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Go-Ahead is named the fifth top apprenticeship employer in the UK, securing its top position in the UK transport industry

30 June 2023

Go-Ahead is named the fifth top apprenticeship employer in the UK, securing its top position in the UK transport industry

Transport operator ranked 5th on the list of the UK’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers

The group beats its previous ranking at 13, and secures its position as top apprenticeships employer in the UK transport industry

Go-Ahead is currently training 1,020 apprentices across bus operations, rail operations, and its head office functions

The Go-Ahead Group is proud to be listed the fifth top apprenticeships provider in the UK, in a ranking developed by the Department for Education. The group celebrates after beating its previous ranking by eight places and secures its lead position as top apprenticeship employer in the transport industry – ahead of Stagecoach Group, Southeastern, Cross Country Trains, Hays Travel and Transport UK Group.

The company takes on around 1,020 apprentices annually and its award-winning apprenticeships programme is the biggest in employing apprentices into roles such as bus drivers, train drivers and engineers in the public transport industry.

More than 700 apprentices are presently training to be London bus drivers at Go-Ahead London’s academy in Camberwell – the largest bus operator in London, and further 470 apprentices are in training at Govia Thameslink Railway – the UK’s largest railway network.

Go-Ahead is committed to employing apprentices from diverse backgrounds, currently 65% are from ethnic minority backgrounds, 20% are female apprentices – a number Go-Ahead will continuously aim to improve, and 15% are neurodiverse.

“”
Our Apprenticeships programme has gone from strength to strength. We’re so proud of the results in the rankings – to come in at number five means that we’re moving in the right direction. As we attract the new generation of drivers and engineers, it’s our priority to ensure the programme is forever expanding and will continue to reflect the diverse communities we serve. At Go-Ahead we believe apprenticeships are a great way to begin a career in transport. There are so many opportunities to develop and many of our apprentices have gone on to lead very successful careers.

Carolyn Ferguson

Group Chief People Officer, The Go-Ahead Group

The ‘Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers 2023’ list recognises England’s leading apprenticeship employers for their overall commitment to employing apprentices, their creation of new apprenticeships, the diversity of their new apprentices, and the progression of their apprentices onto further apprenticeships and employment.

£30 million investment in pioneering hydrogen bus fleet and refuelling station launched for services in and around Gatwick Airport

29 June 2023

£30 million investment in pioneering hydrogen bus fleet and refuelling station launched for services in and around Gatwick Airport

Fleet of 20 buses from Wrightbus to be deployed in the Crawley, Horley and Gatwick Airport area by The Go-Ahead Group.

A further 34 vehicles will join the fleet over the next 18 months to create one of Britain’s largest hydrogen bus fleets.

The station is the first liquid hydrogen refuelling station for buses in Europe.

Launch event on 29 June attended by the Minister for Roads and Local Transport and stakeholders from across the region.

The Go-Ahead Group, one of Britain’s leading bus and rail operators, has today launched a pioneering fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses to carry passengers on routes in the Gatwick Airport, Crawley and Horley area.

Once fully delivered, the fleet will comprise 54 vehicles and will be one of the biggest hydrogen bus fleets in Britain. It will be served by a liquid hydrogen refuelling station – the largest of its kind in Europe.

The zero emission buses are able to cover long ranges and carry heavy loads, making them ideal for local routes around Gatwick that are intensively used – operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The single-decker GB Kite Hydroliner buses, manufactured by Wrightbus, are the first hydrogen powered vehicles in Go-Ahead’s fleet of more than 6,000 buses. 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 liquid hydrogen refuelling station in Crawley is owned and operated by Air Products, a world leading industrial gas company. Once it reaches full capacity it will be the largest of its kind in Europe and will be capable of providing the equivalent of fuel for over 100 buses per day.

The Crawley bus depot, at Wheatstone Close played host to a number of local stakeholders and politicians in a presentation and ceremony to launch the new hydrogen buses. Richard Holden, minister for roads and local transport, was also in attendance, speaking at the event and touring the refuelling facilities.

“”
Communities and commuters across the country know how important buses are – and these UK-made hydrogen buses could revolutionise transport for millions, bringing quieter and smoother journeys. It is great to see these 20 new hydrogen buses on our roads, one of the largest fleets in the UK, backed by over £4.3m of funding from our Ultra-Low Emission Bus scheme. With nearly 3,400 Zero Emission Buses funded across the UK since February 2020, this latest fleet puts us well on the way to meeting our target of 4,000 ZEBs.

Richard Holden MP

Minister for Roads and Local Transport

Ed Wills, Managing Director for Brighton & Hove and Metrobus said “I am delighted to introduce 20 new hydrogen buses to our Metrobus fleet and a liquid hydrogen refuelling station, which, once fully commissioned will be the largest of its kind in Europe. This launch marks a historic moment for our business and demonstrates our commitment to reducing emissions in the local community where the only thing that comes out of the bus tailpipe is water. A further 34 buses will join our fleet over the next 18 months through our partnership working with Surrey County Council.

Christian Schreyer, Group Chief Executive, The Go-Ahead Group, commented: “These fantastic buses and the innovative refuelling depot demonstrate Go-Ahead’s commitment to investing in a net zero future for transport. We’re already the leading operator of electric buses in Britain and we believe hydrogen is a further piece in the jigsaw of decarbonising public transport – to the benefit of the environment and local communities.”

Manish Patel, Air Products Hydrogen for Mobility Director UK, commented: “We are proud to be part of this exciting project, where we intend to deliver green hydrogen produced in Immingham from imported renewable energy sources such as the NEOM Green Hydrogen project, where there’s an abundance of sun and wind. The project is an excellent example of companies collaborating and pioneering in the energy transition space. Together, we are making the decarbonisation of public transport a reality; our liquid hydrogen-fed refuelling station will be able to reliably serve the depot’s full fleet.”

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive, London Gatwick Airport, commented: “Sustainability is key to everything we do and we’re proud to have contributed financially to these 20 zero emission Hydrogen busses.  The route this new fleet serves is vital for passengers and airport staff travelling to and from work, including late at night and early morning.

“We want half of our passengers and staff to get to the airport using sustainable transport, so we’re investing in our public transport facilities.  In addition to this zero-emission bus fleet, we have also upgraded a vital bus interchange with accessible lifts and our redeveloped train station will open soon.  We also hope to see further advances in the use of hydrogen at the airport in the years ahead “.

Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive of Wrightbus, said, “We are honoured to work together with the Go-Ahead Group to provide our industry-leading zero-emission buses for these important routes. Public transport is a key area in the UK’s zero carbon ambitions and hydrogen has a vital role to play. Collaborations such as this one show the potential of UK industry to meet this challenge that we face.”

Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Transport, Infrastructure and Growth said, “I am delighted that Surrey County Council and Metrobus continue to work together to help deliver our ambition to become a net zero county by 2050, to improve public transport and to encourage more people to use buses in Surrey.

Surrey County Council has invested £16.4m to roll out 34 of 54 hydrogen fuel cell buses across the county – creating one of Britain’s largest hydrogen bus fleets and offering our residents cleaner, greener bus travel.

We’re also investing in bus priority measures to make sure buses turn up on time, more real time passenger information for users to plan journeys and providing more on-demand bus services.”

 

 

Go-Ahead expands into the Cotswolds by buying Pulham & Sons

08 June 2023

Go-Ahead expands into the Cotswolds by buying Pulham & Sons

Gloucestershire based bus and coach operator to become part of Go-Ahead’s Oxford Bus Company division.

Pulhams operates 22 bus routes in the Cotswolds plus demand responsive transport services and school, college, and corporate coach travel

Deal demonstrates Go-Ahead’s commitment to invest in UK regional bus services

The Go-Ahead Group has bought Pulham & Sons (Coaches) Limited, a long established family run bus and coach operator in the Cotswolds.

Pulhams, which has a fleet of 90 buses and coaches and employs 126 people, is a well-known and respected local business serving communities in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire. It will become part of Go-Ahead’s Oxford Bus Company division – which presently comprises Thames Travel, Carousel Buses and City Sightseeing Oxford as well as the eponymous Oxford Bus Company.

Based in Bourton-on-the-Water, Pulhams has won multiple awards for delivering high standards, and currently holds both DVSA Earned Recognition and Guild of British Coach Operators accreditation. The company is one of the oldest established passenger transport companies in Britain, having been founded in 1880 to carry passengers into Cheltenham from nearby villages by horse and cart.

The acquisition will expand Go-Ahead’s Oxford business to the west and see improved connectivity between Pulhams’ bus services in Oxfordshire and the wider Go-Ahead network of services. In addition, it will enable Go-Ahead to expand its coaching operations – which in the Oxford division already include the airline services to Heathrow and Gatwick, and National Express branded operations – by developing the coach hire side of the Pulhams business across the wider business operating area.

As part of Go-Ahead’s business strategy, The Next Billion Journeys, the group is committed to investing, and expanding, in regional buses in Britain. The deal is Go-Ahead’s third acquisition in a year, following the purchase of Dartline in Devon and Southdown Buses in West Sussex.

“”
Pulhams’ buses and coaches are familiar and well loved in communities throughout the Cotswolds. The business links nicely with our existing services in Oxfordshire and surrounding counties, and helps us to diversify our business further into new market segments. We’ll be investing in developing the Pulhams business further, for the benefit of both customers and colleagues.

Luke Marion

Managing Director of the Oxford Bus Company

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Pulhams’ buses and coaches are familiar and well loved in communities throughout the Cotswolds. The business links nicely with our existing services in Oxfordshire and surrounding counties, and helps us to diversify our business further into new market segments. We’ll be investing in developing the Pulhams business further, for the benefit of both customers and colleagues.

Luke Marion

Managing Director of the Oxford Bus Company

“”
I am excited to work with Luke and the wider Go-Ahead team in developing new business opportunities and enhancing those that we already have in place. Go-Ahead’s commitment to invest in the Pulhams’ business as we look towards decarbonisation of our fleets is welcome and I look forward to learning from the Group’s experience in this area. Kathryn and I remain committed to Pulhams and look forward to this next chapter in our well-established, successful business.

Andrew Pulham

Managing Director of Pulhams Coaches

“”
We’re delighted to welcome Pulhams into the group. At Go-Ahead, we see many opportunities to expand in Britain’s bus industry as the country moves towards a net zero future in which people leave their cars at home in favour of public transport. The Go-Ahead Group has nine UK bus divisions operating more than 6,000 buses, with routes stretching from the western tip of Cornwall as far north as Northumberland. Customer satisfaction on Go-Ahead’s regional buses is 87%, and Go-Ahead was named Britain’s most admired transport company in the annual “Britain’s Most Admired Companies” awards 2022.

Christian Schreyer

Group Chief Executive, The Go-Ahead Group

Keeping Manchester moving: Go-Ahead kicks off Britain’s biggest recruitment campaign for bus drivers

05 May 2023

Keeping Manchester moving: Go-Ahead kicks off Britain’s biggest recruitment campaign for bus drivers

Go-Ahead’s Manchester bus company, Go North West, to hire 300 drivers on apprenticeship or training contracts.

The drivers will operate Bee Network buses as part of mayor Andy Burnham’s new integrated transport network.

The Go-Ahead Group has kicked off Britain’s biggest recruitment campaign for bus drivers in preparation for the launch of Greater Manchester’s Bee Network public transport service.

Go North West, the group’s Manchester bus company, plans to hire up to 300 bus drivers on apprenticeship or trainee contracts for a newly created Elite Bus Driver Academy in Bolton.

The drivers will operate yellow Bee Network buses in Bolton and Wigan from September – the first two areas to be franchised under Transport for Greater Manchester’s new vision for local buses.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, has set out a vision of an integrated London-style transport system bringing together buses, trams, rail, cycling and walking. In an initial step towards this, Go North West was selected by TfGM in late 2022 as the winner of its first two bus contracts.

“”
Bus drivers play a pivotal role in helping people all over Greater Manchester get to where they need to go. The Bee Network is set to transform public transport here and it’s great to see this huge recruitment drive taking place, as we prepare for the launch in September, and the creation of hundreds of jobs for local people. There’s no better time to get involved in transport, so I’d encourage anyone who’s thinking about becoming a bus driver to get on board with us.

Andy Burnham

Mayor of Greater Manchester

Themed as ‘Be an Elite Driver’, a recruitment campaign for Go North West uses fighter pilot style uniforms and imagery. Applicants will be urged to become ‘the best of the best’, to find the thing that will ‘make them awesome’ and to brace themselves for a career with ‘wheels…that you’ll steer’.

They will undertake an intensive six-week training program, open both to existing bus driver licence holders and to those who have never sat behind the wheel of a bus before. Furthermore, Go North West will offer longer term apprenticeships combining studying with hands-on driving, allowing people to earn while they learn.

“”
This is a ground-breaking recruitment campaign to match the huge scale of change that we’ll be helping to deliver in Greater Manchester’s public transport. We’ve already had lots of interest in driving the new Bee Network buses and we’re expecting thousands of applications. Our parent company, Go-Ahead, is the largest bus operator in London so we’re specialists in busy, joined up urban transport networks. We’re very proud to be pioneers in delivering bus services fit for such a great city as Manchester.

Nigel Featham

Managing Director, Go North West

Go-Ahead is already one of the largest apprenticeship employers in the UK, taking on 1,100 apprentices annually to train as bus drivers, train drivers and engineers. The group has a strategy of offering apprenticeships in order to widen the diversity of its workforce.

Once the new contracts are underway, Go North West will operate more than 500 buses from Bolton, Wigan and from its existing Queen’s Road depot in central Manchester. And the company’s facility in Bolton will be the largest UK bus depot outside London.

Bus driver jobs include 20 days’ annual holiday, generous pensions and pay rates from £28,000 that quickly increase with experience. Go North West has quadrupled the size of its training team in anticipation of an influx of new recruits.