THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED
THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED is a private limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 02100855, according to Companies House. It was incorporated on 17 February 1987 as GO-AHEAD NORTHERN LIMITED, was renamed THE GO-AHEAD GROUP PLC on 1 February 1994, and adopted its current name on 13 October 2022. The company’s registered office is at Second Floor, 55 Degrees North, Pilgrim Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6BL, and its status on the register is recorded as “Active”.
Companies House classifies the company’s principal activities under UK Standard Industrial Classification codes 49390 (other passenger land transport) and 70100 (activities of head offices). THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED is the top UK holding company of a public transport group that operates bus services across numerous English regions together with bus operations in Ireland and Singapore, and rail passenger services in Norway and Sweden, through separately incorporated operating subsidiaries. Until 31 May 2026, the group also operated the Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express passenger rail services in Great Britain through the Govia Thameslink Railway joint venture; these services transferred into public ownership under a new government-owned operator on that date, according to an official UK government announcement, ending the group’s participation in that rail contract.
The company traded publicly on the London Stock Exchange as THE GO-AHEAD GROUP PLC, under the ticker GOG, until its shares ceased trading following a change of control completed on 10 October 2022, after which the company was renamed and re-registered as a private limited company. According to the company’s own published figures, the wider group’s bus fleet numbered around 7,900 vehicles in 2025, with roughly 28,300 people employed across the group; these are group-level figures reported by the company rather than figures specific to this individual legal entity.
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Shareholders
2
Shareholders of THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED
Two shareholders are recorded for THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED in company registry data verified 7 September 2026. Go-Ahead Investment Bidco Limited (company number 14127923; recorded under its former name, Gerrard Investment Bidco Limited, until it was renamed on 14 May 2024) holds 43,177,390 ordinary shares of £1 each, representing approximately 91.7% of the issued share capital. The remaining 3,902,230 ordinary shares of £1 each, approximately 8.3% of the issued share capital, are recorded against THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED’s own name; the underlying data does not explain the basis of this holding (for example, whether the shares are held in treasury, by a nominee, or under an employee benefit arrangement), and it should not be assumed to represent an independent third-party shareholder. Separately, Companies House’s Persons with Significant Control register confirms that Go-Ahead Investment Bidco Limited holds 75% or more of the shares and voting rights in THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED and has the right to appoint or remove directors, with this control notified as taking effect on 10 October 2022, the date the company’s change of control completed.
Data availability
Classification: Major shareholders only. THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED’s Persons with Significant Control statement identifies its immediate controlling shareholder, but UK company law does not require a private company to publish a complete register of ordinary shareholdings beyond the persons with significant control regime and the statement of capital, so the origin of the smaller self-recorded holding cannot be independently confirmed for this profile. No natural person has been identified as an ultimate beneficial owner.
Sources
- Companies House – Persons with Significant Control, company number 02100855 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- Companies House – Company overview, Go-Ahead Investment Bidco Limited, company number 14127923 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- Zavia internal shareholder register data (verified 7 September 2026)
| Shareholder | Type | Holding | Source Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| GERRARD INVESTMENT BIDCO LIMITED | 91.7% | Companies House | |
| THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED | 8.3% | Companies House |
Officers
46
Directors and officers of THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED
Companies House records 7 currently active director appointments for THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED and 1 company secretary, alongside several officers who resigned during 2026. The current directors are Louise Mary Edwards (since 1 July 2024), Daniel Quintero Martinez and Michael Edward Sewards (both since 10 October 2022, the date control of the company changed), Pedro Miguel de Mesquita Araujo (since 26 January 2026), Jamie Stuart Davidson Gilbert and Edward James Lloyd (both since 23 May 2026), and Gonzalo Velasco Gaztanaga (since 17 August 2026). Beenadevi Mahabeer has served as Company Secretary since 28 July 2026. Nationality, as officially disclosed by Companies House, includes British, Spanish, Portuguese and Australian among current directors; this is a separate field from country of residence, which does not always match nationality (for example, the Portuguese-national director is recorded as resident in Spain). This overview reflects Companies House officer data retrieved 10 September 2026.
Recent officer changes
- Gonzalo Velasco Gaztanaga appointed Director effective 17 August 2026, following Lucas Martinez Vuillier’s termination as Director effective the same date (Companies House).
- Beenadevi Mahabeer appointed Company Secretary effective 28 July 2026, following Carolyn Ferguson’s resignation as Company Secretary effective 30 April 2026 (Companies House).
- Jamie Stuart Davidson Gilbert and Edward James Lloyd appointed Directors, and James Martyn Culley resigned as Director, all effective 23 May 2026 (Companies House).
Data availability
Classification: Full for current officers. Companies House publishes current and historical director and secretary appointment and resignation dates for THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED, together with nationality and country of residence as separately disclosed fields for each director. Occupation, as distinct from legal role, is not separately reported for these officers, and correspondence addresses on file (including group company offices in Madrid, Spain for two directors) are service addresses rather than personal or residential addresses, and are not evidence of nationality or residence.
Sources
- Companies House – Officers list, company number 02100855 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- Companies House – Filing history, company number 02100855 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
Group Structure
Group structure of THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED
THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED is not an independent company: it is a controlled subsidiary within a private corporate group, while also acting as the top UK holding company for its own bus, and until May 2026 rail, operating subsidiaries. Companies House’s Persons with Significant Control register confirms that Go-Ahead Investment Bidco Limited (company number 14127923) directly holds 75% or more of THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED’s shares and voting rights and can appoint or remove its directors, a position notified as taking effect 10 October 2022; Go-Ahead Investment Bidco Limited is itself controlled on the same basis by Go-Ahead Investment Parent Limited (company number 14126835), per that company’s own PSC filing. Reputable news coverage of the October 2022 transaction identifies the ultimate owners further up this chain as a consortium of Kinetic Group, an Australian transport operator, and Globalvia Inversiones, S.A.U., a Spain-based infrastructure investor, though ownership percentages at that level have not been independently verified against a primary UK filing for this profile. Directly beneath THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED, Companies House confirms Go-Ahead Holding Limited (company number 06352308) as a majority-controlled subsidiary, notified 6 April 2016. Zavia’s internal corporate-linkage data lists a considerably larger structure of further UK and overseas bus and rail operating subsidiaries beneath it, consistent with the group’s operations in Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Singapore, but these could not be individually verified against official filings for this profile. This overview reflects Companies House filings reviewed 10 September 2026.
Verified corporate relationships
| Entity | Country | Registration number | Relationship | Ownership | Status | Information date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go-Ahead Investment Bidco Limited | United Kingdom | 14127923 | Immediate parent | 75% or more of shares and voting rights | Active | 10 October 2022 |
| Go-Ahead Investment Parent Limited | United Kingdom | 14126835 | Indirect parent (via Go-Ahead Investment Bidco Limited) | 75% or more of shares and voting rights | Active | 24 May 2022 |
| Go-Ahead Holding Limited | United Kingdom | 06352308 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of shares and voting rights | Active | 6 April 2016 |
Data availability
Classification: Partial. Companies House confirms a verified parent chain up to Go-Ahead Investment Parent Limited and one verified direct subsidiary, Go-Ahead Holding Limited, but the wider operating group, which Zavia’s internal data indicates includes well over one hundred further UK and international bus and rail subsidiaries, could not be individually verified against official filings for this profile, and the ultimate consortium ownership above Go-Ahead Investment Parent Limited is sourced from news and regulatory-notification reporting rather than a primary UK company filing.
Sources
- Companies House – Persons with Significant Control, company number 02100855 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- Companies House – Persons with Significant Control, company number 14127923 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- Companies House – Persons with Significant Control, company number 06352308 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- route-one.net – “Go-Ahead sale to Kinetic and Globalvia completes” (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (Ireland) – Merger notification M/22/036, Kinetic/Globalvia/Go-Ahead (JV) (retrieved 10 September 2026)
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED do?
THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED (company number 02100855) is a private limited company registered in England and Wales, incorporated 17 February 1987, and is the top UK holding company for a public transport group operating bus services across the UK, Ireland and Singapore, and rail services in Norway and Sweden, having also operated the Govia Thameslink Railway rail contract in Great Britain until it transferred to public ownership on 31 May 2026.
Who owns THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED?
Company registry data verified 7 September 2026 records Go-Ahead Investment Bidco Limited (formerly Gerrard Investment Bidco Limited) holding approximately 91.7% of THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED's issued ordinary shares, with the remaining approximately 8.3% recorded against the company's own name; Companies House confirms Go-Ahead Investment Bidco Limited as the company's registered person with significant control since 10 October 2022.
Who is THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED's UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner)?
Every shareholder recorded for THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED is itself a company rather than a natural person, so no Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) is identified at this level; establishing one would require tracing the ownership of each shareholding company in turn.
What is THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED's company registration number?
THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED's registration number is 02100855, filed with Companies House in United Kingdom. Its current status on the register is active.
Is THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED still an active company?
THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED's status on Companies House is listed as active.
When was THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED incorporated?
THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED was incorporated on 17 February 1987, according to Companies House.
What is THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED's registered address?
The registered address on file for THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED is Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
What legal structure is THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED registered as?
THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED is registered as a Private limited company (Ltd.) in United Kingdom.
Is THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED listed on a stock exchange?
THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED traded on the London Stock Exchange as THE GO-AHEAD GROUP PLC under the ticker GOG until its shares ceased trading following a change of control completed on 10 October 2022, after which it was re-registered as a private limited company.
Who are the officers/directors of THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED?
Companies House recorded 7 active directors and 1 company secretary for THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED as at 10 September 2026, with the most recent director appointment, Gonzalo Velasco Gaztanaga, effective 17 August 2026.
Does THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED have a parent company or subsidiaries?
Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings confirm THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED is majority-controlled by Go-Ahead Investment Bidco Limited (company number 14127923) and is itself the majority controller of Go-Ahead Holding Limited (company number 06352308), an intermediate holding company for the group's wider UK and international bus and rail subsidiaries.
Can Zavia monitor changes to THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED's ownership over time?
This profile reflects a point-in-time snapshot from Companies House. Zavia's monitoring API can track changes to THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED's registered shareholders, officers, and group structure going forward, flagging updates as they're filed rather than requiring a manual recheck.
Can I access THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED's data through an API?
Yes. Zavia's API connects directly to official government ownership registries across 195 countries and territories, including United Kingdom, so records like THE GO-AHEAD GROUP LIMITED's registration, shareholder, UBO, and group-structure data can be queried programmatically instead of viewed one page at a time.
Where does this company information come from, and how current is it?
This record is sourced directly from Companies House and was last synced on 8 September 2026.