Going Dutch

London made headlines yesterday, for two very different reasons. It was announced that NatEx was bound to sell its 410-vehicle Travel London & Travel Surrey subsidiary. There can only be one reason: in the face of recession and poorly performing rail franchises, to reduce NatEx’s debt. The result is a new entrant onto the UK bus scene: NS Dutch Railway subsidiary Ned Railways. At £32mil, the Dutch are no longer going Dutch with usual long term bidding partners Serco. The deal also ends speculation that Metroline's ComfortDelGro was a potential Travel London suitor.

Travel London (or National Express London as it was so nearly renamed in 2008) was formed in 2004 upon the take over for a nominal sum of the ailing Connex Bus which, before that, had taken over Limebourne, adding part of Tellings Golden Miller a year later. It was to Limebourne, of course, that Travel West Midlands sold its two London routes, following a less than inspiring original entry to the London market in 1998. Connex, you may recall, was a brand of Veolia, itself seeing some structural change. Aside from mediocre London financial performance, the Connex name suffered at the hands of poor rail performance, forcing a swift exit from the English transport scene.

NatEx is the second large group to withdraw from London. Stagecoach sold to Macquarrie in 2006.

Meanwhile, yesterday’s Daily Mail had a piece on 31 seven year old articulated Mercedes Citaro buses up for sale at £70-£80K apiece. No takers as yet. Mayor Johnson called for them to be “pensioned off to a Scandinavian airport”. Not that it much matters airside but Sweden shifted to driving on the right in 1955. Perhaps a London sightseeing company should acquire a couple and offer heritage routes by fast disappearing bendy buses.

And talking of matters Veolia, the Dunn family who sold to the French giant three years ago are reported as ready to start Nottingham competition from 1 June 2009 on a 10-minute Your Bus route from Bulwell to Nottingham.