Private company

GRT Group

Former bus operating company in the United Kingdom

GRT Group was a bus operating company in the United Kingdom from 1989 until 1995. It was formed when Grampian Regional Transport (GRT) was privatised. It went on to purchase a number of bus companies in England and Scotland.2 It is headquartered in Aberdeen.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

Jan 1989Founded1
  • HeadquartersAberdeen1

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Mercedes-Benz O405 First Aberdeen
Photo: User:Iwouldstay, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons4

GRT Group was a bus operating company in the United Kingdom from 1989 until 1995. It was formed when Grampian Regional Transport (GRT) was privatised. It went on to purchase a number of bus companies in England and Scotland. In April 1994, GRT Group was listed on the stock exchange, and in June 1995 merged with Badgerline to form FirstBus.2

Corporate structure

GRT Group sits at the top of its group. 2 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

The GRT Group was formed as a holding company to purchase Grampian Regional Transport, the city bus operator in Aberdeen, Scotland, in a management buyout. Motivation for the buyout was the 1988 announcement that the Scottish Bus Group was to be privatised, sparking fears that GRT could be acquired by a larger group and asset stripped.

The buyout was achieved on 20 January 1989. General Manager Moir Lockhead, together with four other managers, took a 51% stake in the new company, with employees holding 33%, and Aberdeen Asset Management and 3i the remaining 16%. At the time GRT had a fleet of 200 buses and 500 employees.

GRT Group went on to purchase other bus operators in England and Scotland. In April 1994, it was listed on the Stock Exchange. In June 1995, GRT Group merged with Badgerline to form FirstBus. GRT Group contributed 1,600 buses to the new company's fleet of 5,600.

From Wikipedia’s article on GRT Group, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Subsidiaries and ownership

Subsidiaries

From Wikidata.1

Acquisitions

  1. 1994Acquired Eastern Scottish1

As GRT Holdings:

Midland Scottish September 1990 (ex Scottish Bus Group)

Northampton Transport October 1993 (ex Northampton Council)

Leicester CityBus November 1993 (ex Leicester City Council)

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As GRT Bus Group plc:

Eastern Counties July 1994 (ex National Bus Company)

Scottish Motor Traction October 1994 (ex Scottish Bus Group)

Lowland Scottish November 1994 (ex Scottish Bus Group)

Midland Scottish, Eastern Counties, Scottish Motor Traction and Lowland Scottish, were regional companies, with operating territories stretching over large areas comprising town and interurban services. The Northampton and Leicester operations were town based networks, like Grampian.

From Wikipedia’s article on GRT Group, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. Jan 1989Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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