With oil slipping below $ 45 a barrel for the first time in 18 months and Opec stating the price overhang had grown even larger than during the financial crisis , another industry has been impacted by the low prices . In the UK the company’s revenue and profit took a hit due to missing out on the lucrative East Coast line franchise, taken up by Stagecoach and Virgin. FirstGroup , operator of buses and trains in the UK and the US , has revealed its pre - tax profit has dropped by a third for 1H2015 , partly because the lower oil prices means that increasing numbers of people are driving themselves , since it has become more affordable , perhaps not the best news for those looking to cut back on their emissions . Analysts are predicting that the oil price could return to a 30 - year low as the realisation of a mega - glut is finally registering with the market .
With oil slipping below $ 45 a barrel for the first time in 18 months and Opec stating the price overhang had grown even larger than during the financial crisis , another industry has been impacted by the low prices . FirstGroup , operator of buses and trains in the UK and the US , has revealed its pre - tax profit has dropped by a third for 1H2015 , partly because the lower oil prices means that increasing numbers of people are driving themselves , since it has become more affordable , perhaps not the best news for those looking to cut back on their emissions . Analysts are predicting that the oil price could return to a 30 - year low as the realisation of a mega - glut is finally registering with the market .