NORTH-EAST Transport group Arriva made a solid start to the year as it prepares to be taken over by a German rival.

At the Sunderland company’s annual meeting in Durham City yesterday, chairman Sir Richard Broadbent, said 2010 had begun well and the business continued to trade in line with expectations.

It emerged last month that the firm was set for a £1.6bn takeover by German state rail company Deutsche Bahn.

Arriva said that in its Cross- Country train business, passenger revenue was up by 8.9 per cent in the 15 weeks to April 25.

Passenger revenue in Arriva Trains Wales was up 10.8 per cent for the same period.

In its UK Bus division, passenger derived revenue increased 2.7 per cent in the period to 16 April. It helped offset a drop of 5.3 per cent in revenue in its Mainland Europe division in the three months to March 31, which the company put down to the end of a contract in Holland.

However, the company said it had secured a series of contract wins and renewals so far this year, in Denmark, Germany and Portugal, for work starting between this year up to 2012.