Annual Report and Accounts 2008 Our business FirstGroup plc is the leading transport operator in the UK and North America with annualised revenues of over £5 billion a year. We employ over 37,000 staff throughout the UK and North America and transport more than 2.5 billion passengers a year. We are the leader in safe, reliable, innovative and sustainable transport services – global in scale and local in approach. The safety of our passengers and employees is our highest priority and we strive to lead the industry in this area and achieve the highest possible standards across the Group. Operating and financial review Financial statements 2 Delivering our strategy 46 Consolidated income statement 3 Chairman’s statement 47 Consolidated statement of recognised income 4 Chief Executive’s operating review and expense 22 Finance Director’s review 48 Consolidated balance sheet 49 Consolidated cash flow statement Report of the Directors 50 Notes to the consolidated financial statements 28 Board of Directors 90 Independent auditors’ report 30 Corporate governance 92 Group financial summary 37 Directors’ remuneration report 93 Company balance sheet 42 Directors’ report 94 Notes to the Company financial statements 45 Directors’ responsibilities 00 Independent auditors’ report 0 Glossary 02 Shareholder information 03 Financial calendar 04 Find out more about First Group overview TRANSFORMING TRAVEL OUR VALUES First wants to lead the way in transforming the Our core values, which underpin way people travel and the way they feel about everything that we do, are: public transport. Safety: By aiming for the top in everything we do – and If you cannot do it safely – don’t do it! helping each other – we can deliver the highest Customer service: levels of safety and service and give greater Delivering our promise. customer and employee satisfaction. BUSINESSES UK BUS UK RAIL ABOUT US We are the UK’s largest bus operator running more than one in We are the UK’s largest rail operator, running nearly a quarter five of all local bus services. A fleet of nearly 9,000 buses carries of the passenger rail network and carrying over 275 million some 3 million passengers a day in more than 40 major towns passengers a year. and cities. We have a strong, balanced portfolio and we are the only The majority of our operations are in urban areas where the operator to run every type of overground rail service in the bus is the most effective means of tackling traffic congestion. UK, from high speed intercity trains and overnight sleeper We continue to develop and promote effective partnerships and services to local branch lines, regional and commuter we are working with local authorities and other stakeholders to services and open access, light rail and freight operations. provide punctual and reliable service for our customers through We operate four passenger rail franchises – First Capital Punctuality Improvement Partnerships, bus priority and other Connect, First Great Western, First ScotRail and First traffic management schemes. TransPennine Express – and one open access operator, Hull Trains. We also operate rail freight services through First GBRf, and operate the Croydon Tramlink network on behalf of Transport for London carrying over 26 million passengers a year. KEY STATISTICS 3m passengers every day 275m passengers a year We operate more than one in We operate one quarter of the five of all local bus services UK passenger rail network 25,000 employees 3,000 employees FIND OUT MORE ON PAGE 0 FIND OUT MORE ON PAGE 4 REVENUE ADJUSTED OPERATING PROFIT2 UK Bus £1,104.9m UK Bus £122.0m UK Rail £1,937.0m UK Rail £120.0m North America £1,370.3m1 North America £130.7m1 Greyhound £280.8m1 Greyhound £8.8m1 Other £14.6m 1 Includes a six month contribution from the Laidlaw acquisition 1 Includes a six month contribution 2 Excludes £21.4m of Group items from the Laidlaw acquisition FIRST STUDENT FIRST TRANSIT FIRST SERVICES GREYHOUND NORTH AMERICA: We built on the success of our North American business with the acquisition of Laidlaw International, Inc. This transformational acquisition established us as the market leader in North America and gives us the scale and opportunities to generate increased value and returns and create a solid platform for future growth. The four FirstGroup America businesses – First Student, First Transit, First Services and Greyhound – operate across the US and Canada. First Student is the largest provider First Transit is one of the largest First Services is the largest Greyhound is the only national of student transportation in North private sector providers of transit private sector provider of vehicle provider of scheduled intercity coach America with a fleet of approximately management and contracting, maintenance and ancillary support transportation services in both the 60,000 yellow school buses, carrying managing public transport systems services in the US. We provide US and Canada. Based in Dallas, 4 million students every day across on behalf of city transit authorities. fleet maintenance for public sector Greyhound provides scheduled the US and Canada. We are one of the largest providers customers such as the Federal passenger services to approximately of airport shuttle bus services in the Government, cities and fire and police 3,100 destinations throughout the US US and also manage call centres, departments. We also provide a range and Canada carrying over 25 million paratransit operations and other of support services including vehicle passengers annually. light transit activities. maintenance, logistics support and facilities management to public and private sector clients including the US Navy and US Air Force. 60,000 operates over maintains over 3,00 yellow school buses 7,000 buses 5,000 vehicles destinations 4m Manages and operates Operates in 25m students to and from in over 262 locations 46 locations passengers school every day per year 72,000 3,000 4,000 0,000 employees employees employees employees FIND OUT MORE ON PAGE 7 FIND OUT MORE ON PAGE 8 FIND OUT MORE ON PAGE 8 FIND OUT MORE ON PAGE 9 UK BUS UK RAIL Aberdeen Glasgow Edinburgh Leeds York Bradford Manchester Sheffield Stoke-on-Trent Norwich Birmingham Leicester Worcester Ipswich Northampton Swansea London Chelmsford Cardiff Bristol Slough Southampton Portsmouth Plymouth NORTH AMERICA GREYHOUND FirstGroup Annual Report and Accounts 2008 1 Delivering our strategy We are the leading transport operator in the UK and North America. Our strategy is to provide safe, reliable, innovative and sustainable services and to increase shareholder value through profitable growth in our core markets. This has been a year of significant achievement for the Group. We established our position as the market leader in North America through our acquisition of Laidlaw. We lead the industry with our safety initiatives and continue to strive to find ways in which we can achieve the highest possible standards. We are focused on delivering safe, high quality and reliable services and have made significant investment in our people and our business to support this objective. 2.4% 26.9% 23% increase in adjusted basic increase in revenue reduction in earnings per share to 40.9p to £4,707.6m Lost Time Injuries 38.9% 40.6% >90% increase in adjusted increase in adjusted contract retention operating profit to £360.m EBITDA to £560.8m in First Student 2008 2007 Revenue (£m) 4,707.6 3,708.8 Adjusted operating profit (£m) 360. 259.2 Operating profit (£m) 267.5 203.6 Adjusted profit before taxation (£m) 249.0 95.8 Profit before taxation (£m) 5.9 40.2 Adjusted basic EPS (pence) 40.9 33.7 Basic EPS (pence) 27.7 23. Adjusted EBITDA2 (£m) 560.8 398.9 Adjusted EBITDA: interest cover3 5.0x 6.3x Net debt4 (£m) (2,6.0) (56.2) 1 Before amortisation charges, non-recurring bid costs, other non-recurring items and profit/(loss) on disposal of properties 2 Adjusted operating profit plus depreciation 3 Adjusted EBITDA divided by the net of finance costs and investment income 4 Net debt is stated excluding accrued interest 2 FirstGroup Annual Report and Accounts 2008 Chairman’s statement Operating and financial review I am delighted to report another successful year for the Group. Our strategy is to provide safe, high quality and reliable services and to deliver increased value for shareholders through profitable growth in our core markets. This has been a very busy and exciting period The achievements of the Group are realised Looking ahead we are well placed to benefit for the Group. During the year we completed only by the dedication and hard work of our from the many exciting opportunities for the the $3.5bn (including transaction costs) workforce made up of 137,000 employees. Group. Our balanced portfolio of businesses acquisition of Laidlaw International, Inc. This has been a year of considerable change continues to generate strong operating cash In bringing together FirstGroup America for the Group, particularly in North America flows and good opportunities for future and Laidlaw we have created a stronger, as we integrate former Laidlaw businesses growth. Approximately 50% of Group more robust business operating in a vast, and employees into FirstGroup America revenues are secured under medium-term highly fragmented marketplace with clear operations. I would like to extend a warm contracts. The Group’s contracts with opportunities for growth. Our strategy is to welcome to those employees who joined government agencies and other large create value through leveraging scale and to the Company during the year. On behalf of organisations in the UK and North America increase earnings through improved operating the Board I would like to thank all of our represent a robust annual revenue stream efficiencies and the delivery of substantial staff across the Group for their continued worth £2.8bn.