Board Changes

Press Release

26 October 2010

THE GO-AHEAD GROUP PLC

("Go-Ahead" or the "Group")

Keith Ludeman to retire as Group Chief Executive in July 2011, to be succeeded by David Brown

The Board of Go-Ahead Group plc ('Go-Ahead' or the 'Company') today announces that Keith Ludeman has decided to retire as Group Chief Executive of Go-Ahead after 15 years with the Company. He will retire on4 July 2011 when he will be succeeded by David Brown. As part of the orderly succession plan,David Brown, currently Managing Director, Surface Transport of Transport for London, will join the Company as Deputy Chief Executive on 1 April 2011 and will succeed Keith Ludeman when he retires.

Sir Patrick Brown, Chairman, said:

"Keith has made an outstanding contribution to the Group during the last fifteen years, having first established our London bus division, then going on to build up our highly successful rail business.

"Over the past 5 years Keith has led the company as Group Chief Executive, successfully implementing significant strategic change. His extensive knowledge of the transport industry, and his hands-on leadership style and breadth of vision, have enabled the Company to weather recent economic turbulence, and to emerge strongly positioned for future growth. It has been a real pleasure working with Keith as Group Chief Executive, and I would like to thank him for the expertise, energy and commitment he has devoted to our customers, employees and the Board during his many years with the Group.

"I know that in David we have found a successor who has the experience and leadership skills to take the Group forward. David was Chief Executive of our London Bus division between 2003 and 2006 - I welcome him back to the Group and look forward to working with him again."

Keith Ludeman said:

"I will have served the transport industry for 40 years when I retire next year. I have been fortunate to look back on a long career, which I have enjoyed immensely. I am proud to have led the Group for the last 5 years and believe it is now in excellent shape to face the future. I will greatly miss the management and staff within the Group who have helped develop our business into a leading UK bus and rail operator. I have known David for many years and indeed recruited him into London General/London Central in 1998. He will bring invaluable experience from his time both within and outside the Group, and I have every confidence that he has the talent and vision to take the Group forward, supported by the best management team in the sector."

David Brown said:

"I am very excited about returning to Go-Ahead to lead such an excellent management team with whom I have worked for many years. I look forward to building on Keith's achievements and continuing to deliver the Group's strategy of providing safe, high quality transport services in dense urban markets."

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Notes to Editors

Keith Ludeman has enjoyed a 40 year career in the transport industry, during which time he has witnessed significant change.

His early career was with Greater Manchester Transport, moving from transport planning to operational line management in 1978. He then emigrated for a period, working for the Hong Kong Government in the early 1980s, returning to the UK via transport consulting in 1985. The next two years involving leading consultancy work in Edinburgh, Madras (for the World Bank) and Hong Kong (for KCRC).

The next 8 years were spent back in the UK leading two bus companies as Managing Director - Burnley & Pendle in Lancashire and London General in the Capital. Both companies were managed through a period of significant structural change - deregulation and privatisation of the bus industry. The period culminated with the £28m Management Employee Buy-Out of London General in November 1994, which was sold 18 months later to the Go-Ahead Group for £46m.

He has spent the rest of his career at Go-Ahead, initially leading the London Bus Division, before moving across to manage the Rail Division in 1999. He subsequently grew annual rail turnover from £250m to £1.2 billion, securing the Southern, Southeastern and London Midland franchises for the Group. He was appointed a Main Board advisor in 1998, and a Group Executive Director in 2004. He was appointed Group Chief Executive in 2006.

Outside of Go-Ahead, he was the Chairman of Association of Train Operating Companies between 2003-05, and was a Member of the British Transport Police Authority until 2005.

A postgraduate transport planner, he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport & Logistics, Fellow of the Institute of Railway Operators and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

In 2010, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Salford University for his services to public transport.

David Brown became Managing Director of Surface Transport at Transport for London in 2006, with responsibility for London Buses - delivering one of the largest bus networks in the world - the public Carriage Office, Dial-a-ride, Victoria Coach Station, cycling and walking, TfL piers and Transport Policing and Enforcement. Surface Transport is also responsible for London's most important strategic roads, (the "Red Routes"), traffic management including traffic signals, congestion charging and road safety. He is also responsible for the delivery of programmes which improve London's Routes and Places. In August this year he was responsible for delivering the Mayor's Cycle Hire Scheme.

Before joining TfL, David was Chief Executive of Go-Ahead's London bus business, from 2003-2006, and was a Main Board adviser.

Prior to this he held the positions of Managing Director from 1999 - following in Keith Ludeman's footsteps - and Operations Director for London General/London Central.

His 27 year transport career began with London Transport. He became the General Manager for CentreWest London Buses Ltd. and was part of the MEBO team, which acquired the company from London Transport in 1994. He became the Managing Director of a bus company outside London in 1996, operating in the deregulated bus environment, before joining Go-Ahead in 1998.

Go-Ahead

Go-Ahead is a leading UK public transport operator, providing high quality services in the bus and rail sectors. Employing around 22,000 people across the country, over one billion passenger journeys are undertaken on our services each year. We are committed to operating our companies in a safe, socially and environmentally responsible way and are proud to have been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard after taking action on climate change. In addition to the travelling public, our customers include the Department for Transport, Transport for London (TfL) and local authorities.

BUS

Go-Ahead is one of the UK's largest bus operators. With a fleet of around 3,800 buses, we carry, on average, around 1.7 million passengers every day. Our operations are focused on high density commuter markets. We have a strong presence in London, with around 21% market share, where we provide regulated services for TfL. We operate deregulated services in the Oxford, the South East, Southern and North East England. We also have a yellow school bus joint venture in North America.

RAIL

The rail operation, Govia, is 65% owned by Go-Ahead and 35% by Keolis. It is the busiest rail operation in the UK, responsible for nearly 30% of all UK passenger rail journeys through its three rail franchises: Southern (which includes the Gatwick Express), Southeastern and London Midland. In December 2009, Southeastern began operating the UK's first high speed domestic rail service between Kent and London, significantly reducing journey times.