PRESS RELEASE

June 2, 2015

ABELLIO / STAGECOACH CONSORTIUM SHORTLISTED FOR EAST ANGLIA FRANCHISE

Abellio welcomes today’s announcement by the Department for Transport (DfT) that it has been shortlisted for the next East Anglia franchise in partnership with .

The current Abellio Greater Anglia franchise is changing – the transfer of the inner services to and (LOROL) will result in a longer- distance more intercity-focused network. Recognising this change and the competitive nature of the franchising process, Abellio has decided to bid in partnership with Stagecoach Group. The consortium of Abellio and Stagecoach will deliver the strategic importance of East Anglia and will bring together our proven customer services, door to door philosophy and intercity experience.

The combination of these two transport market leading companies will rise to the challenge and deliver an excellent, transformed experience for customers.

Commenting on the news, Dominic Booth, Managing Director Abellio UK, said:

“As the existing operator of East Anglia this is fantastic news and represents a tremendous opportunity for Abellio and our partner Stagecoach. East Anglia is a rapidly growing part of the country. The rail passenger growth we have achieved is indicative of our success since being awarded the Greater Anglia contract in 2012. We are also in no doubt of the importance of this franchise to the 354,000 daily passengers and we look forward, along with Stagecoach, to competing to retain the franchise which plays such a crucial role in sustaining the long term economic and social prosperity of the cities and towns served by this railway including the critical importance of serving the City of London. We eagerly await the publication of the Department for Transport requirements for the new franchise.”

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Notes to editor:

For further information, please contact: Laura Leslie, Charlotte Street Partners: 0758 470 8291

!1 Abellio Group Abellio is the international passenger transport subsidiary of the Dutch national railway company, . Everyday our people provide rail, bus and tram services to 1.7m customers across the UK, Germany and in the Netherlands. In the UK we operate buses through Abellio London & Surrey, as well as ScotRail and Abellio Greater Anglia train services, and Northern Rail and Merseyrail in joint ventures with Serco. In Germany we operate Abellio Deutschland, serving communities in North Rhine Westfalia, Saxony, Lower Saxony, Saxony- Anhalt, Hesse and Thuringia. And in the Netherlands we operate with Qbuzz, bus services in Fryslan, Groningen, Drenthe, Utrecht and through our minority share position in HTM, tram and bus services in and around the municipality of The Hague. Our role in transport extends beyond the journey from a-to-b. With our international heritage and our policy of sharing best practice, not just amongst ourselves, but across the wider transport industry, we provide thought leadership and truly innovative ideas which make a positive contribution to the communities we serve. For more information on Abellio visit www.abellio.com

Abellio Greater Anglia The current East Anglia franchise was awarded to Abellio Greater Anglia as a 2 year contract in February 2012. In 2014, a further 2 year direct award was negotiated with Abellio Greater Anglia until 16 October 2016. Abellio has worked proactively with the DfT to agree a programme of upgrades amounting to an investment of over £20 million in service improvements over a 27 month period which has focused on a number of key priorities for customers and stakeholders in the region, including: • A major refresh for the carriages used on the intercity services operating on the (GEML between Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Chelmsford and London) with power points, new carpets, new seat covers, better lighting, upgraded toilets and an interior and exterior re-paint; • The introduction of new off peak Cambridge - Stansted Airport services on Mondays to Fridays from July 2014; • A programme of Sunday service enhancements on the Norwich to Sheringham, Marks Tey to Sudbury, Ipswich to Lowestoft, Norwich to Lowestoft and GEML routes, to be phased in during 2014 and 2015; • Introduction of on-line compensation arrangements for season ticket holders during the franchise period; • Provision of over 1,600 additional Standard seats on weekdays on the intercity services on the GEML, by converting seven catering vehicles to offer 44 Standard seats instead of 24 First Class seats by October 2016; • Installation of over 400 additional cycle parking spaces at AGA stations, including schemes to ensure that all stations in the AGA franchise at October 2016 will have some cycle parking facilities and secure cycle parking facilities are installed at an additional 8 stations: • A 20% increase in funding for Community Rail Partnerships across the AGA network. • Fitting of environmentally-friendly toilets to all intercity carriages and the start of a programme to fit similar to Class 321 trains, allied with a £2 million investment by Network Rail at train maintenance depots at Orient Way (East London), Southend and Norwich

!2 In addition, in November 2014, Abellio Greater Anglia announced a further package of over £10 million in a new programme of customer-focused service improvements across its network. More details on Abellio Greater Anglia’s franchise achievements can be found at: www.abelliogreateranglia.co.uk

Stagecoach Group • Stagecoach Group is an international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, continental Europe, the United States and Canada. The Group employs around 35,000 people, and operates bus, coach, train, and tram services. • Stagecoach is one of the UK’s biggest bus and coach operators with around 8,300 buses and coaches. Around 2.8 million passenger journeys are made on Stagecoach's buses every day on a network stretching from south-west England to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Low-cost coach service, megabus.com, operates a network of inter-city services across the UK and continental Europe. • Stagecoach is a major UK rail operator, running the South West Trains, Island Line and East Midlands Trains networks. It has a 49% shareholding in Virgin Rail Group, which operates the West Coast rail franchise. It also has a 90% shareholding in Inter City Railways Limited, which operates the East Coast rail franchise. • Stagecoach operates the Supertram light rail network in Sheffield. • In North America, Stagecoach operates around 2,400 buses and coaches in the United States and Canada. megabus.com links around 130 key locations in North America. Stagecoach is also involved in operating commuter, transit, contracted, charter, airport shuttle and sightseeing services. For more information on Stagecoach Group visit www.stagecoach.com

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