First South West is a bus company operating services in the English counties of
Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
,
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
and
Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
. It is a subsidiary of
FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.Kernow, Adventures by Bus and
Buses of Somerset
The Buses of Somerset was a brand used by FirstGroup for its buses in Somerset from its depots in Taunton and other towns from 2014 until 2024. The services were initially operated by its First Somerset & Avon subsidiary but were soon transferr ...
brands, all of which are now operating under the main First Bus brand.
Truronian
Truronian is a coach operator based in Cornwall. It is owned and operated by First South West, a subsidiary of FirstGroup. Previously, it also had a bus operation and a holiday business.
History
Truronian was formed in September 1987 by ...
continues to operate private-hire coach services under its separate existing branding.
History
First South West was known as 'First Devon & Cornwall' until 2015. This had been formed from two previous
FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.Western National
Western National (originally the Western National Omnibus Company) was a bus company operating in South West England from 1929 until the 1990s.
Early history
The Western National Omnibus Company was founded in 1929 as a joint venture between ...
in Cornwall and south Devon, and Red Bus in north Devon. FirstGroup purchased independent Cornish operator
Truronian
Truronian is a coach operator based in Cornwall. It is owned and operated by First South West, a subsidiary of FirstGroup. Previously, it also had a bus operation and a holiday business.
History
Truronian was formed in September 1987 by ...
in April 2008 and merged it into First Devon & Cornwall. First Somerset & Avon routes around
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...
and
Bridgwater
Bridgwater is a historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. The town had a population of 41,276 at the 2021 census. Bridgwater is at the edge of the Somerset Levels, in level and well-wooded country. The town lies along both sid ...
were transferred to First Devon & Cornwall in 2014 and rebranded as
The Buses of Somerset
The Buses of Somerset was a brand used by FirstGroup for its buses in Somerset from its depots in Taunton and other towns from 2014 until 2024. The services were initially operated by its First Somerset & Avon subsidiary but were soon transferr ...
.
On 6 September 2015, the
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
Tavistock
Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in the West Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy, from which its name derives. At the 2011 census, the three electoral wards (N ...
garages were taken over by
Stagecoach South West
Stagecoach South West is a bus operator providing services in Devon and East Cornwall along with coach services to Bristol. It is a subsidiary of Stagecoach.
History Devon General
The Devon General Omnibus and Touring Company commenced opera ...
. Torpoint depot is being used to store the unused members of the fleet. At the same time, First Devon & Cornwall changed their name to First South West to reflect their new area of operation which is only in Cornwall and south Somerset.
In January 2020,
Cornwall Council
Cornwall Council ( ), known between 1889 and 2009 as Cornwall County Council (), is the local authority which governs the non-metropolitan county of Cornwall in South West England. Since 2009 it has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary ...
awarded the entire tendered bus network within the county to
, consisting of 73 routes. Kernow continues to operate their entire commercial network across Cornwall, including Tinner, University, Lizard and Coaster branded routes, as well as the 24, 27, 87 and 91.
Commencing from May 2021, First South West launched a number of services under the 'Adventures by Bus' brand across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. These services are operated commercially and include a number of services that were previously operated by Kernow under different circumstances.
In December 2024, FirstGroup announced that they would be moving away from the majority of locally branded identities within their operating areas as the result of a brand re-focus. This included the Kernow and Buses of Somerset brands operated by First South West, with vehicles and other assets beginning a gradual re-branding process to incorporate the new brand identity.
Routes
First South West routes cover much of Cornwall. It operates the
Park & Ride
A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system (rap ...
service in
Truro
Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...
. In March 2015, First Kernow commenced operating some of
Western Greyhound
Western Greyhound was a bus operator based in Summercourt, near Newquay, which operated services in Cornwall and Devon from January 1998 until March 2015.
History
Western Greyhound was established in January 1998 to take over the three veh ...
following its sudden closure.
Although the operator is named ‘First South West’, it only operates services in
Cornwall
Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...
and Southern
Somerset
Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
, with a minority of services operating into
Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
. It does not cover the rest of the South West region of England, with these areas being covered by different subsidiaries of the wider FirstGroup business.
Many routes are operated commercially and not under any tender or subsidy by the local council. Many of these fall within Cornwall, yet many other services are also operated commercially rather than under tenders such as the Adventures By Bus routes.
First South West, trading as
The Buses of Somerset
The Buses of Somerset was a brand used by FirstGroup for its buses in Somerset from its depots in Taunton and other towns from 2014 until 2024. The services were initially operated by its First Somerset & Avon subsidiary but were soon transferr ...
, operated the Taunton Park & Ride service under a contract with
Somerset Council
Somerset Council, known until 2023 as Somerset County Council, is the Local government in England, local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England. Since 2023 it has been a Unitary authorities of England, unita ...
signed in 2021. This was due to last for five years, however, First South West informed Somerset Council it no longer finds the route to be viable and ended its commitment in February 2024. The service was taken over by Stagecoach South West.
Adventures by Bus
In May 2021, the 'Adventures by Bus' brand commenced operations across First South West's service area, with operations shared between the existing Kernow and
Buses of Somerset
The Buses of Somerset was a brand used by FirstGroup for its buses in Somerset from its depots in Taunton and other towns from 2014 until 2024. The services were initially operated by its First Somerset & Avon subsidiary but were soon transferr ...
divisions. The brand included many seasonally operated routes. These included; The Dartmoor Explorer, Lands End Coaster, Falmouth Coaster, Atlantic Coaster, and Exmoor Coaster services. Many of these services operated using open-top vehicles across the summer season. Adventures by Bus services operated out of multiple depots and outstations across the service area, all of which were owned and operated by either Kernow or
Buses of Somerset
The Buses of Somerset was a brand used by FirstGroup for its buses in Somerset from its depots in Taunton and other towns from 2014 until 2024. The services were initially operated by its First Somerset & Avon subsidiary but were soon transferr ...
. Adventures by Bus brought
First
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
services back to
Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
for the first time since September 2015.
Fleet
As of April 2019 the fleet consisted of 296 buses and coaches. This number has dropped to 169 as of February 2025.
First South West used to operate one of the oldest
FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.ADL Enviro400 MMCs,
ADL Enviro200 MMC
The Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MMC, also marketed as the Alexander Dennis Enviro200, is a single-decker city bus produced by Alexander Dennis since 2014 as the successor to the Enviro200 midibus and Enviro300 full-size bus.
The Enviro200 MMC ...
s and
Optare Solo
The Switch Solo (formerly sold as the Optare Solo) is a low-floor minibus/midibus with one or two doors manufactured by Switch Mobility in the United Kingdom since 1998. The Solo name is a play on its low-floor status, the manufacturer marketin ...
SRs. Most buses are typically second hand from within the
FirstGroup
FirstGroup plc is a British multi-national transport group, based in Aberdeen, Scotland.Plaxton President
The Plaxton President is a Low-floor bus, low floor double-decker bus coachwork, body built by Plaxton at the former Northern Counties Motor & Engineering Company, Northern Counties factory in Wigan, England. It was first unveiled in 1997 on t ...
s on
Volvo B7TL
The Volvo B7TL is a low-floor double-decker bus chassis which was launched in 1999 and replaced the 2-axle version of the Volvo Olympian (its 3-axle version was replaced by the Volvo Super Olympian). It was built as the British bus operator ...
and
Dennis Trident 2
The Dennis Trident 2 (the 2 standing for 2-axle) is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally manufactured by Dennis, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow. It was built by TransBus after Dennis was incorporat ...
chassis and
Plaxton Pointer
The Plaxton Pointer (originally known as the Reeve Burgess Pointer, and later as the TransBus Pointer and Alexander Dennis Pointer) is a single-deck midibus body that was manufactured between 1991 and 2006, predominantly on the Dennis Dart chas ...
bodied vehicles on a
Dennis Dart
The Dennis Dart is a Rear-engine design, rear-engined single-decker bus, single-decker midibus chassis that was introduced by Dennis Specialist Vehicles, Dennis of Guildford, England, in 1989, replacing the Dennis Domino. Initially built as a ...
chassis, although these have been replaced in recent years by Wrightbus Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL and B9TL vehicles. A number of Optare Solo's and
Mercedes-Benz Citaro
The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is a single-decker, rigid or articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz/ EvoBus. Introduced in 1997, the Citaro is available in a range of configurations, and is in widespread use throughout Europe and parts of Asia, ...
s are also present within the fleet.First: Devon, Kernow, Somerset, Truronian UK Buses 1 September 2013
Until December 2006 First South West operated the last sizeable fleet of
Bristol VRT
The Bristol VR was a rear-engined double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. Double-deckers are used primarily for commuter transport, but open-top models are used as sightseeing buses for tourists, and ...
double-deck buses in the United Kingdom.FDC VR running day, 09/12/06 sulzerpower.com Some of these Bristol VRTs have since been preserved.
Depots
*
Camborne
Camborne (from Cornish language, Cornish ''Cambron'', "crooked hill") is a town in Cornwall, England. The population at the 2011 Census was 20,845. The northern edge of the parish includes a section of the South West Coast Path, Hell's Mouth, C ...
*
Newquay
Newquay ( ; ) is a town on the north coast in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is a civil parishes in England, civil parish, seaside resort, regional centre for aerospace industries with an airport and a spaceport, and a fishing port on t ...
*
Penzance
Penzance ( ; ) is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is the westernmost major town in Cornwall and is about west-southwest of Plymouth and west-southwest of London. Situated in the ...
*
Taunton
Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...
*
Truro
Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...
*
Yeovil
Yeovil () is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Somerset, England. It is close to Somerset's southern border with Dorset, west of London, south of Bristol, west of Sherborne and east of Taunton. The population of the bui ...
Outstations
*
Eden Project
The Eden Project () is a visitor attraction in Cornwall, England. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay clay pit, pit.Ordnance Survey (2005). ''OS Explorer Map 107 – Fowey, Looe & Lostwithiel''. .
The complex is dominated by two h ...
Helston
Helston () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated at the northern end of the The Lizard, Lizard Peninsula approximately east of Penzance and south-west of Falmouth, Cornwall, Falmouth.Ordnance Survey: ...
*
Minehead
Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and close to the Exmoor National Park. T ...
*
Padstow
Padstow (; ) is a town, civil parishes in England, civil parish and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town is situated on the west bank of the River Camel estuary, approximately northwest of Wadebridge, ...
*
Bodmin
Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor.
The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordered ...
Callington, Cornwall
Callington () is a civil parish and town in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom about north of Saltash and south of Launceston.
Callington parish had a population of 4,783 in 2001, according to the 2001 census. This had increased to 5,7 ...
*
Exeter
Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...
*
Winkleigh
Winkleigh is a civil parish and small village in Devon, England. It is part of the local government area of Torridge District Council. The population of the parish at the 2011 census was 1,305, compared to 1,079 in 1901. The population of the el ...
See also
*
List of bus operators of the United Kingdom
:''This list is an alphabetically ordered index of current and past operators. For a structured list of current operators, see List of current bus operators of the United Kingdom''
This is a list of bus and coach operators of the United Kin ...