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CitySwift, the leading company in data intelligence for the public transport sector, has today launched its latest partnership with the North East Combined Authority (NECA), covering bus journeys across the North East region. This partnership highlights the company’s continued growth across the UK, coinciding with its opening of the first UK office.
The North East Combined Authority delivers transport policy and strategy, programmes and initiatives on behalf of the North East Joint Transport Committee. The authority's work covers the seven local authority areas within the North East (Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland) on behalf of the North East Combined Authority and North of Tyne Combined Authority. This partnership will support delivery of the objectives laid out in the North East Bus Service Improvement Plan, with CitySwift’s platform being leveraged to improve bus punctuality and increase passenger satisfaction. Additionally, CitySwift will work with NECA to monitor bus priority investment impact, examining congestion, passenger delays, and network pinch points.
Heather Jones, Head of Enhanced Partnerships at NECA, said on the announcement: “CitySwift's platform offers the North East Combined Authority an exciting opportunity to use data to revolutionise bus services and enhance the overall passenger experience. Partnering with CitySwift aligns with the objectives of the North East Bus Service Improvement Plan, enabling us to address congestion, reduce passenger delays, and identify network pinch points more effectively. This collaboration will play a crucial role in delivering more efficient, sustainable, and customer-focused public transport to the communities we serve.”
Founded by Alan Farrelly and Brian O'Rourke in 2016, CitySwift works with public sector transport authorities and private bus operators to break down the barriers to accessing and interpreting transport data. CitySwift’s platform aggregates, cleans and enriches data from hundreds of sources, providing both operators and authorities with an accurate single source of truth. Rapid access to accurate data across the entire network fuels this collaboration, enabling both parties to take a more dynamic, data-driven approach to move passengers away from private modes of transport to more sustainable, climate-friendly public transportation.
This recent partnership marks a 150% increase in CitySwift’s customer base last year, which now includes transport networks in all major UK cities, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, and the entire country of Wales. Notable clients in addition to NECA include National Express, Go-Ahead Group, Transport for Wales, Metroline, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Translink, and Blackpool Transport.
This news comes in conjunction with the opening of CitySwift’s first office in the UK, as the company has plans to expand its team and foothold in the UK market. 50 jobs will be created over the next two years, including roles in Data, Product, Engineering, Customer Success and Account Management.
Brian O’Rourke, co-founder and CEO at CitySwift, said: “This is the latest milestone in our journey at CitySwift, with our new office and partnership with the North East Combined Authority, we aim to reaffirm our continued dedication to delivering real value to our customers. We’ve seen incredible growth in the last year, having closed our latest funding round a few weeks ago and we are eager to drive on and focus on expanding CitySwift's offering across the UK, and to continue growing our exceptional team.”
This announcement comes during a busy period for the company, which has recently announced the close of its latest funding round of €7 million led by Gresham House Ventures. In addition to further expansion plans, these funds will fuel CitySwift's platform development and client services, solidifying its position as a transportation data leader globally.
To find out more about CitySwift's intelligent transport data platform, talk to us today.
