What York Pullman does

York Pullman Bus Company Limited is a York-based coach and bus operator that traces its origins to 1926 and was re-established under MD Tom James in April 2007. Operating from depots in Rufforth (head office), Strensall, Boroughbridge, and Market Weighton, the company runs a fleet of more than 100 award-winning coaches and 130+ vehicles spanning 16-seat minibuses to 70-seat coaches, including York's first fully electric Yutong TCe12 coach. Service lines cover private coach hire, corporate hire, school trips, VIP and wheelchair-accessible hire, contracted home-to-school transport, scheduled local bus routes (19, 21, 36, 37), rail replacement services, and event-based transport for venues such as York Maze, Dalby Forest, and York Racecourse, plus open-top city tours through Golden Tours York and York City FC matchday shuttles.

The business is diversified across revenue streams with different economics: recurring contracted revenue from local authority school transport and local bus routes, transactional private hire priced by quote, partnership-based tourism and event services, and a niche wedding and heritage sub-brand (York Classic Bus Company) operating vintage Routemasters. GTM is primarily sales-led through phone, email, and website quote requests, complemented by tendered local authority contracts and channel partnerships with Golden Tours, York City FC, and the MyTrip app. Certifications include Guild of British Coach Operators membership (only operator in the area), DVSA Earned Recognition, and CoachMarque accreditation, which together underpin quality positioning and tender eligibility.

In 2024, York Pullman agreed a sale of the business to FirstGroup plc, the listed UK operator of First Bus, with Tom James retained as MD and the company continuing to run on a standalone basis under group ownership. The company is headquartered in Rufforth, York, and serves customers across North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, the wider UK, and parts of Europe for private hire.

Name

York Pullman

Legal name

York Pullman Bus Company Limited

Website

https://yorkpullmanbus.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

York Pullman Bus Company is a York-based coach and bus operator serving schools, corporates, tourism, and local bus passengers across North Yorkshire with a fleet of 130+ vehicles including York's first fully electric coach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Coach and Bus Transportation Services

NAICS

Charter Bus Industry (485510), Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), School and Employee Bus Transportation (485410), Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (48521)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter & Tour Coach Operators (TLAFAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scheduled Intercity Coach Operators (TLAFAFAA), Luxury / Premium Coach Operators (TLAFAFAE), Coach & Bus Charter Fleet Rental (With/Without Driver) (TLABADAE)

Keywords

• Coach hire services
• School transport contracts
• Local bus operations
• Wedding coach hire
• Rail replacement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rufforth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Home to School Transport Contracts: Contracted services providing transportation for students to schools and colleges in York and surrounding North Yorkshire areas
2. Private Coach Hire: Private hire for school trips, corporate events, weddings, VIP services, and special occasions throughout UK and Europe
3. Local Bus Services: Local bus routes operated on behalf of local authorities, complementary to First Bus operations in York. Includes routes 19, 21, 36, 37
4. Rail Replacement Services: Coach services provided when rail services are disrupted, such as during storms
5. Open Top Tours: City tours in partnership with Golden Tours York, serving York's thriving visitor and leisure market
6. Wedding and Heritage Transport: Vintage and heritage vehicles for weddings and special occasions through York Classic Bus brand

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

York Pullman Bus Company operates a fleet of more than 100 modern coaches and buses delivering private coach hire, corporate coach hire, school trip transport, home-to-school contracted services, scheduled local bus routes, rail replacement services, wedding and heritage transport (via York Classic Bus), open-top city tours, and football supporter transport. Vehicles range from 16-seat minibuses to 70-seat coaches, including York's first fully-electric Yutong TCe12 coach, with on-board amenities such as reclining seats, air-conditioning, USB charging and wheelchair accessibility.

Product overview

York Pullman Bus Company operates a multi-service transport business centered around coach and bus hire. The core offering includes private coach hire (ranging from 16-seat minibuses to 70-seat coaches), corporate hire, school trips, and home-to-school contracted services. The company also operates local bus routes (19, 21, 36, 37) and rail replacement services. A sub-brand, York Classic Bus, provides specialist wedding and event services with vintage vehicles including London Routemasters and heritage buses. The fleet comprises modern vehicles with various specifications including air conditioning, reclining seats, and accessibility features, with the recent addition of York's first fully-electric coach (Yutong TCe12). The company also provides York City FC supporter transport and open-top city tours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• York Classic Bus Company: Specialist coach and bus hire for weddings and other special occasions, featuring vintage London Routemasters and heritage vehicles.

Products and services

• Private Coach Hire Coach hire for day trips, outings and tours across York, North Yorkshire, the UK and Europe, with vehicles from 16 to 70 seats. Targeted at groups and individuals organising leisure or group travel.
• Corporate Coach Hire Professional coach hire for corporate events, conferences and business transportation needs, serving business clients across the UK.
• School Trip Transport Specialised coach transportation for educational school trips, excursions and educational visits to museums, universities and places of interest.
• VIP Coach Hire Premium luxury coach hire for VIP transportation, executive travel and special occasions requiring high-end amenities.
• Wheelchair Accessible Coach Hire Coach hire services featuring fully wheelchair accessible vehicles compliant with accessibility regulations for passengers with mobility requirements.
• Home to School Transport Services Contracted bus and coach services transporting students to and from schools and colleges in York and North Yorkshire, procured through local authorities.
• Local Bus Services Scheduled local bus routes operating in York and surrounding areas (routes 19, 21, 36, 37) with a £3 fare cap and ticketing via the MyTrip app.
• Rail Replacement Services Coach services provided during railway disruptions and train service interruptions to transport stranded passengers, with capacity to mobilise 35+ vehicles.
• Open Top Bus Tours Hop-on hop-off open top bus tours of York operated in partnership with Golden Tours York, featuring 20 stops across the city with 24 or 48-hour ticket validity, including add-ons for river cruises and Clifford's Tower visits.
• York Classic Bus Wedding and Heritage Hire Specialist wedding and event transport featuring vintage 1960s London Routemasters, heritage single-deck buses (28, 35, 41 and 57 seats), modern retro double-deck buses and a cream London wedding taxi, available with decorated ribbons and platform attendants.
• York City FC Transport Services Official transport provider services for York City Football Club, including VIP coach transport for first team away games, matchday shuttle buses (route Y22) between city centre and LNER Community Stadium, and supporters' coach travel to away fixtures.
• Yutong TCe12 Fully Electric Coach York's first fully-electric zero emission coach with 50 seats, a 281Kwh battery providing over 200 miles range per charge, full charge in under 2 hours, fully accessible wheelchair entrance, USB charging at every seat, three-point seatbelts, LED lighting and entertainment system. Used across home-to-school contracts, private hire and rail replacement services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carrying over 1,000,000 passengers annually since 1970s
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, minor and core.

• Stephensons of EasingwoldsupportingOthers · 1 January 2018York Pullman purchased the Company name, trading rights, phone number, website, ongoing booking and forward diary of Stephensons of Easingwold. Offered employment to approximately 15 former Stephensons staff and operates some school routes.
• Dalby ForestminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership for Forest Live concerts at Dalby Forest. Special coaches operated from Scarborough, Helmsley & Pickering, and York & Malton for Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott, and George Ezra concerts.
• Golden Tours YorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for open top city tours of York. York Pullman provides vehicles and drivers for hop-on hop-off tours with 20 stops, 24 or 48 hour validity, with options for river cruises and Clifford's Tower visits.
• York City Football ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial transport provider to York City Football Club. Provides VIP coach transport for first team away games, matchday shuttle buses (Y22) between city centre and LNER Community Stadium, and official club transport for all supporters.
• S&B Automotive Academy (Bristol)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with S&B Academy in Bristol for professional Engineer Training Schemes. York Pullman selects best candidates for enrollment and invests heavily in their training over three years for Level 3 Bus and Coach Engineer qualifications.
• York MazeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Halloween services including special week-long variation of route 36 for daytime visits and 'Zombie Bus' service for Hallowscream night-time attraction.
• Wizard Bus TourminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Wizard Bus Tour to provide Harry Potter themed day tours visiting Yorkshire filming sites and themed locations.
• York City CruiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for river cruises along the River Ouse as add-on to open top bus tours, providing panoramic city views with live commentary.
• York RacecourseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with York Racecourse and other bus operators (First York, Arriva Yorkshire, York Bus) for special race day service 197 for Rod Stewart concert, operating from railway station to racecourse.
• MyTrip by PassengercoreTechnology or IntegrationYork Pullman local bus services featured on MyTrip app enabling customers to buy tickets on phone, track buses in real time, and gift tickets to friends and family.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• FirstGroup plc: Parent company of York Pullman since 2024 and the UK's second-largest bus operator. Directly comparable as a multi-region bus and coach operator with extensive fleet and contracting relationships, though FirstGroup's scale (LSE-listed, multi-billion revenue) is many multiples of York Pullman.
• Arriva: Major UK bus and coach operator owned by Deutsche Bahn, running local bus services, school transport, and private hire across multiple regions. Directly comparable in service mix (school, local bus, charter) but at substantially greater scale and geographic reach.
• Stagecoach Group: One of the UK's largest bus and coach operators with regional subsidiaries across England, Scotland, and Wales. Comparable contracted school transport, scheduled bus, and coach hire services, with overlapping UK operating geography and similar contract-based revenue model.
• Go-Ahead Group: UK and international bus operator (including Oxford Bus Company, Brighton & Hove, Southern Vectis) operating scheduled bus, school transport, and corporate coach hire. Closely comparable in service breadth and reliance on local authority contracts.
• National Express: UK's largest scheduled coach operator and global mobility group. Comparable intercity coach operations, though skewed more toward scheduled long-distance services than York Pullman's regional school/event focus.

Direct peers

• Transdev Blazefield: UK regional bus operator (subsidiary of Transdev) running local services, school transport, and private hire in northern England. Closely comparable regional UK bus/coach operating model with similar contracted and discretionary revenue mix.
• Whippet Coaches: Cambridgeshire-based regional coach and bus operator offering private hire, school transport, scheduled services, and rail replacement. Highly comparable mid-sized UK operator with similar product mix and customer segments.
• Reays Coaches: Cumbria-based family-owned coach operator (later sold to ComfortDelGro Transit) running private hire, school contracts, and day excursions. Directly comparable as a regional family-run coach operator with similar fleet scale (50+ vehicles) and service portfolio.
• Kings Ferry: Premium UK coach operator specializing in corporate and event coach hire. Comparable in the corporate/private hire segment where York Pullman competes, with similar focus on high-specification vehicles and contract-based B2B customers.
• Johnsons Coach & Bus Travel: Henley-in-Arden-based coach and bus operator (part of Johnsons Coach Group) offering private hire, school transport, corporate travel, and tours. Similar mid-sized regional operator with overlapping customer segments and family-business heritage now operating under group ownership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yorkpullmanbus
• Facebookfacebook.com/yorkpullmanbus
• Instagraminstagram.com/yorkpullmanbus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/york-pullman-bus-company-limited

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about York Pullman