Edwards Coaches
Setra S 315 GT-HD in Vauxhall in 2008
ParentMike Edwards
Founded1925
HeadquartersLlantwit Fardre
Service areaSouth Wales , Bristol
Service typeBus & Coach services
Fleet225 (October 2014)
Websitewww.edwardscoaches.co.uk

Edwards Coaches[1] is a family-owned coach company based in Llantrisant, near Pontypridd in South Wales.

History

Setra S 415 HD in October 2008
Service 400 (Beddau to Cardiff via Tonteg and A470)

In 1925 Edwards Coaches was founded by George Edwards.[2] Over recent years, the company has expanded by acquiring several smaller local firms. Today, their fleet consists mainly of single decker coaches used for holiday tours and private hire but they also have a number of double-decker buses primarily for school contracts and park and ride services. Edwards Coaches carry around 7,100 students to school every day and around 80,000 customers on holidays each year. A small fleet of service buses is maintained to operate a group of local bus services.[3]

On 7 January 2011, Swansea based coach holiday operator Diamond Coach Holidays went into administration.[4] In the week after Diamond collapsed, Edwards took over £1m in holiday bookings (many of these from ex Diamond customers). On 25 January 2011, after talks with administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers, Edwards Coaches agreed to buy the firm becoming the largest coach holiday operator in Wales[5] In 2016, as Silcox Coaches of Pembroke Dock were going out of business, Edwards took over their school contracts and some of their bus services.[6] The local bus services however did not last long and have since been retendered.

During the 2021 Go North West strike, Edwards Coaches was one of a number of bus operators who provided vehicles and drivers to operate services on behalf of Go North West along with Selwyns Travel and Midland Classic.[7]

National Express

Edwards Coaches are a National Express contractor and as of June 2019 operate services on routes:[8]

  • 040 Bristol – London
  • 041 Bristol – Bath – Chippenham – London (Fri/Sun only, via Heathrow on return journey)
  • 200 Bristol – Reading – Heathrow – Gatwick
  • 201 Swansea – Cardiff – Newport – Bristol (some journeys) – Reading – Heathrow – Gatwick – Brighton
  • 202 Swansea – Cardiff – Newport – Bristol – Heathrow Airport
  • 216 Cardiff – Newport – Bristol Airport
  • 302 Bristol – Bath – Chippenham – Swindon – Oxford – Northampton
  • 320 Cardiff – Newport – Worcester – Birmingham – Derby – Chesterfield – Sheffield – Leeds – Bradford
  • 321 Birmingham – Derby – Sheffield – Leeds – Bradford
  • 330 Penzance – Camborne – Newquay – Plymouth – Bristol – Worcester – Birmingham – Leicester – Loughborough – Nottingham
  • 337 Paignton – Dawlish – Exeter – Taunton – Bristol – Gloucester – Cheltenham – Stratford-upon-Avon – Warwick – Leamington Spa – Coventry – Rugby
  • 339 Westward Ho! – Bideford – Barnstaple – Tiverton – Taunton – Bridgwater – Bristol – Cheltenham – Birmingham – Leicester – Lincoln – Newark – Grimsby
  • 345 Cardiff – Newport – Bristol – Birmingham
  • 401 Stroud – Cirencester – Swindon – Heathrow – London
  • 402 Frome – Trowbridge – Melksham – Devizes – Marlborough – Hungerford – Newbury – Heathrow – London
  • 403 Street – Wells – Shepton Mallet – Bath – Corsham – Chippenham – Heathrow – London
  • 502 Ilfracombe or Westward Ho! or Bideford – Barnstaple – Tiverton – Taunton – Bridgwater – Heathrow – London
  • 507 Swansea – Cardiff – London
  • 508 Haverfordwest – Pembroke – Carmarthen – Swansea – Cardiff – Reading – London
  • 509 Cardiff – Newport – London
  • 510 Cardiff – Newport – London (Fri/Sun only, via Heathrow on return journey)
  • 528 Haverfordwest – Pembroke – Carmarthen – Swansea – Cardiff – Birmingham – Stoke-on-Trent – Manchester – Rochdale
  • 672 Swansea – Cardiff – Newport – Bristol – Minehead Butlins (Summer time only)

From May 2017, Edwards commenced operating more National Express services previously operated by South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach from a new depot in Avonmouth.[9][10][11]

Fleet

As at October 2014, the fleet consisted of 225 buses and coaches.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Companies House extract company no 4045308 Edwards Coaches Limited
  2. ↑ On the Buses South Wales Echo 22 May 2007
  3. ↑ Omnibuses Blog reports Edwards commencing local bus services
  4. ↑ "Swansea's Diamond Coaches goes into administration". BBC News. 7 January 2011.
  5. ↑ "Pontypridd firm buys Swansea-based Diamond Holidays". BBC News. 25 January 2011.
  6. ↑ "Edwards to provide school transport as Silcox seeks buyer". BBC News. 2 June 2016.
  7. ↑ "#NoGo: solidarity with the Go NW bus strike". Manchester Trades Union Council. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  8. ↑ National Express Coach Handbook – 10th Edition. British Bus Publishing. 2015. ISBN 978-1-904875-80-2.
  9. ↑ New £12m National Express depot to bring 120 jobs to Bristol Bristol Post 22 March 2017
  10. ↑ Edwards Coaches wins 10 year NatEx contract Coach & Bus Week 5 April 2017
  11. ↑ Edwards buys Avonmouth depot Route One 20 April 2017
  12. ↑ Fleetlist Coach & Bus Week issue 1161 28 October 2014 page 62
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