Netherlands

• Arriva is one of the largest private bus operators in the Netherlands.
• We were the first private operator to win a bus franchise.

All regional bus transport in the Netherlands will be awarded through competitive tendering by the end of 2008. This is an excellent opportunity to grow our business by building on our reputation for delivery and winning further franchises.

The privatisation of state-owned Connexxion was completed in 2007. In the coming years regional rail services will also come up for tendering.

We run both bus and rail services in the north of the country and in the area around Rotterdam. We also run bus services in and around Brabant, as well as regional services around Rotterdam and to the north of Amsterdam.

Bus operations

The Dutch bus market is regulated, with local authorities awarding contracts of up to six years.

1998
Arriva entered the Dutch transport market with acquisitions resulting from privatisation.

2002
We won two tenders to operate bus services in central Holland.

2003
We won a large tender to operate public transport services in the city and province of Groningen and the province of Drenthe. These services comprise nearly half our contracts in the north of the country. The contracts will run until early 2008, with an option to continue for another two years.

2005
We won a 120-bus, six-year contract in Waterland, north of Amsterdam.

We also operate buses in central Netherlands in the DAV area near Rotterdam, and coach services in the northern provinces.

2008
We started operating a seven-year bus contract to the south of Rotterdam, adjacent to our DAV operations.

Rail operations

1999
In the first rail privatisation in the Netherlands, Arriva initiated a joint venture with the state-owned rail operator NS Rail. The service combines their trains with our buses to provide integrated services in the north of the country.

2003
We took 100 per cent control of the joint venture.

2005
Arriva won the contract to be sole operator of all regional rail services for the next 15 years in the northern provinces of Friesland and Groningen and renamed it Arriva. And we secured a 12-year rail contract as part of the DAV concession to run trains between Dordrecht and Geldermalsen

2006
We operate a cross-border service into north Germany.

Want to know more?

• Visit the Dutch website www.arriva.nl (in Dutch)
• Download the Dutch factsheet (in English)

Arriva Netherlands: the statistics

• 915 vehicles
• 50 trains
• 2,240 employees