Tower Transit announces acquisition of Huyton Travel

Friday 28 February 2025

Tower Transit is pleased to announce the acquisition of Huyton Travel, a prominent bus operator in Liverpool. This acquisition follows Tower Transit’s recent contract award to operate bus franchising services in Jersey for the next decade.

Samuel Ribeiro, Managing Director of Tower Transit, commented: "We are thrilled to welcome Huyton Travel to our Group, a company that has been a cornerstone of public transport in the Liverpool City Region for over 40 years. Huyton is currently the third-largest operator for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA). We believe that combining Huyton’s extensive local expertise and established reputation, with Tower Transit’s international track record and experience in bus franchising will create a strong foundation for success amid the ongoing bus reforms planned by the LCRCA."

Founded in 1985 by John Yates Snr, Huyton Travel has built its reputation on delivering tailored transport solutions in the Merseyside region. The company’s core values focus on quality, reliability, and customer satisfaction. Today, the business is led by John and Paul Yates, who will continue to support its operations moving forward.

John Yates, Managing Director of Huyton Travel, added: "We are pleased to have found in Tower Transit and the Kelsian Group a company that shares the same family-owned principles upon which Huyton was built. We’re confident that, together, we can strengthen Huyton’s future, particularly in the upcoming Bus Franchising process. This partnership will also provide long-term success and stability for our incredible management team, drivers, and engineers, enabling them to continue delivering high-quality services across Merseyside and beyond."

The transaction also establishes a strategic partnership with Abacus UK Training, which will remain an integral part of the Huyton Depot, continuously training hundreds of PCV drivers each year and playing a key role in developing Huyton’s future driver workforce.

Samuel Ribeiro concluded: "Both Tower Transit and the wider Kelsian Group bring a wealth of experience in public transport, including the transition of several new and existing bus operations across four continents. We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition that will not disrupt services for our customers. We will maintain the existing teams, who possess invaluable local expertise and a proven track record that have been the backbone to Huyton’s fantastic success."

Clint Feuerherdt, Managing Director and Group CEO of Kelsian Group

This acquisition strengthens Kelsian Group’s position as a leading essential transport operator, now with a significant foothold in Liverpool, and reinforces our strategic growth ambitions and vision for successful expansion into markets with organic growth opportunity.

With Huyton Travel’s strong regional presence and our extensive expertise in delivering high-quality franchised services, as a trusted government partner, we are well-positioned to capitalise on emerging opportunities in the evolving regional UK bus market.

This expansion aligns with our strategy for disciplined growth, using recycled capital to enhance returns and our capacity for organic scaling of the business.