Contract wins in North America and Spain

RNS Number : 3260S

National Express Group PLC

29 November 2012

 



29 November 2012

National Express wins important new contracts in North America and Spain

National Express Group PLC ("National Express") is pleased to announce that it has won important new North American transit and Spanish urban bus contracts.

National Express' North American transit business, National Express Transit, begins operating its first competitively tendered contract on 1st December 2012, across the Piedmont 'Triad', North Carolina. This builds upon the three transit operations National Express has acquired in 2012 and marks an important milestone in its growth.

The contract includes the management and operation of 42 vehicles, operating seven days a week. The contract, worth around $12 million of revenue, is for an initial two years, with an option of a further three. Thirteen express and shuttle routes will run in and between the three cities of the Piedmont Triad, and are expected to carry 500,000 passengers a year.

National Express' Spanish business, ALSA, has also won the tender to provide bus services in Guadalajara. The contract, which is up to 12 years in length, will generate revenue of up to €77 million and begins in mid-2013.

ALSA will run a fleet of 27 buses in Guadalajara carrying an estimated 3.7 million passengers a year. The contract will be managed by ALSA's urban division, creating synergies with its existing platform of operations in suburban Madrid and adding to its pipeline of long term, contracted bus services.

In line with its passenger-focused growth strategy, ALSA will invest around €7 million to help deliver hi-tech vehicles with on-board Wi-Fi and real-time information systems on bus stop screens and through QR codes.

Dean Finch, Group Chief Executive of National Express, said: "We are delighted with both of these contract wins. They demonstrate the attractiveness to local authorities of our market-leading and value-for-money services. Growth in our North American transit and Spanish urban businesses are important parts of our strategy. We look forward to serving the people of Guadalajara and Piedmont for many years to come."

Notes to editors

The North Carolina transit contract has been awarded by Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation. The Piedmont 'Triad' consists of three cities in North Carolina: Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem. National Express Transit services will run in and between these cities.

National Express Transit was formed in 2012 and runs para-transit, shuttle and suburban fixed-route services. It has already built up $65 million of revenue and has a strong pipeline of further contract opportunities.

Guadalajara is a city with a population of just under 90,000, located in the autonomous region of Castilla y La Mancha, approximately 60 kilometres north east of Madrid.

National Express Group is a leading transport provider delivering services in the UK, North America, Spain and North Africa. Every year more than 700 million journeys are made on our buses, trains, light rail services and coaches. The Group employs 40,000 people and operates over 21,000 vehicles.

QR codes or Quick Response Codes are the trademark for a type of matrix barcode consisting of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The QR Codes can be scanned by customer's smart phones and instantly provide travel information about the relevant service.

Enquiries:

National Express Group PLC
Stuart Morgan, Head of Investor Relations	0121 460 8658
Anthony Vigor, Director of Policy and External Affairs	07767 425 822
Maitland	020 7379 5151
Neil Bennett
George Hudson

 

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