Go-Ahead Group
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The Go-Ahead Group is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the liberalisation of the UK's train and bus industries.
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[edit] History
Go-Ahead was initially formed as the Gateshead-based Go-Ahead Northern when the management team acquired that company during the privatisation of the National Bus Company (UK) 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 where purchased, this element of the business trading under the name Go-Ahead Leisure.
Despite bidding for a number of other larger bus operators in the intervening period, the first major acquisition was Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company 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.
[edit] Acquisitions
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. More recently, Wilts and Dorset Bus Company and Southern Vectis PLC have joined the Go-Ahead family. 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 has been know 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 (T/A Peoples Express) for £2.4m, adding around 100 vehicles to Go-Ahead's West Midlands operations. In August 2006 the Birmingham Coach Company and Probus operations were regrouped under the Go West Midlands Limited legal entity, with the bus operations branded as Diamond.
[edit] Rail operations
The company has also been active in the rail market, winning the right to operate the Thames Trains, Thameslink and Southern Railway franchises, the latter two 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, lost that out to First.
On 30 November 2005, the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, announced that Govia was successful in winning the Integrated Kent Franchise, and took over on April 1, 2006. The franchise continues to use the previous Southeastern (train operating company) branding, however the bid was mounted using the name London & South Eastern Railway.
[edit] 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 Parking, a car parking company based at Stansted Airport that trades under a number of brands from at airports and railway stations around the UK.
[edit] Senior management
- Sir Patrick Brown - Non-executive Chairman
- Keith Ludeman - Group Chief Executive
- Ian Butcher - Group Finance Director & Company Secretary
Keith Ludeman was appointed as Chief Executive on 10 July 2006 following the resignation of previous incumbent Chris Moyes due to an undisclosed serious illness.
[edit] Operating divisions
[edit] Bus operations
- Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company (bus operation in Brighton and Hove)
- Go North East (bus operation in north east England) and the founding company of the Go Ahead Group back in 1987
- Go West Midlands (bus operation in Birmingham under the Diamond Bus name and express coach services on behalf of National Express. The company was formerly known as Birmingham Coach Company and Probus Management)
- London Central (bus operation in London)
- London General (bus operation in London)
- Metrobus (bus operation in south east England)
- Oxford Bus Company (bus operation in Oxford)
- Solent Blue Line (bus operation in Eastleigh and Southampton)
- Southern Vectis (bus operation on the Isle of Wight)
- Wilts and Dorset Bus Company (bus operation in south west England)
[edit] Current rail franchises
- Southern (passenger rail operation)
- Southeastern (passenger rail operation)
[edit] Previous rail franchises
- Thames Trains (passenger rail operation)
- Thameslink (passenger rail operation)
[edit] Others
- Aviance UK (aviation ground handling)
- Meteor Parking (airport car parking)
[edit] Competition
The principal competitors of the Go-Ahead Group are:
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. These tactics are thought to have helped two of the group's bus operating companies, in Oxford and Brighton, to gain a reputation as among the best in the UK outside London.
