Dashing through our countryside, from village to village and int’Town with its splash of pink, the new ‘Team Pennine’ Denby Dart has arrived!
WHERE TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK – WELCOME TO THE NEW TEAM PENNINE!
- New bus operator for the Kirklees and Calderdale districts of West Yorkshire takes to the road last Sunday, securing and creating jobs
- One in three buses to be replaced in first three months as Transdev drives ahead with its transformation roadmap
- All-new ‘Denby Darts’ route first to launch last Sunday – with much more to come, including new brands for Huddersfield and Holmfirth
- Getting closer to you – new bus firm to form partnerships with local community groups and organisations
‘Team Pennine’ is destined to become a familiar brand name to thousands of customers in and around Huddersfield and Halifax when parent firm Transdev takes over bus services previously run by Yorkshire Tiger.
Earlier this year, Transdev signed an agreement to buy the old Yorkshire Tiger business for an undisclosed sum from its owners Arriva – not only securing 163 existing jobs at two depots at Elland, near Halifax, and Waterloo in Huddersfield, but also creating more work as the newcomer looks to expand its presence across the region.
The new ‘Team Pennine’ brand identity and distinctive pink livery will be progressively introduced on a route-by-route basis as part of a company-wide transformation plan over the next 18 months.
Key routes will also be branded individually to raise their profile and attract new customers,
The all-new ‘Denby Darts’ route D1 started on Sunday
Linking Denby Dale, Clayton West and Skelmanthorpe with Huddersfield.
Transdev CEO Alex Hornby said: “Right from day one we’re all about making a positive impact for our new customers and being a company that reflects the spirit of the locations and people we serve. We will invest in the quality of service immediately by replacing one in three of the old Yorkshire Tiger bus fleet by the end of October, as part of our mission to create buses people will be proud to be seen on.
“Denby Darts will be our first new branded bus route, launching on the first day we start running as Team Pennine. Its buses will be the first in our new bright pink livery – and on the inside, there’ll be free Wi-Fi, USB power for mobile devices at each seat, audio visual next stop announcements to make sure no-one misses their stop, and comfortable seats with leather headrests.
“In the coming weeks we’ll also be revealing upgrades to further routes in the Huddersfield and Holmfirth areas, while a brand-new fleet of Mercedes minibuses will land in the Halifax area too. And all this will come at no extra cost to customers, with fares unchanged plus a new range of day, week and longer period tickets available alongside our popular go-anywhere Transdev tickets from our Daytripper and Gold ranges.
“Our experience elsewhere has shown that forming strong and close links with the communities we serve is vital to our success in delivering real, positive and lasting change for bus users, and ensuring the bus is placed front and centre in enabling real improvements to everyday living in Kirklees and Calderdale. We’re already engaging with councils and community leaders, with further announcements to follow in the coming weeks.
“We can’t wait to welcome our first new customers onto the new Team Pennine this Sunday – the name will be symbolic of our local and people-focused approach, with the long-term view of growing bus use firmly in mind.”
New fare deals offering more choice and value for Team Pennine customers from this Sunday include:
- A new Pennine day ticket for use on any Team Pennine bus, with new bundles of five and 10-day tickets offering bigger savings
- A new 12-journey ticket, cutting the cost of a one-way journey to £1.42 per trip
- Two can ride all day on any Team Pennine bus with a new Pennine Duo ticket, while the new Pennine Group ticket is just £8 for up to five travelling together
- For regular Team Pennine travellers, new 28-day and subscription tickets will offer best value.
Drivers, engineers, cleaners and support colleagues who will all transfer into the new Team Pennine business from this Sunday will join Transdev’s existing family of 1,200 people based at its eight existing operating centres across Yorkshire and Lancashire.