Arriva has partnered with CitySwift, a performance optimisation platform that helps public transport operators and authorities plan, optimise, and manage networks using trusted operational and passenger data, to support smarter commercial, operational, and investment decisions across its UK bus operations.
Through this four-year partnership, CitySwift will provide Arriva’s UK operating companies with a single, trusted source of network intelligence, bringing together operational performance, passenger movement, and contextual data to support day-to-day network management and long-term planning. The platform enables teams to move beyond static reporting, helping them monitor network performance continuously, identify opportunities for improvement, and respond proactively as conditions change.
CitySwift has been rolled out across Arriva’s UK bus operations, unlocking access to trustworthy data to make informed commercial decisions, collaborate more effectively with transport authorities, and assess the potential impact of proposed service changes or investments before they are implemented. Using simulation and forecasting capabilities, Arriva can now test different scenarios, understand cost and performance implications, and optimise the use of existing time and resources across the network.
By combining passenger boarding, alighting, occupancy, and capacity data in one place, CitySwift helps Arriva better understand how passengers move through the network and where service levels can be optimised. The platform also supports dynamic network delivery, ensuring insights are clearly communicated across teams and enabling faster, more coordinated responses to performance challenges and emerging opportunities.
Powered by intelligent data processing, CitySwift optimises more than 3.3 billion passenger trips annually. CitySwift’s platform removes obstacles to accessing transportation data, empowering teams with rapid and reliable performance insights that support better decisions for operators, authorities, and passengers alike.
Andrew Godley, Commercial Director at Arriva UK Bus, said: “Delivering reliable and efficient services for our customers and transport authority partners underpins our vision to help shape a future where passenger transport is the best choice. Our partnership with CitySwift will give our teams better insight to help continuously improve performance, better respond to customer demand and aid our work collaboratively with stakeholders to respond to changes and opportunities. CitySwift’s suite of tools will also enhance the modelling and testing of options before they are introduced. Having a clear, trusted set of insights is essential to ensuring that we make the right decisions for our customers and make our services even better for the communities we serve.”
Alan Farrelly, CCO and Co-founder of CitySwift, said on today’s announcement: “Arriva is a forward-thinking operator with a strong focus on using data to drive better outcomes. We’re proud to support their UK bus operations to help teams understand passenger demand, optimise network performance, and make confident investment decisions in an increasingly complex operating environment.”
Richard Davies, Head of Network Planning at Arriva UK Bus, said on today’s announcement: “It was great to meet with CitySwift in Wakefield to officially recognise the launch of our multi-million investment to benefit from their industry-leading performance optimisation platform to further improve our network for our customers, stakeholders and front line colleagues. This data-led approach to improved planning and service delivery, coupled with our previously announced £340m investment into fleet and property, will see our customers’ experience go from strength to strength. We’re investing in our buses, our network, technology and our people - our customers deserve the best, and we are determined to deliver this for them.
