Arriva North West is a division of Arriva that operates bus services around North West England. It consists of two companies: Arriva North West Ltd and Arriva Merseyside Ltd. Arriva North West as an operating division (distinct from the registered company Arriva North West Ltd) came into being in its present form in January 2009, when Arriva Buses Wales was separated out from Arriva North West and Wales, although it had existed as an operating division between 1997 and 2002. Arriva North West has a fleet of buses numbering just under 1,000.