Go-Ahead Group
Encyclopedia
The Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's
train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange
and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
.
-based Go-Ahead Northern when the management team led by Martin Ballinger
and Chris Moyes
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 Company
in March 1994. The privatisation of London Buses
in the mid-nineties saw Camberwell-based London Central
acquired in November 1994, and this purchase was built upon in June 1996, when fellow London bus operator London General
was acquired from the management and employee team that acquired the business at privatisation.
and in 2005 Southern Vectis
were purchased by Go-Ahead. The Southern Vectis acquisition brought with it Eastleigh
based bus operator Solent Blue Line
.
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 Management
Limited, trading as People's Express
, 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 Midlands
Limited legal entity, with the bus operations branded as Diamond in the West Midlands.
On 3 March 2008, Go-Ahead sold Go West Midlands
to Rotala
'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 2009, the group acquired Plymouth Citybus
when the City Council agreed to sell its 100% shareholding.
On 26th May 2011, Go-Ahead announced they completed the purchase of Local South Oxfordshire based Privately owned Bus Company Thames Travel
(Wallingford) Limited.
, Thameslink
, South Central (Southern)
and Integrated Kent (Southeastern)
franchises, the latter three in co-operation with Keolis
under the name Govia
. The Thames Trains franchise was lost to First Group in 2004 and, after exclusion from bidding for the new Thameslink
franchise, Govia lost that to First also. This left Govia with the Southeastern
franchise, and the Southern
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 continued to use the previous South Eastern Trains
branding for a period, before moving to the similar Southeastern (train operating company)
brand and logo. The franchise is often mistakenly referred to as "South Eastern Trains" (or "SET"), when the current franchise's brand identity is "Southeastern Railway" (or "SER"). The legal identity under which the franchise bid was mounted, and the franchise operates, is the name "London & South Eastern Railway limited".
More recently, in November 2007 Govia began operating the new London Midland
franchise. This includes part of the previous Central Trains
and Silverlink County franchises.
:
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 autonomy
the group offers its individual operating companies, and its focus on investing in local management.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
.
Early history
Go-Ahead was initially formed as the GatesheadGateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
-based Go-Ahead Northern when the management team led by Martin Ballinger
Martin Ballinger
Martin Andrew Stanley Ballinger was one of the founders of Go Ahead Group, one of the United Kingdom's largest transport businesses. He lived at Bolam Hall in Northumberland...
and Chris Moyes
Chris Moyes
Chris 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 Company
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...
in March 1994. The privatisation of London Buses
London Buses
London 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 Central
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...
acquired in November 1994, and this purchase was built upon in June 1996, when fellow London bus operator London General
London General
London General is a bus company operating in Surrey ang Greater London. It is owned by the Go-Ahead Group and operates most buses under contract to London Buses...
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
Wilts & Dorset 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....
and in 2005 Southern Vectis
Southern Vectis
The Southern Vectis Omnibus Company Limited is the dominant bus operator on the Isle of Wight. It was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group in 2005 and is a part of the company's Go South Coast division. The firm employs 299 staff, with 105 single deck, double deck and open-top buses and coaches...
were purchased by Go-Ahead. The Southern Vectis acquisition brought with it Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
based bus operator Solent Blue Line
Solent Blue Line
Solent Blue Line Ltd formerly Musterphantom Ltd is a bus company which operates buses in Hampshire, England under the names Bluestar and Uni-link. The company was taken over along with its parent, Southern Vectis in 2005 by The Go-Ahead Group. From 25 February 2008, all previous Solent Blue Line...
.
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 Management
Probus Management
Probus 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 Express
People's Express
People'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 Midlands
Go West Midlands
Go 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.
Go West Midlands
Go 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 Rotala
Rotala
Rotala 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
Central Connect
Connect Buses is the brand name used to cover all aspects of the Rotala Group bus operations. It operates in a number of mainly urban places in the United Kingdom, with the regional brand names reflecting the places served.-Central Connect/Blue Diamond:...
, 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 2009, the group acquired Plymouth Citybus
Plymouth Citybus
Plymouth Citybus is one of the principal bus operators serving the City of Plymouth, England, and the surrounding area. Plymouth Citybus's route network serves almost exclusively the boroughs and inner-city areas of Plymouth, with the majority of rural services handled by First Devon and...
when the City Council agreed to sell its 100% shareholding.
On 26th May 2011, Go-Ahead announced they completed the purchase of Local South Oxfordshire based Privately owned Bus Company Thames Travel
Thames Travel
Thames Travel is a bus operator based in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, in England. It is the third largest bus company in the county It operates a fleet of around 34 vehicles, and employs 75 staff. Running services across the Thames region, the company carries approximately 1.25 million passengers a year...
(Wallingford) Limited.
Entry into the rail market
The company has also been active in the rail market, winning the right to operate the Thames TrainsThames Trains
Thames Trains was a British railway company, owned by the Go-Ahead Group, franchised to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London like Slough, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport...
, Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
, South Central (Southern)
Southern (train operating company)
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...
and Integrated Kent (Southeastern)
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
franchises, the latter three in co-operation with Keolis
Keolis
Keolis is the largest private sector French transport group. It runs passenger railways, tramways, bus networks, funiculars, trolley buses, and airport services. The company, based in Paris, is majority owned by SNCF, the French state rail operator. AXA Private Equity and Caisse de dépôt et...
under the name Govia
Govia
Govia 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 Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
franchise, Govia lost that to First also. This left Govia with the Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
franchise, and the Southern
Southern (train operating company)
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...
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 continued to use the previous South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains
South Eastern Trains was a British train operating company, in public ownership, that provided train services in south east London and South East England from 9 November 2003 to 31 March 2006....
branding for a period, before moving to the similar Southeastern (train operating company)
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
brand and logo. The franchise is often mistakenly referred to as "South Eastern Trains" (or "SET"), when the current franchise's brand identity is "Southeastern Railway" (or "SER"). The legal identity under which the franchise bid was mounted, and the franchise operates, is the name "London & South Eastern Railway limited".
More recently, in November 2007 Govia began operating the new London Midland
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....
franchise. This includes part of the previous Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
and Silverlink County franchises.
Bus operations
- BluestarBluestar (bus company)Bluestar is a trading name of Solent Blue Line Ltd. Based in Eastleigh, the company operates bus routes in Hampshire that previously traded under the Solent Blue Line name. Blue Line was started by bus company Southern Vectis as it sought to expand from the Isle of Wight in 1987...
- bus operation in EastleighEastleighEastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
and SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the 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 CoastGo South Coast is a bus operator in the south of England, owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It was established in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its subsidiary Solent Blue Line, and combined its operations with existing subsidiary Wilts & Dorset.It is based in Poole, at the... - Blue TriangleBlue TriangleBlue Triangle is one of many operators of London Buses, it is based in Rainham and is part of Go-Ahead London. It is the operator of the East London Transit service.-History:...
- bus operation in RainhamRainham, LondonRainham is a suburban town in northeast London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Located east of Charing Cross, it is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan and is surrounded by a residential area, which has grown from the historic village,...
; acquired by London General on 29 June 2007, part of Go-Ahead LondonGo-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 BrightonBrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and HoveHoveHove 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 CoachesDamory CoachesDamory 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 Forum; part of Go South CoastGo South CoastGo South Coast is a bus operator in the south of England, owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It was established in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its subsidiary Solent Blue Line, and combined its operations with existing subsidiary Wilts & Dorset.It is based in Poole, at the... - Docklands BusesDocklands BusesDocklands Buses is one of many bus companies operating contracted services on behalf of London Buses.-History:The company was formed by Transit Holdings in 1993 as 'Docklands Transit'. It initially operated local commercial routes using minibuses, but these proved not to be viable so it switched to...
- bus operation in east London; acquired by London General in 2006, part of Go-Ahead LondonGo-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-Ahead North America - bus operation in St. Louis
- Go North EastGo North EastGo 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...
- bus operation in North East EnglandNorth East EnglandNorth East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
and the founding company of the Go-Ahead Group in 1987 - KonectbusKonectbusKonectbus is a bus operator based in Dereham in Norfolk, England. From 11 March 2010, it became a part of the Go-Ahead Group. It currently operates 27 services including three of the Norwich Park and Ride routes, Costessey, Harford and Thickthorn. They have a fleet of almost 50 buses, the majority...
- bus operation in NorfolkNorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, acquired by Go-Ahead in March 2010 - London CentralLondon 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...
- bus operation in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; part of Go-Ahead LondonGo-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 GeneralLondon GeneralLondon General is a bus company operating in Surrey ang Greater London. It is owned by the Go-Ahead Group and operates most buses under contract to London Buses...
- bus operation in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; part of Go-Ahead LondonGo-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 MotorwaysMarchwood MotorwaysMarchwood Motorways Ltd. is a bus and coach operator owned by the Go-Ahead Group, who acquired them in 2006. It is a now a sub-division of Solent Blue Line.-Background:Marchwood Motorways runs buses and coaches from its base in Totton, Hampshire...
- coach operator based in MarchwoodMarchwoodMarchwood is a village and civil parish located in Hampshire, United Kingdom. It lies between Totton and Hythe on the western shore of Southampton Water, next to the New Forest. The population of the village in the 2001 census was 5,586.-History:...
; part of Go South CoastGo South CoastGo South Coast is a bus operator in the south of England, owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It was established in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its subsidiary Solent Blue Line, and combined its operations with existing subsidiary Wilts & Dorset.It is based in Poole, at the... - Metrobus - bus operation in south east England
- Oxford Bus CompanyOxford 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...
- bus operation in OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through... - Plymouth CitybusPlymouth CitybusPlymouth Citybus is one of the principal bus operators serving the City of Plymouth, England, and the surrounding area. Plymouth Citybus's route network serves almost exclusively the boroughs and inner-city areas of Plymouth, with the majority of rural services handled by First Devon and...
- bus operation in PlymouthPlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound... - Southern VectisSouthern VectisThe Southern Vectis Omnibus Company Limited is the dominant bus operator on the Isle of Wight. It was purchased by the Go-Ahead Group in 2005 and is a part of the company's Go South Coast division. The firm employs 299 staff, with 105 single deck, double deck and open-top buses and coaches...
- bus operation on the Isle of WightIsle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
; part of Go South CoastGo South CoastGo South Coast is a bus operator in the south of England, owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It was established in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its subsidiary Solent Blue Line, and combined its operations with existing subsidiary Wilts & Dorset.It is based in Poole, at the... - Tourist GroupTourist GroupTourist Group, now with a trading name of Southern Coach Hire, 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 SalisburySalisburySalisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
; part of Go South CoastGo South CoastGo South Coast is a bus operator in the south of England, owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It was established in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its subsidiary Solent Blue Line, and combined its operations with existing subsidiary Wilts & Dorset.It is based in Poole, at the... - Wilts & DorsetWilts & DorsetWilts & Dorset 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....
- bus operation in the South East Dorset conurbationSouth 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...
, SalisburySalisburySalisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
and the New ForestNew 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 CoastGo South Coast is a bus operator in the south of England, owned by the Go-Ahead Group. It was established in late 2005, after Go-Ahead purchased Southern Vectis and its subsidiary Solent Blue Line, and combined its operations with existing subsidiary Wilts & Dorset.It is based in Poole, at the... - Thames TravelThames TravelThames Travel is a bus operator based in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, in England. It is the third largest bus company in the county It operates a fleet of around 34 vehicles, and employs 75 staff. Running services across the Thames region, the company carries approximately 1.25 million passengers a year...
(Wallingford) Limited - bus Operation in South Oxfordshire, serving OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, BerinsfieldBerinsfieldBerinsfield is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Oxford.-History:Palaeolithic and Roman artefacts were found during 20th century excavations to build the village. The Roman road between Dorchester-on-Thames and Alchester runs through the centre of Berinsfield...
, BensonBenson, OxfordshireBenson is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England. It is about north of Wallingford at the foot of the Chiltern Hills at the confluence of a chalk stream and the River Thames, next to Benson Lock...
, Wallingford, BracknellBracknellBracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
, ReadingReading, BerkshireReading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
& WokinghamWokinghamWokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403...
and surrounding Rural areas http://www.thames-travel.co.uk; part of Oxford Bus CompanyOxford 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...
.
Current rail franchises
Franchises jointly operated with KeolisKeolis
Keolis is the largest private sector French transport group. It runs passenger railways, tramways, bus networks, funiculars, trolley buses, and airport services. The company, based in Paris, is majority owned by SNCF, the French state rail operator. AXA Private Equity and Caisse de dépôt et...
:
- SouthernSouthern (train operating company)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) and Gatwick Express - SoutheasternSoutheastern (train operating company)London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
(passenger rail operation) - London MidlandLondon 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....
(passenger rail operation)
Previous rail franchises
- Thames TrainsThames TrainsThames Trains was a British railway company, owned by the Go-Ahead Group, franchised to run regional and suburban trains from London Paddington station to destinations in the home counties west of London like Slough, to Worcester, Hereford and Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Reading to Gatwick Airport...
(passenger rail operation) - ThameslinkThameslink (train operating company)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...
(passenger rail operation)
Senior management
- Sir Patrick Brown - Non-executive Chairman
- David Brown - Group Chief Executive
- Keith Down - Group Finance Director
- Andrew Allner - Non Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair
- Catherine Innes Ker - Non Executive Director
- Rupert Pennant-ReaRupert Pennant-ReaRupert Lascelles Pennant-Rea is a British businessman, journalist, and former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. The son of Peter and Pauline Pennant-Rea, he was educated at the Peterhouse School, an Anglican church boarding school near Marandellas, Rhodesia , before attending Trinity...
- Non Executive Director and Senior Independent Director - Carolyn Sephton - Group Company Secretary
Competition
The principal competitors of the Go-Ahead Group are:- Stagecoach GroupStagecoach 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, Sir Brian Souter, his sister, Ann Gloag, and her former husband Robin...
- First Group
- ArrivaArrivaArriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
- National Express GroupNational Express GroupNational Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered 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 autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is 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.