Arriva North West and Wales

History

From Autumn 1997, Cowie Group was renamed Arriva and like Stagecoach and FirstGroup a consistent corporate image was introduced for its many and different bus operations. Outside of London this was a corporate livery of aquamarine with a Cotswold stone (cream) swoop, Arriva branding and a strap-line of the region the bus was operating in. For the former North Western operation this strap-line was serving the North West. In Spring 1998, Arriva decided to give an Arriva identity to the many companies which comprised Arriva Passenger Services and as a consequence North Western Road Car Co. Ltd became Arriva North West Ltd with the associated Bee Line and Liverline operations becoming Arriva Manchester Ltd and Arriva Merseyside Ltd respectively.

Apart from the adoption of the Arriva corporate identity, not too much was different between Arriva North West and North Western as the 1990s drew to a close. In late Summer 1998, Arriva North West (rather than GMPTE) became responsible for the management of the bus station at the new Trafford Centre shopping mall. In 1999, Arriva North West made its first major acquisition of Winsford based Nova Scotia Travel which allowed it to strengthen its operations from its Winsford depot considerably in and around the former Vale Royal borough of Cheshire. However, the Nova Scotia acquisition would soon prove a minor event for Arriva North West's future development which significantly changed as a consequence of the impending bankruptcy and sale of Merseyside's largest bus operator MTL Trust Holdings.