Southern Vectis instance, Southern Vectis franchised Solent Blue Line routes to Marchwood Motorways; the Newport Town Circular was franchised to M-Travel, and then the Alpha Group after M-Travel closed. The Traditional Bus Company and The Village Bus Company were franchised some open-top routes including the Shanklin Pony. In 2008, after its sale to Go-Ahead Group, Southern Vectis competed directly with the Isle of Wight Council's Wightbus school services. It duplicated routes and claimed term ticket fees for student passengers from the council. In September 2010, the Isle of Wight council engaged Southern Vectis to operate many school bus routes. Under the terms
Island Line, Isle of Wight of Ryde Tunnel is 10 inches too low for standard National Rail vehicle types to clear. Since the reopening of the line in 1967, former London Underground Tube stock has been used. The initial trains were formed of so-called Standard Stock, made up into four and three-coach sets (with one spare vehicle, normally kept at Ryde depot), designated "4-VEC" and "3-TIS" in the British Rail Southern Region electric multiple unit classification system. (The classification letters were a pun on the Roman name for the island, "Vectis", also reflected in the name of the island's nationalised bus company, Southern Vectis, which