FirstGroup retains CBS Outdoor for rail station ad work

FirstGroup  has retained CBS Outdoor to manage its advertising across its rail stations for the next five years.

First Group CBS Outdoor ad
First Group CBS Outdoor campaign

Under the terms of the new contract, CBS Outdoor will manage on-station advertising across all FirstGroup’s rail franchises – First Capital Connect, First Great Western, ScotRail and First TransPennine Express.

In addition, CBS Outdoor will also manage the on-train advertising on ScotRail.

FirstGroup operates one quarter of the UK passenger rail network, with a portfolio of intercity, commuter and regional services, carrying over 280 million passengers per annum.

Jason Cotterrell, franchise drector at CBS Outdoor, says: “We are delighted to be reappointed by FirstGroup, it demonstrates First’s confidence in the expertise CBS Outdoor has to maximise its rail advertising asset whilst working safely and unobtrusively at its stations. As the largest rail operator in the UK, this partnership is extremely important to us and represents the cornerstone of our overland rail advertising proposition.”

Neil Micklethwaite, customer service and commercial director at FirstGreat Western, adds: “FirstGroup is very happy to maintain its long standing partnership with CBS. We have worked very well with each other over a number of years, where we have jointly grown the business and we are excited to be continuing this relationship over the next five years”.

CBS Outdoor also manages FirstGroup’s bus advertising asset on approximately 8,500 buses operating in more than 40 towns and cities across the UK, carrying 3 million passengers every day.

FirstGroup recently won a £20m contract to run bus services for spectators at the London 2012 Olympics.