National Express Group
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- This article is about the National Express Group; for information on the member of the group which trades under the National Express brand, see National Express article.
National Express Group plc (LSE: NEX) is a UK-based transport group that operates airport, bus and rail services in the UK, the US and Canada, Australia, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
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[edit] History
The National Express brand was created in 1972 by the state-owned National Bus Company (NBC) to bring together the express bus and coach services operated by the bus operating companies within the NBC group. The National Express network was largely a branding and management exercise, with services continuing to be operated by the individual companies.
With the privatisation of the NBC in the 1980s, National Express was subject to a management buy-out in 1988. In 1992, National Express Group PLC was floated on the London Stock Exchange with a remit to acquire new businesses in the passenger transport market.
[edit] Acquisitions
- In 1993 the group acquired Eurolines and East Midlands Airport, although the latter has since been sold.
- In 1995, West Midlands Travel, the formerly municipally-owned bus network of Birmingham and the West Midlands, was acquired and renamed Travel West Midlands. This began the brand family of Travel ... local bus operations. Since then Travel Coventry has been spun out of Travel West Midlands, and Travel Dundee and Travel London have been acquired.
- In 1996 the group acquired its first UK rail franchises, Gatwick Express and Midland Mainline. Since then seven further franchises have been added, and rail services now account for the largest portion of the group's activity.
- In 2005 National Express agreed to buy most of operations of privately owned Spanish transport operator Alsa, which operates bus and coach services in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, and long-distance coach services to other parts of Europe. Alsa's operations in South America and China were retained by the previous owners. [1]
Also in mid 2005, the group bought the London buses arm of Tellings Golden Miller and branded it Travel London. This included a number of services in South West London and Surrey.
The group has also moved into operations outside the UK. At one time it had extensive bus, rail and tram operations in Australia, but with the collapse of the group there, all operations were either sold off or had control returned to the State Government (see 'Services formerly operated'). Only one bus operator was retained, Westbus in Australia. It led to a strange situation developing, as Westbus at the time of acquisition owned a subsidiary operation in London, called Westbus in Australia that still operates and is managed from Sydney.
[edit] Finances
In the year ended 31 December 2004 the group's turnover was £2,560.2 million. Profits were £63.1 million before tax and £40.8 million after tax.
[edit] Operating Companies
[edit] Bus and Coach Services
As of April 2006, the bus and coach services operated by the group are:
- AirLinks (contract bus operation at UK airports)
- ATC (transit and paratransit bus operation in the US)
- Durham School Services (school bus operation in the US)
- Eurolines (express coach services between the UK and other European countries)
- National Express (long distance express and airport coach services in the UK)
- Stock Transportation (school bus operation in Canada)
- Travel Coventry (bus operation in and around Coventry, UK - A subsidy of Travel West Midlands)
- Travel Dundee (bus operation in and around Dundee, Scotland, UK)
- Travel London (bus operation under contract to London Buses in London, UK)
- Travel West Midlands (Major bus operations in Birmingham and the West Midlands, UK)
[edit] Rail Services
- c2c (passenger rail operation in the UK)
- Central Trains (passenger rail operation in the UK) contract expires November 2007
- Gatwick Express (passenger rail operation in the UK)
- Maintrain (train maintenance in the UK)
- Midland Mainline (passenger rail operation in the UK)
- 'one' (passenger rail operation in the UK)
- Silverlink (passenger rail operation in the UK)
- Travel Midland Metro (Midland Metro light rail system in the West Midlands, UK)
[edit] Services formerly operated
Rail franchises previously operated by the group include:
- ScotRail (until October 2004, now operated by First Group as First ScotRail.)
- Wales and Borders (until December 2003, now operated by Arriva as Arriva Trains Wales.)
- WAGN (until April 2006, now operated by First Group as part of First Capital Connect)
- Wessex Trains (until April 2006, now operated by First Group as part of First Great Western)
- M>Train & M>Tram (handed back to the Victorian State Government after collapse of the group in Australia; M>Train was passed on to Connex, and M>Tram to Yarra Trams).
- V/Line Passenger (handed back to the Victorian State Government after collapse of the group in Australia).
Airports also operated include: East Midlands & Bournemouth
Australian bus companies previously operated by the group include:
- Westbus, Glenorie, and Hillsbus in Sydney sold to ComfortDelgro-Cabcharge Group
- National Bus Company, Melbourne, sold to Ventura Bus Lines
- National Bus Company, Brisbane, sold to Connex.
[edit] Airports
The only airport operated and maintained by the group is Stewart International Airport, in New Windsor, New York, US. On September 29, 2006, it announced it was selling its rights to Stewart, seven years into a 99-year lease that marked the first attempted privatization of a U.S. passenger airport.
