How Go-Ahead Group is transforming network performance and day-to-day operations with CitySwift

Go-Ahead Group operates the UK’s largest and most complex bus networks, with more than 6,000 vehicles serving communities across the region. Martin Dean, Managing Director of UK Regional Bus at Go-Ahead Group, oversees the 7 operating companies outside of London, each of which report directly to Martin. 

Go-Ahead is focused on delivering reliable and punctual services and wanted to use data to support this. 

Go-Ahead Group partnered with CitySwift’s Performance Optimisation platform to bring advanced performance management, data-driven recommendations, and powerful simulations into its planning and operational workflows. This collaboration has expanded to include Go-Ahead London through collaboration with Transport for London, and Go-Ahead Ireland, helping the operator apply performance data across diverse operating environments, and supporting its international growth in Singapore.

A faster, more efficient process

Go-Ahead were looking to strengthen punctuality across its network and wanted to improve the speed and accuracy of the data it had.  

Go-Ahead outlined key areas they wanted data and insights to help them with: 

• Faster access to data: Historically, it has taken time and resource to gather and prepare data, which could be used elsewhere.
• Faster problem solving: Go-Ahead wanted a solution to be able to respond quickly to any route issues and the ability to test and validate scenarios to respond to emerging issues.
• Transforming how Go-Ahead understands network performance: Previously, focusing only on route-level data made it challenging to see the bigger picture—how multiple services interact along key corridors. Now, by shifting to corridor-level analysis, Go-Ahead can clearly identify where demand needs better matching, where delays might compound, and how resources can be deployed more efficiently. This approach enables smarter supply-and-demand balancing and better coordination across the entire network, improving punctuality and delivering greater benefits for customers. 

“CitySwift has helped us access data in a faster, more efficient way, meaning our colleagues have more time to work on solutions rather than gathering data.”

— Martin Dean, Managing Director of UK Regional Bus, Go-Ahead Group

Why Go-Ahead chose CitySwift

Go-Ahead Group chose CitySwift thanks to their industry-proven performance optimisation platform, along with access to a team deep bus industry expertise.

“CitySwift provided us with an off-the-shelf solution and the specialist expertise we needed. This meant we didn’t have to spend time building something ourselves but could reap the benefits of the data straight away.”

Martin Dean, Managing Director of UK Regional Bus, Go-Ahead Group

CitySwift aligned strongly with Go-Ahead’s group-wide priorities to optimise network performance, embed a data-driven approach to operations, and facilitate collaboration through the latest tech innovations.

A collaborative onboarding experience

CitySwift was deployed across 10 operating companies in under 3 months, transforming Go-Ahead’s performance management processes:

• The platform was first piloted in East Yorkshire in 2023, and quickly delivered significant increases in punctuality and operated trips.
  
  
• Early success created internal advocacy that accelerated adoption across the group.
  
  
• A mix of Go-Ahead champions and CitySwift specialists worked closely during rollout, meeting on a weekly basis, to ensure a smooth implementation that met the operating companies needs.

During implementation CitySwift and Go-Ahead worked together to create a process that enabled the operator to shift from route-level analysis to corridor-level analysis, enabling refined insights and decisions based on the wider context of how services interact. 

CitySwift also supported major data-quality improvements, particularly at Go South West, in preparation for new franchising requirements.

A step-change in network performance

A year into the partnership, the impact of embracing data-driven operations is already paying off with strong results across key regional operating companies.

In East Yorkshire, the first pilot region, some corridors have experienced approximately 10% growth in patronage, in addition to 11% improvement in overall punctuality.

Go North East achieved a 5.2% year-over-year improvement in overall punctuality on key routes. While a number of Oxford’s Carousel services saw a 3.6% year-over-year improvement in overall punctuality.

As a result of rolling CitySwift out across Go-Ahead’s regional division, network punctuality improved by 4% over the entire UK network.

While multiple initiatives contributed, Martin emphasises that CitySwift played an important role in understanding performance issues and designing more reliable timetables to facilitate this impressive result.

“By working in partnership with CitySwift, we’ve been able to use data to help us improve the punctuality of our services, which is vital for our customers.”

— Martin Dean, Managing Director of UK Regional Bus, Go-Ahead Group

Before Cityswift

• Substantial time spent collecting and preparing data
• Slow, manual timetable reviews that struggled to keep up with network conditions
• Inconsistent performance insights across operating companies

After Cityswift

• Instant access to reliable performance data, enabling faster decisions
• Rapid scenario testing and timetable optimisation improving punctuality
• A unified, data-driven approach across the group’s UK operations

4%

Network punctuality increase

14%

Punctuality uplift in East Yorkshire

10%

Passenger growth in East Yorkshire

More time for decision making 

By using CitySwift, colleagues at Go-Ahead were able to spend less time collecting and preparing data and more time on decision-making. This helped the team: 

• Spend more time scenario-testing and less time gathering data
  
  
• Use CitySwift as part of their everyday toolkit
  
  
• Access insights faster and propose better, more confident network changes
  
  

CitySwift’s usage across the Group is monitored monthly, and remains consistently high.

“Our teams have found using the platform incredibly helpful and it’s become an important tool for their day-to-day work.” 

Martin Dean, Managing Director of UK Regional Bus, Go-Ahead Group

Beyond long-term planning, Go-Ahead is now exploring how CitySwift can support day-of-operation decisions, including:

• Dynamic scheduling based on daily traffic conditions.
  
  
• Identifying where recovery time is imbalanced.
  
  
• Ensuring right-time departures for the next trip.
  
  
• Empowering depot managers and supervisors with performance data.

A true partnership, not a vendor relationship

CitySwift’s collaborative relationship with Go-Ahead goes far beyond its platform capabilities. Frequent, ongoing touch points between both teams to drive adoption and usage include:

• Bi-weekly catch-ups between CitySwift and Go-Ahead Group
  
  
• Monthly or twice-monthly meetings with each OpCo
  
  
• Quarterly strategic reviews involving senior leadership
  
  
• Joint problem-solving and co-development of product enhancements
  
  

CitySwift’s blend of technical expertise and transport industry experience meant Go-Ahead Group could engage with them as a true partner, not just another software supplier.

“You’ve got people that have been in the industry and understand the sort of problems we’re trying to solve. CitySwift have been great partners to Go-Ahead.”

 Martin Dean, Managing Director of UK Regional Bus, Go-Ahead Group

Supporting Go-Ahead’s long-term network performance strategy

According to Martin, CitySwift has helped accelerate decision-making, empowering planning teams and improving punctuality across the network.

CitySwift has been embedded in the organisation to provide a trusted, unified source of performance data, supporting both strategic planning and day-to-day operational improvements.