The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has approved the acquisition of the entire bus operations run by National Express in the region. Mayor Richard Parker announced the board's decision, which is part of his move towards franchising the bus network.
Mobico Group, the parent company of National Express West Midlands, confirmed it had reached an agreement in principle, describing the move as de-risking its operations. The acquisition is expected to complete in the autumn, subject to final due diligence checks.
Mayor's policy and public control
Bringing buses back into public control was a key policy for Richard Parker during his campaign before his election in 2024. He said moving from the current private operator model would give Transport for West Midlands more control over fares, routes and timetables.
National Express is the largest bus operator in the region, accounting for around 94 per cent of bus journeys in the West Midlands. Its regional operation includes around 4,800 staff, 1,300 buses and nine depots.
Protecting services and jobs
WMCA said Mobico's decision posed a significant risk to the biggest part of the region's public transport network. Given the scale of the operation and the importance of buses, the board approved a managed acquisition to protect passengers, staff, services, depots, fleet and the wider bus network.
Services, tickets and timetables will continue as normal during the legal and operational handover. Passengers do not need to do anything differently, and WMCA expects services to continue as normal once the handover is complete.
Mayor's statement
Richard Parker said: "I wasn't prepared to stand by and watch hundreds of buses disappear from our roads because a private company decided to walk away. People rely on these buses to get to work, to school or to hospital appointments. They are a public service and I believe they should be run in the public interest."
He added: "So we stepped in. We protected the services people depend on, protected jobs and kept the West Midlands moving. For too long, decisions about our buses have been driven by what works commercially, rather than what passengers and communities need. That is what has to change, and I am changing it."
Parker continued: "I won't shy away from taking difficult decisions in the public interest. We are continuing to push ahead with franchising because I want decisions about routes, fares and timetables made here in the West Midlands, with passengers put first. There should be no doubt who our bus network ultimately answers to – the millions of people who rely on it every single day."
Mobico's response and next steps
Paco Iglesias, Group CEO of Mobico Group, said: "We have been proud to serve the people and communities of the West Midlands for some 40 years, supporting 210 million passenger journeys a year in the region. This has only been possible thanks to the thousands of colleagues who have relentlessly delivered a safe, reliable and accessible bus service day in, day out."
He added: "We have worked closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to help find the most effective way of introducing bus franchising. This is an important step in that process, providing continuity for passengers and colleagues, and we look forward to working with the WMCA to ensure a smooth handover in the coming months."
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 an arm's length 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 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 for staff are unaffected by the transaction, and the package has been designed to protect services, maintain network stability and support the transition to franchising.
The WMCA Board endorsed the decision to franchise the bus network in May 2025, and that decision remains unchanged. On Monday 17 August, WMCA issued the Invitation to Tender for the first tranche of the West Midlands Bus Franchising programme, marking the start of the formal procurement phase. Further updates will be provided to passengers, staff and stakeholders as the acquisition progresses.
