Arriva has won a new contract to continue serving the West Brabant region in the Netherlands, following a competitive tender process, securing its stronghold for another 10 years and providing continuity for passengers and employees.
A key part of Arriva’s successful bid was the presentation of a robust and future-proof network with faster and smarter transport options and investment in a completely new fleet of zero-emission electric buses.
The company will introduce a significantly expanded timetable with more direct bus route services which don’t require transfers between different buses to reach an end destination.
Passengers in the region will also benefit from additional comfort with the new bus fleet of more than 200 zero-emission vehicles entering service from July 2025 onwards. Each will provide clear information technology, comfortable seating with interiors constructed from circular materials. It is expected that Arriva’s entire fleet of vehicles operating in West Brabant will be emission-free by 2030 at the latest.
Anne Hettinga, Managing Director of Arriva Netherlands and member of the Arriva Management Board, commented: “This is an important win for us and I’m proud that Arriva will continue to serve the communities of West Brabant for another 10 years, building on our high levels of service and track record of sustainable transport solutions. Arriva brings international expertise across all forms of transportation, and we look forward to working with the local passenger transport authorities to grow public transport in the region”.
In the Netherlands, passengers have access to Arriva’s MaaS (Mobility as a Service) offering under its “glimble by Arriva” brand. West Brabant is completely served by “glimble” which connects travellers throughout the Netherlands with all modes of transport across all operating companies, allowing them to research book and pay for multi-modal interconnected travel. Glimble has gained more than 300,000 users since it was introduced in the Netherlands in 2021 and has recently launched in Trieste, Italy. Arriva continues to explore its potential expansion within Italy and other parts of Europe.
The new contract in West Brabant comes into effect in July 2025, with the first of the new buses arriving from the start of the new contract.