Westbus (mo 6052) Volgren 'CR228L' bodied Volvo B7RLE in Transport NSW livery on Olympic Boulev
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Westbus was an Australian bus and coach operator that operated bus services in Western Sydney from 1955 until October 2013. Founded by the Bosnjak family, it later became a subsidiary of National Express and later ComfortDelGro Cabcharge (now known as ComfortDelGro Australia).


History

Westbus's history originates from the Bosnjak family, who entered the transport business in 1955 and traded as Bosnjak's Bus Service. At the time, it operated a fleet of five buses on a route connecting the Sydney suburbs of
Canley Vale Canley Vale is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Canley Vale is located 30 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield and is part of the South ...
and Edensor Park. Bosnjak's purchased a number of bus companies: *1963: Parramatta Bus Co *April 1974: WJ Bale & Sons, Penrith *November 1976: Fairlines Bus Service, Fairfield *1981: Cleary Brothers in 1981 *October 1983: Bowman's Bus Lines, St Marys *1987: Route 715 from Toongabbie Transport *December 1987: Macquarie Towns Coach Lines, Windsor *December 1988: The rest of Toongabbie Transport *June 1989: Calabro's,
Bonnyrigg Bonnyrigg ( sco, Bonnyrigg) is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, eight miles (13 kilometres) southeast of Edinburgh city centre. The town had a population of 14,663 in the 2001 census which rose to 15,677 in the 2011 census, both figures based ...
*January 1994: Richardson's Bus & Coach Service,
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
All companies began to trade as Westbus in October 1984. In 1985 the coach business of Rowe's was purchased. A fleet of Volvo B10M coaches were purchased and based at
Northmead Northmead is a suburb of Greater Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Northmead is located 26 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta. Northmead is ...
. Following the purchase of Calabro's in June 1989 both fleets moved to Alexandria and later Arncliffe. The operation ceased in the early 2000s. In the United Kingdom, Westbus Australia took over Swinards Coaches,
Ashford, Kent Ashford is a town in the county of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Great Stour at the southern or Escarpment, scarp edge of the North Downs, about southeast of central London and northwest of Folkestone by road. In the ...
and ADP Travel Services of Hounslow to form Westbus UK in 1986. Since 2005, Westbus UK has continued to exist as a separate entity to Westbus Australia, despite using Westbus Australia's old name, logo and livery, and having the same owners. It is now owned by CityFleet Networks, also a wholly owned subsidiary of ComfortDelGro. By 1999, 57% shareholding of Westbus was held by Bosnjak Holdings, the main subsidiary of National Bus Company, which is also owned by Jim Bosnjak and his sister-in-law Carol. In May 1999, British coach operator National Express purchased National Bus Company and in turn took the 57% shareholding in Westbus held by National Bus Company. Members of the founding Bosnjak family including Jim continued to hold the remaining shares. Jim Bosnjak also continued to be Chairman of National Bus Company. In December 2004, Westbus'
Northmead Northmead is a suburb of Greater Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Northmead is located 26 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Parramatta. Northmead is ...
and Seven Hills operations were merged with those of the newly acquired
Glenorie Bus Company Glenorie Bus Company was an Australian bus company in the Hills District of Sydney. History Bus services in the Glenorie area commenced in the 1920s when George Deaman began operating. In 1952 Deaman sold out to Roy Baxter and George Tuckno ...
under the Hillsbus brand. With debts of $90 million and National Express unwilling to provide further funding, in January 2005 the company was placed into voluntary administration. Westbus's problems threatened a major disruption to Sydney's transport network: the company ranked second only to government-owned Sydney Buses in the commuter bus industry. The company was acquired by ComfortDelGro Cabcharge in October 2005. The new owners pledged to honour the company's contractual obligations to customers and staff. The change of ownership saw the company exchange one politically well-connected shareholder, the Bosnjak family, for another, Cabcharge's Reg Kermode. In August 2006 the routes of
Baxter's Bus Lines Baxter's Bus Lines is an Australian bus charter company in Sydney. Until August 2006, it operated route bus services in Western Sydney. History Baxter's Bus Lines was founded by Roy Baxter and his son Garry after the Merrylands based services o ...
were purchased by and absorbed into Westbus Region 3 operations.CDC Group
Australian Bus Fleetlists
Also included in the sale were Baxter's Girraween depot and some of its bus fleet. From 2005 Westbus' services were part of Sydney Bus Regions 1 and 3. In 2012, these regions were put out to tender by Transport for NSW. Westbus' bids to retain both regions were not successful, with the Region 1 services operating out of St Marys and Windsor passing to Busways, while the Region 3 services operated by Bonnyrigg and Girraween passing to Transit Systems Sydney, both in October 2013.Transit Systems awarded Sydney buses contract
Transit Systems 7 November 2012 The remaining Westbus fleet was transferred to other ComfortDelGro Australia subsidiaries.


Routes

Prior to its cessation in 2013, Westbus operated services in Sydney Bus Regions 1 and 3: *Region 1: **Bus routes 668 to 682 in Sydney's north-western suburbs ( Windsor,
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...
, Kurrajong) **Bus routes 759, 770 to 799 in Sydney's western suburbs ( Penrith, St Marys) **Free Penrith Shuttle bus (route 787) from March 2011 to August 2013 *Region 3: **Bus routes 802 to 818 in Sydney's south-western suburbs ( Parramatta, Merrylands, Liverpool), with routes 802 & 803 jointly operated with
Hopkinsons Hopkinsons is an Australian bus company in Western Sydney. Until October 2013 it operated route services until these passed to Transit Systems. It continues to trade as a charter operator. History Hopkinsons' origins can be traced to 1923 when ...
**Free
Cabramatta Cabramatta ('Cabra') is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cabramatta is located south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield. Cabramatta ...
Shuttle bus (route 88) from March 2011 to August 2013, jointly operated with
Metro-link Bus Lines Metro-link Bus Lines is an Australian bus charter company operating services in South West Sydney. History Metro-link Bus Lines was established in November 1954 when the Oliveri family, trading as Oliveri Transport Service purchased route 41 ...
Westbus also operated services in the Hills District prior to their rebranding to Hillsbus in December 2004: *Bus routes 600 to 618 in Sydney's north-western suburbs, including express services along the M2 Hills Motorway to Railway Square *Red Arrow route 630 from Blacktown to Macquarie Centre. Jointly operated with Harris Park Transport until December 2004 *Bus routes 700 to 718 in Sydney's western suburbs (
Wentworthville Wentworthville is a suburb in Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wentworthville is located 27 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region. Wentworthville is split betw ...
, Seven Hills, Blacktown)


Fleet

A long time Bedford and Leyland buyer, after briefly manufacturing its own Bosnjak JBJ chassis in the late 1970s, Westbus moved to the Volvo B10M purchasing over 160 as buses and 12 as coaches in the 1980s. It later purchased Mercedes-Benz O405 and Scanias. As at May 2013 Westbus operated 289 buses across four depots in
Bonnyrigg Bonnyrigg ( sco, Bonnyrigg) is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, eight miles (13 kilometres) southeast of Edinburgh city centre. The town had a population of 14,663 in the 2001 census which rose to 15,677 in the 2011 census, both figures based ...
and Girraween for Region 3 and St Marys and Windsor for Region 1. Upon formation in 1983 Westbus adopted a cream and red livery, which was adopted by National Bus Company in 1993. This was simplified in the early 2000s to plain yellow. In 2010 the Transport for NSW white and blue livery began to be applied in line with contractual obligations.


References


External links


Archived website (October 2012)
of Westbus
Bus Australia CDC Sydney gallery
{{NEXG Bus companies of New South Wales ComfortDelGro companies National Express companies Transport companies established in 1955 Transport companies disestablished in 2013 2013 disestablishments in Australia Australian companies established in 1955 Defunct bus companies of Australia