Rival bidder in race for Go-Ahead Group ‘still assessing its options’

A rival bidder in the race to buy the company behind Govia Thameslink Railway has said it is still assessing its options.

Australian giant Kelsian said it has until August 1 to make a firm offer for Newcastle-based Go-Ahead Group or walk away. 

It is considering whether to muscle in on Go-Ahead’s £650million agreement to be bought by rival Australian bus operator Kinetic and Spanish group Globalvia.

A Kelsian spokesman said it ‘continues to carefully assess all its options and continues to urge Go-Ahead shareholders to take no action at this time’.

It came as Go-Ahead said some of its buses are now as busy as they were before Covid-19. In a trading update, it increased profit guidance for its regional bus division.

The business now expects operating profit before exceptional items to beat the last two years.

The division is carrying more than 85 per cent of the passengers it was before the pandemic, and recent weeks have been ‘particularly encouraging’.

‘Passenger numbers on public transport have continued to recover from the pandemic,’ said Go-Ahead chief executive Christian Schreyer.