The Eastern National Omnibus Company Ltd started trading in 1930 to take over the Essex and Bedfordshire services of the National Omnibus & Transport Company, initially with a fleet of 275 vehicles. It was owned 50% by two of the “Big Four” railway companies (LMSR & LNER) and in 1931 the Tilling Group acquired the National holding company, such that ENOC became managed as a Tiling company. In the 1930s it grew by the acquisition of other bus operators.
Nationalisation followed in 1948, and in 1951 the local services in the Grays area passed to London Transport. Then in 1952 the whole of the (separate) Midland Area based on Bedford was transferred to the United Counties company, leaving ENOC just serving Essex and immediate environs. However, control of Westcliff Motor Services (which by then included the City Coach Company and the Benfleet/Canvey companies) passed to ENOC, along with Hicks of Braintree, giving it a dominant position across Essex.
The last significant acquisition was of Moores of Kelvedon in 1963. Still state-owned, ENOC becamepart of the National Bus Company in 1969. Privatisation followed in 1986 with a sale to the company’s management, who then sold on to the Badgerline Group in 1990. An early move was to split the company into two, Eastern National for mid/north Essex and Thamesway for south Essex and London tendered bus services. Following the 1995 merger of Badgerline with Grampian Regional Transport, to form First Bus, EN and Thamesway were merged again and the company was renamed Essex Buses Ltd, today First Essex Buses Ltd. For the more recent history, refer to the First Essex archive page.
On-line resources:
Changes in ownership etc, 1980s & 1990s – from EN’s staff magazine, The Grapevine
Books:
Now long out of print, copies of the following books can sometimes be found on eBay, Bus Mart or on sales stands at rallies and transport fairs.
The Years Between 1909 and 1969 – Volume 1, The National Story to 1929, MacGregor, 1979
The Years Between 1909 and 1969 – Volume 2, The Eastern National Story from 1930, Oxford Publishing, 1984
Glory Days Eastern National, Ian Allan Publishing, 2003
The National Way, Silver Jubilee of the Eastern National, Cotterell & Co, 1955
Eastern National, 50 Years of Service 1930 – 1980, Eastern National, 1980
60 Years of Service to Essex, Eastern National and its Predecessors, Eastern National, 1990
75 Years of Service in Essex, 1930 – 2005, First Essex Buses, 2005