The company expanded outside London, into Essex (1913), Bedfordshire (1919), Gloucestershire (1919), Somerset (1920), Dorset (1921), and Devon & Cornwall[citation needed] (1927).

On 1 January 1948, the Great Western Railway was nationalised and, shortly after, the Tilling Group sold its bus interests to the government.

In 1970 the Wiltshire area operations of Western National were transferred to Bristol Omnibus Company.

Western National pulled out of north Cornwall in 1971, leaving the area to local operators.

In the lead up to deregulation, in January 1983 Western National was divided into four companies: On 19 August 1986, Devon General became the first National Bus Company subsidiary to be privatised under the Transport Act 1985 being sold in a management buyout led by managing director Harry Blundred.

[11] Western National was included in the June 1995 merger of Badgerline with GRT Group to form FirstBus.