Arriva, the Bus & Train Giant, Set to Be Bought by a U.S. Infrastructure Firm

I Squared Signs on Arriva: A €1.6 Billion Bus Bonanza

Hold on to your rumpled red double‑deckers—

What’s Happening?

I Squared, the UK‑based infrastructure investor, has agreed to snap up Arriva, the UK’s biggest train and bus operator, in a deal that could fetch around €1.6 billion. The link? Deutsche Bahn, the German state rail company, already nudged the sale along.

Meet Arriva

Size matters – 34,000 staff spread across 10 European countries.
Runs the iconic London red double‑deckers.
Also operates the London Overground, the Chiltern and Cross‑Country rail franchises.

Think of Arriva as the family business that’s built a massive fleet of “London’s red buses.” It’s the kind of company that knows the lay of the land—or the streets!

Why This Deal Matters

Arriva’s CEO Mike Cooper split the phone call track into three things:

New chapter for the company.
Check out I Squared’s shared mission: “sustainable transport services for today and tomorrow.”
“Investment will unlock opportunities and create value for people, the planet, and passengers.”

In other words: a win‑win for passengers, staff and the environment, all bundled into one giant business partnership.

RMT’s Take

Union General Secretary Mick Lynch raises a few concerns:

He claims the sale moves Arriva from a state‑owned entity to a “tax‑haven‑registered company.”
Highlights that train employees have seen no pay rise in over three years despite juicy profits.
Fears that the “ill‑gotten” profits could sail off to a tax haven, sparking more wealth extraction from rails.

Basically, the union is saying, “You’re leaving employees in the cold while the bank gets the warm, shiny loot.”