Cotswolds operator Pulhams Coaches has reported record growth two years on from being acquired by the Go-Ahead Group, with major fleet expansion, new contracts and an £8 million electrification project on the horizon.
The multi-million pound fleet electrification is expected to come through a combined investment by Go-Ahead, Gloucestershire County Council and the Department for Transport. Together they will fund 15 new electric vehicles and the infrastructure to support them at the company’s Cheltenham depot. The first phase of the programme is due to begin this autumn.
It comes as part of Go-Ahead’s commitment to reducing emissions by 75% by 2035 and becoming net zero by 2045.
“We’re moving towards a net-zero future, and Pulhams will be at the heart of this shift,” says Area Director Alex Chutter. “It’s an exciting time decarbonising our fleet and making continued changes which will have a genuinely positive impact on our customer experience and the environment.”
The investment follows record growth for the Bourton-on-the-Water-based company, which was founded in 1880 and had maintained family ownership for 143 years before it was sold to the Go-Ahead Group in 2023. Since then, the operator has added 58 vehicles to its fleet, taking the total to 151, and hired 58 staff, including 50 drivers.
The operator has also widened its geographical reach with the purchase of Cheltenham-based Swanbrook Transport and a five-year deal alongside sister company Swindon Bus Company to deliver 24 routes for Cirencester College students. Pulhams will operate 12 of those routes from September.
Other customer-facing investments include the launch of a new website, mobile app, and upgraded ticket machines. The operator has also partnered with Guide Dogs to provide free travel for volunteer puppy raisers, and worked with Gloucestershire County Council to trial new arrangements for coach pick-up and drop-off in Bourton-on-the-Water.
Adds Mr Chutter: “Pulhams is a much-loved and well-established business locally, with our services recognisable across towns and villages in the Cotswolds and its surrounds for more than a century.
“It’s really pleasing to see Go-Ahead Group’s investment in Pulhams driving the business forwards, for the benefit of our customers and colleagues.
“We’re committed to delivering high quality coach hire and a robust, reliable and efficient local bus and home to school coach network which many people living in the Cotswolds rely on either for work, education or to complete basic day-to-day tasks.”
