NX enters German Rail Market / German Rail Contracts

[PM]

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/rhein-ruhr-express-operating-contracts-signed.html

Just great to see National Express leading the way in British companies bidding and winning contracts and franchises overseas. For far too long we've seen foreign state owned companies bidding for and winning UK franchises and without British companies being similarly able to bid for their countries' franchises in what should be a level playing field of liberalised markets across the EU! Wait until Italy's train market has to be similarly divided and contracted out, can't see many people being best pleased. DB Arriva see themselves more poised to go on that one when it happens with existing presence in Italy...

[winston]

Just great to see National Express leading the way in British companies bidding and winning contracts and franchises overseas. For far too long we've seen foreign state owned companies bidding for and winning UK franchises and without British companies being similarly able to bid for their countries' franchises in what should be a level playing field of liberalised markets across the EU! Wait until Italy's train market has to be similarly divided and contracted out, can't see many people being best pleased. DB Arriva see themselves more poised to go on that one when it happens with existing presence in Italy...

The good thing with NX Group is they are gaining the new business via contract wins, with lower cash outlay compared with buying up existing operators / foreign transport groups to gain greater geographical coverage, they are still focusing on utilizing the cash generated to pay down debt & invest in existing businesses to stimulate growth. I'm sure they may return to acquisitions at some point, but more than likely proceed more captiously than taking over businesses at any cost as per previous CEO's.

Spain is another country that are poised to outsource their Rail in the future, as are possibly Portugal, there was also the following article from 2014 suggesting that the Czech Republic were also looking at liberalizing their rail market

http://www.praguepost.com/czech-news/34299-british-national-express-wants-to-run-subsidized-rail-lines

[winston]

Go-Ahead Group have now followed NX in to German Rail with their first 2 franchise wins
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/go-ahead-and-abellio-win-stuttgart-passenger-operating-contracts.html

Abellio have also won another, with DB losing further work