Higher
profit
++


FirstGroup
has
attributed
most
of
its
increased
group
operating
profit
in
the
half
year
to
24
September
to
higher
revenue
from
open
access
operations
Hull
Trains
and
Lumo,
and
says
its
revenue
from
National
Rail
management
fees
is
‘broadly
in
line
with
management
expectations’.
Group
adjusted
operating
profit
in
the
half
year
was
£66.1
million,
compared
with
£51.8
million
a
year
earlier.
First
declared
a
dividend
of
0.9p,
saying
‘we
expect
higher
profit
from
our
open
access
operations’,
although
it
also
warns
that
‘the
political,
economic
and
industrial
relations
backdrop
and
pace
of
travel
volume
recovery
are
challenges’.

Travel
offer
++ Eurostar
and
Thalys
are
making
their
first
combined
ticket
offer
since
the
two
operators
were
merged
in
May.
Passengers
can
buy
single
tickets
for
£29
or
€29
for
journeys
on
both
networks,
although
passengers
from
London
who
change
trains
at
Brussels
to
travel
on
to
German
destinations
by
Thalys
will
pay
the
same
amount
again.
The
possible
travel
dates
are
from
28
November
to
2
February
2023.
The
booking
window
is
short,
because
it
will
be
open
only
until
10
November.