SM Coaches

S.M. Coaches is a bus and coach operating company based in Harlow, Essex in the United Kingdom. They mostly operate local services around Harlow, as well as school services and private hire. Olympian Coaches is also a part of the business, operating school services, private hire and commuter services into London. Some of the bus services were previously operated by Roadrunner Coaches.

History

S.M. Coaches started off as a post regulation company S.M. Travel. Their first route was route T15 which was a peak hour Essex County Council contract between Potter Street and Templefields Industrial Area in Harlow. The route missed out Harlow town centre completely. The route eventually became a commercial operation with many route changes throughout the years. S.M. Coaches have certainly grown over the years, with many routes competing with Harlow's main bus company, Arriva.

Olympian Coaches formed separately in 1998. Olympian bought the Stort Valley Coaches business (also trading as LocalLink) which including the London commuter services.

S.M. Coaches and Olympian Coaches are legally separate companies. In 2008, the two companies became quite close and now all bus services are registered under S.M. Coaches, which includes the former Olympian bus routes. The only services operating under the Olympian Coaches name are the London commuter services, private hire work and many school services.

Some of the Harlow local services were previously operated under Roadrunner Coaches.

The bus route SM19 (also sometimes referred to as just route 19) is another route becoming increasingly popular. The route competes on the Epping to Harlow corridor against companies such as Arriva, and TWH Bus & Coach. Route SM19 has become popular and has had healthy loadings because of the cheaper prices and quality of service, something the Epping to Harlow corridor has been lacking of for some time.

From January 2010, route SM19 was extended from Epping to Ongar, operating in direct competition with routes 500 and 501. As a result, the 500 has been cut back to operate between Epping and Harlow.

SM Coaches is now on Facebook from January 2010, where up to date travel and ticket infomation can be found for the company.

Current routes

S.M. Coaches mostly operates local services in Harlow, but some routes enter other towns, such as Hertford, Epping and Ongar.

Previous routes

• SM Coaches' first route was route T15 which was a peak hour Essex County Council contract between Potter Street and Templefields Industrial Area in Harlow, which . The route missed out Harlow town centre completely. The route eventually became a commercial operation with many route changes throughout the years, including extensions to Church Langley. It was renumbered the M15 in early 2006. It's last form was a frequent service between Harlow Bus Station and Potter Street, with a M16 operating a peak hour service from Potter Street to Pinnacles industrial area. The M15 eventually morphed into the SM19 in late 2009, as the SM19 followed the same route as the M15 between Potter Street and Harlow.

• Another one of their early routes was the 504. This was an Essex County Council contracted route that ran every 2 hours on Sundays, between Bishops Stortford and Epping via Sawbridgeworth and Harlow. It began in 1989, only lasting a few more years.

• A strange route operated was the G34, which was a Monday to Saturday evening service with one return journey between Harlow and Welwyn Garden City. It began on 26th October 1992, and lasted until AbOUT 2002.

• Route SM20 began on the 20th January 1999 operating as a school service with one return journey between Katherines & Sumners and St. Marks School. From 3rd September 2001, it became an all day service, operating every 15 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays between Sumners & Katherines to Harlow Bus Station via Staple Tye and Passmores, with some Monday to Friday peak hour journeys extending to Pinnacles and Templefields. The route lasted until August 2002.

• A peculiar route 600 was operated under Road Runner Coaches. It began on the 21st Feburary 2004 operating between Bishops Stortford and Lakeside shopping centre, via Sawbridgeworth, Harlow, and the M25 motorway. Two return journeys were operated on Saturdays only, and was of course aimed at shoppers. It lasted until the 19th March 2007.

• Route M9 was operated under Road Runner Coaches, and ran between Harlow Bus Station and Church Langley via Templefields and Old Harlow. It was the only route which served Templefields outside of the rush hour. Like the 600, it ceased operations on the 19th March 2007.

• After Buzz Co-operative ceased trading on 26th March 2003, SM Coaches took over the T6 route operating between Harlow Bus Station and The Stow. From 6th October 2003, the T6 was extend to Brays Grove, Potter Street and Church Langley Tesco. The route was withdrawn on the 4th March 2005.

• Another route was the T10, which began on 10th March 2003, and ended on the 24th December 2005. It operated between Church Langley and Harlow Town Station via Harlow Bus Station, in a similar route to the Arriva route 10. It is not sure whether SM operated in competition with Arriva, or just operated the contracted evening and Sunday journeys.

• Olympian Coaches also used to operate the R1 and R31 services to Sumners & Katherines from Harlow Bus Station, which were based on the Buzz routes B1 and B31. The R1 and R31 eventually became the M1 and M31 which still operate.

There are many other school services which have been operated by SM Coaches and Olympian Coaches, which are insignificant.

Vehicles

Buses

• Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart Bought new (EU08 FHB/C/D)
• Irisbus Agora Line Bought new (EU06KHK)
• Irisbus LoGo/Unvi Bought new (EU07 XGK/L/M)
• Dennis Dart/Plaxton Pointer - Ex-Arriva (K714KGU)
• Dennis Dart SLF/Plaxton Pointer 2- Ex-Armchair or Go-Ahead London (P677/678/681/684/685 RWU) (P741RYL) (R476/481/485 LGH)
• Dennis Dart/East Lancs EL2000 - (M223AKB)
• Dennis Dart/Alexander Dash - Ex-Stagecoach South (N602/606/607 KGF)
• Dennis Dart SLF/Caetano Nimbus - Ex-TGM (KU02 YBD/F)
• Dennis Dart SLF/Marshall Capital - Ex-Merseypride (P830/1 BUD)
• Iveco Daily/Marshall C31 - Ex-Arriva (M153RBH/M733AOO)
• Iveco EuroMidi/Vehixel Scolabus 24 - For use on school routes. (FD54EOO/FD54EOP)

Coaches

• Volvo B10M/Plaxton Premiere - (EAZ2576/EAZ2588/DAZ1558/DAZ1559)
• Volvo B10M/Plaxton Excalibur - (V282SBW/V283SBW)
• DAF SB3000/Van Hool - (Y304HUA)(Y314HUA)
• Iveco EuroRider 35/Beulas - MKZ1602/S233HGX/S234HGX/T289CGU/T936HTR/LV02LLJ/LV02LKD
• Bova Futura-MUI7857/KKZ7562
• DAF SB3000/Plaxton Premiere - WKZ2463 ex-R200SPK

See also

• Arriva Shires & Essex
• List of bus routes in Essex
• List of bus operators of the United Kingdom

External links

• SM Coaches website
• HarlowRide
• Traveline
• Essex County Council