17 March 2010
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR
RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN THE UNITED STATES OR IN ANY
OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH OFFERS OR SALES WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY
APPLICABLE LAW.
The Go-Ahead Group plc is pleased to announce that it has
launched and priced an issue of £200 million 5.375% bonds due
September 2017. The bond issue is expected to close on 24 March
2010. This follows the Group’s announcement on 5 March 2010
that it had received long-term credit ratings of BBB- (stable
outlook) and Baa3 (stable outlook) from Standard & Poor’s
and Moody’s respectively.
Go-Ahead's Group Finance Director, Nick Swift, commented: "We
are delighted to have successfully completed our first sterling
bond issue in good market conditions. The issue further strengthens
the Group by diversifying our sources of finance and extending our
debt maturity profile and was very well subscribed by investors.
The proceeds of the bond issue will be used to pay-down bank debt
and for general corporate purposes.”
For further information, please contact:
|
The Go-Ahead Group Nick Swift, Group
Finance Director
Paul Edwards, Group Financial Controller and Treasurer
Catherine Garland, Group Communications &
Investor Relations Manager |
020 7821 3922
0191 232 3123
020 7821 3929 |
Notes to editors
Go-Ahead
Go-Ahead is a leading UK public transport operator, providing
high quality services in the bus and rail sectors. Employing around
25,000 people across the country, almost one billion passenger
journeys are undertaken on our services each year. We are committed
to operating our companies in a socially and environmentally
responsible way and are proud to have been awarded the Carbon Trust
Standard after taking action on climate change. In addition to the
travelling public, our customers include the Department for
Transport, Transport for London (TfL) and local authorities.
Bus
Go-Ahead is one of the UK's largest bus operators. With a fleet
of over 3,500 buses, we carry, on average, around 1.6 million
passengers every day. Our operations are focused on high density
commuter markets. We have a strong presence in London, with around
21% market share, where we provide regulated services for TfL. We
operate deregulated services in the North East, Oxford, the South
East and Southern England. We recently expanded our bus operations
with the acquisition of Plymouth CityBus in the UK, and have
established a Yellow School Bus joint venture in North America.
Rail
The rail operation, Govia, is 65% owned by Go-Ahead and 35% by
Keolis. It is the busiest rail operation in the UK, responsible for
nearly 30% of all UK passenger rail journeys through its three rail
franchises: Southern (which includes the Gatwick Express),
Southeastern and London Midland. In December 2009, Southeastern
began operating the UK's first high speed domestic rail service
between Kent and London, significantly reducing journey times.
For further information about our rail franchises please visit
our factsheets:
http://www.go-ahead.com/goahead/aboutus/our_markets/uk_rail_market/
Aviation Services
The Group also provides car parking services through Meteor,
which includes the 'Meet & Greet' and 'Pink Elephant' brands
and operates limited ground handling services at Terminal 1,
Heathrow.
For further information visit
www.go-ahead.com
Any investment decision made in connection with the bond issue
MUST be based solely on the information contained in the final
Prospectus. The final Prospectus for the bonds is expected to be
approved by the UK Listing Authority on or about 22 March 2010 and
will be available to view via the London Stock Exchange's
Regulatory News Service.
Stabilisation in respect of the Bonds may be conducted in
accordance with FSA and ICMA Rules all as more fully described in
the final Prospectus.
Disclaimer
The bonds referred to in this document have not been, and will
not be, registered under the US Securities Act of 1933 (the
"Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold in the United
States other than pursuant to an exemption from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act. The group does not intend to
make a public offer of the bonds in the United States or to
register any securities under the Securities Act.