Route History

[MTL0201]

RE: Route History
The X2 Preston-Southport section has it's origins on the Ribble 727 Liverpool-Skipton via Southport-Preston-Clitheroe, early 80s the 727 was renumbered X27 & cut to operate Liverpool-Barnoldswick, with X37 Liverpool-Southport added, X27 i think was withdrawn at d-reg, now operated by North Western X37 stand alone route, then merged late 80s with Crosville X7.

the Preston-Skipton reappeared with new number 280

My memory of Lancashire routes is a bit hazy, but by mid 90s Stagecoach Ribble had an express network

X25/X26 Clitheroe-Manchester via Blackburn-Bolton
X43 Colne-Manchester via Burnley-Rawtenstall, although this was under the Mancunian brand
X51 Southport-Morecambe via Preston-Lancaster
X61 Fleetwood-Manchester via Blackpool-Preston
X62 Preston-Manchester via Chorley
X63 Preston-Burnley via Blackburn
X64 Fleetwood-Bolton via Blackpool-Preston-Chorley-Horwich

Mostly operated by coaches, X43 could see articulated coaches on that route, summer weekends the X61 was often replaced by deckers
X61 was eventually cut Cleveleys-Manchester, then Blackpool-Manchester before being withdrawn

X51 was split at Preston, renumbered X59 & diverted to Blackburn via the X63, X63 was withdrawn, Morecambe-Preston section of the X51 was renumbered X41, reduced to a couple of journeys in the peak hours, X62/X64 were eventually withdrawn.

X43 passed to Burnley & Pendle, Ribble had outstationed buses for the X43 at Burnley & Pendle garage, then Stagecoach brought Burnley & Pendle[at first Pendle councils share, then Burnley councils share, owning Burnley & Pendle outright when Burnley council couldn't afford the planned investment in new fleet Stagecoach had announced] when Stagecoach sold Burnley depot, along with Blackburn depot were they'd been a few strikes over pay, to Blazefield, now part of Transdev group.

X59 was eventually split at Preston, Blackburn-Preston journeys numbered 59, with X59 Southport-Preston.

Mid 00s, X59 was renumbered X2 & extended to Liverpool via the CMT 284, i seem to remember at first shared operation between Gillmoss & Preston depot, before Preston became sole operator.