Following a consultation process with affected employees Arriva North West has announced that it will close its Winsford and Macclesfield depots on 22 April 2023. The shutting of the depots means Arriva unfortunately will no longer operate any bus services in the Winsford, Northwich, Crewe and Macclesfield areas.
Both depots have been loss-making since before the pandemic and the number of journeys taken by passengers in the areas served by the depots has not recovered to the same levels as comparable operations following the pandemic. This is alongside the bus sector facing sustained and significant cost inflation meaning that revenue from the operations doesn’t cover the costs of running the operations.
The closure comes after Arriva North West took extensive actions to try and turn around these challenges, including launching a largely new network in November 2021 but unfortunately these steps have not delivered the required improvement.
Customers wishing to request a refund on a ticket for a bus service that is operated from either Winsford or Macclesfield depots, should visit www.arrivabus.co.uk/cheshiredepots-apr23 for further information.
Stagecoach and D&G will take over operation of some services in the areas. Further information can be found on the operator websites.
A spokesperson for Arriva North West Bus said:
“It is with great regret we announce we are closing our Winsford and Macclesfield depots and will no longer operate any bus services in the Winsford, Northwich, Crewe and Macclesfield areas. Our priority throughout this process is that everything runs as smoothly as possible, for both our customers and our colleagues. We have put in place support for our colleagues through this difficult time. Arriva have been working with Cheshire East, Cheshire West on routes transitions from Arriva to new operators.”