Transit Systems

Transit Systems Group is an Australian-based public transport company, which also operates overseas through its subsidiary Tower Transit Group. Transit Systems Group is a subsidiary of the SeaLink Travel Group.

Transit Systems
IndustryBus transportation
Founded1995
FounderLance Francis
Graham Leishman
Neil Smith
Headquarters
East Brisbane
Area served
Australia
England
Singapore
Key people
Clint Feuerherdt (CEO)
ParentSeaLink Travel Group
SubsidiariesBridj
Sita Buslines
Swan Transit
Territory Transit
Torrens Transit
Tower Transit London
Tower Transit Singapore
Transit Systems Sydney
Websitewww.transitsystems.com.au

History

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Lance Francis, Graham Leishman and Neil Smith together operated Bayside Buslines in Brisbane, Peninsula Bus Lines on the New South Wales Central Coast and Sunliner Express on the east coast. Graham Leishman previously also operated a bus company with his father in 1971.[1] After Sunliner Express collapsed in 1991, all were either sold or liquidated.

In 1995, Francis, Leishman and Smith won the Midland bus contract in Perth in 1995 and founded Swan Transit, the first business unit of Transit Systems.[2][3] The Midland operations commenced in 1996. Swan Transit was awarded four other contracts within the next two years, and a fifth one in 2002.

In 2000, the Adelaide Metro East-West bus contract was awarded to Transit Systems, the first bus contract outside of Perth, and operations started in April 2000, operating as Torrens Transit. In April 2005, Torrens Transit commenced operating the North-South and Outer North East contracts. In 2011, the East-West bus contract was renewed, but the North-South and Outer North East contracts were lost to Light-City Buses.

Transit Systems entered the ferry market by acquiring Bay Islands Transit (BITS) and Big Red Cat in 2005 and 2007 respectively, both in Queensland. In 2011, the Gladstone Ferries operation commenced , transporting workers to Curtis Island to support the construction of a liquefied natural gas plant on the island. In the same year, Stradbroke ferries was acquired, and the Big Red Cat operation was merged into it.

In November 2012, Transit Systems was awarded its first bus contract in New South Wales, region 3 of the Sydney Metropolitan Bus System Contracts, in Western Sydney. Operations commenced in October 2013, operating as Transit Systems Sydney.

In June 2013, Transit Systems first ventured overseas with the purchase of First London's garages and operations in London, England, operating as Tower Transit. Adam Leishman, the son of Transit Systems co-founder Graham Leishman and the Business Development Director for Transit Systems, relocated to London to become the CEO of Tower Transit.[4][5] Tower Transit was then awarded a bus contract to operate 26 routes in Singapore in May 2015, and took over operations from the incumbent operators between May and June 2016.[6][7]

In October 2014, Transit Systems took over the Darwin Bus Service operation, operating as Territory Transit. In January 2015, Swan Transit commenced 10 year contracts to operate services in Bunbury and Busselton under the TransBunbury and TransBusselton brands.

In November 2015, Transit Systems sold all of its marine operations to SeaLink Travel Group, which includes:[2][8]

  • Bay Islands Transit (BITS) ferry operation[9]
  • Gladstone Ferries[10]
  • Stradbroke ferries operation

American on-demand transport company Bridj was brought over and the first Bridj on-demand service in Australia commenced in December 2017. In June 2018, Torrens Transit acquired Light-City Buses, regaining the North South & Outer North East bus contracts which Torrens Strait previously lost in 2011. In July 2018, Transit Systems Sydney commenced operating bus and on-demand services in region 6 of the Sydney Metropolitan Bus System Contracts in Sydney's Inner West.

In October 2018, Tower Transit's CEO Adam Leishman left the company and set up his own transport company Ascendal Group, and the Go Whippet operations were transferred to the newly-formed company.[11] His position was not replaced and Tower Transit operations were overseen by Paul Cox as CFO and Charlie Beaumont as COO.[12]

In April 2019, Transit Systems entered into the Melbourne bus market for the first time by acquiring Sita Buslines.

In October 2019, it was announced that the company will be purchased by the SeaLink Travel Group. As part of the deal, the CEO of Transit Systems, Clint Feuerherdt, became CEO of SeaLink. Feuerherdt and Transit Systems co-founder and chairman Neil Smith took up a combined 18% shareholding in Sealink.[13][14][15] The sale was completed in January 2020.[16]

Current Australian operations

Transit Systems Group' business units in Australia are:[17]

Swan Transit

Swan Transit is a bus operator in Western Australia. Founded in 1995, it was the first business unit of Transit Systems to be created.[2] In its first four years, Swan Transit was awarded five bus contracts in Perth and they commenced operations between 1996 and 1998. Swan Transit later acquired other contracts in Perth as well, with all of its contracts operating under the Transperth brand. Swan Transit also commenced 10 year contracts to operate services in Bunbury and Busselton under the TransBunbury and TransBusselton brands in January 2015.[23][24]

Territory Transit

Territory Transit is a bus operator in Darwin. It constitutes part of the Darwinbus bus service. Territory Transit took over the Darwin Bus Service operation in October 2014, after Transit Systems successfully tendered the contract in July that year.[25][26]

Torrens Transit

Torrens Transit is a bus operator in Adelaide. It first founded in 2000 when it commenced operating the Adelaide Metro East-West contract under contract to the Government of South Australia, which was renewed in July 2011. In April 2005, Torrens Transit commenced operating the North-South and Outer North East contracts, but these contracts later passed to Light-City Buses in October 2011. Due to continuous poor performance by Light-City Buses, eight of their routes were stripped off and were returned to Torrens Transit in April 2013.[27][28][29] In June 2018, Torrens Transit acquired the Light-City Buses business and integrated it into the Torrens Transit brand.[30]

Transit Systems Sydney

Transit Systems Sydney is a bus operator in south western Sydney, operating region 3 of the Sydney Metropolitan Bus System Contracts. It commenced operations in October 2013, taking over services from the incumbent operators. In July 2018, Transit Systems took over the operation of region 6 in the Inner West from State Transit on an eight-year contract.[31]

Bridj

Transit Systems acquired on-demand transport company Bridj in October 2017 following the cessation of its operations in the United States earlier that year.[32][33] Bridj started operations in Sydney with the Wetherill Park demand service in December 2017, followed by the Inner West demand service in July 2018.[34] In August 2018, it also took over the Eastern Suburbs demand service from Transdev's RIDE Plus,[35][36] while the Wetherill Park service ceased operations.[37]

Transit Systems plans to introduce more Bridj on-demand services into other Australian cities as well as London.[38]

Sita Buslines

Sita Buslines is a bus and coach operator in Melbourne. It was acquired by Transit Systems in April 2019, marking Transit System's entry into the Victorian bus market.[22]

Overseas operations

Tower Transit Group, Transit Systems Group' overseas subsidiary, operates these business units:

Tower Transit

Tower Transit is a bus operator in London. It was formerly part of First London's operations until Transit Systems bought the operations and garages in June 2013.[41]

Tower Transit Singapore

Tower Transit Singapore is a bus operator in Singapore, operating 26 routes out of Bulim Bus Depot as part of the Bulim Bus Package, with the contract awarded in May 2015.[6][7] The company took over the bus operations from incumbent operators SBS Transit and SMRT Buses between May and June 2016.

Former operations

Bay Islands Transit (BITS)

Bay Islands Transit (BITS), is one of Transit Systems' ferry operations in Moreton Bay, Brisbane. It operates services between Redland Bay and the Macleay, Lamb, Karragarra and Russell Islands in Southern Moreton Bay. BITS operated ferry services since 1982.[9] In 2005, it was acquired by Transit Systems and sold to SeaLink Travel Group in November 2015, along with Gladstone Ferries and Stradbroke Ferries.[2][8]

Gladstone Ferries

Gladstone Ferries is a passenger and vehicular ferry operation in Gladstone, Queensland, transporting workers to Curtis Island to support the construction of a liquefied natural gas plant on the island. The operation started in February 2011, following the award of two contracts for the ferry services. It was sold to SeaLink Travel Group in November 2015, along with BITS and Stradbroke Ferries.[10][2][8]

Stradbroke Ferries

Stradbroke Ferries is the other of Transit Systems' ferry operations in Moreton Bay. It was founded by Frank Dobias and Geoff Ford in 1963.[42][43][2] Stradbroke Ferries was acquired by Transit Systems in 2011. Prior to this, Transit Systems also owned the Big Red Cat ferry operation, acquired in 2007. The Big Red Cat operation merged with the Stradbroke Ferries operation after the acquisition of the latter. It was sold to SeaLink Travel Group in November 2015, along with BITS and Gladstone Ferries.[8]

Go Whippet

Go Whippet was a bus operation in Cambridgeshire, England.[44] It was purchased by Transit Systems Groupin November 2014.[45][46] The bus operation was transferred to Ascendal Group in October 2018.[11]

References
  1. "'On The Buses' – Graham Leishman". Vision Christian Radio. 5 May 2017. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  2. "History". Transit Systems. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  3. "Graham Leishman". Transit Systems. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  4. "Redland company takes wheel of London's big red buses". Brisbane Times. 12 June 2013. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  5. "Adam Leishman". Ascendal Group. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  6. "LTA Awards First Tendered Bus Package to Tower Transit Group Limited". LTA Singapore. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  7. "London-based Tower Transit wins first Government bus contract to run services in Jurong". Straits Times. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  8. "Completion of Acquisition of Transit Systems Marine". Sealink Travel Group. 6 November 2015. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  9. Bay Islands Transit Overview Archived 15 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine Transit Systems
  10. Gladstone Ferries Overview Archived 15 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine Transit Systems
  11. "About Us". Whippet. Archived from the original on 15 September 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  12. "Shareholder Reorganisation". Tower Transit Singapore. 6 October 2018. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  13. "SeaLink announces strategic acquisition of Transit Systems Group and launches capital raising". SeaLink Travel Group. 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  14. "SeaLink to buy bus business Transit Systems, raise equity". Australian Financial Review. 7 October 2019.
  15. "SeaLink boss to set sail in bus buyout deal". Australian Financial Review. 7 October 2019.
  16. Sealink Completes Acquisition of Transit Systems Group Sealink Travel Group 16 January 2020
  17. About Us Transit Systems
  18. Swan Transit Overview Transit Systems
  19. Territory Transit Overview Transit Systems
  20. Torrens Transit Overview Transit Systems
  21. Transit Systems Sydney Transit Systems
  22. "Transit Systems Expands into Melbourne Bus Network". Transit Systems. Archived from the original on 29 April 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  23. Provision of Bunbury Regional Town Bus Service Tenders WA 16 December 2014
  24. Provision of Busselton Regional Town Bus Service Tenders WA 16 December 2014
  25. Move to NT Bus News 7 July 2014
  26. Transit Systems welcomed to the Top End, Retrieved 2 October 2014
  27. Bus company Transfield stripped of eight routes and fined for being late Adelaide Advertiser 24 April 2013
  28. Bus company stripped of routes ABC News 25 April 2013
  29. SA operator forfeits routes due to poor performance Australasian Bus & Coach 26 April 2013
  30. "Torrens Transit acquires Light City Buses". Transit Systems. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  31. Transit Systems Boosts Inner West Bus Services Minister for Transport 13 February 2018
  32. "Our Story". Bridj. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  33. "With new owner, Bridj aims for a comeback in Australia". Boston Globe.
  34. "On Demand public transport services for the Inner West". Transport Info NSW. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  35. "On Demand public transport changes for Eastern Suburbs". Transport for NSW. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  36. "News". Bridj. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  37. "Wetherill Park On Demand service". Transport for NSW. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  38. Transit Systems eyes Bridj shuttle expansion after Adelaide bus acquisition Australian Financial Review 9 May 2018
  39. Australian public transport innovator acquires first international fleet Archived 9 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Transit Systems
  40. First Tranche of Bus Services in Bulim Package to Roll Out on 29 May Land Transport Authority 29 April 2016
  41. "Tower Transit announces First Group partial acquisition". Transit Systems. 9 April 2013. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  42. Stradbroke rivals in ferry good deal, Courier Mail, Retrieved 13 June 2015
  43. About Us, Stradbroke Ferries, Retrieved 13 June 2015
  44. Lee family completes sale of Whippet buses to Aussie firm Hunts Post 18 November 2014
  45. Tower Transit adds Go Whippet Coach & Bus Week 18 November 2014
  46. "Whippet confirmed as part of Ascendal Group" (1364). Coach & Bus Week. 16 October 2018. p. 8.
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