Kelsian Group

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Kelsian Group Limited
Websitewww.kelsian.com

Kelsian Group Limited, formerly SeaLink Travel Group, is an Australian public company that operates transport services in Australia, the Channel Islands nations of Guernsey and Jersey and Singapore.

History

In 1989, the business was founded with the purchase of the Kangaroo Island SeaLink business. In 2004, it purchased Subritzky Ferries in Auckland, before their sale in 2011.[1]

In 2011, the group purchased

Captain Cook Cruises (including the previously taken over Matilda Cruises), Murray River Cruises and Sunferries Townsville.[1] The Townsville operation was rebranded as Sealink.[2]

SeaLink has also purchased specialist travel companies, managing the Adelaide Central bus station, operating the SkyLink Adelaide Airport Shuttle Service and a coach operation.[1][3] In September 2013, SeaLink began a ferry operation in Darwin.[4]

In October 2013, SeaLink was floated on the Australian Securities Exchange.[5]

In November 2015, SeaLink acquired Transit Systems marine operations, which includes:[6]

In February 2016, the

Captain Cook Cruises Western Australia business was purchased.[7]

In October 2019, the company announced the acquisition of the remaining business of Transit Systems for $635 million.[8] As part of the transaction, Sealink's CEO, Jeff Ellison, stepped down, to be replaced by Transit Systems' CEO, Clint Feuerherdt, who took a 2.6% shareholding of the enlarged SeaLink.[9][10][11] Transit System's co-founder and chairman Neil Smith joined the SeaLink Board of Directors as a non-executive director and also took up 15.3% shareholding of the company.[12] The deal was completed in January 2020.[13]

On 4 November 2020, RiverCity Ferries took over the operation of Brisbane City Council's CityCat, CityHopper and Cross River Ferry networks from Transdev Brisbane Ferries.[14]

In September 2021, SeaLink Travel Group and the RATP Group announced that their respective London bus operations (including London United, London Sovereign and Tower Transit's Westbourne Park garage) would merge into a new joint venture called RATP Dev Transit London, with RATP Dev holding 87.5% and Tower Transit holding 12.5%.[15] The incorporation of the joint venture was finalised on 11 December 2021.[16] Tower Transit's Lea Interchange garage, located in East London, was not part of the joint venture and remained unaffected[15] until sold to Stagecoach London in June 2022.[17]

In November 2021, SeaLink Travel Group was rebranded Kelsian Group.[18] "Kelsian" is an anagram of "SeaLink".

In September 2022, the Kelsian Group acquired the operations of the HCT Group's Channel Islands-based LibertyBus and buses.gg operations, located on the islands of Jersey and Guernsey respectively.[19][20] In September 2023, Kelsian sold its shareholding in RATP Dev Transit London to RATP Dev.[21]

References

  1. ^ a b c Prospectus SeaLink Travel Group 2013
  2. ^ Sealink News Sealink Queensland
  3. ^ SeaLink Archived 8 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Australian Bus Fleet Lists
  4. ^ Half Yearly Report SeaLink 31 December 2013
  5. Sydney Morning Herald
    3 December 2014
  6. ^ "Completion of Acquisition of Transit Systems Marine". SeaLink Travel Group. 6 November 2015. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  7. ^ Acquisition of Captain Cook Cruises Western Australia Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine SeaLink Travel Group 24 February 2016
  8. ^ "SeaLink to buy bus business Transit Systems, raise equity". Australian Financial Review. 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  9. ^ "SeaLink boss to set sail in bus buyout deal". Australian Financial Review. 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  10. ^ "SeaLink gets on the bus in $635m Transit Systems buy". The Australian. 7 October 2019.
  11. ^ "SeaLink eyes offshore push with Transit Systems". Australian Financial Review. 8 October 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  12. ^ "SeaLink announces strategic acquisition of Transit Systems Group and launches capital raising". SeaLink Travel Group. 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  13. ^ Sealink Completes Acquisition of Transit Systems Group SeaLink Travel Group 16 January 2020
  14. ^ "SeaLink Travel Group Onboard As Brisbane's New Ferry Operator". SeaLink Travel Group. 29 June 2020. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  15. ^ a b "SeaLink Enters Binding Joint Venture Agreement for West London Bus Operations". 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Joint Venture Completion - RATP Dev Transit London Ltd". 13 December 2021. Archived from the original on 16 December 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Sale Completion East London Bus Operation and Finance Update". Australian Securities Exchange. Kelsian. 27 June 2022. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  18. ^ "SeaLink Travel Group unveils a new name to support growth and diversification". SeaLink Travel Group. 5 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021.
  19. ^ Jeune, James (16 September 2022). "LibertyBus sold to Adelaide-based transport group". Jersey Evening Post. Archived from the original on 15 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Kelsian Group buys HCT's Channel Islands operations". routeone. 16 September 2022. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  21. ^ Annual report for year ended 31 December 2022 London Sovereign Limited