Competition returns to Preston

Tuesday 16th June 2026 This is becoming a bit of a habit. Two Tuesdays ago I reported on new competitive developments in Southend-on-Sea between First Bus and Arriva; last Tuesday it was about Arriva and Stagecoach’s new battle in Stevenage and today I’m catching up with further competitive developments, this time in Preston where a knockabout between Preston Bus and Stagecoach has reactivated. Which is nothing new, of course. There’s history between the two operators. 20 years ago there was a right royal battle when Stagecoach launched competitive like-for-like ‘citi’ branded routes on lucrative corridors against the former municipally owned Preston Bus which had been subject to a management buy-out in 1993. The competition was so intense it presuaded Preston Bus the best course of action was to sell up to Stagecoach but as many predicted at the time, not surprisingly, the competition authorities intervened forcing Stagecoach to sell its newly acquired company which it eventually did…