Arriva the Shires

2026 marks forty years since the United Counties operations in Luton, Hitchin and Aylesbury were transferred into the new Luton and District Transport Company, which in 1990 acquired London Country North West, and various other operators along the way. In 1994 the company was purchased by British Bus and later Cowie with the Arriva branding adopted nationwide in 1997. Boundary changes and closures now see the core operating area centred on Luton and Milton Keynes, with services reaching Watford to the south and Northampton to the north, as well as the 757 Green Line into Central London, while services in the Luton and Dunstable area make good use of the Busway to cut journey times. With 180 colour images and informative captions, Gary Seamarks details the vehicles operated over the past twenty-five years across the mixed fleet which has carried the various Arriva liveries as well as some others.