FirstGroup

FirstGroup plc

File:First logo.gif
Company type	Public (LSE: FGP)
ISIN	GB0003452173
Industry	Public transport and Railfreight
Founded	1995
Headquarters	Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
Area served	British Isles and North America
Products	First, First ScotRail, First Great Western, First Capital Connect, TransPennine Express, First Student and FirstGBRf.
Revenue	£3.7b GBP (12 months to Mar 2007)
Operating income	203.6m (12 months to Mar 2007)
Number of employees	74,000 (approx)
Subsidiaries	UK Bus, UK Rail, First Student, First Transit and First Services
Website	http://www.firstgroup.com/

FirstGroup plc (LSE: FGP) is a Scottish transport company operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, with headquarters in Aberdeen. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

Company

Livery of First Group vehicles shown on a bus in Bristol

FirstGroup plc is Britain's largest bus operator running more than one in five of all local bus services. A fleet of nearly 9,000 buses carries some 2.9 million passengers a day in more than 40 major towns and cities. FirstGroup also run passenger and freight rail services in the UK. Passenger rail franchises consist of First Great Western, First Capital Connect, First TransPennine Express and First ScotRail. They also operate Hull Trains, a non-franchised open access intercity passenger train service and provide rail freight services through FirstGBRf. First operates the Croydon Tramlink network carrying approximately 24 million passengers a year on behalf of Transport for London.

In North America, First Group has several divisions: First Student which runs school bus routes; First Transit which holds many city and county public transport contracts; and First Vehicle Services which maintains vehicles for many corporations, organisations and local governments, including the other First divisions. Canadian operations are provided through their First Canada subsidiary which operates school buses and fulfills public transport contracts.

FirstGroup has always had a consistent brand and most of the names of its operations begin with the word First, such as First ScotRail, First Aberdeen, First Glasgow and First Bristol. The company has since removed all local branding for its local bus services - buses now simply carry the fleet name ‘First’ throughout the UK, although each company still operates independently. Its corporate colours are white, pink and blue, and many of its buses and trains are now liveried in these colours (though buses and trams operating Transport for London-tendered services retain their traditional red livery as required by the operating licence agreements).

First own and operate the Aircoach service in Dublin, linking Dublin Airport with the Dublin southside suburbs as well as long distance runs to Cork and Belfast; as of 2007 this does not carry corporate branding.

A First Great Western Class 180 Adelante train stops at Bath Spa on its way to London Paddington

History

The company was formed as FirstBus in June 1995 through the merger of two bus companies, the Badgerline Group (see First Badgerline) and GRT Limited (Grampian Regional Transport).

In 1998 the company was renamed First Group when the company moved into railways with the privatisation of British Rail, gaining the Great Eastern franchise, then purchasing Swindon based Great Western Trains, holders of the North Western and Great Western franchises. Soon after, they also began operating London’s Tramlink system under franchise from London Transport.

During 2004, First were awarded the ScotRail franchise to run trains in Scotland, in which it already operated the lion’s share of bus services, and took over the new TransPennine Express franchise in partnership with French transport company Keolis. In addition, First Great Western run the Heathrow Connect service in partnership with BAA.

The First North Western franchise, however, was lost to Serco/NedRailways in December 2004. First North Western’s services in northern England were combined with those previously run by Arriva Trains Northern (and not part of the Transpennine network) to form the new Northern Rail franchise.

First have also lost First Great Eastern to National Express Group who operate it along with Anglia Railways and wagn, as 'one'. In fact, they were banned from bidding for the franchise, despite being named Train Operator of the Year at the time.

From 1st April 2006 First has operated a new rail franchise under the brand First Capital Connect. This comprises the amalgamation of the existing Great Northern line of the former wagn service and the Thameslink line.

The Great Western franchise was extended in 2006 to also include the services of the former Wessex Trains and Thames Trains, and this new franchise was again awarded to First.

New World First Bus (NWFB) of Hong Kong was jointly established and owned by the group and NWS Holdings Limited since 1998 . The brand new company had successfully won the tender of 88 Hong Kong Island routes formerly operated by China Motor Bus. In late 2000, the group sold all 26% of NWFB stocks to NWS Holdings.

In February 2007, FirstGroup agreed to buy the U.S.-based firm Laidlaw, an operator of inter-city coaches and yellow school buses across North America, for £1.9 billion (US$3.7 billion). [1] This also gives them a controlling stake in Greyhound Lines, the largest bus operator in North America.

As of October 1, 2007 Firstgroup earned the rights to buy Laidlaw to become the largest school bus company in America.

First also operate bus services in Germany and have a joint venture with Danish State Railways.

Controversy

Labour Problems

FirstGroup has encountered labour problems with its U.S. yellow school bus subsidiary, First Student. At FirstGroup's 2006 annual general meeting, more than one-fifth of shareholders supported a resolution calling on the company to adopt an enforceable workers' rights policy. Company Chairman Martin Gilbert later promised neutrality toward unions, a promise that has not been kept.

First Great Western Performance

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Tickets used in a protest against FGW

FirstGroup has received large amounts of criticism over the operation of the Great Western franchise. First earned the title of worst rail operator of the year 2006 with 76.8 % of services within the London Thames valley area arriving late.

First also received extremely large criticism over problems of overcrowding as well as them cutting out services on already overcrowded routes with their timetable changes in December 06. These problems have earned them the nickname 'Worst Late Western'. More information can be found under First Great Western.

Operating companies

Rail services

First Great Western train at Radley.

• First Capital Connect
• First Great Western
• TransPennine Express (55% stake) [2]
• First ScotRail
• FirstGBRf
• Hull Trains (80% stake) [3]
• Tramlink

Bus and coach services

• First Student (School Bus Transportation in the US)
• First Glasgow (formerly First Kelvin and First Greater Glasgow)
• First Aberdeen (formerly First Grampian)
• First Edinburgh (formerly First SMT, First Borders and First Midland Bluebird)
• First Pennine (which forms part of First Manchester)
• First Leeds
• First York
• First Bradford
• First Calderdale & Huddersfield
• First Manchester
• First South Yorkshire
• First Staffordshire & South Cheshire
• First Chester & The Wirral
• First Leicester
• First Northampton
• First Eastern Counties
  • Ipswich Rapid Transit
• First Wyvern (formerly First Midland Red West)
• First Cymru
• First Berkshire & Thames Valley
• First Somerset & Avon (formerly Badgerline)
• First Essex (formerly First Eastern National)
• First London & South East
• First Bristol (formerly First Cityline)
• First Hampshire & Dorset (formerly First Southampton and First Provincial)
• First Devon & Cornwall (formerly First Western National)
• Aircoach (Dublin)
• New World First Bus (Hong Kong)
• First Transit (Bus and rapid transit in USA)
• First Student (School Bus services all over United States)
• Greyhound Lines

Fleet numbers

In 2003 First introduced the SemaVoyager system of fleet numbers replacing local numbers. This was to makes things easier when buses are transferred between regional fleets.

Services formerly operated

• First Great Eastern (until April 2004, now operated by National Express Group as part of 'one')
• First North Western (until December 2004, services now operated by Northern Rail, TransPennine Express, Arriva Trains Wales and Virgin Trains.)

See also

• National Rail
• Privatisation of British Rail

http://business.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1539682007

External links

• Corporate web site
• Aircoach web site
• York Aircoach web site
• First Group America
• First Bus Canada
• First Student (US) Website
• Driving Up Standards - Trade union website