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News Category: Bus

Top ten journeys to see Britain by bus: Go-Ahead selects its most scenic routes

20 June 2022

Top ten journeys to see Britain by bus: Go-Ahead selects its most scenic routes

What better way to see Britain’s dales, beaches, villages, and cityscapes than by bus? The Go-Ahead Group, which operates buses from the tip of Cornwall to Northumberland, has picked out ten of the best from its nationwide route network.

The list is inspired, in part, by the Reverend Richard Coles, the broadcaster and former Church of England parish priest, who recently named Go-Ahead’s number 12 service from Brighton to Eastbourne as “the best in the world”.

Reverend Coles said: “I will always encourage people to travel by bus because it’s a great way to see the country and takes cars off the road.”

Stretching from the Isle of Wight to Hadrian’s Wall, Go-Ahead’s favourite journeys are as follows. Welcome aboard!

 

  • The Moors Explorer, East Yorkshire buses

East Yorkshire Buses’ Moors Explorer is the perfect way to travel to the North York Moors from Hessle, Hull, Cottingham and Beverley and a great opportunity to explore the area’s quaint villages. The route takes travellers to the picturesque Hutton le Hole or the Moors National Park Centre at Danby.

Bus

Moors Explorer returns for summer 2022 – East Yorkshire (eastyorkshirebuses.co.uk)#

 

  • Needles Breezer, Southern Vectis

The Needle Breezer route goes from Yarmouth to Needles Battery and back via Freshwater Bay, Alum Bay, Totland. It is one of the most spectacular bus rides in all of England, an open-top ride with views that will simply take your breath away.

Enjoy a cliff-hugging, dizzy climb from Alum Bay right up to the Needles Battery, high up where the vistas out to sea are intoxicating. The route also links Yarmouth to Freshwater Bay, Dimbola Museum and Galleries, Farringford Estate, Fort Victoria Country Park, as well as historic places of interest and areas of outstanding beauty.

Open top bus

https://www.islandbuses.info/services/SVCT/TNB?date=2022-05-11&direction=outbound

 

  • Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus, Go North East

Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus makes it easy to explore our Roman heritage and to visit some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes – along the defensive foundation that once protected the northern reaches of the Roman empire. The journey will immerse passengers in time travel and provide glimpses of what life was like in Roman times.

Hadrians wall

AD122 Hadrian’s Wall Country Bus – Go North East

 

  • Ocean City Sights, Go South West

Plymouth CityBus’s number 25, known as Ocean City Sights, is a circular route from Plymouth City Centre around the historic Barbican and onto Plymouth Hoe and Plymouth Sound. The route is often served by an open top bus so locals and tourists can see the city from the best vantage point.

Bus

25 – City Centre to Plymouth Hoe, via Barbican and West Hoe (Open Top) | Plymouth Bus

 

  • Breeze, Brighton and Hove and Metrobus

The Breeze bus routes wind their way through the South Downs National Park. With ‘Breeze Up To The Downs’ you can swiftly speed out of the busy city and be surrounded by quiet, picturesque natural vistas in under an hour. The bus services take passengers to the Sussex Downs beauty spots of Devil’s Dyke, Stanmer Park and Ditchling Beacon.

Bus

Breeze up to the downs – Brighton & Hove Buses

 

  • River Rapids, Oxford Bus Company

The River Rapids buses from Oxford to Reading or Henley-on-Thames make for fabulous car-free days out. With the River Rapids buses, you can explore the delights that South Oxfordshire has to offer. On this journey you can enjoy flowering gardens or ruined abbeys, award-winning museums, and riverside pubs.

River

River Rapids – Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel

 

  • No 100 Salford Reds, Go North West

Route number 100 on Go North West’s network starts in Manchester and winds its way out of the city to Warrington, via Salford Shopping Centre. On the way, it passes landmarks such as the AJ Bell Stadium, Barton Aerodrome (City Airport) and some refreshing green fields as the urban sprawl comes to an end.

100 Salford’s Reds – Manchester to Warrington | Go North West

 

  • Purbeck Breezer, No. 50, Morebus

Take a day out to the beach on the Purbeck Breezer – the number 50 from Bournemouth to Swanage, via Sandbanks and Studland. Sandbanks is known for its golden sands and clear waters. At Shell Bay & Studland you can take in the sea breeze, explore the dunes and nature reserve.

Open top bus

https://www.morebus.co.uk/services/WDBC/50

 

  • Clacton Breeze, Hedingham and Chambers

Go East Anglia’s Route 97/98 from Walton on the Naze to Clacton on Sea along the Essex Sunshine Coast is not to be missed. The open top bus offers a glimpse of traditional English seaside scenes, passing scenic beaches, promenades, beach huts and cafes. Step aboard and admire the surf breaking on the shore.

97 – Clacton to Walton on the Naze | Hedingham and Chambers

  • The No 12 Coaster, Brighton and Hove Bus

Finally, Brighton and Hove Buses, the No12 Coaster goes from the city of Brighton with breath-taking views of coastal scenery through to the picturesque town of Eastbourne. Enjoy the journey from the top deck, taking you via the Sea Life Centre, Rottingdean, Peacehaven, Seaford, Seven Sisters and East Dean.

Bus
Brighton and Hove Buses, Coastliner, 2015,

12 – Eastbourne-Brighton | Brighton & Hove Buses

The Go-Ahead Group and Lacroix & Savac agree strategic partnership

01 June 2022

The Go-Ahead Group and Lacroix & Savac agree strategic partnership

  • Partnership will explore opportunities to bid for bus contracts in Paris
  • The French market was identified as a priority under Go-Ahead’s new corporate strategy

The Go-Ahead Group and Groupe Lacroix & Savac have entered a strategic partnership to explore opportunities to bid together for public transport contracts in France.

Under the partnership, the two companies will target the market for bus services in and around Paris, where the city authorities have begun a process of putting routes out to tender as state-owned Epic RATP will lose its Paris bus monopoly in 2025.

Go-Ahead identified the opening of the French market as a priority for new business opportunities in The Next Billion Journeys, its recently published strategy. Lacroix & Savac is an established operator in the Ile de France region with more than 80 years’ experience.

Christian Schreyer, Group Chief Executive, The Go-Ahead Group, said: “Go-Ahead’s strength lies in running busy commuter transport services, and a key part of our strategy is to explore new opportunities in bus and light rail. With an outstanding track record and deep local knowledge, Lacroix & Savac is the perfect partner for us to work with in France.”

Stéphane Guenet, President of Lacroix & Savac, said: “This partnership will allow us to benefit from Go-Ahead’s expertise in mass transit and in entering urban areas that are newly open to competition. This will help us to adapt our offering for the Paris and suburban bus networks, which will be operated on behalf of Île-de-France Mobilités”.

Bus fares cut across Cornwall as Go-Ahead delivers trailblazing low fares pilot

11 April 2022

Bus fares cut across Cornwall as Go-Ahead delivers trailblazing low fares pilot

  • Ticket prices across Cornwall cut by between 20% and 40% from April 10
  • Government-backed scheme will measure impact on travel habits across the county over four years
  • Visitors to Cornwall will benefit from cheaper buses in tourist areas this summer

Ticket prices on buses operated by Go-Ahead Group in Cornwall have been cut by up to 40% under a Government-backed pilot scheme, “Make Big Savings By Bus”, to persuade motorists to leave their cars at home.

Beginning on April 10th, a four-year scheme will measure the extent to which lower fares can stimulate a change in travel behaviour by kick-starting growth in bus use. Transport for Cornwall has set a goal of increasing bus usage by 10% across the county.

The initiative, funded by Transport for Cornwall using a £23.5 million grant from the Department for Transport, stretches the length of Cornwall, from the River Tamar to the Land’s End peninsula, taking in towns and cities including Truro, Newquay, Redruth, Falmouth, Camborne, St Ives and Penzance.

Go Cornwall Bus is the county’s largest bus operator, operating over 100 routes carrying 90,000 passengers per week. Go-Ahead has invested £25 million in rural transport services in the county since entering Cornwall in 2020.

The pilot scheme follows an “any ticket, any bus” initiative making tickets interchangeable between Cornwall’s bus companies. It is consistent with goals under the Government’s National Bus Strategy to encourage partnership working between operators and local authorities, and to promote the social, economic and environmental benefits of bus usage.

Fares under the scheme will include:

  • £2.50 a day or £10 a week for adults within Cornish Towns
  • £5 a day or £20 a week for adults for travel across Cornwall
  • Adult singles from £1.60, returns from £2.40
  • Family ticket for £10 a day, up to 2 adults and unlimited children under 16
“”
Baroness Vere, the Buses Minister, said: “The launch of this excellent scheme across Cornwall is a significant moment in our ambition to level up transport links across the country. Backed by a £23.5m Government investment, we want to place Cornwall at the leading edge of a national bus revolution, which will underpin our drive towards net-zero, increase connectivity between communities and provide relief at the ticket booth at a time when finances are tight.”

Mark Anderson, Go-Ahead’s Customer and Commercial Director, said: “With petrol prices soaring, this is a timely initiative aimed at persuading motorists to switch to buses in a largely rural part of England. It’s a win-win both for locals all year round and for visitors, who will be able to take cheaper buses to Cornwall’s spectacular beaches this summer.

“To become carbon neutral as a country by 2050, we need to encourage people to switch from car to bus. Investment in fares is a useful tool alongside bus priority schemes, flexible ticketing and digital payments to make journeys as swift and easy as possible.”

Steve Double, MP for St Austell and Newquay, said: “Cheaper bus journeys will help Cornish young people get to school or college and will make it easier to access jobs for those living in rural areas, something which can be a barrier to getting and keeping work for so many. This trailblazing initiative is incredibly welcome and I’m delighted to see Cornwall once again leading the way with an innovative scheme as a rural area, leading the charge nationally in the Government’s goal of levelling up and encouraging more people to travel by bus.”

Go-Ahead expands international bus business into southern Sweden

10 March 2022

Go-Ahead expands international bus business into southern Sweden

The Go-Ahead Group is to begin operating bus services in southern Sweden through a deal to take ownership of a family run bus company, Flexbuss Sverige AB.

Flexbuss provides scheduled bus services, school transport, medical transfer and private hire buses. The company will be integrated into Go-Ahead’s London and International bus division, which operates franchised buses in London, Singapore and Dublin.

All revenue in Sweden will be generated through contracts, without direct exposure to changes in passenger demand. Under Go-Ahead’s ownership, services will continue to be overseen by Flexbuss’s proven and experienced management team.

Flexbuss operates approximately 380 vehicles and employs 600 people. It is expected that the transaction will be completed in April 2022.

Christian Schreyer, Group Chief Executive, The Go-Ahead Group, said: “This is an expansion of our successful London and international franchised bus business into a new territory. It will play to Go-Ahead’s strengths in operating bus contracts on behalf of local authorities, partners and third parties.”

Go-Ahead welcomes government funding to build back passengers on local bus services

01 March 2022

Go-Ahead welcomes government funding to build back passengers on local bus services

In response to the Department for Transport’s announcement of a £150 million funding package for local bus and light rail services, The Go-Ahead Group’s Chief Executive, Christian Schreyer, said:

“”
We welcome this funding for local buses, which will allow the industry time to build back passenger numbers. We’ve bounced back well from the Omicron variant, and our buses are carrying about 80% of the number of passengers they had before the pandemic. But working habits have changed, and it will take a little longer for a ‘new normal’ to settle in.

“In time, there are excellent prospects for bus usage to grow across Britain. Funding under the National Bus Strategy for bus lanes and priority schemes will speed up services in towns and cities, making them more attractive to passengers and allowing us to increase frequencies. If Britain is to move towards a net zero future, it is vital that people leave their cars at home and switch to public transport. This short-term finance will go some way towards bridging the gap and will help us build a broader network of successful bus services

Media availability

For an ‘on the ground’ perspective on the Government’s decision today to extend COVID recovery funding to bus operators for a further six months, Ed Wills, Managing Director of Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus, is available for interview.

Filming and broadcast opportunities on request.

Please contact Andrew Clark – 07977 343846 / communications@go-ahead.com.

The Go-Ahead Group expands in Ireland

03 February 2022

The Go-Ahead Group expands in Ireland

  • Recruitment campaign launched to hire 180 people, bringing total workforce close to 800
  • Roles to support ongoing expansion of bus operations in and around Dublin
  • Ireland is one of Go-Ahead’s four public transport markets outside the UK

The Go-Ahead Group is seeking to recruit 180 staff at its Go-Ahead Ireland bus business, bringing its total workforce in Ireland to close to 800 people across all functions.

The company is looking to recruit bus drivers, engineers, administration, supervisory and business support functions.

Go-Ahead Ireland was appointed by the National Transport Authority in 2018, and currently operates 25 Outer Dublin Metropolitan Area (ODMA) routes, and 5 Dublin Commuter routes, with a fleet of over 200 buses. The company also operates two services on the recently launched ‘C-Spine’ BusConnects network.

The new roles are being created due to the ongoing expansion of the business, and to meet the requirements of the implementation of the new BusConnects network redesign in Dublin. The company will provide fully paid training to new drivers who do not currently have a license to drive a bus.

Over the last decade, Go-Ahead has expanded from its base in Britain to operate public transport services in four additional countries – rail in Norway and Germany, and buses in Singapore and Ireland.

Go-Ahead Ireland has achieved industry-leading punctuality and reliability. The company is also a key supporter of Gaelic sports, as title sponsor of the Dublin GAA’s football, hurling and camogie championships.

Christian Schreyer, Group Chief Executive, Go-Ahead Group, said: “Go-Ahead is committed to international expansion and Ireland is a key market. We are pleased with the way our bus operations in Dublin have performed since 2018 and we’re delighted to be creating new jobs for the local community.”

Andrew Edwards, Managing Director, Go-Ahead Ireland, said: “This is an important milestone for Go-Ahead Ireland, and we are delighted to announce this growth. Since entering the market, we have steadily increased our presence, focusing on providing service excellence to the communities that we serve.”

Go-Ahead targets career switchers with commitment to hire 1,100 apprentices in 2022

02 February 2022

Go-Ahead targets career switchers with commitment to hire 1,100 apprentices in 2022

  • Bus and rail company seeks applicants from diverse backgrounds
  • Recent joiners include a former professional footballer and bank manager
  • Nearly 30% of Go-Ahead’s apprentices are over 50 years old

Go-Ahead has set a target to hire 1,100 bus and rail apprentices in 2022. It is encouraging applicants from all ages and career backgrounds.

The announcement comes in advance of National Apprenticeship Week (7-13 February), a government-led initiative that highlights the positive impact of apprenticeships across the UK.

The group is the biggest provider of apprentice training in the transport industry, hiring 50 apprentice bus drivers per week in London alone in 2021. Last year, Go-Ahead hired 1,030 apprentices in total.

In addition to school leavers, the group takes on apprentices of all ages, including many career switchers who are seeking a new start in transport.

Applicants from diverse backgrounds have surged during the pandemic as economic conditions have changed, and many people have reassessed their lifestyles.

After 15 years in financial management positions, Mitesh Patel started his train driving apprenticeship in 2020. He wanted a better work-life balance than an office environment, when he never felt he could switch off at the end of the day.

Meanwhile, bus driver apprentice Rachael Ayegba switched from professional football to bus driving in 2021. She is believed to be the first female London bus driver to have played in the World Cup.

This success comes during a time in which apprenticeship starts have been falling nationwide. A 2021 government report indicates that apprenticeship starts are at their lowest levels in ten years. There was a 20% drop in apprenticeship starts between 2018/2019 and 2020/2021.

Susanna Dillon, Head of Apprenticeships at Go-Ahead said: “At Go-Ahead, we’ve invested so much time and energy into our award-winning apprenticeship programme – and for good reason. Apprenticeships are vital for helping the communities we serve and for bringing fresh ideas and viewpoints into the transport sector.”

“We’re also seeing real benefits to the programme. We’ve found that since we launched our in-house apprenticeship scheme in London in 2018, we’ve seen a real increase in good service commendations from the public. The scheme has also helped to halve the amount of driving accidents on the road.”

Resignation rates are reaching record numbers in the UK in a time now dubbed ‘the Great Resignation’. A November 2021 report from Randstand indicates that almost a quarter of employees in the UK plan to move jobs within the next three to six months.

However, Go-Ahead’s apprenticeship programme reveals the success of the programme at recruiting retaining its apprenticeship talent. Go-Ahead London introduced its first in-house training programme in 2018. Since then, the number of people who have left within two years has fallen from 40% to 13%.

Top marks for Go-Ahead’s carbon cutting initiatives

20 January 2022

Top marks for Go-Ahead’s carbon cutting initiatives

The Go-Ahead Group has received an ‘A minus’ rating from CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) for the second year in a row – the highest score of any UK public transport company.

CDP is an international, expert group that reviewed more than 13,000 companies worldwide for its 2021 rankings.

Go-Ahead has reduced CO2 emissions per vehicle mile by 25% in just under five years (2016/2017 baseline) across its UK, Ireland and Singapore bus operations. The Group is the largest electric bus operator in the UK, and it owns one of the largest electric bus garages in Europe – Northumberland Park, in London – which is set to be the site of innovative ‘Bus2Grid’ technology.

Go-Ahead was the pioneer of ‘geo-fenced’ technology in Brighton with buses that operate in zero emission mode in the city’s clean air zone, and ‘air filtering’ buses in Southampton.  It has also ordered 20 hydrogen-fuelled buses that will come into service in Summer 2022.

The company saw a 5% improvement in Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR’s) electric fleet efficiency in 2019/2020 and is committed to improving carbon efficiencies in its rail fleets in the UK, Germany and Norway.

“”
Go-Ahead’s Commercial and Customer Director Mark Anderson said: “Public transport is part of the solution for fighting climate change and poor air quality. We therefore need to ensure we’re doing everything we can to provide green, clean services for our passengers. Our A minus rating shows there’s still more we can, and plan to do, to fighting climate change, but we’re well on our way.”

Go-Ahead’s 2021 climate change initiatives included:

  • The launch of the group’s Climate Change Strategy, where it outlined its goal to be a net zero company by 2045. Its target to reduce emissions by 75% by 2035 was validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative in Summer 2021.
  • Solar panel trials on buses in Southampton and Singapore
  • ‘Rent a roof’ solar panel trials at Denmark Hill railway station and Oxford Bus Company’s Didcot depot
  • Creation of a climate change taskforce involving senior managers from across our companies,
  • A ‘Best Driver’ colleague competition at Go-Ahead London, where colleagues compete on a racetrack to see who can drive a bus the most efficiently
  • Local energy saving initiatives – Manchester’s Go North West depot cut its energy use by 76% by installing LED lighting.
  • Trial of recycling initiative at Brighton station with sustainability start up Green Block – aiming to increase recycling rates from 30% to 95%

Go-Ahead selects Air Products as partner for pioneering hydrogen bus fleet

05 January 2022

Go-Ahead selects Air Products as partner for pioneering hydrogen bus fleet

  • Air Products to supply liquid hydrogen to fuel Metrobus’ new hydrogen vehicles
  • Fleet of 20 buses to be deployed in the Crawley, Horley and Gatwick Airport area

The Go-Ahead Group has agreed a 15-year hydrogen supply deal with Air Products, a world leading industrial gas company, to power a fleet of fuel cell buses for deployment in the Gatwick Airport, Crawley and Horley area.

The single-decker GB Kite Hydroliner buses, manufactured by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland, will be delivered in June 2022. They will be the first hydrogen powered vehicles in Go-Ahead’s fleet of more than 6,000 buses.

It is the intention that the hydrogen to power the buses will meet, or exceed, UK government standards on sustainable fuel for public transport. Hydrogen will be stored at the Metrobus Crawley depot in liquid form, before being converted to gas held in tanks on the roof of vehicles.

The single-decker fuel cell buses are funded in part with money from UK Government and European Union zero-emission bus schemes, plus investment from Gatwick Airport. A further possible order of 34 buses could bring the fleet to 54 vehicles, which would be the largest local fleet of hydrogen buses deployed in Europe to date.

As well as having zero carbon emissions, hydrogen buses have long range capabilities and can be refuelled quickly in depots.

Go-Ahead is already the UK’s largest operator of zero-emission electric buses, with a fleet of nearly 300 nationwide, but this is the group’s first venture into hydrogen. Go-Ahead has set a target of transitioning to a zero-emission bus fleet across the UK by 2035.

Christian Schreyer, Group Chief Executive, The Go-Ahead Group, said: “This is our first hydrogen supply deal, and it represents a milestone in our plans to transition Go-Ahead’s entire fleet of buses to zero emission fuel.

“We’re delighted to be working with Air Products and with Wrightbus. This is an example of what can be achieved through a mixture of public and private funding, and of co-operation between different environmentally responsible partners.”

Manish Patel, Air Products UK Hydrogen for Mobility Director, said: “We’re pleased to be partnering with Go-Ahead and Metrobus on the largest hydrogen supply contract for buses in the UK to date. It’s a huge milestone in the UK’s hydrogen for mobility sector.

“At Air Products, we’ve been involved in more than 13 million hydrogen vehicle fills across the world and have extensive experience over the last 60 years in delivering reliable end-to-end hydrogen solutions, from production to distribution and fuelling stations. Our innovative and unique solutions will provide Metrobus the infrastructure to not only fuel their initial fleet but allow for rapid expansion without additional footprint or cost.”

Ed Wills, Managing Director, Brighton & Hove and Metrobus, said: “We went through a rigorous process before selecting Air Products as our supplier. We were impressed not only with their experience in this field but with the assurance that they would be ready to begin supplying us at volume from day one.”

About Go-Ahead

Go-Ahead is a leading public transport operator, connecting communities through bus and rail services. Our purpose is to be the local partner taking care of journeys that enhance the lives and wellbeing of our communities across the world.

We employ more than 27,000 people across our bus and rail businesses in the UK, Singapore, Ireland, Norway and Germany. In addition to the travelling public, our customers include governments and local authorities. We are committed to tackling climate change, poor air quality and social isolation.

Bus 

Go-Ahead is one of the UK’s largest bus operators. We run a fleet of more than 6,000 buses across England and run a quarter of London’s buses for Transport for London. Outside London, we serve high-density commuter markets in the North East, Greater Manchester, East Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, East Anglia, the South East and the South West of England. We also operate a bus contract in Singapore and two bus contracts in Ireland.

Rail 

We operate rail franchises in the UK, Germany and Norway. In the UK, we run the country’s largest passenger franchise, GTR (Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern and Thameslink). This is managed through our 65 per cent owned subsidiary Govia, which is 35 per cent owned by Keolis.  In Germany and Norway, our contracts are run exclusively by Go-Ahead.

About Air Products

Air Products is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for 80 years. Focused on serving energy, environment and emerging markets, the Company provides essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemical, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food and beverage. Air Products is also the global leader in the supply of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment. The Company develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world’s largest industrial gas projects, including: gasification projects that sustainably convert abundant natural resources into syngas for the production of high-value power, fuels and chemicals; carbon capture projects; and world-scale carbon-free hydrogen projects supporting global transportation and the energy transition.