Diamond South East

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Diamond South East
Diamond South East Wright StreetLite 20182.jpg
A Wright StreetLite on route 458 in Kingston
Parent Rotala
Founded1913
Headquarters Stanwell
Service area Greater London, South East England
Service typeLocal bus services
Coach services (Hallmark)
Website Diamond South East

Hallmark Connections Limited, [1] trading as Diamond South East, is a bus operator in South East England and, through the Hotel Hoppa operation, in Greater London. It is a subsidiary of Rotala.

Contents

In addition to local bus services, Diamond South East operates the Hallmark luxury coach and corporate cars business, which was originally founded in 1913 as an independent company known as Flights Hallmark.

History

Flights Hallmark was established in 1913 in Birmingham. [2] Over the years it has developed in the coach industry, and as at March 2008 operated over 172 buses and coaches and 51 cars. [3] The company was purchased by Rotala in August 2005. [4]

Rotala

A Scania K230UB bus in Surrey in 2017 Scania K230UB YT61FEU Staines.jpg
A Scania K230UB bus in Surrey in 2017

Flights Hallmark bought the Surrey Connect business, which became part of Rotala shortly afterwards. It sold Surrey Connect to Wiltax in June 2007. Hallmark operates bus route 458 in Surrey, which links Kingston-upon-Thames and Staines-upon-Thames.

Hallmark logo HallmarkCoach.svg
Hallmark logo

Flights Hallmark was rebranded to Hallmark under Rotala ownership. When Rotala subsequently launched local bus services out of the Hallmark depots, these services were branded as Hallmark Connections. In 2021, Hallmark Connections was rebranded as Diamond South East; the Hallmark brand was retained for coach services. [5] [6] [7]

Current operations

A Bova-bodied coach in 2009 Flights Hallmark coach (YJ08 VPC), 21 February 2009.jpg
A Bova-bodied coach in 2009

Diamond South East operates 8 bus routes in Surrey and South West London, 4 of which primarily serve schools and the Royal Holloway University and another one which serves Whitley Village.

Since 6 July 2020, Diamond South East had operated route 250 between Oxford and Bicester via Hampton Poyle, Bletchingdon, Kirtlington, Lower Heyford, Upper Heyford and Middleton Stoney. They won the route from Oxford Bus Company in a recent tender renewal for Oxfordshire County Council contracts [8] This service ceased running on 11 February 2023 and will be partly replaced by service 24 operated by Grayline.

Hallmark currently runs buses and coaches from a number of depots in various parts of England. These services include shuttle bus services, airline or crew transfers, private hires, tours, and VIP services such as providing coaches for football teams. Clients include: Aston Villa, Burton Albion, Ipswich, Nottingham Forest, Walsall and West Bromwich football clubs Worcester Warriors rugby club. [9]

The chauffeur driven cars division of the business is Flights Corporate Transfers. This is usually airport transfer work.

Former operations

A Hallmark coach in National Express livery in 2013 Flight Hallmark, Rotala 13111 FJ11MLK (8483087492).jpg
A Hallmark coach in National Express livery in 2013

In 2011 Flights Hallmark became a National Express contractor. [10] These services have since ceased.

The Contract for the 557 Service expired and services moved over to Falcon Buses in August 2023. On 30 August 2024 the contracts for 555, 556, 710 and 459 expired, seeing the end of these Services. They would be replaced with new Services N555 and A60. The 555 would start a new contract under White Bus on 31 August 2024.

N555 runs the same route as the 555, but only running as far as Walton On Thames, and is a nightly service, starting at 9:50pm from Heathrow and 10:15pm from Walton and finishing at 3:30am both ways.

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References

  1. ↑ Companies House extract company no 4390228 Hallmark Connections Limited
  2. ↑ People to Places in Style Hallmark
  3. ↑ Flights Hallmark - Facts Accessed 5 March 2008
  4. ↑ History Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine Rotala plc
  5. ↑ Coming Soon... Diamond Bus South East Diamond Buses 15 February 2021
  6. ↑ Rotala makes changes to bus operations in the South of England Coach & Bus Week 16 February 2021
  7. ↑ Fleet News Buses issue 793 April 2021 page 74
  8. ↑ "250 Bicester to Oxford". Hallmark. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  9. ↑ "Company information". Flights Hallmark. Retrieved 5 March 2008.
  10. ↑ History History Archived 21 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine Rotala
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