The West Midlands is set to take public control of the local bus network. National Express is the largest bus operator in the region, accounting for around 94% of bus journeys in the West Midlands. But its parent company, Mobico Group, had recently indicated its intention to de-risk its bus operations.
This had put the vast majority of bus trips in the West Midlands at risk, but Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, has approved the acquisition of National Express’ regional bus operations—which includes around 4,800 staff, 1,300 buses and nine depots.
The WMCA’s acquisition will not only protect passengers, staff, services, depots, fleet and the wider bus network, but also grant greater control over routes, timetables, fares and service standards. Buses account for around 80% of all public transport journeys in the West Midlands, around 4.6 million trips each week.
Services, tickets and timetables will continue as normal during the legal and operational handover; the WMCA expects services to continue as normal once the handover is complete. WMCA expects the acquisition to complete in the autumn, subject to final due diligence checks.
West Midlands Bus Limited, the company established to hold the bus operations, will then operate as a subsidiary of WMCA, with its own governance and operational management. This means day-to-day bus operations will not be brought directly into the authority while services continue and the region moves towards franchising.
The WMCA will pay Mobico Group £24m up front for the business, with a further £5.5m in due course. The financial package will be funded mainly by WMCA through existing transport investment plans, with £11.5m of Government support for transaction-related costs. Pension arrangements are unaffected by the transaction.
What about bus franchising?
The Mayor still believes that bus franchising is the best long-term model for the region’s bus services, a decision announced in May 2025. This means that while the Authority still sets the routes, timetables, and fares, private companies will drive the buses under a contract. Contracts will be awarded from 2027 onwards.
