Leyland Lynx in September 2009 bodied
Leyland Olympian in
Leeds in April 2006 Arriva Yorkshire was formed as a combination of mergers of previous companies based in West and North Yorkshire. In 1904 Yorkshire (West Riding) Electric Tramways began operating tram services in
Wakefield followed in 1906 by
Castleford. In November 1923 the West Riding Automobile Company began operating bus services in
West Riding. Yorkshire Woollen District Transport, meanwhile, operated services around
Dewsbury. Both companies were acquired by the
National Bus Company, along with Selby & District with the companies maintaining separate identities. In 1987 West Riding Automobile and Yorkshire Woollen District were sold in a
management buyout to Caldaire, under whose ownership they traded as West Riding Buses and Yorkshire Buses respectively. In 1994 South Yorkshire Road Transport, based in
Pontefract, was purchased. All were rebranded under the Arriva brand in 1997. From May 2008 until July 2021, there was a sister company in
Huddersfield.
Centrebus Holdings, in which Arriva held a 40% stake, was formed when the Huddersfield operations of
Stagecoach Yorkshire was purchased along with the separate K-Line bus company. In September 2013, Arriva took full ownership of Centrebus Holdings and K-Line with the former rebranded Yorkshire Tiger and the latter as Tiger Blue. When Yorkshire Tiger was sold to
Transdev Blazefield, routes 231 and 232 were not included and transferred to Arriva Yorkshire. In May 2022, 650
Unite the Union members working at Arriva Yorkshire depots voted in favour of indefinite strike action, beginning 6 June. Unite members were balloted on strike action following Arriva's offer of a 4.1% pay increase, which was below the 'real inflation rate' of 11.1%. No Arriva bus services operated in the region throughout the duration of the strike. Arriva Yorkshire apologised to customers for inconvenience caused by the strike, claiming their pay increase offer was "fair". Bus services briefly resumed on 2 July 2022 – when the strike was suspended to allow union members to be balloted on an increased pay offer from Arriva, however the offer was rejected by 53.7% of union members, with the strike resuming on 13 July. Bus services would then resume two days later in what Unite called "an act of good faith" as the union began negotiations on a new pay offer from Arriva, promising 14 days notice of resumed strike action. In September 2024, Arriva Yorkshire took emergency action to close its head office and depot in Wakefield after discovering the building was suffering serious structural problems. A majority of the site is planned to be demolished, with buses moving temporarily to
Wakefield bus station and Arriva's Castleford, Dewsbury and
Heckmondwike depots, while the subsidiary's staff have also relocated to Wakefield bus station. ==Brands==