Routes
RED & WHITE operated a network of stage carriage services (i.e. local bus routes) around south east Wales and the Forest of Dean. 
They also operated long-distance express coach services to a wide range of destinations across Britain. Here we explore the express coach services. Most were operated as part of the ASSOCIATED MOTORWAYS network. Ruby mainly operated these routes.
ASSOCIATED MOTORWAYS was formed in July 1934, following the 1930 Road Traffic Act, which encouraged competing coach operators to co-ordinate their express services. Six of Britain's largest express coach service operators joined forces to form Associated Motorways. They pooled their services between the Midlands and the south and west of England and between London and South Wales. The founding members were: Black & White (Cheltenham), Greyhound (Bristol), Midland Red (Birmingham), RED & WHITE (Chepstow), Royal Blue, (Bournemouth) and United Counties (Northampton).

Associated Motorways was an early example of a travel brand. It did not own or run any coaches. Each member company committed itself to providing an agreed mileage of timetabled express coach journeys for Associated Motorways and took an agreed share of the profits. The pool mainly operated a hub and spoke model, the hub being the art-deco Coach Station at Cheltenham, which Black & White opened in 1931. The spokes were a vast network of coach routes across Britain.

The consortium suspended operations during World War II from 1942 to 1946, but prospered thereafter. New members joined: Lincolnshire and Eastern Counties in 1956, Crosville in 1965 and finally Southdown in 1972. All of the members (except Black & White) also operated their own bespoke express coach services outside of the Associated Motorways consortium.
On summer weekends Associated Motorways could have over 800 coaches on the road. Every day, coaches from all over England and Wales converged on Cheltenham Coach Station and exchanged passengers with each other. At 2pm (from Winter 1968 at 2.30pm) an inspector blew his whistle, and all the coaches departed on-mass for hundreds of towns and cities across Britain. It caused temporary traffic chaos in Cheltenham , especially on busy summer Saturdays!

Two things led to the end of Cheltenham Coach Station. First, the expansion of the motorway network during the 1960's and ‘70s made coach services faster and more direct. It made Cheltenham services, which mainly followed traditional A-roads and only ran once a day uncompetitive. 

Second, in 1973 the National Bus Company formed 'NATIONAL' Travel to run its express coach services. Their focus was on more frequent, direct and quicker routes. Travel trends were changing and travel via Cheltenham was no longer an attractive proposition. National Travel was re-branded 'NATIONAL EXPRESS' in 1980. The company still operates Britain's largest express coach network.  

Cheltenham Coach Station closed in 1984 and was demolished in the late-1990's. The plot where it once stood on St. Margaret’s Road, is now a temporary car park awaiting redevelopment.
ASSOCIATED MOTORWAYS timetables from summer 1968
Below are details of the daily, express coach services run by RED & WHITE in 1968 as part of the ASSOCIATED MOTORWAYS network. 
Ruby operated most of these routes in her early years in service.
SWANSEA – CHELTENHAM 
via Neath, Aberdare, Merthyr, Tredegar, Monmouth, Coleford, Cinderford & Gloucester.
SWANSEA – CHELTENHAM
via Cardiff, Newport, Caerwent, Chepstow, Lydney & Gloucester.
TREHERBERT – CHELTENHAM 
via Porth, Pontypridd, Pontypool, Monmouth, Ross & Gloucester.
SWANSEA – LONDON 
via Cardiff, Newport, Caerwent, Chepstow, Newbury, Reading, Maidenhead, Slough & London Airport.
CARDIFF – BIRMINGHAM 
via Newport, Monmouth & Ross-on-Wye.
MONMOUTH – COVENTRY
via Ross-on-Wye & Birmingham.
CARDIFF – BLACKPOOL
via Newport, Monmouth, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Chester, Birkenhead, Liverpool & Preston.
ABERDARE – PAIGNTON
via Merthyr, Caerwent, Chepstow, Bristol, Weston, Taunton, Exeter, Teignmouth & Torquay.
TREHERBERT – SALISBURY
via Pontypridd, Pontypool, Caerwent, Chepstow & Chippenham.
(in summer this service was extended to Brighton on Fri/Sat/Sun's).

Saturdays only: 24 May to 12 October 1968  
CARDIFF – BOURNEMOUTH 
via Newport, Caerwent, Chepstow, Warminster, Blandford & Poole.
ABERDARE – WEYMOUTH 
via Merthyr, Caerwent, Chepstow, Bristol, Yeovil & Dorchester.
PORTH – MINEHEAD
via Pontypridd, Pontypool, Caerwent, Chepstow, Weston-super-Mare & Bridgwater.

Saturdays only: 1 June to 28 September 1968
ROCHDALE – BARRY ISLAND (joint route with Yelloway of Rochdale) 
via Manchester, Monmouth, Newport & Cardiff.
For passengers wanting to travel to most towns and cities across England or Wales, Cheltenham Coach Station was the main interchange between all Associated Motorways express coach services. RED & WHITE also used two local interchange and refreshment halts in Wales at:
  • Monmouth Bus Station - for services heading towards Birmingham, Blackpool and Cheltenham;
  • Austral Cafe, (near Caerwent on the A48) - for services heading towards Cheltenham, London, Paignton and Salisbury. In 1971 this was changed to Aust Services (on the M4) instead.
AM poster: Everywhere by coach
'Everywhere by express coach' - poster
The publicity department at Associated Motorways regularly produced posters promoting the express coach network, for participating bus companies to display in their bus stations and booking offices. 

Sadly, very few of the Associated Motorways posters have survived. 

Here we have digitally recreated one of the few advertising posters that has survived. Copies of this poster (size A2 and printed on quality gloss poster paper) are available to buy from us - just £5.
(Note: packaging & postage £2 extra). 

Contact Us to order your poster.
Share by: