lse gog industry public transport founded 1987 headquarters newcastle upon tyne area served germany singapore united kingdom key people andrew allner chairman david brown ceo products bus and rail services revenue 3 215.2 million june 2015 1 operating income 96.8 million june 2015 1 net income 59.3 million june 2015 1 number of employees 26 160 june 2015 1 website www.go ahead.com the go ahead group plc is a provider of passenger transport in the uk with over one billion journeys made on its bus and trains services each year . it is a ftse 250 index group listed on the london stock exchange . contents 1 history 1.1 incorporation 1.2 expanding south 1.3 floatation & into london 1.4 into rail 1.5 into aviation 1.6 takeover target 1.7 more aviation & rail 1.8 further airport diversification and south coast additions 1.9 into the midlands 1.10 more acquisitions 1.11 out of the midlands 1.12 out of airports into america 1.13 more bus operations acquired 1.14 out of america thameslink regained 1.15 into germany and singapore 2 operations 2.1 bus operations 2.2 current rail franchises 2.3 previous rail franchises 3 references 4 external links history edit preserved go north east mcw metrobus oxford bus company alexander alx400 bodied dennis trident 2 in oxford october 2008 brighton & hove east lancs lolyne bodied dennis trident 2 in brighton in june 2010 london central leyland titan in forest hill in may 2001 thameslink class 319 at east croydon in april 2004 southern class 377 at warnham in september 2008 go south coast buses on the isle of wight in june 2010 london midland class 350 desiro at rugby in may 2009 plaxton president bodied volvo b7tl in plymouth in august 2011 volvo b9tl in singapore in june 2016 incorporation edit the go ahead group plc began as go ahead northern limited in february 1987 on the privatisation of the national bus company when a partial management buyout led by martin ballinger and chris moyes purchased its gateshead based northern division known as the northern general transport company . 2 early expansion saw the acquisition of certain smaller competing bus operators in north east england principally gypsy queen in 1989 and low fell coaches in june 1992 . go ahead northern ltd also became a national express coaches sub contractor operating services to the midlands north east north west and south west england . 3 4 at the same time go ahead leisure purchased a number of pubs 3 which were sold in february 1996 . 4 expanding south edit despite bidding for a number of other larger bus operators in the intervening period go ahead s first major acquisition was brighton & hove in november 1993 3 5 6 followed by the oxford bus company and wycombe bus company in march 1994 . 3 in may 1997 the brighton & hove operation expanded with the acquisition of the former municipal operator brighton transport . 7 in september 1999 metrobus a large operator operating in london surrey and sussex was acquired . 5 8 floatation & into london edit initially an unlisted public company owned 90 % by management in may 1994 go ahead was floated on the london stock exchange . 3 9 in october 1994 go ahead purchased london central during the privatisation of london buses . 2 6 10 in march 1995 ok motor services was purchased and integrated into the go north east operation . 10 11 in june 1996 a second london bus operation london general was acquired from the management team that had purchased it when privatised . 2 4 6 into rail edit in october 1996 go ahead entered the uk rail market when it commenced operating the thames trains franchise which it ran until march 2004 . the thames trains franchise was awarded by the director of passenger rail franchising to victory rail holdings . go ahead owned 65 % of the shares in victory rail holdings with the remaining 35 % held by some ex british rail managers and employees . 7 go ahead bought the remaining shares it did not own in june 1998 . 12 go ahead entered into a joint venture with via gti taking a 65 % stake in govia . govia ran the thameslink franchise from march 1997 until march 2006 . into aviation edit in october 1998 go ahead diversified into airport services with the acquisition of gatwick handling international a provider of ground handling services at uk airports . 13 takeover target edit in 2000 french government owned c3d made an unsuccessful takeover bid for the company . 14 in 2000 go ahead entered two joint ventures with via gti and bk t g to operate rail services in sweden . go ahead had a 39 % stake in city pendeln ab which was to operate the citypendeln commuter rail business in stockholm . go ahead had a 29 % stake in sydvasten ab which operated rail services between gothenburg and malm . due to problems go ahead exited both ventures . 8 15 wycombe bus company was sold to arriva in december 2000 . 16 more aviation & rail edit go ahead acquired the ground handling operations of british midland and midland airport services in march 2001 followed by reed aviation in august 2001 . along with go ahead s existing gatwick handling international operation all were rebranded as aviance . 16 in august 2001 govia started running the south central rail franchise . in october 2000 the shadow strategic rail authority awarded govia the south central rail franchise with operations due to commence in may 2003 when the connex south central franchise expired . 17 govia negotiated a deal with connex to buy out the remainder of its franchise . 18 19 further airport diversification and south coast additions edit in may 2002 go ahead diversified again 20 acquiring airport focused meteor parking . 21 in august 2003 the wilts & dorset bus business was purchased . 22 included in the purchase of gatwick handling international in 1998 was a 50 % shareholding in plane handling . in august 2004 go ahead purchased the remaining 50 % from virgin aviation . 23 in june 2005 solent blue line and southern vectis were purchased . 23 in september 2005 the lewes and seaford operations of stagecoach south were acquired and integrated into the brighton & hove business . 24 into the midlands edit in december 2005 go ahead purchased the birmingham coach company which operated express coach under contract for national express and local bus services in the west midlands under the diamond bus name . 5 24 go ahead had been known for some time to be keen to begin operating in the area . oi february 2006 another operator in the west midlands probus management limited trading as people s express was purchased . 5 24 in august 2006 the birmingham coach company trading as diamond bus and probus operations were regrouped under the go west midlands limited legal entity with the bus operations branded as diamond in the west midlands . in february 2006 the hants & dorset trim bus refurbishment business was purchased . 24 in april 2006 govia commenced operating the southeastern rail franchise . 25 more acquisitions edit in september 2006 docklands buses was acquired and integrated into go ahead london followed in october 2006 by marchwood motorways that was integrated into go south coast . 26 27 in december 2006 gatwick airport parking operator pas was purchased and integrated into meteor parking followed by security provider nikaro in february 2007 . 26 in june 2007 blue triangle was acquired and integrated into go ahead london . 26 in september 2007 northumbria coaches was purchased and integrated into go north east followed by stanley taxis in october 2007 and redby buses in january 2008 . 28 in november 2007 govia commenced operating the london midland rail franchise . 26 in december 2007 the orpington services of first london were acquired . 28 out of the midlands edit in february 2008 go ahead sold go west midlands to rotala s central connect just two years after purchasing the company . 28 in june 2008 the gatwick express rail service was incorporated into southern . 28 in october 2009 east thames buses was acquired and integrated into go ahead london as well as the horsham operations of arriva southern counties that were integrated into metrobus . 29 in december 2009 plymouth citybus was purchased from plymouth city council . 29 out of airports into america edit in january 2010 go ahead sold most of its airport based operations to dnata uk and servisair . 30 in march 2010 konectbus in norfolk was purchased as well as the hexham operations of arriva north east and integrated into go north east . 31 in august 2010 go ahead america a joint venture with cook illinois in which go ahead held a 50 % stake commenced operating a yellow school bus contract in st louis missouri . 31 in september 2010 meteor parking was sold to vinci sa bringing go ahead s involvement in the aviation support industry to a close . 31 more bus operations acquired edit in may 2011 go ahead acquired thames travel in south oxfordshire . 31 acquired in 2012 were carousel buses march integrated into oxford bus company essex based hedingham omnibuses march the northumberland park based operations of first london march anglian bus april in norfolk and suffolk and h.c. chambers & son suffolk june . 32 out of america thameslink regained edit in july 2014 go ahead exited the united states following the loss of its yellow bus contract . 33 34 in september 2014 govia commenced operating thameslink and great northern part of the thameslink southern and great northern rail franchise it won as govia thameslink railway . 35 into germany and singapore edit in november 2015 go ahead were awarded two rail contracts in stuttgart germany . the contracts will commence in 2019 20 . 36 in the same month go ahead singapore was awarded a contract to operate 25 bus services in singapore previously operated by sbs transit subsidiary of comfortdelgro out of loyang bus depot . 37 operations edit bus operations edit united kingdom see also bus transport in the united kingdom anglian bus bus operation in norfolk and suffolk acquired april 2012 brighton & hove bus operation in brighton and hove go ahead london blue triangle bus operation in rainham ; acquired by london general on 29 june 2007 docklands buses bus operation in east london ; acquired by london general in 2006 london central bus operation in london acquired october 1994 london general bus operation in london acquired june 1996 metrobus bus operation in crawley acquired september 1999 go north east bus operation in north east england and the founding company of the go ahead group in 1987 go south coast bluestar bus operation in eastleigh hythe and southampton damory coaches bus and coach operator in dorset based in blandford forum more bus operation in bournemouth & poole previously wilts & dorset . salisbury reds bus operation in salisbury and wiltshire previously wilts & dorset . southern vectis bus operation on the isle of wight tourist group a group of coach operators in salisbury hedingham omnibuses bus operation in essex and suffolk acquired march 2012 chambers acquired on 2 june 2012 . managed by hedingham omnibuses . konectbus bus operation in norfolk acquired march 2010 oxford bus company bus operation in oxford carousel buses bus operation based in high wycombe . acquired in march 2012 and managed by oxford bus company . thames travel bus operation in south oxfordshire ; managed by oxford bus company plymouth citybus bus operation in plymouth singapore go ahead singapore bus operation in singapore current rail franchises edit the company operates the following franchises through govia its joint venture with keolis govia thameslink railway due for renewal in 2021