TM Travel

TM Travel is a bus operator based in Halfway, Sheffield which operates passenger bus services in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Founded in 1995 as a family-owned operation with one bus, by March 2008 it had expanded to become the largest independent operator in Derbyshire. The company was taken over by the Wellglade Group in January 2010.

History
TM Travel was founded in November 1995 by Tim Watts, a former employee of Hulleys of Baslow. Its first vehicle was a Leyland Tiger coach used on coach hire operations, and a depot near Chesterfield was used. Two similar vehicles were added to the fleet in early 1996 after an increase in requirements. Two school bus services were taken on in the same year and the fleet expanded to ten vehicles. In 1997 vehicles maintenance work was taken in-house by the company, and work on National Express services was introduced.

The company moved into scheduled bus service operation in 1999, winning a contract from Derbyshire County Council. A local route in Bolsover was launched a year later. In 2004 TM took over a route between Sheffield and Chesterfield previously run by Thompson Travel. A number of South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive contracts were won over the following few years and the fleet increased in size to over 100 vehicles, prompting a move from Chesterfield to Halfway.

In December 2006, the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority's Transport User's Advisory Group noted that TM Travel "provided a punctual service" – although it was also suggested that larger buses could be used.

As of March 2008, TM Travel was the largest independent coach and bus operator in Derbyshire, employing 120 staff, with all operations (including maintaining the fleet of vehicles) being in-house.

On 5 January 2010 the company was taken over by Wellglade, the holding company which owns Trent Barton, Kinchbus, Notts+Derby, Midland General and Derby Community Transport.

Fleet
TM Travel have a varied fleet consisted of 102 buses. Of these, over half are Optare Solo minibuses; the rest of the fleet is very varied. Fleet list correct as of 11 April 2013.


 * 53x Optare Solo
 * 15x Leyland Olympian
 * 8x Plaxton Centro
 * 7x Volvo Olympian
 * 4x Optare Excel
 * 3x Scania N113DRB
 * 2x Optare Versa
 * 2x Plaxton Paragon
 * 2x East Lancs Myllennium Lowlander
 * 1x East Lancs Myllennium
 * 1x Alexander ALX200
 * 1x DAF DB250
 * 1x Plaxton Pointer
 * 1x Ikarus Blue Danube
 * 1x Plaxton Profile

Services
TM Travel operate a number of services across South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, detailed below: