth Yorkshire
Service typeBus and coach
Depots1
Fleet96 (October 2023)
Websitewww.firstbus.co.uk/york

History
Rider York Duple Dominant bodied Leyland Leopard in 1992
First York Wright Crusader bodied Volvo B6BLE in 2008

In 1932, the York–West Yorkshire Joint Committee was formed, as part of a joint venture between the West Yorkshire Road Car Company and City of York Council. Following the deregulation of bus services and introduction of the Transport Act 1985, such joint ventures were prohibited, with West Yorkshire Road Car taking full ownership.

In 1987, West Yorkshire Road Car Company was sold in a management buyout to the AJS Group, owned by former East Yorkshire Motor Services managing director, Alan Stephenson. Operations in York were subsequently rebranded as York City & District.

In 1990, the York-based operations of AJS Group were sold to Yorkshire Rider.[1][2] Four years later, Rider York was included in the sale of Yorkshire Rider to Badgerline.[3]

In 1995, First Group was formed, following the merger of Badgerline and GRT Group.[4][5] In 1998, Rider York was rebranded as First York. In the same year, First Group took ownership of Glenn Coaches, followed by York Pullman two years later.

In 2001, in advance of the launch of the York Metro bus network in September 2001, First York began a major fleet refreshment programme, taking delivery of a new low-floor fleet of 98 buses, including 12 double deckers, 53 single-deckers and 33 midibuses, replacing a majority of the company's pre-existing bus fleet.[6][7]

In February 2007, the company introduced an hourly express service between York and Leeds Bradford Airport, branded York Aircoach.[8] Initially operating with Volvo B10M coaches, the service was later revised to use single-deck buses and rebranded York Airlink. The service was withdrawn in April 2009.[9][10]

In July 2008, a fleet of 17 Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse Urban single-deck vehicles were delivered for the park and ride network, with 25 articulated Mercedes-Benz Citaro arriving the following year.[11] The delivery saw the replacement of Volvo B7L/Wright Eclipse Metro and articulated Volvo B7LA/Wright Eclipse Fusion single-deck vehicles formerly allocated to the network, which were introduced at the turn of the decade.

In April 2009, the company launched a half-hourly express service, which ran between York and Leeds via Tadcaster and Seacroft – competing with Transdev Yorkshire Coastliner. The trial was unsuccessful and the service was subsequently withdrawn in August 2010.[12][13]

In June 2014, the park and ride site at Askham Bar was expanded and relocated to a new 1,100-space site – as part of a £22 million project. In the same month, a new site was opened at Poppleton Bar, with services operated by a fleet of fully-electric Optare Versa.[14][15][16]

In August 2015, First York commenced operation of a contract to provide services on behalf of the University of York.[17][18][19][20] The high-frequency services (66 & 67) are operated by a fleet of Volvo B9TL/Wright Gemini double-deck vehicles, branded in a two-tone pink and purple livery.

Following an order in May 2019,[21][22] a fleet of 21 fully-electric Optare MetroDecker double-deck vehicles were introduced into service in July 2020.[23][24]

In March 2022, it was confirmed by the Department for Transport that the City of York Council had been awarded a total of £8.4 million to support the purchase of 44 fully electric buses in the city – investment which would bring First York's fully-electric fleet to 77.[25][26] These buses, in the form of 24 Wright GB Kite single-decks and 20 Wright StreetDeck Electroliner double-decker buses, began to enter service in York from late August 2023.[27][28]

The operations of First York and First West Yorkshire were remerged into a First North and West Yorkshire business unit on 1 October 2022, as part of major changes to the FirstGroup's senior management, which saw the merger of First's ten regional bus operations across the United Kingdom into six business units.[29][30]

ftr
For more information about the service, see FTR (bus).
A ftr-branded articulated Wright StreetCar at University of York.

In May 2006, the company took delivery of eleven articulated Wright StreetCar vehicles, branded in the two-tone purple ftr livery. They were introduced on the high-frequency 4 service, running between Acomb and University of York.[31][32] The scheme was largely unpopular with people in York for a number of reasons, including frequent problems with ticketing, pricing, punctuality, and the vehicles being excessively long.

Ahead of the introduction of the trial, bus stop areas had to be extended in order to accommodate the length of the longer, articulated vehicles. However, in many cases, this led to vehicles blocking the road and further adding to traffic congestion. In May 2009, the company replaced the articulated Wright StreetCar vehicles with standard low-floor vehicles during the evening and on Sunday.[33]

Protests were especially heated amongst students, with the University of York engaging in negotiations with the company – encouraging them to introduce discounted tickets for students. In 2010, York Pullman was awarded a contract to operate services on behalf of the University of York. Owing to competition from York Pullman, the price of tickets on First York's (now commercial) 4 service dropped significantly.[34][35]

Following their victory at the 2011 local elections, the controlling Labour Party on the City of York Council set about to ensure that the articulated vehicles were replaced.[36] In March 2012, the articulated vehicles operated in York for the last time.[37][38][39] They were replaced by a fleet of eleven Volvo B9TL/Wright Gemini double-deck vehicles from First South Yorkshire.

The articulated vehicles were transferred to First West Yorkshire and used on the 72 service, running between Bradford and Leeds via Bramley.[40][41] The articulated vehicles were withdrawn entirely in July 2016.[42]

Park and ride
For more information about the service, see York park and ride.
A park and ride Optare MetroDecker EV passing York railway station

In partnership with the City of York Council, the company operates a network of park and ride bus services in the city. As of May 2022, there are six sites: Askham Bar, Grimston Bar, Monks Cross, Poppleton Bar, Rawcliffe Bar and York Designer Outlet. Following the introduction of a fleet of 21 fully-electric double-deck Optare MetroDecker vehicles in July 2020, as well as a fleet of fully-electric Optare Versa introduced in 2014 and 2015,[43][15][44] the city boasts one of the largest zero-emission park and ride networks in the United Kingdom.[22][45][46][47]

Fleet and operations

Depots

As of May 2022, the company operates from a single depot in York.

Vehicles

As of October 2023, the fleet consists of in the region of 96 buses.

References
  1. "York City goes suburban". Commercial Motor. 21 December 1989. p. 16.
  2. "Rider takes control". Commercial Motor. 26 July 1990. p. 19.
  3. Murray, John (22 March 1994). "Badgerline pays £38m to take Rider on board: Acquisition takes Bristol group into pole position among private-sector bus operators". The Independent. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  4. Grimond, Magnus (4 April 1995). "Badgerline links with GRT". The Independent. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  5. "Link-up creates second-largest bus group: GRT and Badgerline in agreed £265m merger". The Glasgow Herald. 5 April 1995. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  6. "Bus firm First with new buses". York Press. 15 December 2001. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  7. "Admirals of the fleet". York Press. 2 August 2001. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  8. "New Leeds Bradford Airport Link". First Group. 3 March 2007. Archived from the original on 3 March 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  9. Greaves, Amanda (14 April 2009). "Late night bus to Otley and Pool-in-Wharfedale is axed". Wharfedale Observer. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  10. Greaves, Amanda (21 April 2009). "Bus companies warned not to deliver a double whammy to Wharfedale passengers". Ilkley Gazette. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  11. "Eco-friendly bus fleet is unveiled". York Press. 8 July 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  12. Laycock, Mike (19 July 2010). "York to Leeds bus service is scrapped". York Press. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  13. Baron, John (18 August 2010). "Leeds set for August bus service changes". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  14. "Work set to begin on park-and-ride expansion drive". Yorkshire Post. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  15. "York's new park-and-ride sites open". BBC News. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  16. "New Park & Ride site to open with launch of fleet of electric buses". York Press. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  17. "Strong start for First's Your Bus network in York". Coach & Bus Week. No. 1204. 1 September 2015. p. 10.
  18. "New First York services begin". Bus & Coach Buyer. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  19. Ross, Alex (10 June 2015). "First wins 5-year University of York bus contract". York Press. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  20. "First awarded prestigious University bus contract". First Group. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  21. "First York orders 21 electric 'deckers for park-and-ride". Routeone. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  22. "York set for 21-strong Optare Metrodecker fleet". Coach & Bus Week. No. 1387. 2 April 2019. p. 8.
  23. "Optare Metrodecker EV fleet makes debut with First York". Routeone. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  24. Willers, Daniel (24 August 2020). "New all-electric city P&R buses". York Press. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  25. Rule, Megan (26 March 2022). "£8.4 millon secured for more electric buses in York". City of York Council. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  26. Lewis, Stephen (26 March 2022). "York gets £8.4 million to buy 44 new electric buses". York Press. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  27. "Big switch-on marks major milestone for cleaner, greener transport in York". YorkMix. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  28. Lewis, Haydn (25 August 2023). "First York unveils new fleet of electric buses in York". York Press. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  29. "First Bus restructures as Government funding cuts loom in England". Coach & Bus Week. Peterborough: Emap. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  30. "First Bus names leaders of new regional structure". Routeone. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  31. Johansson, Per-Martin (10 May 2006). "StreetCar to make bus travel more attractive". Volvo Buses. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  32. Clark, Andrew (15 May 2006). "The rise of the purple people-eaters". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  33. Laycock, Mike (9 May 2009). "York's ftr off the road". York Press. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  34. Laycock, Mike (1 October 2010). "Return fare reduced as flagship ftr bus route extended". York Press. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  35. Laycock, Mike (2 October 2010). "University of York backs new bus funding". York Press. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  36. Stead, Mark (27 December 2011). "End of the road for York's bendy buses". York Press. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  37. Aitchison, Gavin (13 March 2012). "ftr buses withdrawn from York". York Press. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  38. Liptrot, Kate (23 March 2012). "22 'hosts' lose jobs after ftr axe". York Press. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  39. "First ftrs to exit York after six years in operation". Coach & Bus Week. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  40. "'Hyperlink' service launched between Leeds and Bradford". Coach & Bus Week. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  41. "First to launch new StreetCar buses in Bradford". Bradford Telegraph & Argus. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  42. Lowson, Rob (22 July 2016). "New £5m eco-friendly buses bring 'luxury' to routes between Bradford and Leeds". Bradford Telegraph & Argus. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  43. "New Park & Ride site to open with launch of fleet of electric buses". York Press. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  44. Cole, David (26 May 2015). "Monks Cross goes electric". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  45. "First York orders 21 electric 'deckers for park-and-ride". Routeone. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  46. "Optare Metrodecker EV fleet makes debut with First York". Routeone. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  47. Willers, Daniel (24 August 2020). "New all-electric city P&R buses". York Press. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
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