Greater Anglia Franchise

Press Release

24 March 2011

The Go-Ahead Group plc

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

Greater Anglia Franchise

Go-Ahead is delighted to have been shortlisted by the Department for Transport (DfT) to bid for the Greater Anglia Rail Franchise.

Keith Ludeman, Group Chief Executive of Go-Ahead said:

"This is good news for us. Greater Anglia is an excellent fit with our existing rail portfolio of Southern, Southeastern and London Midland. Our strong focus on commuter rail operations, together with our experience of improving performance and service quality for passengers, as well as our advanced plans for preparing for the Olympic Games through our work at Southeastern and our London bus operations, mean we are well-placed to develop a compelling bid for this 18-month contract.

"Our solid relationships with key industry stakeholders mean we are also in a strong position to develop plans for the longer-term franchise which will incorporate industry reform and cost reduction. We have an experienced and successful franchise bid team at Go-Ahead and are looking forward to the competition."

Go-Ahead is bidding for Greater Anglia as Eastern Railway Ltd. The Invitation to Tender will be issued by the Department for Transport at the end of April.

For further information, please contact:

Notes to Editors

The Greater Anglia Franchise is currently operated by National Express as National Express East Anglia and is due to end on February 5, 2012. The DfT objectives for the new Franchise are as follows:

·; Controlling operational costs.

·; Maximising revenue.

·; Delivering a quality of service for passengers for the entire rail journey.

·; Working with the Department and other stakeholders to ensure value for money.

·; Managing and delivering changes required to accommodate Crossrail.

·; Implementing the station responsibilities if required.

·; Working effectively with Network Rail to maintain performance.

·; Delivering the plans around the Olympics.

·; Managing the introduction of the Class 379 HLOS vehicles.

about 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.