London subsidiary of Singapore-based ComfortDelGro has won four Tranche 3 bus franchises in Greater Manchester, boosting its size by 30%
Metroline’s contracts are worth £422m and comprise a total of 232 services, 420 buses and over 1,350 employees
Metroline has been revealed as the big winner in the third and final round of Greater Manchester Bee Network contracts. The company, which is a subsidiary of Singapore-owned ComfortDelGro, has been awarded contracts to operate four bus franchises by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
It is a major expansion for ComfortDelGro, which has been present in the UK market since acquiring London-based Metroline in 2000. This latest series of awards under Transport for Greater Manchester’s Tranche 3 tender process will see Metroline operate bus services for the Hyde Road, Sharston, Tameside and Wythenshawe franchises for a period of five years with options to be extended for two, one-year
terms. Collectively, these franchises are worth £422m and comprise a total of 232 services, 420 buses and over 1,350 employees – representing a 30% increase over its London portfolio.
We look forward to other new bus franchise opportunities
ComfortDelGro’s group CEO, Cheng Siak Kian, said: “With our proven record of operational excellence in Greater London and other public transport operations around the world, we are well-placed to deliver on TfGM’s vision and transport strategy.
“We are honoured to be a partner in Greater Manchester’s transportation story and look forward to other new bus franchise opportunities in the North West and across the UK in the future.”
Metroline is the fourth largest scheduled bus operator in London and operates about 17% of the city’s scheduled bus services. The group’s other UK operations include Scottish Citylink, Megabus and CMAC Group.
This article appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.
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