Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd is a long distance express coach operator in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland (where it operates simply as "Citylink".). The company was formed as a subsidiary of Scottish Transport Group in June 1985. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... // Original meaning and etymology The original meaning of the term coach was: a horse-drawn vehicle designed for the conveyance of more than one passenger — and of mail — and covered for protection from the elements. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots3 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  -  First Minister Jack McConnell... Scottish Bus Group logo, as displayed on vehicles, timetables and such, as a suffix to the local fleetname (e. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Operation

Scottish Citlyink operate an extensive network of long distance express services within Scotland, operating some 19 routes linking the main cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling and Inverness, as well as linking the rural Highland communities to the main urban areas of Scotland. Services also operate to Northern Ireland via the ferry links between Stranraer and Belfast, and there are seasonal workings to Blackpool. Additionally, a shuttle service between Glasgow city centre and Glasgow International Airport is provided. In all, over 200 destinations are served by Scottish Citylink within Scotland on a network utilising approximately 90 coaches provided by operators local to the 'destination' area, carrying over 3 million passengers annually. Glaswegian redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Aberdeen (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Dundee (disambiguation). ... Broad Street at the heart of Stirlings Old Town area (called Top of the Town by locals) Stirling Castle (Southwest aspect) The main courtyard inside Stirling Castle. ... Inverness (Inbhir Nis in Scottish Gaelic) is the only city in the Highland council area and the Highlands of Scotland. ... Highland or Highlands has these meanings:- The term highland is used in geography for any elevated mountainous plateau. ... Anthem: UK: God Save the Queen Regional: (de facto) Londonderry Air Capital Belfast Largest city Belfast Official languages English (de facto), Irish, Ulster Scots 3, BSL, NISL, ISL Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Ian Paisley  - Deputy First Minister... The ferryboat Dongan Hills, filled with commuters, about to dock at a New York City pier, ca. ... Stranraer (An t-Sròn Reamhar in Gaelic) is a town in the south of Scotland in the west of the region of Dumfries and Galloway and was formerly in the county of Wigtownshire. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... It has been suggested that South Shore, Blackpool be merged into this article or section. ... Glasgow International Airport (IATA: GLA, ICAO: EGPF), located in Renfrewshire, 8 miles (13 km) west of Glasgow, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew, is the largest and busiest airport in Scotland, and sixth busiest in the UK [1]It was the first airport in Scotland to handle over one...

A Plaxton vehicle in Citylink colours

Despite the extent of Citylink's operations in Scotland, there are notable geographical regions that have little to no connections with the network, some of which include large urban areas. These tend to be areas served by subsidiaries of the Stagecoach Group, which operate their own comprehensive Stagecoach Express network, such as Ayrshire (Kilmarnock, Ayr and Irvine), Fife (Kirkaldy, Dunfermline and St Andrews), Dumfries & Galloway, Aberdeenshire and Moray. An exception is the Scottish Borders, which is covered by the First Group, though has no regular express service. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Plaxton is a builder of bus and coach vehicle bodies based in Scarborough, England. ... Stagecoach Group plc (LSE: SGC) is a leading international transport group operating bus, train, tram, express coach and ferry operations. ... Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Àir in Scottish Gaelic) is a region of south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. ... Map of Kilmarnock town centre in 1819 Kilmarnock (Cill Mheàrnaig in Scottish Gaelic, and Killie locally) is a large burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland, with a population of about 60,000. ... The Royal Burgh of Ayr (Scottish Gaelic, Inbhir Àir) in the south-west of Scotland is a burgh situated on the Firth of Clyde. ... Irvine is a coastal new town in Ayrshire, Scotland, administered by North Ayrshire council. ... Fife (Fìobh in Gaelic) is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with landward boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire. ... Kirkcaldy (pronounced kirkaudi, with emphasis on the second syllable) is currently the largest town in Fife, Scotland. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Named after Saint Andrew the Apostle, the Royal Burgh of St Andrews (Scottish Gaelic: ) is a town on the east coast of Fife, Scotland, and the home of golf. ... Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Moray (pronounced Murray, spelled A Moireibh in Gaelic) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. ... Scottish Borders (often referred to locally as The Borders or The Borderland) is one of 35 local government unitary council areas of Scotland. ... First Group PLC (LSE: FGP) is a British transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, with headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland. ...

Citylink also operates in the Republic of Ireland, operating between Dublin, Galway and Shannon. WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ...

History

Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd was formed in the reorganisation of the Scottish Bus Group in 1985 to co-ordinate and manage the long distance express services operated by the other SBG subsidiaries, particularly the Western Scottish and Eastern Scottish services from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London and the south. By combining the SBG express network, Citylink became the largest operator of long distance express services within Scotland, and from Scotland to England and Wales. With the main 'hubs' in Glasgow and Edinburgh, many services to the Highlands and Islands were in some cases vital to rural areas as the only public transport link available (which still holds true today). Western Scottish Omnibuses Ltd, in Scotland, was a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group formed in June 1985 from Western SMT Company Ltd and operated until 1997, when it became Western Buses Ltd. ... A bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group formed in June 1985 from the Scottish Motor Traction Company Ltd. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... This article is about the country. ...

Though Citylink itself did not own or operate any vehicles, a uniform two-tone blue and yellow livery was introduced for coaches operating Citylink services, with the subsidiary's corporate fleetname displayed on the front and rear of the vehicle, e.g. 'Western Scottish'. Previously, only cross-border services had adopted some form of corporate look in the late 1970s, with vehicles wearing a simple but striking blue and white livery with bold "Scottish" fleetnames in the SBG corporate logo style. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A yellow Tulip. ... Rather unusually, these Angels wear white hart (deer) badges, with the personal livery of King Richard II of England, who commissioned this, the Wilton diptych, about 1400 A livery is a uniform or other sign worn in a non-military context on a person or object (such as an airplane... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... This article is about the color. ...

Subsidiary companies operated Citylink vehicles on express services originating from their operating area, and where long distance services spanned one or two operating areas, the routes were shared between the companies. The level of involvement of the subsidiary firms in providing Citylink work varied with size and geography, however. Central Scottish, Strathtay Scottish, Kelvin Scottish and Clydeside Scottish were the smaller contributors as no major city or destination lay within their main operating regions. Indeed, Clydeside marketed its own express services within its area as 'Clydeside Quicksliver' with its own distinct brand. Central Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group formed in June 1985 from Central SMT Company Ltd, and operated until July 1989 when it was merged with Kelvin Scottish to form Kelvin Central Buses. ... Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was formed a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group in June 1985 from Walter Alexander & Sons (Midland) Ltd and Walter Alexander & Sons (Northern) Ltd. ... Kelvin Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group formed in June 1985 from from Walter Alexander & Sons (Midland) Ltd and Central SMT Company Ltd, and operated until July 1989 when it was merged with Central Scottish to form Kelvin Central Buses. ... Clydeside Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group formed in June 1985 from Western SMT Company Ltd. ...

As the Scottish Bus Group prepared for privatisation, Citylink franchises were no longer exclusive to the SBG subsidiaries. Private companies such as Rapson's Coaches, based in Inverness, Henry Crawford Coaches in Neilston, West Coast Motors (of Campbeltown), Skye-Ways and Park's Of Hamilton were awarded Citylink contracts and provided vehicles of their own for this work. Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ...

Citylink itself was privatised in August 1990, when its management and employees (through a company called Clansman, later Saltire Holdings) purchased the firm for £265k. As the Scottish Bus Group broke up, the number of private operators working Citylink contracts increased. Park's, West Coast Motors (of Campbeltown) and Rapson's were now major contributors, while the former SBG companies now owned by Stagecoach (Fife Scottish, Western Scottish, Bluebird Buses) began operating their own Stagecoach Express network to, and throughout, their respective operating areas. MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... ISO 4217 Code GBP User(s) United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies Inflation 3. ... Fife Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was formed as a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group formed in June 1985 from Walter Alexander & Sons (Fife) Ltd and is now part of the Stagecoach Group, trading as Stageoach in Fife. ... Stagecoach East Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, with its regional base in Cowdenbeath, Fife and including the legal companies Bluebird Buses Ltd, Fife Scottish Buses Ltd and AA Buses Ltd. ...

In 1993 National Express Group (NEG) purchased the firm for £5m. At that time, cross border services to England were replaced by National Express services, leaving Citylink with Scottish domestic services, and co-ordinated timetabling and ticketing was introduced between the two operators. During this period, Citylink took a stake in West Coast Motors, purchased Skye-Ways Coaches and also Highland Country Buses, which was an off-shoot of Highland Scottish. 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... National Express Group plc (LSE: NEX) is a UK-based transport group that operates airport, bus and rail services in the UK, the US and Canada, Australia, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe. ... Look up Domestic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group formed in June 1985 from Highland Omnibuses Ltd. ...

With the break-up and privatisation of British Rail, NEG successfully won the ScotRail franchise in 1997. As a result, the Competition Commission ordered the sale of Scottish Citylink as it believed National Express would have the monopoly of long distance bus and rail services in Scotland. Metroline, the London based subsidiary of Singapore firm ComfortDelGro Corporation, bought Citylink for £10.2m in 1998. Logo of British Rail British Railways (BR), later rebranded as British Rail, ran the British railway system from the nationalisation of the Big Four British railway companies in 1948 until its privatisation in stages between 1994 and 1997. ... ... In law, an exclusive right is the power or right to perform an action in relation to an object or other thing which others cannnot perform. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Competition Commission is an independent body responsible for investigating mergers, market shares and conditions and the regulation of UK companies. ... Metroline, owned by ComfortDelGro Corporation of Singapore, is one of more than 20 companies operating bus services in London under the management of London Buses. ... ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited SGX: C52 is the largest transport company in Singapore, as well as the second largest in the world [1], with a fleet of 39,100 buses, taxis and rental vehicles. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ...

In 2002, the company began trading in the Republic of Ireland, acquring Cummer Commercials Ltd, which operated on the Dublin to Galway route (and confusingly also traded as CityLink Express). The route has since been rebranded to the yellow-blue Citylink livery (although without the "Scottish" prefix) and has expanded to provide services from Galway to Shannon. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Today

The company is today headquartered at Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow, and its services are still operated by franchise partners; Citylink itself does not operate any vehicles (one vehicle is owned and operated by West Coast Motors (of Campbeltown) to satisfy licensing conditions). The two-tone blue and yellow colour scheme is still used, though its application and style have changed over the years to remain fresh and modern.

More recently, Scottish Citylink faced heavy competition from Megabus and Motorvator, both subsidiaries of the Stagecoach Group. In particular, the Glasgow to Edinburgh flagship route competed fiercely with the Motorvator operation since its acquisition by Stagecoach in July 2004. However, on 13 September 2005, Stagecoach and ComfortDelGro agreed to a joint venture on the provision of express coach services in Scotland, ending the competition between the two operators. Under the terms of the agreement, Stagecoach would take a 35% stake in Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd and in return grant certain rights to the Megabus and Motorvator brands in Scotland. The Megabus logo Megabus is a no-frills intercity bus service run by Stagecoach Group in the United Kingdom. ... Stagecoach West Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, comprising of Western Buses Ltd and Stagecoach Glasgow Ltd, based in Ayr, Scotland. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Despite being a minority shareholder, Stagecoach appears to have assumed operational control. Stagecoach staff have replaced much of the former Citylink management, while Stagecoach's Scottish subsidiaries have began operating many of the routes formerly operated by subcontractors displaced from Citylink work, such as Travel Dundee (a subsidiary of the National Express Group). Citylink service numbers, timetables and routes have also been sacrificed in favour of Megabus where the two brands overlap, in some cases to the detriment of Perth town centre, as most services now instead serve the out-of-town Broxden Park and Ride facility, which has little to no onward connection to the town centre. National Express Group plc (LSE: NEX) is a UK-based transport group that operates airport, bus and rail services in the UK, the US and Canada, Australia, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe. ... The Royal Burgh of Perth (Peairt in Scottish Gaelic) is a large burgh in central Scotland. ... a park-and-ride bus in Oxford Park and ride terminals are public transport stations that allow commuters to drive short distances in their personal automobiles to catch a ride on a bus or railroad system (usually classified as light rail or the heavier commuter rail). ...

Following an investigation which started in March 2006, the Competition Commission ruled that the joint venture substantially reduces competition and that evidence suggests it has already led to higher fares on some routes. Though regulators are to consult further with the two operators to find a way to comply with competition regulations, it is likely to lead at least to the forced divestment of some services to an independent operator[1]. The Competition Commission is an independent body responsible for investigating mergers, market shares and conditions and the regulation of UK companies. ...

Stagecoach immediately criticised the ruling, stating that a period of further consultation would cause uncertainty among passengers and leave vital services in limbo, while jeopardising Scotland's intercity coach network and its ability to compete with both train and car [2]. Criticism of the Competition Commission's draft findings has grown in Scotland and the joint venture has received support from across the political spectrum in the Scottish Parliament [3]. For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ...

External links

• Scottish Citylink website
• (Irish) Citylink website
• Scotsman newspaper report on "coach war" with Citylink
• Competition Commission report on NatEx/ScotRail/Citylink merger situation

Bus Companies of Scotland	edit
Regional: Arriva Scotland West • Blue Bus of North Lanarkshire • First Aberdeen • First Edinburgh • First Glasgow • First Stop Travel • Lothian Buses • Stagecoach Group • Stagecoach East Scotland • Stagecoach West Scotland • Strathtay Scottish • Travel Dundee An articulated bus operated by the CTA in Chicago, Illinois, USA. A Go North East Bus parked in a lay-by in Tyne and Wear, England A bus is a large road vehicle intended to carry numerous persons in addition to the driver and sometimes a conductor. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots3 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  -  First Minister Jack McConnell... Image File history File links Flag_of_Scotland. ... Arriva Scotland West Ltd is a bus operating subsidiary of Arriva based in Inchinnan, near Paisley, Scotland, trading simply as Arriva. ... Blue Bus of North Lanarkshire also known as Law of Shotts, is a bus operator serving the area of Shotts in West Scotland, near Glasgow. ... FirstGroup plc (LSE: FGP) is a British transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, with headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland. ... FirstGroup plc (LSE: FGP) is a British transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, with headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland. ... First Glasgow is the largest bus operator in Glasgow, UK. It is part of First Group, a major bus and train operator based in Aberdeen, UK. It operates 118 services in Greater Glasgow and has over 1,000 buses. ... First Stop Travel is a bus company that operates in mainly in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Govan in Glasgow as well as other parts of South West Glasgow. ... A number 25 at Heriot-Watt University Lothian Buses is the largest provider of bus services in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Stagecoach Group plc (LSE: SGC) is a leading international transport group operating bus, train, tram, express coach and ferry operations. ... Stagecoach East Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, with its regional base in Cowdenbeath, Fife and including the legal companies Bluebird Buses Ltd, Fife Scottish Buses Ltd and AA Buses Ltd. ... Stagecoach West Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, comprising of Western Buses Ltd and Stagecoach Glasgow Ltd, based in Ayr, Scotland. ... Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was formed a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group in June 1985 from Walter Alexander & Sons (Midland) Ltd and Walter Alexander & Sons (Northern) Ltd. ... Travel Dundee is a bus operator based in Dundee and operates services mainly within Dundee City. ...
National: Magicbus • Megabus • National Express • Scottish Citylink Magicbus is the brand Stagecoach applies to local no-frills bus operations in the UK, usually operated on routes with strong competition from other operators. ... The Megabus logo Megabus is a no-frills intercity bus service run by Stagecoach Group in the United Kingdom. ... National Express is the brand under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in the United Kingdom are marketed, and also the company that manages this network and operates some of the services. ...