In February 2013,
Arriva UK Bus announced that it would launch a Luxury service under the Sapphire brand for its bus services in the United Kingdom. It is similar to the
Stagecoach Gold brand launched by
Stagecoach Group in 2007. Arriva initially launched the Sapphire brand on four pilot routes: •
Arriva Buses Wales' route 1
Wrexham to
Chester •
Arriva Midlands' route 31/31a
Oadby to
Leicester this route now uses any vehicles •
Arriva North East's route 7
Darlington to
Durham •
Arriva Shires & Essex's route 280
Aylesbury to
Oxford In 2014, the brand was extended to 11 more routes with another six scheduled for conversion in late 2015. In 2017, Arriva Sapphire was rebranded with a new logo and livery in line with the switchover to the new Arriva brand. The logo was given another update in 2018 to include the company's new corporate identity. In 2019, Arriva Midlands routes 1, 2, 2E running between Walsall and Cannock/Huntington were downgraded to regular buses after six years of Sapphire. Further routes across the country have since been withdrawn or removed from the Sapphire brand. In 2022, Arriva started to phase out the Sapphire brand nationally, with the majority of buses being repainted into the standard Arriva livery or replaced with new buses. ==Routes==