Company History
Under the Warrington Tramways Act 1900, Warrington Corporation was authorised to construct a tramway system running along the five main roads out of town. This moment signalled the birth of the Warrington Corporation Tramways Department, a highly successful venture that went on to carry 225 million passengers in its 33 years of service.
By 1935, the trams had been replaced by motor buses and the Tramways Department soon became the Transport Department. The years that following were both progressive and exciting, with post war housing development bringing about extensions in service that continued to adapt as Warrington got bigger in size.
In 1986, all bus services in Great Britain (outside of Greater London) were deregulated and opened up to free competition, with state/municipal owned operators being privatised or set up as limited companies. As a result, Warrington Borough Transport was set up as an arms length company owned by Warrington Borough Council, and a policy of discreet expansion has been followed ever since.
Warrington Borough Transport has always rallied against rival bus companies to hang on to its market, and has always succeeded thanks to loyal support from the local community. We strive to deliver the best possible public transport service for Warrington, and our community ownership gives locals a real say on transport strategy. With seven non-executive directors on our board, as well as four locally based, full-time management directors, we combine the best of private sector experience with public sector ethos, allowing local people to make local decisions about the running of local services.
Recent Manoeuvres
Warrington is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the North West and high quality public transport is essential to the town's continued development. We carry over 9 million passengers per year using a fleet of 115 buses that operate approximately 6.5 million kilometres in service per annum. This figures are the product of us providing more frequent services on easy-to-use buses with value for money and high levels of customer service.
The top quality of training our staff was recognised when we were accredited as an Investor in People in 2004 and in 2005, we reached Charter Mark Standard for our commitment to customer service, whilst in 2010 we won a prestigious National Training Award.
Moving Forward
The history of Network Warrington has been full of notable achievements, but we also recognise the need to plan and look ahead.
Environmental issues caused by congestion are bringing an increased focus on reliable bus travel, and the aim is to attract people away from the car and onto our buses for at least some of their journeys. Our role is therefore an important one, but with new business and housing projects helping Warrington to realise its high potential, and passenger numbers continually on the rise, Network Warrington looks set to go from strength to strength.
