NATEX IN OZ

摘要

Of all the international public transport groups to run buses in Australia, the UK's National Express Group currently has the largest presence. Stagecoach has been and gone and only had a small operation, while French-owned Connex and Transdev are both in Australia along with Serco, the UK facilities management company that is involved in British railway and tramway franchises. The Australian bus businesses made a ￡1.7 million profit in the first half of 2003, which is about ￡600,000 less than NatEx's UK coach business and about one thirteenth of the UK bus division's profits. Its future has been in some doubt as NatEx also ran half of Melbourne's trams and some suburban trains until December last year, when mounting losses prompted it to hand them back to the Victorian government.