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Lucketts Travel
Scania LK400EB OmniExpress 3.60 in the older Lucketts livery in May 2011
ParentMobico Group
Founded1926; 98 years ago (1926)
HeadquartersFareham
Service areaHampshire
West Sussex
Service typeCoach services
Fleet160 (March 2020)
Chief executiveDavid Luckett
Websitewww.lucketts.co.uk

Lucketts Travel[1] is a coach hire and excursion company with depots in Fareham, Worthing and Southampton. It is a subsidiary of Mobico Group.

History

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Irizar Century bodied Scania K340EB in Worthing Coaches livery in January 2013

The company was founded in 1926 by Harry Luckett as a haulage and storage company and only bought its first coach in 1976. Harry's son David joined the company in 1963 and took over shortly after in 1966 when Harry died unexpectedly. The company’s haulage business continued to grow in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with Ready Mix Concrete and Schweppes major clients.

In 1976 David purchased the company’s first coach, choosing to drive it himself. It proved a very enjoyable and successful venture and a second coach was soon purchased. By the mid-1980s the coach fleet had outnumbered the haulage fleet.[2]

Growth and acquisitions

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In 2005 the Worthing Coaches[3] business was purchased followed in March 2006 by Flagship from Eastbourne Buses.[4][5]

In January 2009 Lucketts Travel took over operation of National Express routes from Portsmouth to London Victoria Coach Station (030), Heathrow Airport (203) and Bristol (300) from Tellings-Golden Miller.[5]

In March 2012 Coliseum Coaches was purchased with 12 coaches.[5][6][7] In March 2013, Lucketts commenced operating further National Express services; London Victoria Coach Station - Brighton (025) and Victoria Coach Station - Gatwick Airport (A3).[8][9]

In December 2017, the Lucketts Group acquired fellow coach operator, Solent Coaches with 12 vehicles.[10][11] In April 2018, North Hampshire firm, Mortons Travel was purchased with 35 vehicles.[12][13][14]

National express takeover

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In March 2020 the business was purchased by National Express.[15][16]

In January 2023, the coach excursion business of Lucketts Travel and six other National Express Transport Solutions companies were brought together under the 'Touromo' brand. The Lucketts name, as well as the names of the coach companies it has acquired, are to be retained for private hire services.[17][18]

Fleet

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As at April 2013, the fleet consisted of 103 vehicles.[19] The breakdown was Lucketts (54 vehicles), Worthing (8), Coliseum (12) and National Express (29).

In January 2013 a new common livery was introduced. A predominantly white base is offset with a swoop- brown/orange in the case of Lucketts, red/yellow for Worthing Coaches and grey/orange for Coliseum, which also carries a stylised depiction of the Coliseum in Rome.[20] Coaches dedicated to National Express services are painted in the client's livery.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Companies House extract company no 1072023 H Luckett & Co Limited
  2. ^ About Us Archived 15 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine Worthing Coaches
  3. ^ Companies House extract company no 1313045 Worthing Coaches Limited
  4. ^ Companies House extract company no 2000069 Eastbourne Buses Limited
  5. ^ a b c Lucketts:a brief history Coach & Bus Week issue 1082 10 April 2013 page 16
  6. ^ Lucketts buys Coliseum Archived 6 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach Professional 28 March 2012
  7. ^ Companies House extract company no 752569 Coliseum Coaches Limited
  8. ^ New National Express Contracts for Lucketts Travel Archived 2 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Lucketts Travel
  9. ^ New National Express Contracts for Lucketts Travel Archived 2 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Business East Hants 18 March 2013
  10. ^ "Lucketts Group acquires Solent Coaches as part of strategic expansion plans". www.lucketts.co.uk (Press release). Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  11. ^ Lucketts acquires Solent Coaches Coach & Bus Week issue 1320 5 December 2017 page 11
  12. ^ "Lucketts Group acquires 35-coach North Hampshire firm". www.lucketts.co.uk (Press release). Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  13. ^ Lucketts buys Mortons Coach & Bus Week issue 1339 24 April 2018 page 13
  14. ^ Lucketts acquires Mortons Travel Buses issue 759 June 2018 page 12
  15. ^ Lucketts Travel Group purchased by National Express Route One 2 March 2020
  16. ^ National Express acquires Lucketts Travel Group Coach & Bus Week issue 1434 3 March 2020 page 12
  17. ^ "National Express targets coach tourism with Touromo". routeone. 10 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  18. ^ Peat, Chris (10 January 2023). "NatEx creates new Touromo coach holidays brand". Bus & Coach Buyer. Peterborough. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  19. ^ More than a fleeting glance Coach & Bus Week issue 1082 10 April 2013 page 34
  20. ^ Unified branding for Lucketts fleets Archived 3 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach Professional 17 January 2013
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Media related to Lucketts Travel (coach company) at Wikimedia Commons

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