Arriva Sapphire

Arriva Sapphire was a luxury brand used by different Arriva bus companies in the United Kingdom.

History
In February 2013, Arriva UK Bus announced that it would launch a luxury service called Sapphire for its bus services in the United Kingdom. 

Arriva launched the Sapphire brand on four routes:
Arriva Buses Wales' route 1 Wrexham to Chester
Arriva Midlands' route 31/31a Oadby to Leicester this route now uses any vehicles 
Arriva North East's route 7 Darlington to Durham
Arriva Shires & Essex's route 280 Aylesbury to Oxford

From 2014 to 2015, seventeen routes were added to the Sapphire brand

In 2017, the Arriva Sapphire logo and bus livery was improved. In 2018, the Arriva Sapphire logo was improved again.

In 2019, Arriva Midlands routes 1, 2, 2E from Walsall to Cannock/Huntington were changed to normal buses. Many routes around the country have been removed from the Sapphire brand.

In 2022, Arriva started to remove the Sapphire brand, the buses were painted into the normal Arriva livery or they were replaced with new buses.

Routes

As of July 2024, there were 29 Arriva Sapphire routes.

 Service no. Route start Route end Arriva Buses Wales 1 Wrexham Chester 12/X12 Rhyl Llandudno 10/10A Connah's Quay / Flint Chester Arriva North East 1/5/5A/X1 Darlington Bishop Auckland, Crook and Tow Law 3/X3/X3A/X4 Middlesbrough Lingdale, Skelton, Loftus and Whitby 7 Darlington Durham Arriva Shires & Essex 5/6 Lakes Estate Wolverton 133Colchester & BraintreeStansted Airport Arriva Southern Counties 480 Temple Hill Gravesend 490/491GravesendValley Drive or Riverview Park Arriva Yorkshire 110 Leeds Wakefield 163 Leeds Castleford via Garforth and Kippax 168  Leeds  Castleford via Woodlesford 229  Leeds  Huddersfield via Birstall and Heckmondwike 231/232 Wakefield Huddersfield via Lepton, Flockton, Overton and Horbury 415 York Selby via York Designer Outlet

Former services
 Service no. Route start Route end Notes Arriva North East 5/5AMiddlesbroughEasingtonRoute removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, buses were painted into normal livery. 6DurhamBishop Auckland and CockfieldRoute removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, buses were painted into normal livery. 22DurhamSunderlandRoute removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, buses were painted into normal livery. 23SunderlandHartlepoolRoute removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, buses were painted into normal livery. 24DurhamHartlepoolRoute removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, buses were painted into normal livery. X21/X22Newbiggin and AshingtonNewcastle-upon-TyneRoute removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, buses were painted into normal livery. 43MorpethNewcastle-upon-TyneRoute removed from the Sapphire brand, buses were painted into normal livery. 44/45DinningtonNewcastle-upon-TyneRoute removed from the Sapphire brand, buses were painted into normal livery. Arriva North West 38CreweMacclesfieldArriva North West stopped operating service in April 2023, route now operated by D&G Bus362ChorleyWiganArriva North West stopped operating the route in September 2023, now operated by Go North West under the Bee Network franchising system. Buses branded for this route were sent to Wythenshawe Depot and Hemel Hempstead, and can be seen operating various Arriva routes in South Manchester and Hertfordshire.575WiganBoltonArriva North West stopped operating the route in September 2023, now operated by Go North West under the Bee Network franchising system. Buses branded for this route were sent to Wythenshawe Depot and Hemel Hempstead, and can be seen operating various Arriva routes in South Manchester and Hertfordshire.263ManchesterAltrinchamRoute removed from the Sapphire brand in September 2023, buses were withdrawn from service and replaced by a variety of Sapphire and non-Sapphire buses from the Bolton Depot, which has been shut down due to the introduction of the Bee Network. Arriva Yorkshire 166LeedsCastlefordRoute withdrawn and replaced in part by revised routes 163 and 164. 167LeedsCastlefordRoute withdrawn and replaced in part by revised route 168. Arriva Midlands 31/31A/31E Haymarket Bus Station, Leicester Oadby Grange & Coombe RiseServices 31/31E now operated by standard buses.Service 31A was ceased in March 2020 until January 2023 when it was reinstated  X3Leicester City CentreMarket HarboroughFrequency reduced and Sapphire buses moved elsewhere in 2021.X84St Margaret's Bus StationRugby via Lutterworth Mainly being used on normal buses, however sometimes Sapphire branded buses are used. 38Derby Bus StationSinfinVehicles repainted into standard Arriva livery in early 2022. 110TamworthBirminghamRoute removed from the Sapphire brand in 2022, with the repaint of existing buses into standard livery. 158LeicesterHinckley-Nuneaton via Earl Shilton & BarwellVehicles are being repainted from January 2023. Arriva The Shires 320Hemel HempsteadRickmansworthWithdrawn on 17 April 2022 and replaced by new route 20 and extended route 321. 321LutonWatfordBuses repainted into Arriva Standard Livery throughout 2021 and route declassified. 280AylesburyOxford Route replaced by routes X7 and X8. X7/X8AylesburyOxford Routes withdrawn in July 2024. Arriva Southern Counties  101GillinghamMaidstoneBuses repainted into Arriva Journey Mark.470DartfordGravesendRoute withdrawn and replaced by the revised route 480480AGravesendRiverview ParkRoute renumbered to 491490AGravesendSinglewell, Valley DriveRoute renumbered to 490 700BluewaterChathamBuses repainted into Arriva Journey Mark, route now uses any suitable vehicle.

Buses
Buses had leather seats, free WiFi, power ports, and a blue livery.The first routes operated with old double deck buses and new VDL SB200s with Wright Pulsar bodywork .

New routes were added and new buses had been ordered for the new routes, the buses were Alexander Dennis Enviro400s, Wright StreetLites and Wright StreetDecks.

Some Wright Pulsar and Wright Pulsar 2 buses had been painted into Sapphire livery.

In 2020 some Optare Versas in Yorkshire were painted into the new Arriva Sapphire livery.

Related pages
Arriva Max

References

Other websites 

Category:2013 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:2022 disestablishments in the United Kingdom