- Exeter-based bus and coach operator to join Go South West
- Acquisition adds 118 employees and 84 buses
- Complementary geographical fit alongside Plymouth Citybus, Go Devon Bus, and Go Cornwall Bus
The Go-Ahead Group has agreed to buy Dartline, a bus and coach operator based in Exeter, which will build on the group’s position as a leading local transport operator in Devon and Cornwall.
A well-established business with 30 years’ experience in the region, Dartline operates a fleet of 84 buses, coaches and special education needs taxis, and employs 118 people.
Dartline provides essential services for commuters, schools, day trippers local communities across East Devon. Its bus routes are a mixture of commercial routes and services operated under contract for Devon County Council.
Dartline’s coach division provides tours and private hire services. The company operates the team coach for Exeter Chiefs rugby union team.
Go-Ahead has grown rapidly in the West Country. From its origins as Plymouth Citybus, the group expanded into East Cornwall in 2014, and again in 2020 through an eight-year contract to deliver rural bus routes from Lands End to the Tamar for the county council, creating Go Cornwall Bus.
