New chief takes the wheel at bus provider First Group as losses increase November 13, 2018 Rail and bus provider First Group has named Matthew Gregory as its new chief executive, as losses before tax increased to £4.6m. The former finance chief and interim chief operating officer steps into the job six months after boss Tim O’Toole left the company when it posted a £327m loss for the financial year. Shares grew nine [...]
FirstGroup off track after UK franchise losses and drop in oil prices July 14, 2015 Rail and bus company FirstGroup has warned its revenue is likely to disappoint in the year ahead after the loss of key UK contracts while low oil prices hit business in North America. Its UK rail division recorded like-for-like passenger revenue growth of 6.3 per cent in the three months ending 30 June. But it said [...]
FirstGroup share price rises after US progress helps offset UK rail losses June 10, 2015 Shares in bus and rail operator FirstGroup closed up 6.37 per cent yesterday, after it announced positive results. It announced adjusted profit before tax of £163.9m, and adjusted operating profit of £303.6m for the year ending March 31. The group’s rail business in the UK rail has suffered after it failed to win contracts to [...]
FirstGroup gets back on track with UK bus and rail transformation plan April 1, 2015 FirstGroup has faced a difficult couple of years, but its focus on transforming UK bus and rail operations is starting to pay off. The figures In a trading update posted today, the train and bus operator said it expects full-year growth across all its UK offerings, in line with expectations. It said it had [...]
FirstGroup’s Great Western contract win puts transport giant back on track March 23, 2015 After a string of disappointments, rail operator FirstGroup has at last had a bit of good news. Light appeared at the end of the tunnel for rail operator FirstGroup yesterday, with shares jumping 4.16 per cent after the company announced that its First Great Western franchise has been extended for another four years. Shareholders [...]
FirstGroup share price edges up after securing Great Western rail franchise March 23, 2015 FirstGroup's share price edged up this morning after it announced a deal with the Department of Transport (DfT) to operate the First Great Western rail franchise all the way through to 1 April 2019. The deal could be extended by a year at the DfT's discretion. After losing a series of bids for rail franchises [...]
New chair Wolfhart Hauser aims to get FirstGroup back on track March 11, 2015 FirstGroup has announced new chairman Wolfhart Hauser will take over from John McFarlane in July, becoming the firm’s third chairman in less than 18 months. Hauser has been the chief executive of Intertek, the London-listed safety and quality service provider, since 2005. He is also is a non-executive director of Associated British Foods and of [...]
FirstGroup loses out again as East Coast privatised November 27, 2014 FIRSTGROUP has lost out on the fifth and final rail franchise it bid for this year, as the East Coast mainline fell back into the private sector yesterday. A joint operation, run by Stagecoach and Virgin, was announced as the new operator, following a round of submissions for the key north-south rail route. Stagecoach and [...]
FirstGroup is on the right track with boost in pre-tax profit November 5, 2014 Transport operator FirstGroup announced a welcome boost in pre-tax profit yesterday, up £9.9m for the first half of the year, following an £8m loss in the 2013 period. But the positive news was delivered with a caveat, after revenue slid 10.9 per cent to £2.9bn from £3.3bn a year before. First said the change reflected [...]
FirstGroup share price falls on ScotRail contract loss – now East Coast looms October 8, 2014 Train and bus operator FirstGroup lost its 10-year contract with ScotRail north of the border yesterday, sending shares to their lowest level in over a year and piling pressure on boss Tim O’Toole. FirstGroup lost out to Abellio, which won the £2.5bn contract, a decision which the Scottish government was forced to defend yesterday [...]