Southern National returns

The Southern National name is set to return to the roads. JJP Holdings SW Ltd, which already operates Crosville Motor Services, has been granted an operator’s licence enabling Southern National to be re-established as a new company within the group. To celebrate, JJP Holdings has restored an original Southern National bus with its iconic green and cream livery. As well as Crosville Motor Services and Southern National, it owns three other group companies and operates over 85 vehicles in Somerset.

Originally established in 1929, Southern National became part of the National Bus Company in 1969. It was then revived in 1983 when Western National was divided into four companies in preparation for privatisation and passed to FirstGroup in 1999.

MD of JJP Holdings and Crosville Motor Services, Jonathan Jones-Pratt, said, ‘We are very excited about being granted the opportunity to revive the Southern National name. Being able to bring the heritage of the brand back to life, as we did with the Crosville name over ten years ago, is a real honour. We have big plans for Southern National, which will be very much involved in the interim work we are doing to transport workers to and from the Hinckley Point C site, as well as the Somerset Passenger Solutions collaboration that has preferred bidder status for the contract on site in the future. Southern National will operate as a standalone business that we anticipate will expand quickly to around 50 vehicles through 2016/17, providing a great boost for the strength of our collective companies.’