Arriva
Arriva Ltd. is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Sunderland, England.
The company was originally established on 24 October 1938 as T Cowie Ltd. Initially focused on the sale of motorcycles, it relaunched shortly after the Second World War by Tom Cowie. During December 1964, the company was floated, it acquired its first car dealership months later. In 1972, the company established Cowie Contract Hire, a successful contract hire business. T. Cowie entered into bus operations via the purchase of the London-based Grey-Green operator in 1980. During 1984, it acquired the Hanger Group along with the vehicle leasing business Interleasing. In April 1994, the company was renamed Cowie Group. Months later, Cowie Group acquired the Leaside Buses and South London Transport business units amid the wider privatisation of London bus services. During 1997, it also bought the Denmark-based operator Unibus, becoming its first venture based outside the United Kingdom.
During November 1997, the company was rebranded as Arriva. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it disposed of its vehicle-hire and motor-retailing businesses. In February 2000, Arriva purchased MTL Holdings, which included its first UK rail franchises, Merseyrail Electrics and Northern Spirit. In April 2008, the LNWR train maintenance business was acquired. Arriva became a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn in August 2010. Arriva operates bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus services in 10 countries across Europe. As of November 2023, it employed 35,500 people and operated 1.5 billion passenger journeys annually. It operates as three divisions: UK Bus, UK Rail and Mainland Europe. Deutsche Bahn announced in 2019 that it wished to sell Arriva, but such a sale was placed on hold as of November in that year. During the early 2020s, several of Arriva's continental European operations have been sold on. In October 2023, Deutsche Bahn agreed terms to sell Arriva to I Squared Capital with the transaction completed in June 2024.
History
The company was founded by TSK Cowie in Sunderland in 1938. It was initially active as a second-hand motorcycle dealer and traded under the name T. Cowie Limited. During 1948, the business was re-launched by Tom Cowie, the founder's son, still selling motorcycles. T Cowie plc was floated in December 1964, and in 1965 it bought out the first of many car dealerships.In 1972, it formed Cowie Contract Hire, which became the largest contract hire business in the UK. During 1980, T. Cowie made its first foray into bus operations, buying the Grey-Green operation in London from the George Ewer Group. In 1984, T. Cowie p.l.c. acquired the Hanger Group, which included Interleasing, a large vehicle leasing business. Further leasing companies acquired were Marley Leasing, RoyScot Drive and Ringway Leasing. Following the retirement of Tom Cowie, the company was renamed Cowie Group plc during April 1994.
As part of the privatisation of London bus services, Cowie Group acquired the Leaside Buses and South London Transport business units in September 1994 and January 1995 respectively. Cowie Group also bought United Automobile Services and British Bus in July and August 1996, both of which had acquired a number of privatised bus companies. As a result of these transactions, in October 1996, Cowie Group was reclassified on the stock exchange from a motor dealer to a transport group.
In November 1997, the company was rebranded as Arriva p.lc. That same year, it also bought Unibus in Denmark, its first venture outside the United Kingdom.
During June 1999, Arriva sold its vehicle-hire business to General Motors. In February 2000, Arriva purchased MTL Holdings, which included its first UK rail franchises, Merseyrail Electrics and Northern Spirit. Between 2002 and 2003, Arriva sold its motor-retailing businesses, furthermore, in February 2006, it also disposed of its vehicle-rental business to Northgate. During April 2008, the LNWR train maintenance business in England was acquired.
In 2010, it was reported that the government-owned railway companies of France and Germany were considering making takeover bids for the business. SNCF subsidiary Keolis and Arriva entered discussions regarding a merger, however, in April 2010, Deutsche Bahn made a takeover offer for Arriva valued at £7.75 per share. During August 2010, Deutsche Bahn's takeover bid was approved by the European Commission, albeit conditional on the disposal of some Arriva services in Germany. The takeover took effect on 27 August 2010, and Arriva was delisted from the London Stock Exchange on 31 August 2010.
In late 2011, Arriva acquired Grand Central and sold its Arriva Scotland West bus operation. In May 2013, Arriva purchased Veolia Transport's Central European business with 3,400 vehicles. Arriva changed its logo in January 2018.
In March 2019, DB announced that it would be selling Arriva through either a sale or possible public flotation and invited companies interested in acquiring it to register expressions of interest by 3 May; however, by mid-November, the sale had been reportedly placed on hold. In early 2023, reports again alleged that parent company Deutsche Bahn was considering options for spinning out Arriva to concentrate on its core German rail operations. During the following months, various portions of Arriva's operations on continental Europe have been sold to other companies, these disposals have largely focused on bus operations. In October 2023, Deutsche Bahn agreed terms to sell Arriva to I Squared Capital. The sale was completed in June 2024.
Current operations
Croatia
Bus
In May 2013, Arriva entered the Croatian bus market with the purchase of Panturist Veolia Osijek with 120 buses. In August 2017 Arriva took a 78.34% share in Autotrans Group ; via this move, it became the number one private bus operator active in Croatia.Czech Republic
Arriva group bought three medium-sized bus transport companies in 2006 and 2007 end established its own rail transport company Arriva vlaky s.r.o. in 2009. These four companies are owned through Arriva holding Česká republika s.r.o. which is owned by the Dutch company Arriva Coöperatie W.A..In July 2013, the current Veolia Transport Česká republika a.s. with its four subsidiary companies fell under Arriva group as Arriva Transport Česká republika a.s. The daughter companies were simultaneously renamed and rebranded as Arriva Praha s.r.o., Arriva Teplice s.r.o., Arriva Vychodni Cechy a.s. and Arriva Morava a.s. They operate primarily buses but also trolleybuses in Teplice and Desná Railway.
The two Arriva holdings in the Czech Republic have not any direct interconnection yet. Moreover, the Arriva group operated in the Czech Republic also through the German rail transport company Vogtlandbahn GmbH. The former Abellio companies Probo Bus and PT Real, purchased in December 2013, are owned by DB Czech Holding s.r.o. which is owned by German DB Mobility Logistics AG.
Bus and coach
In December 2006, Arriva purchased Transcentrum Bus, operating services in Mladá Boleslav District of the Central Bohemian Region, north east of Prague. In January 2007, Arriva acquired Bosák Bus, which operates to the south west of Prague and the Příbram District of the Central Bohemian Region. In November 2007, Arriva acquired Osnado, which operates bus and coach services in the north of Hradec Králové Region in East Bohemia, in the foothills of the Giant Mountains. The three bus companies retain their original names but with the Arriva corporate logo and livery. At the turn of 2014/2015, Bosák Bus s.r.o. was merged with Transcentrum Bus s.r.o. and Transcentrum Bus s.r.o. renamed to Arriva Střední Čechy s.r.o.In July 2013, Česká republika a.s. was purchased with its four subsidiary companies which were renamed Arriva Morava, Arriva Praha, Arriva Teplice and Arriva Východní Čechy. These four companies are owned by holding company Arriva Transport Česká republika. It also operates trolleybuses in Teplice and trains in Desná Railway.
During December 2013, Abellio's Probo Bus and PT Real operations were purchased with 110 buses. As at November 2016, Arriva operated 1,960 buses in the Czech Republic.
Train
German rail transport company Vogtlandbahn, owned by Arriva since 2004, operated several train routes in the Czech Republic as a subcontractor of České dráhy and GW Train Regio, formerly Viamont. Since December 2010, Vogtlandbahn operates under its own name the line Trilex. After Arriva was bought by Deutsche Bahn in 2010, Vogtlandbahn was resold to the Italian state railways Ferrovie dello Stato together with Luxembourg infrastructure fund Cube.Between September 2013 and December 2013, Arriva vlaky tried operating a commercial service from Praha Masarykovo nádraží to Kralupy nad Vltavou in competition with subsidised lines of České dráhy. The company did not succeed with its effort to gain a subsidy for it to continue.
Four trains on the local Desná Railway, operated by Connex Morava since 2002, were taken over by Arriva Morava in July 2013. In March 2016, Arriva introduced a weekly service from Praha to Trenčín in Slovakia and daily service from Praha to Benešov. It has applied to increase this to twice daily from December 2016.
Hungary
Bus
In April 2008, Arriva purchased an 80% shareholding in Eurobus Invest, Hungary's largest private bus operator, which operates services in Hungary and Slovakia. In 2009, Arriva purchased the remaining 20%. Arriva is in a joint venture with Videoton Holding operating as VT Transman.During May 2013, VT Transman began operating two bus contracts in Budapest for eight years; this arrangement saw 150 Mercedes-Benz Citaros added to the company's 225-strong bus fleet. The joint venture now operates under the VT-Arriva brand.
Italy
Bus and coach
In July 2002, Arriva purchased SAB Autoservizi and SAF – Società Autoservizi Friuli-Venezia Giulia operating in Lombardy, Liguria and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions of northern Italy.During May 2004, Arriva expanded into the Udine area of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region via the purchase of 49% of 500 bus SAF; it exercised an option in December 2005 to increase its stake to 60%. In October 2005, Arriva began operating in the Piemonte and Valle d'Aosta regions of northern Italy with an 80% shareholding in SADEM, increased to 100% in 2008. During 2006, Arriva purchased a 35% share in Trieste Trasporti, which increased to 40% in 2007.
In June 2007, Arriva entered a joint venture with Ferrovie Nord Milano to purchase 49% of 317 bus SPT Linea, which was then renamed ASF Autolinee. This company manages local public transport in the city of Como.
During 2008, it took control of Brescia-based SAIA Transporti.