'''First Group PLC''' est un groupe privé britannique spécialisé dans le transport public de voyageurs, présent au Royaume-Uni et en Amérique du Nord. Son siège se trouve à Aberdeen, en Écosse.

La société a été créée en juin 1995, sous le nom de ''FirstBus'' par la fusion de deux sociétés d'autobus, ''BadgerLine'' et ''GRT Bus''. En 1998, le groupe a été rebaptisé ''First Group'' à l'occasion de son entrée dans le secteur ferroviaire à la suite de la privatisation de British Rail. Peu après, l'entreprise a commencé l'exploitation du réseau de tramways, Tramlink à Londres.

First Group a une très forte marque et la plupart des noms des services qu'elle exploite commencent tous par ''First'', comme First Great Western, First Badgerline et First Thamesway. First a éliminé toutes les marques locales  de ses services de bus - les véhicules arborent tous la marque 'First' dans l'ensemble du Royaume-Uni. Ses couleurs officielles sont le blanc, le rose et le gris, et la majorité du matériel roulant, bus ou trains, est maintenant habillée de ces couleurs (à l'exception toutefois des bus de Londres qui conservent leur traditionnelle livrée rouge).

Le groupe réalise un bénéfice estimé à plus de 100 millions de livres, et a été  critiqué en plusieurs régions pour la piètre qualité de ses services et son penchant trop poussé à chercher à gagner de l'argent aux dépens des voyageurs. En 2004, il a obtenu la franchise Scotrail, pour exploiter des trains en Écosse, où il a déjà une part plus que dominante dans les services de bus, et disposait déjà de la nouvelle concession du TransPennine Express. Il a toutefois perdu la concession First North Western en décembre 2004, lorsque cette concession a été fusionnée avec celle d'Arriva Trains Northern pour former la nouvelle franchise Northern Rail.

Le groupe était également propriétaire de la société New World First Bus (NWFB) de Hong Kong, conjointement avec NWS Holdings Limited. Au début de l'année 2004, cette société a été rachetée par Chow Tai Fook.

{{Infobox Company 
| company_name = FirstGroup plc
| company_logo = 190px
| company_type = Public ()
| foundation = 1995
| location =  Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| key_people = Moir Lockhead
| area_served = Ireland,Germany, Canada and USA
| industry = Public transport and Railfreight
| products = First, First ScotRail, First Great Western, First Capital Connect, TransPennine Express, Hull Trains, First Student and FirstGBRf.
| revenue = £4,708m (12 months to end March 2008)
| operating_income = £267.5m (12 months to end March 2008)
| num_employees = 137,000 (approx)
| parent =
| subsid = UK Bus, UK Rail, First Student, First Transit, First Services, Greyhound USA and Greyhound Canada
| Slogan = 'Transforming Travel'
| homepage = [http://www.firstgroup.com/ www.firstgroup.com]
| footnotes =
}}
'''FirstGroup plc''' () is a Scottish Ireland, Germany, Canada, USA, and from 2009 also in Denmark, with headquarters in Aberdeen. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

==History==
The company was formed as "FirstBus" in June 1995 through the merger of two bus companies, the Badgerline Group and "GRT Limited" (Grampian Regional Transport).<ref name="fuel">[http://www.fuel-cell-bus-club.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=1&pid=58 Fuel Cell Bus Club]</ref>

In 1998 the company was renamed FirstGroup when the company moved into railways with the Great Eastern franchise,<ref>[http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/releases/sra/1998/75millionofadditionalpasseng1212 £75m of additional passenger benefits agreed with First Group]</ref> then purchasing North Western and Great Western franchises.<ref>[http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/releases/sra/1998/conditionsmetforfirstgroupta1262 Conditions met for FirstGroup takeover of Great Western]</ref> Soon after, they also began operating London Transport.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_6_40/ai_63674952 Croydon Tramlink Light Rail Network]</ref>

In late 2000, the First Group sold its entire 26% stake in New World First Bus (NWFB), a joint venture established in 1998 to operate the Hong Kong Island routes formerly operated by China Motor Bus, to NWS Holdings Ltd, its joint venture partner.<ref name="fuel"/>

During 2004 First were awarded the ScotRail franchise to run trains in Scotland, in which it already operated the lion’s share of bus services, and took over the new TransPennine Express franchise in partnership with French transport company Keolis.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20050406/ai_n13503764 First Group has ticket to Growth]</ref>

The NedRailways in December 2004. First North Western’s services in northern England were combined with those previously run by Arriva Trains Northern (and not part of the Transpennine network) to form the new Northern Rail franchise.<ref>[http://www.serco.com/media/pressreleases/2004/preferbidder.asp Serco JV selected as preferred bidder for Northern Rail franchise]</ref>

In 2004 First also lost First Great Eastern to National Express Group who now operate it as National Express East Anglia.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQQ/is_2_44/ai_113853146 National Express wins UK Franchise]</ref> In fact, they were banned from bidding for the franchise, despite being named Train Operator of the Year at the time.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/3493808.stm Anglia wins top rail firm award]</ref>

From WAGN service and the Thameslink line.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/business/article764583.ece Gatwick and Luton airport rail shake-up]</ref>

thumb|First-owned Grampian bus in [[Aberdeen (1998)]]

The Great Western franchise was extended in 2006 to also include the services of the former Wessex Trains and Thames Trains, and this new franchise was again awarded to First.<ref>[http://www.tssa.org.uk/article-157.php3?id_article=2782 Wessex Train Company News] Tessa</ref>

In February 2007 FirstGroup agreed to buy the US-based firm Voyageur Colonial and Grey Goose in Canada.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6345627.stm FirstGroup buys Greyhound buses] BBC News, accessed 1/12/08</ref>

==Operations==

FirstGroup plc is Britain's largest bus operator running more than one in five of all local bus services. A fleet of nearly 9,000 buses carries some 2.9 million passengers a day in more than 40 major towns and cities. FirstGroup also run passenger and freight rail services in the UK. Passenger rail franchises consist of First Great Western, First Capital Connect, First TransPennine Express and First ScotRail. They also operate First Hull Trains (an 80% share), a non-franchised open access intercity passenger train service and provide rail freight services through FirstGBRf. First operates the Croydon Tramlink network carrying approximately 24 million passengers a year on behalf of Transport for London, although its contract has been cancelled and will be transferred wholly to TfL.<ref>[http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/7741.aspx TfL announces plans to take over Tramlink services]</ref>

thumb|left|First buses in [[Huddersfield]]
In North America, FirstGroup has several divisions: First Student which runs school bus routes;<ref>[http://www.firststudentinc.com/ First Student]</ref> First Transit which holds many city and county public transport contracts;<ref>[http://www.firsttransit.com/ First Transit]</ref> and First Vehicle Services which maintains vehicles for many corporations, organisations and local governments, including the other First divisions and Greyhound lines.<ref>[http://www.firstvehicleservices.com/ First Vehicle Services]</ref> Canadian operations are provided through their First Canada subsidiary which operates school buses and fulfills public transport contracts.

FirstGroup has always had a consistent brand and most of the names of its operations begin with the word First, such as suburban rail services in Strathclyde operated on behalf of SPT, which retain those authorities' liveries - red, and carmine/cream respectively.

Similarly, in North America, all services are operated under the First or Greyhound brands except in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Manitoba. All American subsidiaries of Greyhound Lines are now operated under the Greyhound name.<ref>[http://www.greyhound.com/home/ Greyhound]</ref>

First own and operate the Cork and Belfast. Aircoach also operate car park shuttles at Belfast and Dublin Airports. As of April 2008, Aircoach has started operating shuttle bus services for the Mater Private Hospital and Phoenix Park. Aircoach does not carry corporate branding although recently drivers have begun to receive standard FirstGroup uniforms with additional Aircoach branding.

==Senior management==

First's senior management are as follows:<ref>[http://www.firstgroup.com/corpfirst/directors.php FirstGroup senior management]</ref>
* Martin Gilbert - Non-Executive Chairman
* Moir Lockhead - Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive
* Dean Finch - Chief Operating Officer - North America
* David Leeder - Director of International Development and Marketing
* Sidney Barrie - Commercial Director and Company Secretary
* Nicholas Chevis - Finance Director
* David Dunn - Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
* James Forbes - Non-Executive Director
* Audrey Baxter - Non-Executive Director
* David Begg - Non-Executive Director
* James Forbes - Non-Executive Director
* John Sievwright - Non-Executive Director
* Martyn Williams - Non-Executive Employee Director

==Current operating companies==
===Rail services===
thumb|right|[[First Great Western train at Radley]]

* First Capital Connect
* First Great Western
* First TransPennine Express (55% stake)<ref name="report">[http://www.firstgroup.com/corpfirst/pdf/2006/FirstGroupAR.pdf FirstGroup Annual Report 2006]</ref>
* First ScotRail
* FirstGBRf
* First Hull Trains (80% stake)<ref name="report"/>

=== Light rail services ===
thumb|A [[First Great Western mark 3 rail coach]]