The
Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the
UK'sThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
train and bus industries. It is listed on the
London Stock ExchangeThe London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1801, it is one of the largest stock exchanges in the world, with many overseas listings as well as British companies...
and is a constituent of the
FTSE 250 IndexThe FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index of 250 UK companies on the London Stock Exchange. They are selected quarterly as being the 101st to 350th largest companies with their primary listing on the exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March,...
.
Early history
Go-Ahead was initially formed as the
GatesheadGateshead is a city in Tyne and Wear, England. It lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne. Gateshead town centre and Newcastle city centre are very close to one another, and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
-based Go-Ahead Northern when the management team led by
Martin BallingerMartin Andrew Stanley Ballinger was one of the founders of Go Ahead Group, one of the United Kingdom's largest transport businesses.-Career:...
and
Chris MoyesChris Moyes OBE was one of the founders of Go Ahead Group, one of the United Kingdom's largest transport businesses.-Career:...
acquired that company during the privatisation of the National Bus Company in 1987. Early expansion saw the acquisition of a number of smaller competing bus operators in the north east, including Gypsey Queen and Low Fell Coaches. At the same time, a number of pubs were purchased, this element of the business trading under the name
Go-Ahead Leisure: these were sold in 1996.
Despite bidding for a number of other larger bus operators in the intervening period, the first major acquisition was Brighton & Hove in November 1993, which was quickly followed by the
Oxford Bus CompanyOxford Bus Company is a bus operator serving the city and surrounding area of Oxford, England and is the trading name of City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd . It is now a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group...
in March 1994. The privatisation of
London BusesLondon Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
in the mid-nineties saw Camberwell-based
London CentralLondon Central is one of many operators of London Buses. It was established in late 1988 as one of 12 operating subsidiaries of London Buses Limited , and was privatised to the Go-Ahead Group in September 1994...
acquired in November 1994, and this purchase was built upon in June 1996, when fellow London bus operator
London GeneralLondon General is a modern bus operating company. It is now owned by the Go-Ahead Group and operates buses under contract to London Buses. The company was named in honour of the London General Omnibus Company, the principal operator of buses in London between 1855 and 1933.-History:The modern-day...
was acquired from the management and employee team that acquired the business at privatisation.
Expansion of the bus business
In 1997, the Brighton bus business was expanded with the acquisition of the former municipal operator Brighton Blue Buses. In September 1999, Metrobus, a large operator operating in London, Surrey and Sussex was acquired. In 2003
Wilts & DorsetWilts & Dorset Bus Company is a bus company in England covering Poole, Bournemouth, east Dorset, south Wiltshire and west Hampshire. Its local headquarters is in Poole, but it is owned by The Go-Ahead Group, a major UK transport group.-History:...
and in 2005
Southern VectisSouthern Vectis Omnibus Co. is the dominant bus operator on the Isle of Wight. In 1987 it spawned off and formed the Eastleigh and Southampton bus company Solent Blue Line. It was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group in 2005 and employs 299 staff, with 105 single deck, double deck and open-top buses and...
joined the Go-Ahead family. The Southern Vectis acquisition brought with it
EastleighEastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
based bus operator
Solent Blue LineSolent Blue Line is the internal and official legal company name of a bus company operating in central Hampshire, England. The company originally traded under this name but, from 25 February 2008, all of its bus services were rebranded and now operate under the Bluestar brand...
.
In December 2005 the group purchased The Birmingham Coach Company, which operates express coach contracts on behalf of National Express and local bus services in the West Midlands under the Diamond Bus name. The group had been known for some time to be keen to begin operating in the area. On 22 February 2006 Go-Ahead purchased another operator in the West Midlands,
Probus ManagementProbus Management was a bus operator in the West Midlands. It mainly had a distinctive all over yellow livery. In 2006 it became part of Go West Midlands, and in 2008 was sold by Go-Ahead to become part of Central Connect.-History:...
Limited, trading as
People's ExpressPeople's Express was the trading name of Salelink, a bus company in the West Midlands which was acquired by Probus Management in 1998 and then by the Go-Ahead Group in 2006....
, for £2.4m, adding around 100 vehicles to its West Midlands operations. In August 2006 the Birmingham Coach Company (trading as Diamond Bus) and Probus operations were regrouped under the
Go West MidlandsGo West Midlands was a bus company based in Birmingham in the United Kingdom. It was owned by Go-Ahead Group and was formed through Go-Ahead buying Probus Management Limited and Birmingham Coach Company and merging the two...
Limited legal entity, with the bus operations branded as Diamond in the West Midlands.
On 3 March 2008, Go-Ahead sold
Go West MidlandsGo West Midlands was a bus company based in Birmingham in the United Kingdom. It was owned by Go-Ahead Group and was formed through Go-Ahead buying Probus Management Limited and Birmingham Coach Company and merging the two...
to
RotalaRotala is an Alternative Investment Market listed company, which owns a variety of UK transport operators.Rotala was set up in 2005, with the main intention of acquiring or gaining majority interest in businesses within a number of areas.-Surrey Connect:...
's Central Connect, just two years after purchasing the company. This was after a review following the group's interim results published on 15 February 2008.
In November 2008, Go-Ahead Group were linked to the possible purchase of
Eastbourne BusesEastbourne Buses was a bus operator running within the Borough of Eastbourne and into the surrounding area, including Pevensey, Hailsham, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield and East Grinstead, with a fleet of around 50 vehicles...
; but they were outbid by
Stagecoach GroupStagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
, which was surprising as employees of the company wanted it to be sold to Go-Ahead because they have good staff treatment and their bus companies have good, modern fleets.
Entry into the rail market
The company has also been active in the rail market, winning the right to operate the
Thames TrainsThames Trains was a British railway company franchised to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport service.With effect from 1 April 2004, the...
,
ThameslinkThameslink is a fifty-station route in the British railway system running north to south from Bedford to Brighton through the Snow Hill tunnel in Central London. It is an important commuter route and serves the airports at London Gatwick and London Luton...
,
New Southern RailwaySouthern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
and
SoutheasternSoutheastern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It began operations in south-east England on 1 April 2006 as franchisee for the Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the prior publicly-owned operator South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
franchises, the latter three in co-operation with
KeolisKeolis is the largest private sector French transport group. It is a significant operator of tramways as well as operating bus networks, funiculars, trolley buses and airport services. The company, based in Paris, is majority owned by a joint-participation made of AXA Private Equity and Caisse de...
under the name
GoviaGovia is a transport company based in the United Kingdom. A joint venture between Go-Ahead and Keolis SA it is a key operator of commuter services in London, the South East and on the West Coast Main Line...
. The Thames Trains franchise was lost to First Group in 2004 and, after exclusion from bidding for the new
ThameslinkThameslink is a fifty-station route in the British railway system running north to south from Bedford to Brighton through the Snow Hill tunnel in Central London. It is an important commuter route and serves the airports at London Gatwick and London Luton...
franchise, Govia lost that to First also. This left Govia with the
SoutheasternSoutheastern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It began operations in south-east England on 1 April 2006 as franchisee for the Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the prior publicly-owned operator South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
franchise, and the
SouthernSouthern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
franchise originally awarded in October 2000.
On 30 November 2005, the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, announced that Govia had been successful in winning the Integrated Kent Franchise, and took over on 1 April 2006. The franchise continues to use the previous
SoutheasternSoutheastern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It began operations in south-east England on 1 April 2006 as franchisee for the Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the prior publicly-owned operator South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
branding, but the bid was mounted using the name London & South Eastern Railway.
More recently, in November 2007 Govia began operating the new
London MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands Franchise since 11 November 2007....
franchise. This includes part of the previous
Central TrainsCentral Trains was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, running local and long-distance services in central England. The company’s operations were centred on Birmingham in the West Midlands....
and Silverlink County franchises.
Bus operations
- Bluestar
Bluestar is a bus company operating in central Hampshire, England. It is based in Eastleigh and was started by Southern Vectis as Solent Blue Line in 1987...
- bus operation in EastleighEastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
and SouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
; part of Go South CoastGo South Coast is the southern English division of the Go-Ahead Group bus operator. It was developed in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its sister company Solent Blue Line....
- Blue Triangle
Blue Triangle is one of many operators of London Buses, it is based in Rainham, Essex and is now part of the Go-Ahead Group.-History:Blue Triangle have existed since at least the late 80s/early 90s operating Essex route 500 on evenings on Sundays in the early days of deregulation.Blue Triangle have...
- bus operation in RainhamRainham is a place in the London Borough of Havering in east London, England. It is a suburban development located east of Charing Cross with a population of 12,114 . The village has grown steadily over the last few hundreds of years to the town that it is today...
; acquired by London General on 29 June 2007, part of Go-Ahead LondonGo-Ahead London is the trading name used collectively for the London bus operations of the Go-Ahead Group. The name first appeared in August 2008, before which the company had traded under separate names and brands...
- Brighton & Hove - bus operation in Brighton
Brighton is a town in the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex on the south coast of Great Britain...
and HoveHove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
- Damory Coaches
Damory Coaches is a bus and coach operator based in Blandford Forum in Dorset, England. Officially registered as Hants & Dorset Motor Services Limited, Damory Coaches is a subsidiary of Wilts & Dorset, which is itself part of the much larger Go-Ahead Group...
- bus and coach operator based in Blandford ForumBlandford Forum, commonly Blandford, is a small historic market town on the River Stour in the North Dorset district of Dorset, England noted for its Georgian architecture The town had a population of 8,745 at the 2001 Census. Blandford is the seat of North Dorset's district council, although it is...
; part of Go South CoastGo South Coast is the southern English division of the Go-Ahead Group bus operator. It was developed in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its sister company Solent Blue Line....
- Docklands Buses
Docklands Buses is one of many bus companies operating contracted services on behalf of London Buses. In September 2006 the company was purchased by London General,...
- bus operation in East London; acquired by London General in 2006, part of Go-Ahead LondonGo-Ahead London is the trading name used collectively for the London bus operations of the Go-Ahead Group. The name first appeared in August 2008, before which the company had traded under separate names and brands...
- Go North East
Go North East is the largest operator of bus services in North East England, United Kingdom. Go North East operates services in the counties of Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland. Go North East operates through two divisions; 'North Division' and 'South Division'...
- bus operation in North East EnglandNorth-East England is one of the nine official regions of England and comprises the combined area of Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Tees Valley. The historic name for North-East England is Northumbria and whilst a few regional bodies still use this name, it is rarely used in...
and the founding company of the Go-Ahead Group in 1987
- London Central
London Central is one of many operators of London Buses. It was established in late 1988 as one of 12 operating subsidiaries of London Buses Limited , and was privatised to the Go-Ahead Group in September 1994...
- bus operation in London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
; part of Go-Ahead LondonGo-Ahead London is the trading name used collectively for the London bus operations of the Go-Ahead Group. The name first appeared in August 2008, before which the company had traded under separate names and brands...
- London General
London General is a modern bus operating company. It is now owned by the Go-Ahead Group and operates buses under contract to London Buses. The company was named in honour of the London General Omnibus Company, the principal operator of buses in London between 1855 and 1933.-History:The modern-day...
- bus operation in London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
; part of Go-Ahead LondonGo-Ahead London is the trading name used collectively for the London bus operations of the Go-Ahead Group. The name first appeared in August 2008, before which the company had traded under separate names and brands...
- Marchwood Motorways
Marchwood Motorways is a bus and coach operator owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It is a sub-division of Solent Blue Line, who acquired them in 2006.-Background:...
- coach operator based in Marchwood-Residents:Buh-denham,Erin Atkinson,Matt.k,Teh SO40 boyz.Marchwood is a village located in Hampshire, UK. It lies between Totton and Hythe on the western shore of Southampton Water, next to the New Forest...
; part of Go South CoastGo South Coast is the southern English division of the Go-Ahead Group bus operator. It was developed in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its sister company Solent Blue Line....
- Metrobus - bus operation in south east England
- Northumbria Coaches - bus operation in Ashington
Ashington is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England with a population of around 27,000 people; it was once a centre of the coal mining industry. The town is located some north of Newcastle-upon-Tyne off the A189. The south of the town is bordered by the River Wansbeck. The North Sea...
; acquired by Go North East in 2007
- Oxford Bus Company
Oxford Bus Company is a bus operator serving the city and surrounding area of Oxford, England and is the trading name of City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd . It is now a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group...
- bus operation in OxfordOxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city has a population of just under 165,000, with 151,000 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre...
- Southern Vectis
Southern Vectis Omnibus Co. is the dominant bus operator on the Isle of Wight. In 1987 it spawned off and formed the Eastleigh and Southampton bus company Solent Blue Line. It was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group in 2005 and employs 299 staff, with 105 single deck, double deck and open-top buses and...
- bus operation on the Isle of WightThe Isle of Wight is an English island and a county, located 3-5 miles from the south coast of the mainland, in the English Channel. It is separated from mainland England by the Solent and is situated south of the county of Hampshire...
; part of Go South CoastGo South Coast is the southern English division of the Go-Ahead Group bus operator. It was developed in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its sister company Solent Blue Line....
- Tourist Group
Tourist Group is the name covering a group of southern bus and coach operators. All of the operators are subsidiaries of Wilts & Dorset, which is itself part of the much larger Go-Ahead Group....
- a group of coach operators in SalisburySalisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. It has also been called New Sarum to distinguish it from the original site of settlement to the north of the city at Old Sarum, but this alternative name is not in common use. Similarly, a native of Salisbury may be known as a "Sarumite", but...
; part of Go South CoastGo South Coast is the southern English division of the Go-Ahead Group bus operator. It was developed in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its sister company Solent Blue Line....
- Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset Bus Company is a bus company in England covering Poole, Bournemouth, east Dorset, south Wiltshire and west Hampshire. Its local headquarters is in Poole, but it is owned by The Go-Ahead Group, a major UK transport group.-History:...
- bus operation in the South East Dorset conurbationThe South east Dorset conurbation is a multi-centred conurbation on the south coast of Dorset in England. The area is rapidly becoming an amalgamation with the area of South West Hampshire immediately on the fringe of the newly formed New Forest National Park...
, SalisburySalisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. It has also been called New Sarum to distinguish it from the original site of settlement to the north of the city at Old Sarum, but this alternative name is not in common use. Similarly, a native of Salisbury may be known as a "Sarumite", but...
and the New ForestThe New Forest is an area of southern England which includes the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in the heavily-populated south east of England. It covers south-west Hampshire and extends into south-east Wiltshire....
; part of Go South CoastGo South Coast is the southern English division of the Go-Ahead Group bus operator. It was developed in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its sister company Solent Blue Line....
Current rail franchises
Franchises jointly operated with
KeolisKeolis is the largest private sector French transport group. It is a significant operator of tramways as well as operating bus networks, funiculars, trolley buses and airport services. The company, based in Paris, is majority owned by a joint-participation made of AXA Private Equity and Caisse de...
:
- Southern
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
(passenger rail operation)
- Southeastern
Southeastern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It began operations in south-east England on 1 April 2006 as franchisee for the Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the prior publicly-owned operator South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
(passenger rail operation)
- London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands Franchise since 11 November 2007....
(passenger rail operation)
Previous rail franchises
- Thames Trains
Thames Trains was a British railway company franchised to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport service.With effect from 1 April 2004, the...
(passenger rail operation)
- Thameslink
Thameslink was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, run by Govia . It operated the London commuter railway line known by the same name. Govia acquired the franchise from March 2, 1997 for seven years and a day...
(passenger rail operation)
Other business areas
Other subsidiaries are Metro Taxis in Newcastle, Aviance UK (an airport services business formed through the acquisition of Gatwick Handling, Midland Aviation and Reed Aviation, and
Meteor ParkingMeteor Parking is an airport parking company based at Stansted Airport in Essex. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Go Ahead Group. They also use the Pink Elephant name.- External links:*...
, a car parking company based at Stansted Airport that trades under a number of brands from airports and railway stations around the UK.
Senior management
- Sir Patrick Brown - Non-executive Chairman
- Keith Ludeman
Keith Ludeman , is the English Chief Executive of Go-Ahead Group plc.-Early life:Ludeman was educated at Bromley Technical High School for Boys on Oakley Road in Keston, and then undertook a BA in Geography at Newcastle University...
- Group Chief Executive
- Nicholas Swift - Group Finance Director
- Andrew Allner - Non Executive Director
- Rupert Pennant-Rea
Rupert Lascelles Pennant-Rea is a British businessman, journalist, and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England.Pennant-Rea was educated at Peterhouse School, near to Marondera, Zimbabwe, before attending Trinity College, Dublin and Manchester University, where he received his M.A.Rupert...
- Non Executive Director
- Carolyn Sephton - Group Company Secretary
Keith Ludeman was appointed as Chief Executive on 10 July 2006 following the resignation of
Chris MoyesChris Moyes OBE was one of the founders of Go Ahead Group, one of the United Kingdom's largest transport businesses.-Career:...
due to an undisclosed serious illness, subsequently revealed to have been a brain tumour.
Competition
The principal competitors of the Go-Ahead Group are:
- Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating buses, trains, trams, express coaches and ferries. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
- First Group
- Arriva
Arriva plc is a British-based international public transport operator, headquartered in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear. It has bus and/or rail operations in Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the United Kingdom...
- National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a UK-based transport group with headquarters in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
All of these are larger groups with operations in more than one country.
The main distinguishing features of the Go-Ahead Group are the relatively high degree of
autonomyAutonomy is a concept found in moral, political, and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it refers to the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
the group offers its individual operating companies, and its focus on investing in local management. These tactics are thought to have helped two of the group's bus operating companies, in
OxfordOxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city has a population of just under 165,000, with 151,000 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre...
and
BrightonBrighton is a town in the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex on the south coast of Great Britain...
, to gain a reputation as among the best in the UK outside
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
.
External links