019 - Blackpool Metro Coastlines Part Two

Blackpool Transport reached its most colourful phase to date with the birth of Metro Coastlines.
In the late 1990s, then managing director, Tony Depledge OBE, with his management team, developed the concept of high frequency main line routes that would replace the plethora of routes, and variations thereto, brought about by the amalgamation of Blackpool Transport Services Limited with Fylde Transport Limited in the summer of 1994.
By mid-1999, the plans were in place and a local transport consultancy firm carried out survey work that identified a core of routes (or Lines as they would become) that gave the Fylde Coast an entirely new network and, after Ray Stenning and his Best Impressions team came to town, the vibrant livery and Metro Coastlines fleetname was born.
Taking on, arguably, Britain's best bus livery designer was a stroke of genius and, by the time that all of the buses had received the new colours, bus usage in Blackpool was growing exponentially. Pocket sized timetables in the same theme complimented the operation.
Ensuring that only the right coloured buses operated each line was managed beyond most peoples' expectations and a generic fleet livery ensured that there were sufficient buses to cover service without the need for costly line liveried spares.
The generic fleet livery was mustard, dark grey and yellow and was applied to a number of Optare Deltas, Metroriders and one Leyland Olympian (401) although 401 never operated in service as such.
Line 1 buses were painted orange and yellow and designated Line 1 plus schools.
Line 2 was originally to be painted black and yellow but, before any buses were painted, it merged with Line 26 and became green and yellow. The black and yellow replaced the original generic livery without a bus operated as such with line 2 on the side.
Line 3 buses were painted mid blue and yellow.
Line 4 buses were painted "Cadbury purple" and yellow.
Line 5 buses were painted Post Office Red and yellow.
Line 6 buses were painted Maroon and yellow and all had to be repainted very quickly in the same colour but with a heavily varnished finish as maroon always goes flat.
Line 7 buses were painted purple and yellow.
Line 10 buses were originally painted sky blue and yellow but this was changed to pale grey and yellow when sky blue was redesignated as the colours for Line 16 that replaced the Lifetsyle Line.
Line 11 buses were painted turquoise and yellow.
Line 14 buses were painted British Racing Green and yellow.
Line 15 buses were painted pink and yellow.
Line 16 (replacing the Lifestyle Line) adopted sky blue and yellow.
Line 20 (+ Schools) was painted lilac and yellow
Line 26 was painted green and yellow and then merged with Line 2 retaining the colour scheme).
The years in the stewardship of Steve Burd as managing director were good for the company but, alas, all good things come to an end and when Trevor Roberts became managing director in 2009, the writing was on the wall for the colourful era as changes in concessionary fares scheme provision put pressure on all transport companies to cut costs and a new livery of predominantly black and yellow took over across the fleet - see "Blackpool Transport's darkest hour", also from podbaba transport - that covers the new era.

We hope that you enjoy watching this collage of Metro Coastlines. Please subscribe to (and like)    / podbaba   Transport.

Podbaba Transport
September 2021