Preserved Park Royal bodied Leyland Atlantean in London Country North East livery
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Parent |
National Bus Company (1986-88) AJS Group 1989 |
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Founded | 7 September 1986 |
Ceased operation | 1989 |
Headquarters | Hatfield |
Service area |
Hertfordshire Essex Greater London |
Service type | Bus operator |
Depots | 6 |
Fleet | 350 |
Operator |
County Bus & Coach Sovereign Bus & Coach |
ThameSide liveried Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart SLF of County Bus & Coach's successor Arriva East Herts & Essex in Upminster in October 2000
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Parent | AJS Group (1989-91) Lynton Travel Group (1991-97) |
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Founded | 1989 |
Ceased operation | 1997 |
Headquarters | Harlow |
Service area |
Essex Greater London Hertfordshire |
Service type | Bus operator |
Sovereign Bus & Coach Leyland Lynx in St Albans in June 1995
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Parent | AJS Group (1989-91) Blazefield Group (1991-2005) |
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Founded | 1989 |
Ceased operation | 2005 |
Headquarters | Hatfield |
Service area |
Hertfordshire Greater London |
Service type | Bus operator |
London Country North East was a bus operator in South East England and London. It was formed from the split of London Country Bus Services in 1986 and operated a fleet of around 350 buses from six garages, with its headquarters located in Hatfield.
The company was the last subsidiary of National Bus Company to be privatised, being sold to the AJS Group on 22 April 1988. Later in the same year it was split into County Bus & Coach and Sovereign Bus & Coach.
In the run-up to deregulation, London Country Bus Services (LCBS) was broken into four smaller companies on 7 September 1986. Three hundred and fifty buses, the garages at Hatfield, Hertford, Stevenage, Harlow, St Albans and the isolated base at Grays formed the new London Country North East (LCNE) company.
Early difficulties with staff conditions and wages, which the company was attempting to simplify from the complex contracts arranged by LCBS, led to strike action by staff in February 1988. Performance levels on contracted routes were already below those expected by the local councils who had awarded LCNE the contracts, and by London Regional Transport. Following the strike three of the company's London contracts (routes 292, 298 and 313) were terminated and awarded to independents.