Arriva expands presence across Europe with acquisition of Autotrans Group
- Arriva acquires 78.34% in Autotrans Group – the largest private bus operator in Croatia
- Acquisition makes Arriva the number one private bus operator in Croatia
- Investment is part of Arriva’s ongoing expansion strategy in Europe
(London, 21st August 2017) Arriva has confirmed its place as one of Europe’s largest passenger transport operators by acquiring a major share of Croatia’s top ranking private bus company.
The deal gives Arriva a 78.34% share in Autotrans Group (ATG), meaning Arriva is now the number one private bus operator in Croatia with responsibility for running long distance and local services throughout the country.
The announcement follows two recent deals which confirmed Arriva as a provider of key rail services in Sweden and the Netherlands – winning contracts worth more than 2bn euros.
Investing in Croatia is part of Arriva’s continuing strategy of expansion throughout Europe. In 2016 the company had revenues of more than 5bn euros and it invested 359m euros in its operations throughout the continent.
Manfred Rudhart, Arriva Group CEO said: “We are always looking for opportunities where we believe our experience and skills can make a real difference to passenger transport services in Europe. Croatia, and more broadly Central and Eastern Europe, represents an important growth opportunity for our expanding business and the Autotrans Group represented a good strategic fit for us. We will now focus on doing what we do best, which is to drive improvements for our customers in the region”
Arriva has operated in Croatia since 2013, and the deal with Autotrans signals the company’s commitment to improving public transport services in the country.
Drazen Divjak, Managing Director for Arriva Croatia, said: “Autotrans is a highly-respected bus operator in Croatia with nearly 70 years of experience. They have successfully built a reputation for reliability and a strong customer service ethos and we are keen to build on their success. We have a strong track record for delivering real benefits to passengers and tendering authorities, and this acquisition allows us to expand our operations to create a robust network across the country and deliver improved, better connected door to destination services for our passengers.”
Arriva operates in 14 countries across Europe, employing around 60,000 people and delivering more than 2.2 billion passenger journeys every year.
As well as expanding its services, Arriva is also at the forefront of innovative technical changes which are transforming public transport in Europe. The company has invested heavily in new environmental technology to reduce emissions, smart payment systems and access to wifi on board its buses and trains.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Contact: Group Communications, Arriva plc on +44 (0)191 520 4106. For media enquiries, outside of normal office hours, we can be contacted on our 24-hour media pager service on +44 (0)7623 920 615.
About Arriva
Arriva is part of Deutsche Bahn, one of the world’s leading passenger transport and logistics service providers. Headquartered in Sunderland, UK, Arriva is responsible for Deutsche Bahn's regional passenger transport services outside of Germany.
Arriva operates across 14 European markets: the Czech Republic; Croatia; Denmark; Hungary; Italy; the Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia, Spain; Sweden; and the UK.
About Arriva in Croatia
Arriva entered the Croatian bus market in 2013 following the acquisition of Veolia Transport Central Europe and its subsidiary, Panturist. Panturist is a prominent bus operator in the Croatian transport market, with its 125 vehicles connecting Slavonia and Baranja with major cities in Croatia, as well as several European countries.
Since Arriva’s involvement in this market the company has introduced a new direct line from Zagreb to Munich, with three services a day offering comfortable, faster and cheaper travel; launched GoOpti – a low-cost shuttle between airports and cities - where customers can book online for cost-effective passenger transport; and launched a new project at the end of 2015 branded as Arriva Express, running services in domestic Osijek Zagreb and international transport Vukovar Stuttgart, Zagreb Vienna.
Following the acquisition of ATG, Arriva now operates a fleet of 600 buses serving 11.5m passengers a year and employs 1,400 staff in Croatia. The business also manages 27 bus stations and 12 maintenance centres across Croatia along with 15 travel agencies.
