Arriva was taken over in 2010 by Deutsche Bahn, the German state-owned rail and transport company. It is a multinational transport company, with its headquarters in Sunderland and was established in the 1930s. It is divided into three main components - mainland Europe, UK Trains and UK Bus.

​Arriva UK Bus operates nearly 6,000 buses in the UK.  

Arriva UK Trains runs Arriva Trains Wales (franchise due for renewal in 2018), Northern Rail, which operates train services across the North of England (franchise due for renewal in 2025), and CrossCountry, which operates long-distance and inter-city rail services throughout the country, including UK's longest direct rail service from Aberdeen to Penzance.

Arriva also provides ambulance services in parts of the UK. 

They have come under investigation from the Competition and Markets Authority because of their near-monopolistic hold on bus and train services in the north of England, and have been accused of abandoning passengers by hiking fares and cancelling services.