Arriva strengthens bus business in Slovakia

Leading European passenger transport group Arriva has increased its presence in Central and Eastern Europe with the acquisition of two further bus operating companies in Slovakia.

Arriva has acquired SAD Liorbus Group (acquisition of 100% in Gotfri spol. s.r.o being the holding company of SAD Liorbus a.s.) and bus operator SAD Trnava Group (acquisition of 100% in Bus Partner Services s.r.o being the holding company of SAD Trnava a.s).

SAD Liorbus Group currently operates a regional bus network in northern Slovakia, Žilina Region and city services in towns of Ružomberok, Liptovský Mikuláš and Dolný Kubín.

SAD Trnava Group operates a regional bus network in western Slovakia, Trnava Region and city services in the towns of Trnava, Piešťany, Hlohovec and Senica.

The acquisitions by Arriva in Slovakia see its fleet increasing to more than 1,350 buses, while the business now employs nearly 2,400 people.

David Martin, Arriva CEO, said: “Arriva is a strong market leader in Slovakia, and we are well positioned to take advantage of further growth opportunities here and across Central and Eastern Europe.

“We are focused on achieving further growth across the Arriva group. We have an excellent track record in the UK’s rail market and have submitted an innovative bid for the Northern rail franchise that draws on our rail experience in the UK and across Europe.

“As incumbent operator, we have also been invited to tender for the London Overground concession which has achieved some of the highest customer satisfaction and reliability scores in the industry and has been recognised both nationally and on a European level for our operational excellence. We will submit a compelling and innovative bid.”

László Ivan, CEO of Arriva Slovakia, said: "We are proud to extend Arriva’s operations in northern and western Slovakia, not only in the Nitra and Košice regions but also in the Žilina and Trnava regions.

“As a leading passenger transport group, we continue to grow, develop and provide quality services to our customers and Passenger Transport Authorities, and we are looking forward to bringing our experience and expertise to these regions to improve services for customers.”

Arriva has a significant presence in Slovakia, with bus operations through three businesses: Arriva Nové Zámky, Arriva Nitra and Arriva Michalovce.

Arriva now employs almost 9,500 people in Central and Eastern Europe with more than 5,000 buses and 36 train sets.