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News Category: Corporate

Go-Ahead makes multi-million-pound investment to excel in engineering

07 July 2025

Go-Ahead makes multi-million-pound investment to excel in engineering

Go-Ahead Group has made a multi-million-pound investment in engineering to create a clearer career pathway for emerging talent, increase the skills and knowledge of our engineering teams, and better prepare them for an accelerated rollout of zero-emission technology. The investment will create a new industry leading engineering apprenticeship programme and will develop the skills of Go-Ahead’s 900 engineers across the UK & Ireland.

Two new engineering academies in London and Greater Manchester will support the apprenticeship programme and host training for current engineers.

Go-Ahead’s engineers maintain over 6,000 buses and coaches for customers across the UK & Ireland, including the UK’s largest zero-emission fleet. The new training and apprenticeship programmes will set bold new standards in engineering by strengthening the skills of Go-Ahead’s talented engineers and by investing in future colleagues.

Go-Ahead’s existing engineers will receive training to enhance their skills and knowledge ready for the sustainable, high-tech future of public transport.

As an award-winning apprenticeship provider, Go-Ahead is committed to removing barriers to entry by funding driving lessons and exams for successful applicants, opening up engineering careers to people from all backgrounds.

Apprentices will initially learn about complex mechanical and electrical systems in classrooms and real-life settings before joining one of Go-Ahead’s operating companies to learn on the job, whilst gaining a qualification and earning a wage. The programme will be delivered in partnership with S&B Automotive Academy, one of the leading providers of apprenticeships to the automotive sector and will include placements with some of Go-Ahead’s other manufacturing partners. Dedicated mentors will help guide and support recruits throughout the programme.

With a rapidly growing zero-emission fleet, Go-Ahead is ensuring their existing and future engineers have the necessary skills to continue to operate and maintain these buses and ultimately play a vital role in the transition to zero-emission public transport.

Matt Carney, CEO, Go-Ahead Bus said: “Engineers are absolutely crucial to our industry. Our investment will help create a clear career pathway for anyone interested in becoming an engineer. This includes women who are underrepresented in engineering, and I am very pleased to see that 20% of our first apprentices are women. This is a great start towards gender diversity. Our engineering academies will also develop our existing team of engineers, upskilling them so that they’re set up for success and provide leadership training to our emerging leaders. This means that as we grow and evolve, we will continue to have the best engineers in the industry, which is great for our teams and for our customers.”

This investment forms part of Go-Ahead’s commitment to have a fully zero-emission fleet by 2035.

 

Go-Ahead becomes founding partner of Rebuilding Futures Alliance

18 June 2025

Go-Ahead becomes founding partner of Rebuilding Futures Alliance

Go-Ahead is proud to become a founding partner of Rebuilding Futures Alliance (RFA) to support people with low-level past convictions into meaningful employment. By equipping individuals with career opportunities, the partnership seeks to break the cycle of reoffending while contributing to economic growth.

RFA is a not-for-profit organisation that brings together charities that support former offenders join the rail, bus and other transport sectors, offering them a real second chance.

Go-Ahead provides a wide range of fulfilling career opportunities that help connect billions of customers and their communities through essential bus and rail services. By partnering with RFA, Go-Ahead will explore how to support people with low-level past convictions re-enter the workplace and build rewarding careers.

Go-Ahead’s involvement as a founding partner aligns with its commitment to creating social value and building a workforce that reflects the communities it serves. This commitment drives its award-winning apprenticeship scheme, its Go-Ahead Women programme and its partnerships with organisations such as The King’s Trust.

Miguel Parras, Group Chief Executive, Go-Ahead Group said: “Everyone should have the chance to build a meaningful and rewarding career. By partnering with RFA we hope we can offer people who deserve a second chance the sense of purpose and satisfaction that working at Go-Ahead provides.”

Chris Leech MBE, Business Development Director, RFA said: “We’re delighted that Go-Ahead has joined the RFA to support us break the cycle of reoffending. The RFA’s mission is not just to place people into jobs but to rebuild their futures. Employment is the single most powerful factor in reducing reoffending. With the right support and the right role, people can transform their lives and contribute positively to their communities. The transport industry offers fantastic careers that can help change lives and positively impacting far beyond those engaged.”

 

 

Go-Ahead Non-Executive Director awarded OBE

16 June 2025

Go-Ahead Non-Executive Director awarded OBE


Louise Cheeseman, Non-Executive Director has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours list 2025 for her services to the transport industry and diversity.

Louise’s illustrious career in public transport has been marked by her pioneering initiatives, particularly those aimed at supporting and empowering women in the industry. In 2023, she founded Women in Bus and Coach (WiBC), a national network created to encourage, represent, support, and retain women in the bus and coach profession. Her passion for this cause has made a profound impact, fostering a more inclusive and diverse environment within public transport sector.

As well as Non-Executive Director at Go-Ahead, Louise serves also as Non-Executive Director at Transport for Wales, Chair of Trustees for Rebuilding Futures Alliance and Chair of WiBC.

Louise has held senior positions across both the public and private sectors, including as Managing Director for Hull Trains and Director of Bus at Transport for London, where she was responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the capital’s bus services including the delivery of the zero-carbon strategy.

Commenting on her award, Miguel Parras, Group CEO of Go-Ahead said: “We’re delighted that Louise has received this recognition for the incredible impact she has made on our industry. We’re very fortunate to have Louise on our Board and are very grateful for her contribution towards our growth strategy, achieving our ambitious decarbonisation goals and reaching our equality targets.”

Go-Ahead strengthens leadership in zero-emission transport

09 April 2025

Go-Ahead strengthens leadership in zero-emission transport

Go-Ahead, in partnership with the Department for Transport and local authorities, will invest in an additional 45 zero-emissions buses for its operating companies in Hull, Salisbury, Brighton & Hove, Isle of Wight and Plymouth.

Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood visited the team at East Yorkshire Buses yesterday to hear about their plans to decarbonise the bus network across the region.

Go-Ahead’s zero-emission bus fleet is the largest in the United Kingdom with 1,500 zero-emission buses in operation or on order, demonstrating its commitment and leadership in zero-emission transport. Go-Ahead has received government support for 246 zero-emission buses, with some being introduced into service in the next few months.

Customers of East Yorkshire Buses, Salisbury Reds, Brighton & Hove Buses, Southern Vectis (Isle of Wight) and Plymouth CityBus will enjoy quieter and smoother journeys with the added benefit of knowing their travel is environmentally friendly.

Matt Carney, CEO, Go-Ahead Bus commented: “Our leadership and commitment to zero-emission transport is something we’re extremely proud of at Go-Ahead. We’re very grateful to the Department for Transport and our local authorities for this partnership, which will give more customers access to cleaner, greener public transport across the country.”

Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood, said: “Our investment will deliver new zero-emission buses to communities across England by 2027. This funding will not only make bus travel cleaner, greener, and more comfortable, but it will also create jobs, support local economies, and accelerate our journey towards a zero-emission future. From Hull to Hove, there’s an electrifying future on the way for our buses.”

Chris Fowler appointed as Managing Director for GTS

02 April 2025

Chris Fowler appointed as Managing Director for GTS

Chris Fowler will take on the role as Managing Director for GTS, the future operator of the Elizabeth line.

GTS is a joint venture between Go Ahead, Tokyo Metro and Sumitomo Corporation and will be responsible for operating the Elizabeth line from 25 May 2025.

Chris joins GTS from Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) where he is Network Operations Director and is responsible for performance on one of the UK’s largest and most complex rail operations.

GTR manages four rail companies and is responsible for almost 20% of all UK rail journeys. It operates over 1 billion journeys every year and is a leader in adopting new technology, including leading the introduction of digital signalling on the UK mainline rail network.

Chris’ experience spans both private and public sectors with his current role split with Network Rail Sussex. He started his career with Transport for London where he held roles including Train Operations Manager and Chief of Staff to Managing Director. He has also served as Customer Services Director at GTR’s Southern Railway and as interim Managing Director for Southern Railway and Gatwick Express.

Patrick Verwer, CEO, Rail, Go-Ahead said: “Chris will make an excellent partner to Transport for London with his knowledge that strong partnership between private and public sector is vital in delivering the best service for customers. His expertise and leadership will help us build on the success of the Elizabeth line as GTS takes on the responsibility for operating the most popular railway in the country, on behalf of TfL.”

Chris Fowler added: “I’m delighted to be appointed as the Managing Director of GTS. The Elizabeth line has already transformed travel in London, becoming the UK’s busiest rail line. It’s a shining example of how investment in our capital’s transport network can drive economic growth and help enrich lives every day; as a proud Londoner, I’m excited for GTS to build on this success. By working with colleagues across the network, we will unlock the line’s full potential as a world-class railway, be a fantastic place to work, and represent London’s position as a global leader in transport.”

Chris Fowler

Go-Ahead strengthens rail team in Australia and New Zealand

06 March 2025

Go-Ahead strengthens rail team in Australia and New Zealand

Go-Ahead has appointed Michael Contreras as Executive Director, Rail Operations, Australia and New Zealand.

Michael has extensive experience leading large-scale public transport operations and joins from the Department of Transport & Planning, Victoria, Australia where he was Director of Operations & Performance. He spent over twelve years at Metro Trains Melbourne in key senior roles, such  as General Manager, Network Operations

Go-Ahead has recently opened a new office in Melbourne, to explore rail opportunities in Australia and New Zealand where it can apply its knowledge of operating large and complex rail operations for millions of customers.

Go-Ahead operates billions of rail journeys each year for customers in the UK and the Nordics and will soon take over operations of the iconic Elizabeth line in London, the new flagship railway network in London, and Stockholm Metro, the largest public transport contract in continental Europe.

Patrick Verwer, CEO, Rail, Go-Ahead said: “Michael joins Go-Ahead at a very exciting time and we’re delighted to welcome him to the team. We’re growing our rail operations with the Elizabeth Line and Stockholm Metro and excited to assess new opportunities in Australia and New Zealand.”

Go-Ahead opens a new office to target rail opportunities in Australia and New Zealand

17 February 2025

Go-Ahead opens a new office to target rail opportunities in Australia and New Zealand

Go-Ahead has opened a new office in Melbourne to explore rail opportunities in Australia and New Zealand, where it can apply its knowledge of operating large and complex rail operations for millions of customers.

Go-Ahead operates billions of rail journeys each year for customers in the UK and the Nordics. It has established itself as a trusted partner, working on complex operations to deliver reliable, punctual and welcoming rail services.

In the UK, Go-Ahead is one of the largest rail operators. Through Govia Thameslink Railway, which manages four rail companies in the south of England, it is responsible for almost 20% of all UK rail journeys. It operates over 1 billion journeys every year and is a leader in adopting new technology, including leading the introduction of digital signalling on the UK mainline rail network. From May 2025, Go-Ahead will take over the operation of the iconic Elizabeth line in London, the new flagship railway network in London that has quickly become one of the most popular and fastest growing railways in the country, serving more than 700,000 customers a day.

Go-Ahead is also expanding its rail operations in the Nordics, where it already runs services in Norway. Later this year, Go-Ahead will start operating Stockholm’s Metro network, as part of the largest public transport contract in continental Europe, serving 350 million passengers annually.

Piero McCarthy has been appointed as Business Development Director for Go-Ahead Rail, Australia and New Zealand. Piero brings twenty years’ worth of industry experience and has held senior business development roles at Go-Ahead and led operations within the UK’s largest rail franchise, Govia Thameslink Railway.

Patrick Verwer, CEO, Rail, Go-Ahead said: “We have ambitious plans to build on our recent success and continue to grow our rail operations. We’re excited about exploring opportunities in Australia and New Zealand where we can apply our experience of operating busy, complex transport networks.”

Go-Ahead expands West of England operations with acquisition of Swanbrook Transport

25 November 2024

Go-Ahead expands West of England operations with acquisition of Swanbrook Transport

• Coach operator to become part of Go-Ahead’s Pulhams Coaches operation
• Deal adds to Go-Ahead’s expanding network of UK coach operators

The Go-Ahead Group has agreed a deal to acquire Swanbrook Transport, a bus and coach operator based in Cheltenham.

Swanbrook operates local bus, home to school services and private hire and will become part of Pulhams Coaches, which sits in Go-Ahead’s Oxford division.

This latest deal builds on Go-Ahead’s recent acquisitions across England, including four coach companies across West and North Yorkshire, and the North East which further strengthens its service offering for schools, businesses, private hire and local authority partners.

Go-Ahead is now one of the largest coach operators in the UK with over 400 coaches from the South West to the North East, integrating its network with existing bus operations.

“”
Pulhams Coaches already has an excellent reputation in the Cheltenham area as both a local bus operator, and as specialist providers of coach services. Our acquisition of another reputable operator in the area in Swanbrook is an exciting opportunity to provide an even greater range of services locally and integrate it with our existing network.

Luke Marion

Managing Director of the Oxford Bus Company

“”
We’re delighted to welcome Swanbrook to the Go-Ahead Group, and to grow our presence in the UK coach market. As a company, we’re committed to connecting communities, so providing coach services across the country for schools, groups, small business and local authority partners is important to us. This is an exciting expansion of our coach operation to provide for more customers in the West of England.

Matt Carney

CEO – Go-Ahead Bus

“”
We are excited by the opportunities that joining such a prestigious group in Pulhams and Go-Ahead will bring to the company. Having established our business as a well respected operation in the local area we believe this is the natural progression for the business to further develop and be well equipped to meet the challenges of the industry for the future.

John Thomas

Operations Director, Swanbrook Transport Ltd

New appointments to the Go-Ahead Group Board

19 November 2024

New appointments to the Go-Ahead Group Board

The Go-Ahead Group, the UK’s leading international bus and rail public transport operator, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sharon Flood as an independent non-executive director, further strengthening its leadership team and enhancing governance.

Sharon joined the Board in October as non-executive director and chair of the audit committee, bringing a wealth of expertise in finance, strategy, and consumer-focused businesses, alongside deep industry knowledge. Her skills and experience will reinforce Go-Ahead’s governance framework. Sharon’s distinguished career includes executive and non-executive roles, and she currently serves on the boards of Getlink SA, where she chairs safety and security, CityFibre Ltd where she chairs audit and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust PLC. She has also been a non-executive director at Network Rail, where she served as chair of the audit committee/treasury and chair of environmental sustainability.

Additionally, Mackayla Hanney, Chief Commercial Officer at Kinetic, was appointed to the Board earlier this year as director representing Kinetic, a major shareholder of the Go-Ahead Group. Mackayla has led significant growth initiatives at Kinetic, including the acquisition of Go-Ahead and New Zealand’s Go Bus. She brings valuable commercial expertise and a proven track-record in strategic M&A, tender processes, and stakeholder engagement, which supports Go-Ahead’s growth aspirations in the UK and internationally.

With the recent appointments of Sharon and Mackayla, together with Louise Cheeseman, the Board of Go-Ahead has reached 40% female representation, further enriching its sector expertise while enhancing its commitment to diverse, robust governance.

“”
We are delighted to welcome Sharon and Mackayla to their new roles on the Board of the Go-Ahead Group. Their extensive knowledge and experience will be invaluable for us as they will play a vital role in supporting our management team to deliver its strategic plan of growth, achieving our ambitious decarbonisation and equality targets, and most importantly, delivering on our mission of connecting people and communities around the world.”

Miguel Parras

Group CEO, Go-Ahead

Go East Anglia appoint Rupert Cox as Managing Director

16 August 2024

Go East Anglia appoint Rupert Cox as Managing Director

  • New MD will head up leading bus operator in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk
  • Appointment made following interim period as MD
  • Experience of Rupert Cox will strengthen Go-Ahead’s leadership

The Go-Ahead Group today announces that Rupert Cox has been appointed as the Managing Director of Go East Anglia, effective from 1st September, following a successful period as interim MD, a position he started in June 2024.

Rupert first joined Go-Ahead in March 2024, working on business development projects and stepped into the interim role following Gavin Smith’s move to head up Go-Ahead’s Fastrack network operations in Kent.

Rupert’s industry experience spans two decades with all his career spent at Stagecoach where he began as graduate trainee manager before continuing to build his career through several commercial and operational roles. He then became Managing Director for the company covering the West of England and his last role was as Regional Director covering the South and Midlands in England.

Martin Dean, Managing Director of UK Regional Bus, Go-Ahead Group said “We’re delighted to appoint Rupert permanently as the Managing Director of Go East Anglia. He is an experienced and knowledgeable industry leader, with a track-record of delivering for customers, and his extensive career in bus will undoubtedly benefit our business.”

Rupert Cox, Interim Managing Director of Go East Anglia said “I am excited to have been appointed as the Managing Director of Go East Anglia. I’m looking forward to working in partnership with our transport authorities to grow our network across Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk and deliver services that benefit our customers and the communities that we serve”.

Go East Anglia is part of the Go-Ahead Group, and manages two operators, Konectbus and Hedingham and Chambers.