Arriva North West due to close two Cheshire bus depots

Two bus depots in Cheshire are to close later this month, impacting routes across the county.

Arriva announced earlier this year that it was "with great regret" the two sites would close on 22 April.

The closure means the end of the company's services in the Winsford, Northwich, Crewe and Macclesfield areas.

Union Unite said most employees had been redeployed within the region.

Arriva has not confirmed how many staff are affected by the closure.

Rival operators Stagecoach and D&G are to take over operating some routes in the area.

D&G is to take over a number of the routes while Stagecoach will operate the 84 between Crewe and Chester.

Some routes, including the 7 Winsford Circular and the 4 from Barnton to Kingsmead via Northwich have not been picked up by other operators.

Arriva's routes will end on 22 April, with new operators starting their routes the following day.

A spokesperson for Arriva North West said: "Our priority throughout this process is that everything runs as smoothly as possible, for both our customers and our colleagues.

"We have put in place support for our colleagues through this difficult time. Arriva have been working with Cheshire East, Cheshire West on route transitions from Arriva to new operators."

Unite's regional officer Sam Marshall said the union had been working with the firm to minimise the number of staff affected by the closures.

"The union is continuing to support and assist those members who remain directly affected, to achieve the best possible outcome."

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