Lancashire United Transport (LUT) was a tram, bus and trolleybus operator based at Howe Bridge in Atherton, 10 miles north west of Manchester. It was the largest independent bus operator in the United Kingdom until its acquisition by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive in 1976.
History
The company was founded in 1905 as Lancashire United Tramways Ltd to assume operation of the South Lancashire Tramways tram system, which had run into financial difficulties.[1] The tram system was centred on the towns of Leigh and Atherton in South Lancashire, with lines running towards St Helens, Wigan, Bolton and Salford.
Trams continued to run under the "South Lancashire Tramways" fleetname, but after World War I LUT took the opportunity to operate motorbus services using the "Lancashire United" fleetname. By 1926, the bus fleet had reached the total of 100 operating over 21 routes.[2]