Arriva wins €300M bus and rail contract in the Netherlands. 100 zero emission buses to be deployed

Arriva Group has been awarded the Twente-ZHO concession in East Netherlands for both bus and rail services. The concession is part of the province of Overijssel, following a competitive tender process. Contract have been awarded for four years, plus one year option to extend. Lifespan of contract is estimated at value of €300 million. Bus and rail services managed by Arriva are set to start in December this year.

100 new zero emission buses for Twente by Arriva

Arriva will operate over 100 completely new zero emission buses and around nine trains from its existing fleet. The company will also welcome 450 new colleagues to service the contract.

Arriva says it was successful in its bid because “it will take a holistic view of the transport infrastructure across the region and has plans to introduce changes to the timetable to ensure faster journey times on inter-city connections and focus on improved accessibility for the elderly and those with disabilities, who rely on public transport”.

Arriva Group in Twente concession, Netherlands

Arriva has also plans to improve the connection between buses and trains to ensure a seamless transition between modes of transport and is examining walking distances and how public transport connects with cycling routes.

Anne Hettinga, Managing Director Arriva Netherlands and Arriva Group board member said: “We have an ambition to grow Arriva in the Netherlands and to boost access to public transport for passengers, so we can encourage people out of their cars and onto our services. Encouraging modal shift to public transport is one of the fastest ways of reducing transport emissions and an important step in caring for our planet. We look forward to continuing to make public transport more and more attractive for the communities in Twente.”