Stagecoach Express perhaps?

[class47]

On Friday National Express made an impressive 70% gain as City rumours indicate a merger with Stagecoach is on the cards



After a distressing few months for investors, the group climbed ahead no less than 70% to close at 256.5p on the back of City rumours that a deal between major shareholders the Cosmen family and Stagecoach was imminent

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Maybe ok for the shareholders but as far as the railways are concerned - bad news.

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The business editor of the Sunday Times thought it highly unlikely that there was any substance in this story.

However, Richard Bowker is in charge of NX East Coast, and his father worked (still works?) for Stagecoach, and Bowker gave SWT £29m in 2002 when he was head of the SRA. So there may well have been some sounding out. But there's also the Competition Commission. Stagecoach has a 49% share in Virgin West Coast and runs East Midlands. If they got a foothold in East Coast, they could controm virtually all trains from London to the North.