Midland Red Coaches
Midland
Red (Express) Ltd was formed on 6th September 1981, upon
the split-up of the Midland Red Omnibus Company Limited,
and took over the long-distance coaching Interests of
that company, together with 82 coaches. The headquarters
of the company was at Spencer House, Digbeth,
Birmingham, the former hub of the Midland Red coaching
system. The only garage was also at Digbeth in
Birmingham next to the coach station. In 1984, the
coaching companies of the National Bus Company were re-organised
whereby each was linked to a neighbouring bus company
and Midland Red (Express) Limited became a subsidiary of
Midland Red (North) Limited, Cannock. From early May
1985, the company was renamed Midland Red Coaches
Limited apparently In part, this was intended to get the
Company away from the image of an 'express only'
operator. It also overcame the confusion between
'Midland Express', launched on 28th March, 1983, by the
four Midland Red bus companies (operators of a limited
stop network using coaches painted white with a yellow
and red band with 'Midland Express' logo) and its own
white coaches based at Digbeth. Digbeth ceased to be an
operational garage from 1st February, 1986, after which
it was principally a coach station with the capability
of only minor running repairs. From this date the
Midland Red Coaches fleet was based at the Midland Red
Omnibus Company Limited Carlyle Works at Edgbaston and
Midland Red Omnibus Company assumed responsibility for
the maintenance of the vehicles. When the move to
Edgbaston took place, the link with Bristol Management
Services (as successors Co Bristol Omnibus Company
Limited) for secretarial and accountancy work was
severed as these were performed locally. In consequence,
the legal lettering on the vehicles was changed to 6,
Waterworks Road, Birmingham B16 9DB, this being a 'unit'
on the Carlyle Works site. Midland Red (West) Ltd was
successful in gaining a substantial number of contracts
from West Midlands PTE (now known as Centro), as a
result of bus deregulation on Sunday 26th October 1986.
To operate these services Midland Red West re-opened of
Digbeth as a bus garage (it had closed to buses in 1978)
to run them and the fleet of Midland Red Coaches was
transferred from Carlyle Works to Digbeth, where
maintenance was In the hands of Midland Red West. The
Midland Red Coaches business and vehicles were taken
over by Midland Red West Limited on 22nd December. 1986
when the both companies were purchased by a seven-man
management team from the National Bus Company using a
holding company called Midland Red West (Holdings) Ltd.
This seven man team (with two drawn from the Midland Red
Coaches Company) purchased 70% of the shares, the
remaining 30% being offered to the remaining company
staff. Midland Red Coaches Ltd continued to operate as a
separate company using its own operator licence (PD477)
until July 1987 when the operations were merged with
Midland Red West. Midland Red West continued to use the
Midland Red Coaches name as a trade name for it’s
coaching activities. The coaching unit was finally
closed on 25 January 1997. (The vehicles were withdrawn
in the January and February)
As time permits more information on the operator will be added