Go! Cooperative

How is it social?

Go! is a public transport operator which will run trains, buses and light rail as well as operating car pools. Its first service will be between Yeovil and Birmingham - a brand now route to be operated as 'open access', as opposed to the franchises that determine most rail routes. Our mission is to reduce the harmful social and environmental impacts of travel, making it accessible to a wider range of people and as environmentally benign as possible. Public transport is an inherently efficient way of getting from A to B, especially when low carbon fuels such as biogas are employed. Car Pools have been show to reduce car use overall and increase the use of alternatives such as cycling - while saving users money,

What is its business model?

Go! will own a track access agreement, which gives it the right to operate trains over a new route between Yeovil and Weymouth. As this will be part of the ticketing system employed by all rail companies, income from ticket revenue will be steady and predictable, gradually increasing as more people along the route make the 'modal shift' from other forms of transport. Alongside this, feeder routes using bus and light rail will make it easier for outlying communities to access the rail network, and car pools will encourage use of public transport in the towns along the route.

Its history

Go! was formed in 2008 following a research project funded by the Co-operative Fund. It adopted a radical new legal structure - a multistakeholder co-operative - in 2009 and has so far raised over £50,000 of social investment. This has enabled a new route on the national rail network to be developed, and the recruitment of a strong team of rail professionals.

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