Infrastructure
| Sector | Infrastructure |
| Sub-sector | Transport |
| Location | Australasia, EMEA |
The transition to zero-emission buses (ZEBs) further enhances these benefits, with each diesel bus replaced by a ZEB reducing emissions by around 79 tonnes annually.1 With over half of the world’s population living in urban settings,2 high-quality public transport will play an essential role in supporting sustainable economic growth, reducing environmental impacts and enhancing social inclusion.3
Kinetic, owned by OPTrust and funds managed by Foresight Group, is a multi-modal transport operator with more than 300 contracts globally and is the largest bus operator in Australasia. Kinetic manages a fleet of more than 12,000 buses and 400 trains, supported by approximately 36,000 employees and around 200 depots.
Kinetic is also market leader in ZEB transport, operating more than 1,500 ZEBs across 33 depots, making it the largest operator in Australasia and the UK.
In 2024, Macquarie Capital advised Kinetic on the optimisation of its debt facilities across its Australian and New Zealand operations. The ~$A1.6 billion infrastructure style refinancing underscored the market’s appetite for core plus transport infrastructure platforms. Macquarie Capital also advised the UK entity, Go-Ahead Group, on its ~£1.7bn refinance.
Drawing on its transport sector expertise and global network, Macquarie Capital positioned Kinetic as a core plus transport infrastructure platform underpinned by a substantial zero-emission fleet transition program and a resilient contract portfolio.
Comprehensive analysis and vendor due diligence provided investors with clear visibility over contract maturities, renewal probabilities, unit economics and longer-term electrification capital needs.
Macquarie Capital ensured bidders understood the scale and capability of the Kinetic platform, including its operational depth, depot network, experienced management team and its demonstrated ability to retain and win contracts while sustaining attractive economics.
Outcome
The partnership supports Kinetic’s continued growth and accelerates its transition toward a fully zero-emission fleet.
This outcome not only advances Kinetic’s decarbonisation trajectory but also supports cities to reduce emissions, improve air quality and expand equitable, sustainable mobility for the communities they serve.
Kinetic contracts globally
zero-emission buses
employees
1. ‘Sustainability Strategy FY26 – FY29’, Kinetic, November 2025, www.wearekinetic.com
2. ‘Urbanization’, Our World in Data, www.ourworldindata.org (Accessed March 2026)
3. ‘Place-based disadvantage, social exclusion and the value of mobility’, Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, June 2022, www.sciencedirect.com
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