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RE: Halton Transport - Raawwwrrr! - 15/03/2018 15:53
(15/03/2018 05:47)RSTurbo50 Wrote: How do you know out of interest?
Halton have been approached numerous times by various large operators (including Stagecoach who have approached them several times in the last ten years) and they've all been told that there is no intention to sell the company.
RE: Halton Transport - RSTurbo50 - 15/03/2018 17:52
(15/03/2018 15:53)Raawwwrrr! Wrote: Halton have been approached numerous times by various large operators (including Stagecoach who have approached them several times in the last ten years) and they've all been told that there is no intention to sell the company.
Never say never especially if they are struggling to make a profit..
RE: Halton Transport - FC Pictures - 15/03/2018 19:34
(15/03/2018 17:52)RSTurbo50 Wrote: Never say never especially if they are struggling to make a profit..
can`t see them making much profit from a one depot operation in a small unlucrative town.they no longer have the budget for any new vehicles either
RE: Halton Transport - RSTurbo50 - 15/03/2018 20:45
(15/03/2018 19:34)FC Pictures Wrote: can`t see them making much profit from a one depot operation in a small unlucrative town.they no longer have the budget for any new vehicles either
Plus it doesn’t help with Arriva being the dominant force. I hope I’m wrong as Halton has a long history but it worries me how they can survive with such few passenger numbers...
RE: Halton Transport - Valandil - 15/03/2018 21:36
(15/03/2018 20:45)RSTurbo50 Wrote: Plus it doesn’t help with Arriva being the dominant force. I hope I’m wrong as Halton has a long history but it worries me how they can survive with such few passenger numbers...
I completely know where you are coming from on this, but Halton just seems to keep on keep on going somehow - the same could have been said for the past 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 years, but they just keep going.
No doubt pay and low overheads have something to do with it, as well as a refreshing lack of 'vanity projects' that other companies seem to indulge in.
RE: Halton Transport - Bevan Price - 15/03/2018 22:34
(15/03/2018 19:34)FC Pictures Wrote: can`t see them making much profit from a one depot operation in a small unlucrative town.they no longer have the budget for any new vehicles either
No need for expensive new buses when they can buy a batch of fairly recent Enviro 200s in good condition, and which should last for at least another 10 years.
And hopefully the owners (the council here - and similarly in Warrington) will have observed what often happened elsewhere when local operators have sold out to one of the "big" operators -- maybe a token batch of new buses, eventually followed by worse and/or more expensive bus services.
RE: Halton Transport - Mayneway - 15/03/2018 23:03
(15/03/2018 17:52)RSTurbo50 Wrote: Never say never especially if they are struggling to make a profit..
That's just it you don't know they are not making a profit. They are a municipal operation, IF they in anyway became a burden to the council and started to cost them money the company would be sold off very quickly but I think they do ok.
Don't forget not so long ago Network Warrington were knocking on the councils door asking for money and I can tell you now, all eyes would have been on network Warrington for a quick turn and let's be honest they do seem to be going in a completely different direction now - hopefully for the better.
RE: Halton Transport - iMarkeh - 15/03/2018 23:54
(15/03/2018 23:03)Mayneway Wrote: That's just it you don't know they are not making a profit. They are a municipal operation, IF they in anyway became a burden to the council and started to cost them money the company would be sold off very quickly but I think they do ok.
Don't forget not so long ago Network Warrington were knocking on the councils door asking for money and I can tell you now, all eyes would have been on network Warrington for a quick turn and let's be honest they do seem to be going in a completely different direction now - hopefully for the better.
It must be making money for Stagecoach to approach them to sell up. Stagecoach don't exactly run after broken businesses do they!
Network Warrington have got a £1m pound loan off the council but that is another story not for here.
RE: Halton Transport - Raawwwrrr! - 16/03/2018 00:02
(15/03/2018 19:34)FC Pictures Wrote: can`t see them making much profit from a one depot operation in a small unlucrative town.they no longer have the budget for any new vehicles eitherWithin the small unlucractive town of Widnes, Halton have a higher frequency over their main competitor Arriva, and are also the consumer favourite, being seen as the more 'reliable' operator. Their fares are cheaper and they're the only operator within the Halton region to offer student day/weekly tickets at a reduced rate.
They're one of, if not the largest school and college operators in the Halton region.
Not only do they have a host of Merseytravel contracted services within the Liverpool City region, they have also gained the ever-extending contract with Riverside College to provide all of their college buses to/from both campuses. Within the last few years alone, this has expanded into a further 6 routes (40,42, 44a, 46, 47 and 48), and the college now provide every single member their students who live 1.5 miles away or more with a HBT pass, and pay HBT for the provision (It also means that students aren't using the competitors services where available outside of college hours).
They may not have the newest of fleets, or purchased a new vehicle for a while, but that means that the amount of debt the company has to be settled (of which there is five loans, two of which are fixed rate), their liabilities are ever decreasing year on year. The networth of the company and the amount of assets that they own has only just started to decrease, following a peak in 2016. As a whole, the company is currently performing better than it was 2012-2015, and impressive fact considering subsidiaries and ridership are lower. (Financial information taken from Companies House, using Company Check as a database).
RE: Halton Transport - Lynx - 16/03/2018 07:45
Besides Reece's above points I don't understand where this rubbish about them having low passenger numbers comes from, they might not carry as many passengers on the Liverpool corridor as Arriva but it is impossible to compete from Belle Vale onwards due to the sheer frequency of Arriva services, on the other hand if you live anywhere before Belle Vale and commute to Liverpool using the bus you would be stupid to buy an Arriva pass as Halton offers a cheaper and more frequent alternative these days. The 26 and 27 both do very well, as does the 62, particularly during term times. The 61 is a bit hit and miss but is always steady, couple that with the abundance of other schools, tenders, contracts etc and its easy to see why Halton is still a very viable operator.