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Former Welsh bus operating company
Western Welsh
was a Welsh
bus
operating company, based in
Cardiff
covering
South Wales
and the northern parts of the
West Country
. Formed in 1920, it was nationalised when the BET Group sold their bus interests to the Transport Holding Company in 1967. From 1969 W.W. became a part of the
National Bus Company
and several years later was a component of the newly formed, but ill-fated,
National Welsh
operation.
Established in 1920 in Cardiff by a brewing family,
South Wales Commercial Motors
grew by acquisition,
[1]
eventually operating bus services in South Wales as far west as
St David's
and
Tenby
in
Pembrokeshire
, and as far north as
Brecon
via the
South Wales Valleys
. In 1927, the company came to an agreement with the
Great Western Railway
to take over their
bus services
in both
South Wales
, and areas of southern
Gloucestershire
and northern
Somerset
surrounding
Bristol
and
Bath
. In return, the GWR took a minority share holding in the renamed
Western Welsh.
[2]
In 1931, the GWR sold their bus company shareholdings to
British Electric Traction
, who continued expansion of the company by acquisition. As with other BET companies, Western Welsh's fleet included a significant number of
AEC
and
Leyland
types, including
AEC Bridgemasters
and
Albion Nimbuses
, all of which appeared in the company's familiar all-red livery.
Although entire UK railway network was nationalised in 1948 when they passed to the
British Transport Commission
, many bus services remained in private hands.
After BET sold its operations to the government, Western Welsh became part of the National Bus Company. In 1970, NBC transferred Western Welsh's operations west of
Bridgend
to its subsidiaries
South Wales Transport
and
Crosville Motor Services
. The company continued to operate further east until 1978, when it was merged with
Red & White Services
to form
National Welsh Omnibus Services
. National Welsh was privatised in 1987, and collapsed in 1992.
References
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Former bus companies of the United Kingdom
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National
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England
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Scotland
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Wales
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