FirstGroup

**FirstGroup** is a transport organisation that operates both buses and rail across the United Kingdom. They are based in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Major rail operations from past and present include First Great Western, First Capital Connect among others

## Current operating businesses

Current operating businesses include:

### First Bus

In September 2022 First Bus was reorganised as follows:

##### Scotland

- First Aberdeen (formerly First Grampian)
- King Coaches (formerly First Aberdeen Coach Hire and Grampian Executive)
- First Glasgow (formerly First Kelvin and First Greater Glasgow)

##### East of England

- First bus East of England konectbus Simonds Central Connect bus Flagfinders
- First Essex (formerly First East of England National, First Thamesway)

##### Manchester, Midlands and South Yorkshire

- First South Yorkshire & Midlands
- First Leicester (Leicester Electric) (Formerly Leicester city bus, Leicester corporation transport)
- Aircoach(Leicester to Birmingham Airport)
- East Midlands Airport Carpark shuttles (First Leicester)
- First Greater Manchester (Bee Network)
- First Potteries (operating in Staffordshire and South Cheshire, formerly First PMT/PMT Limited)

- First South Yorkshire (formerly First Mainline)

##### North and West Yorkshire

- First West Yorkshire
- First Bradford
- First Halifax, Calder Valley & Huddersfield
- First Leeds (Leeds Electric)
- First York (including the York Park & Ride)

##### South and South West England

- First South West (formerly First Devon & Cornwall)
- Kernow
- Buses of Somerset
- First Beeline (formerly First Berkshire & The Thames Valley)
- First Hampshire & Dorset
- Truronian

##### Wales and West of England

- First West of England (formerly First Bristol & First Somerset & Avon)
- First Worcestershire (sometimes referred to as First Wyvern)
- First Cymru

##### Other operations

- First Travel Solutions re-branded 2016 (formerly First Rail Support) which provides emergency and planned rail replacement transport to train operating companies using First and non-First Transport through its 24-hour control room in Clayton-le-moors Lancashire.
- First Tram operations (Tramlink) Taken over by First Group in 2017 it deals with one of the two Lite rail networks in greater London.
- Specialist Passenger Solutions
- Ensignbus
- York Pullman
- Lakeside Group
- Anderson Travel

#### Ireland

- Aircoach
- Matthews Coach Hire

#### United Kingdom

- Avanti West Coast (70% shareholding)
- First Rail Stirling (former part of Grand Union)
- Great Western Railway
- Hull Trains
- London Tramlink
- Lumo
- South Western Railway (70% shareholding)
- IFS Cloud Cable Car operated on behalf of TfL

#### Canada

- Greyhound Canada (intercity bus services)
    - Grey Goose Bus Lines
    - Vancouver Island Coach Lines
    - Voyageur Colonial Bus Lines
    - First Student (school, charter bus and public transit services)
    - HandyDART Contract to TransLink (British Columbia) for accessible transit service in Metro Vancouver

#### Germany

- FirstGroup Rhein-Neckar sold September 2011 to Marwyn European Transport

#### Hong Kong

- New World First Bus 26% stake sold May 2000 to New World Development

#### United Kingdom

- First Chester & The Wirral sold to Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire in January 2013
- First Northampton ceased 14 September 2013
- First Scotland East (formerly First SMT, First Borders and First Midland Bluebird) sold to McGills in September 2022
- First London from March 1997 until September 2013, most operations sold to Go-Ahead London, Metroline and Tower Transit, remainder ceased upon expiry of contracts in September 2013
- Greyhound UK coach services between September 2009 and December 2015
- First Borders (formerly Lowland Scottish and part of the wider First Scotland East group) sold to West Coast Motors, trading as Borders Buses, on 26 March 2017.
- First Southampton (also known as First Cityred) ceased trading on 18 February 2023.

#### United States

- Greyhound Lines (intercity bus services)
    - BoltBus (a discount operator competing with Megabus)
- First Vehicle Services, which maintained vehicles for many corporations, organizations and local governments, including the other First divisions.
- First Student, sold in 2021
- First Transit, sold in 2021

#### United Kingdom

- First Great Eastern from January 1997 until April 2004, incorporated into Greater Anglia franchise subsequently operated by National Express as One
- First North Western from March 1997 until December 2004, operations split between Arriva Trains Wales, First TransPennine Express and Northern Rail
- First GBRf from August 2003 until sold in June 2010 to Eurotunnel Group, rebranded as GB Railfreight
- First Capital Connect from April 2006 until September 2014, succeeded by Govia Thameslink Railway
- First ScotRail from October 2004 until March 2015, succeeded by Abellio ScotRail & Caledonian Sleeper
- First TransPennine Express (55% shareholding) from February 2004 until March 2016, succeeded by TransPennine Express with FirstGroup having 100% ownership
- TransPennine Express from April 2016 until May 2023, superseded by government-owned TransPennine Express

#### United States

- A-train, Denton County Transportation Authority commenced October 2016

#### Denmark and Sweden

- DSBFirst was a joint rail venture with Danish State Railways (30% shareholding) until 2013

## Infobox (company)

- **name**: FirstGroup plc
- **type**: Public limited company, Public
- **foundation**: 1 April 1995
- **area served**: United Kingdom
 Republic of Ireland
- **key people**: Peter Lynas

Graham Sutherland

- **industry**: Transport
- **products**: Bus, coach, rail & tram
- **revenue**: Pound sterling, £4,715.1 million (2024)
- **operating income**: Pound sterling, £46.5 million (2024)
- **net income**: Pound sterling, £(9.4) million (2024)
- **num employees**: 29,339 (2024)
- **subsid**: #Current operating businesses, See below