Initially, there were 25 franchises, but the number of different operating companies is smaller as some firms, including First Group, National Express Group and Stagecoach Group, run more than one franchise.

TOCs may use what they like: examples include Futura ( Stagecoach Group ), Helvetica ( FirstGroup and National Express ), Frutiger ( Arriva Trains Wales ), Bliss ( CrossCountry, an Arriva franchise but not branded as such ), and a modified version of Precious by London Midland.

Since deregulation the majority ( 80 % by the late 1990s ) of these local bus companies have been taken over by one of the " Big Five " private transport companies: Arriva ( part of Deutsche Bahn AG ), First Group, Go-Ahead Group, National Express Group ( owners of National Express ) and Stagecoach Group.

* Stagecoach Thameslink Trains Limited ( Stagecoach Group plc )

The Group agreed to open its books to the Cosmen and CVC consortium on 10 September 2009, though had reportedly been looking into selling its bus and rail franchises to rival Stagecoach Group, according to The Times.

Virgin Trains ( legal name West Coast Trains Limited, company no 3007940 ) is a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by Virgin Group ( 51 %) and Stagecoach ( 49 %) that has operated the InterCity West Coast franchise since March 1997.

Virgin Rail Group bid for a number of rail franchises being awarded the InterCity West Coast franchise after beating Sea Containers and Stagecoach.

In October 1998 Virgin Group sold 49 % of the shares in Virgin Rail Group to Stagecoach.

They lost their contract to Stagecoach Group in 2004.

Banbury has an intra-urban bus service provided by Stagecoach Group which feeds the outlying villages and provides transport to places such as Oxford, Chipping Norton and Brackley.

It was the bus division of SJ AB rail company until 1996 and was briefly part of Stagecoach Group.

The Stagecoach Group took over the franchise on the privatisation of British Rail in 1996 and retained it against stiff competition in 2007 making it, with Chiltern Railways and Virgin West Coast, one of the three longest-running franchises.

Category: Stagecoach Group rail services

He oversaw Bus deregulation in Great Britain with the Transport Act 1985 which led to a period of intense competition between rival bus companies, known at the time as the ' Bus wars ' and the dramatic subsequent growth of Stagecoach Group, First Group and the other major bus operators.

On August 1, 2011, the RATP Group purchased Stagecoach Metrolink Ltd, the operators of the Metrolink light rail system in the English city of Manchester.

Regular local buses are provided by Stagecoach in Huntingdonshire and Go Whippet.

Farnham is served by several bus routes, with the majority of buses originating from Aldershot bus station and provided by Stagecoach.

Most buses are provided by Stagecoach in Huntingdonshire

Stagecoach had all the buses resprayed to their standard livery to replace the buses previous colour-scheme of orange and white.

In 2005, Stagecoach bought out Lincolnshire Road Car, who provided buses to Killingholme, Louth, Barton-upon-Humber and the Willows Estate.

The town is served by a bus network provided by Stagecoach in Northants and First Northampton, with local Connect Wellingborough buses W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, W7, and W8 linking the town centre ( Church Street ) with local suburbs and villages.

The town is also served by a number of buses operated by Stagecoach in Bassetlaw, Stagecoach in Lincolnshire, Yourbus as well as smaller local bus operators, to destinations including Worksop, Newark, Robin Hood Airport and Bawtry.

In addition to the hourly 100 / 101 Dover-Hastings Stagecoach long-distance service there are a number of buses connecting Rye with other towns and villages, including Tenterden, Hastings and Tunbridge Wells.

Birkdale is served by frequent buses run by Arriva ( to Southport, Formby and Liverpool ), Cumfybus, and Stagecoach ( to Liverpool and Preston ).

Treorchy is served by buses operated by Stagecoach in South Wales to Blaenrhondda, Blaencwm, Treherbert, Tonypandy, Porth, Pontypridd and Caerphilly.

Stagecoach Yorkshire operate bus services every 15 minutes to Barnsley during the daytime as well as 2 buses per hour to Wombwell.

Westhill is served primarily by Stagecoach buses.

By the late 1990s, the corporate colours of Firstbus, Stagecoach Group and Arriva were appearing in buses in all parts of the UK except London and Northern Ireland.

The town is served by Stagecoach South West with buses to Yeovil via Kithill, Misterton and Haselbury Plucknett and Chard.

Stagecoach Group plc () is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries.

Before selling the business Stagecoach operated more than 900 buses and nine ferries in New Zealand and employed more than 2000 people.

During its tenure, Stagecoach rapidly expanded the fleet, introducing the Express Services and the modern double decker buses back on Kenyan roads.

At that time, Stagecoach Portugal operated 135 buses on 60 routes in the area west of Lisbon, carrying 27 million people per annum.

The Stagecoach Group number their buses as follows :-

Stagecoach operate buses along the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway.

At both subsidiaries great improvement has been made, such as most of the Stagecoach buses have been replaced.

But between 2009 and 2010, bus operators in England and Scotland received awards from the Green Bus Funds to encourage the purchase of more environment friendly buses, and several hybrid buses were ordered by organisations such as Stagecoach and Transport for London.

Heyfordian operates smaller services not covered by those of Stagecoach including routes from Banbury to places including Bicester, the Heyfords, Ardley, Towcester, Wappenham and Northampton.

Regular bus services to Stratford upon Avon, Banbury and Leamington Spa are operated by Stagecoach and other independent companies.

* Stagecoach Oxfordshire-Stagecoach controls operations in Oxfordshire area through Stagecoach in Oxfordshire, comprising Thames Transit Ltd and Midland Red ( South ) Ltd ( Banbury depot ).

* The Stagecoach in Banbury brand, used for local buses in and around the town of Banbury in Oxfordshire.

From 1 July 2002, the Oxford and Banbury brands were merged to become Stagecoach in Oxfordshire.

A picture of these Stagecoach Group buses in Banbury during 2004.