New commercial terms for West Coast franchise - Stagecoach Group

'Dinosaurs'failingpassengers

Top honoursonce againin bus awards

Airport servicehittingnew heights

Apprenticewins top UK title

The newspaper of Stagecoach Group Issue 65 Winter 06/07

Stagecoach stepped in to help its employees who lost money as a result of the collapse of Farepak.

The Perth-based transport company pledged to ensure those among its 22,000 UK-based workforce affected by the crisis received payments equalling 50% of the savings they had lost.

Managers drew up a list of employees at Stagecoach’s bus, train and tram operations, from the Highlands of Scotland to south-west England, who had been hit by the problem.

Steps were taken to ensure affected employees received the cash before Christmas.

Stagecoach Head of Media and Public Affairs Steven Stewart said: “The Farepak collapse hit many people across the country very hard and a number of companies contributed to the relief fund that had been set up.

“We wanted to do something for our own employees affected by this issue, and we hope this gesture will, in some small way, have helped to save their Christmas.”

New commercial terms that will run through to March 2012 have

been agreed for the West Coast rail franchise.

The agreement has been welcomed by Stagecoach Group, which has a 49% shareholding in Virgin Rail Group (VRG), operator of the franchise since 1997.

VRG has operated West Coast on a management contract since July 2002, following the collapse of Railtrack and changes to the infrastructure upgrade to the West Coast main line that prevented Virgin from running 140mph trains.

The agreement with the Department for Transport (DfT) will mean passengers can benefit from a range of improvements, including:

• 10 million extra seats a year from December 2008 on West Coast routes between London Euston and the West Midlands, the North West, Cumbria and Scotland

• a 32% increase in daily train services from December 2008

• a new timetable and enhanced frequencies• continued management focus on improving

punctuality even further.Under the deal, VRG plans to significantly increase

the number of passenger journeys from the current level of 20 million a year in 2006-07.

Separate proposals being discussed with the DfT would provide a further 10 million extra seats by adding two cars to each of VRG’s 53 nine-car Pendolino trains.

Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, said: “This new sustainable commercial franchise is an excellent deal for passengers, taxpayers and our share-holders.

“It will give Virgin West Coast a strong platform for growth over the next five years, allowing us to improve even further Britain’s fastest growing rail franchise.”

It follows a £1.1 billion investment in a fleet of state-of-the-art Pendolino tilting trains with enhanced levels of safety and performance as well as lower emissions.

Combined with improved levels of punctuality, this has resulted in some 90% of Virgin West Coast customers now being satisfied with their travel experience.

Virgin West Coast will receive £1.36 billion in public funding support until 31 March 2012. The support is mainly to contribute to Network Rail track access charges, which will rise steeply to around £500 million each year from 2008-09, linked to the £8.6 billion costs of the West Coast main line modernisation project.

New commercial termsfor West Coast franchise

Passengers to benefit from range of improvements

Stagecoach softens blow of Farepak collapseIt’s official – more people are getting on board Stagecoach bus and train services.

The company’s half-year results show an increase in passenger volumes and a significant rise in profits within its UK and North American bus and rail operations.

The boost follows a highly successful year, in which Stagecoach was renamed UK Bus Operator of the Year and secured the 10-year South Western rail franchise.

And, with other potential franchises and contracts in the pipeline, the future is looking very bright.

Full story, see page 5

The half-year results are in!

Winter 06/072

ContactsEditor: Steven Stewart, On Stage, Stagecoach Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth PH1 5TW.Tel: +44 (0)1738 442111, Fax: +44 (0)1738 443076

www.stagecoachgroup.comIf you have a story for On Stage, please get in touch with your local contact below:

Stagecoach Group Steven Stewart 01738 642040

UK BusStagecoach East Scotland Lisa Henry 01383 516454Stagecoach West Scotland Allan Henry 01292 613515 Stagecoach North East Jodine Milne 0191 566 0236Stagecoach North West Colin Nicholson 01772 255752 Stagecoach Manchester Karen Coventry 0161 276 2727Stagecoach Merseyside Clare Tresnan 07711 950 019 Stagecoach East Midlands Phil Cartwright 01246 222018 Stagecoach Oxfordshire Chris Child 01865 405511 Stagecoach in Warwickshire Adam Rideout 01604 702112 Stagecoach East Adam Rideout 01604 702112 Stagecoach Cambridgeshire Zoe Paget 01223 423578 Stagecoach West Nathan Williams 07753 775 193 Stagecoach Wales Nathan Williams 07753 775 193Stagecoach South East Helen Martin 01243 536161

Stagecoach South Helen Martin 01243 536161Stagecoach South West Mark Whittle 01392 889747 National Transport Tokens Sajda Khan 01254 680180

UK RailSouth West Trains Lisa Davies 0207 620 5892 Island Line Stephen Wade 01983 812591 Stagecoach Supertram Julia Shaw 0114 2759888

North AmericaCoach USA Dale Moser 001 201 225 7575 Coach Canada Jim Devlin 001 705 748 1170

On Stage is published four times a year. Advertising connected directly or indirectly with Stagecoach is accepted. Charitable adverts will be included without charge, otherwise rates on request.

On Stage is distributed free to Stagecoach staff. Public subscriptions are available at £12 for one year or £20 for two years. Cheque payable to Stagecoach Group plc at the editorial address. The Editor is unable to enter into individual correspondence concerning the affairs of The Stagecoach Group.

Designed by The Big Partnership Group Limited, Scotland.

Stagecoach has placed a £9 million order for 100 new state-of-the-art buses for its

regional bus operations in the UK.The new vehicles will be supplied by Leeds-based manu-

facturer Optare and will be delivered from May 2007.Fitted with hi-tech MAN exhaust gas re-circulation

(EGR) four-cylinder engines, the Euro 4-compliant buses will be among the most environmentally friendly in Stagecoach’s fleet.

The order is for 75 Optare Solo vehicles, which can carry 27 seated passengers, and 25 Optare Versa midi-buses, unveiled at the recent Euro Bus Expo Show at the NEC in Birmingham.

Featuring a curved futuristic design, the 11-metre vehicle can carry up to 40 seated passengers and is based on the same technology as the Solo.

Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “We have invested more than £150 million over the past three years as part of our drive to make our operations greener and attract more people to public transport.

“Stagecoach has consistently grown the number of people using its services for the past four years and this new fleet of high-quality, environmentally-friendly vehicles will help our drive to encourage car users to switch to the bus.”

Bob Coombes, Optare’s Group Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to have received this further substantial order from Stagecoach Group, which demonstrates its satisfaction both with our business approach and the performance of our products. The innovative new Optare Versa will add great value to Stagecoach Group’s drive to increase further its passenger numbers.”

Vroom at the top!Christina Ratcliffe (22) has joined Stagecoach in Newcastle as a new graduate trainee.

Christina, an avid biker, rode into town to take up the post of Assistant Operations Manager. This follows on from her initial first year’s training, which she completed in South Wales at Stagecoach in Cwbran.

Originally from Sheffield, Christina applied to various graduate schemes, but chose to follow a future on the road after completing her degree in history at Leicester University.

She said: “I wanted to join a scheme that really stood out. Stagecoach offered a fabulous fast-track system that builds people up to be the directors of the future!”

Under the scheme, the next step will be promotion to Operations Manager and, eventually, Operations Director.

Nigel Winter, Operations Director at Stagecoach North East, commented: “We are really pleased to have Christina on board and are sure she has what it takes to help manage operations in Newcastle. This is a large depot and we will be able to offer her a varied and fast-moving environment to train in.”

Based in Newcastle for 12 months, she will receive guidance and support from colleagues at her depot in Walkergate, including shadowing Operations Manager Geoff Reed.

The scheme encourages trainees to experience every aspect of working within a bus depot and, so far, Christina has found herself helping in the control room, organising shifts and rotas and even driving and cleaning the buses.

Experience and determination are two of the qualities Andrew Jarvis brings with him to his appointment as Stagecoach South’s new Operations Director.

He has joined the head office team at Chichester to oversee the day-to-day operational management of the seven depots in Chichester, Portsmouth, Winchester, Basingstoke, Andover, Aldershot and Worthing.

Andrew started his career 16 years ago as a booking clerk in the summer holidays for a coach operator. He gained his PCV licence at the age of 18 and joined the Go-Ahead Group at Brighton & Hove in 1996 as a graduate trainee, and later became a garage staff manager.

Following time as Business Development Manager for Go-Ahead in Newcastle, he became a district manager

at Wilts & Dorset before returning to the north in 2002. His last position was Area Manager for Arriva North West following the acquisition of Blue Bus in Bolton.

Andrew Dyer, Managing Director of Stagecoach South, said he was delighted to welcome Andrew to the team.

“He has the necessary experience and determination to ensure that we can deliver our services with efficiency,” he added.

Nathan joinsanotherwinning team

Stagecoach’s Marketing Manager for South Wales and Gloucestershire/Wiltshire likes nothing better than the challenge of working for a winning team.

Nathan Williams established a track record of achieving many goals off the pitch in his previous roles with the Millennium Stadium and the Welsh Rugby Union.

A graduate of Swansea University, he said: “Schemes such as the JustGo… and Go2… initiatives in Caerphilly, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil, and Kickstart in Swindon and Cheltenham have already made a big difference in persuading people to leave their cars at home and travel by bus. Stagecoach is always looking to the future to see how it can build on this success.

“It's an exciting time for the company and I’m delighted to be part of it.”

John Gould, Managing Director of Stagecoach in South Wales, added: “We’ve already achieved some impressive targets in terms of increasing the number of people using Stagecoach services and have set ourselves a hard act to follow. I’m sure that Nathan will play an active role in helping to ensure we achieve our goals.”

Regional operationsreceive £9m boostFirst futuristic Optare Versa midi-buses included in order for 100 new vehicles.

South welcomes new Operations Director

Andrew Jarvis, new Operations Director at Stagecoach South.

Revved up for success: Christina Ratcliffe putting her career into top gear.

Nathan Williams.

High-flyer Zoe Paget is feeling on top of the world.

And she has every reason to be happy – she has just become one of the youngest operational managers in the UK bus industry.

She has been appointed Operations Manager of Stagecoach East’s Bedford depot, which has 260 staff and 127 buses and coaches, and will be moving to live in Bedford.

Zoe (24) started the Stagecoach UK Bus graduate training programme in London just two years ago.

After a year’s operational training in the capital, she moved to become Assistant Operations Manager for Stagecoach in Cambridge, where she gained experience of both the operational and commercial sides of the business.

Zoe Paget.

Manager Zoe feels on top of the world

Winter 06/07 3

Environmentally-friendly travel was the only way to go for delegates at a recent climate change rally in London and leading the way was Stagecoach’s megabus.com.

The company teamed up with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to offer cheap, green travel to those attending the rally.

People supporting the Stop Climate Chaos (SCC) I Count rally in November were able to travel from around the UK for just £4.50 return.

The special deal could be used on the megabus.com routes to London from locations across the UK, including Inverness, Cardiff, Scotch Corner, Leeds and Plymouth.

Steven Stewart, Stagecoach Group Head of Media and Public Affairs, said: “We were delighted to be able to work with the RSPB and make it easier for people to get there in an environmentally friendly manner.

“Any transport has an impact on environment, but we agree with envi-ronmental groups that we all need to look carefully at how we can balance our desire to travel with steps to protect the planet.

“Bus and coach travel is more fuel-efficient and produces less harmful emissions, such as CO2, per passenger journey than cars and airlines.”

Bryan Bland, RSPB Corporate PR Manager, said: “We approached Stagecoach because its infrastructure gave travel options to our supporters right across the UK. It offered a convenient and environmentally friendly way to get to the rally, and set a real precedent with its commitment.”

megabus sets green tone for climate chaos rally

Herne Bay appointsnew manager

A new Engineering Manager has been appointed at Herne Bay by Stagecoach in East Kent.

Although it's the first time Ken Milner has worked in the bus industry, he has had invaluable managerial experience in the heavy plant, road haulage and motor industry.

The engineering team at Herne Bay has 31 engineers, fitters and cleaners who ensure that the fleet of 72 vehicles is maintained to the high standards required. The depot operates a shift system that provides a 24-hour servicing facility.

Ken Milner. Stagecoach has given a “cautious welcome” to proposals announced by the Department for Transport for a shake-up of bus services in the UK.

The Government’s ‘Putting Passengers First’ proposals outline plans to change the way buses are run, strengthening the working partnerships between local authorities and bus companies to attract more passengers in the long term.

The key changes are:• Greater partnership working

between local authorities and operators, making it easier for local authorities to have a say in bus frequency, timetables and fares.

• More powers for Traffic Commissioners on enforcing bus punctuality, holding not just operators but for the first time local authorities to account for the performance of local services

• Greater scope for franchise-style Quality Contracts in some circum-stances as part of wider demand-management proposals

• Allowing local charities and community groups to provide services in areas poorly served by other transport

• Ensuring current bus subsidies help to support the Government's

environmental objectives.A Stagecoach Group spokesman

said: “We are pleased the Government recognises the crucial role played by the bus in meeting the transport challenges facing our country.

“The Government’s proposals reflect the significant contribution that partnership working is making to the development of bus services and the strengths of the private sector in delivering and improving public transport.

“While we will need to study the proposals closely, and the fine detail of the recommendations has still to be

finalised, it is clear a number of our ideas for improving the environment in which bus services operate have been embraced by the Government.

“Stagecoach has consistently attracted more people on board its buses in both metropolitan areas and shire counties for the past five years as a result of innovation, investment, strong marketing and management expertise.

“We look forward to engaging with the Government and other stakeholders in the months ahead to ensure that the final measures are in the best interests of passengers, taxpayers and the future of the bus industry.”

Stagecoach has accused “transport dinosaurs”

of failing bus passengers and pursuing a political campaign of re-regulation that threatens to undermine services in some of the UK’s largest cities.

The company dismissed the report into bus services by the Transport Committee – chaired by Gwyneth Dunwoody MP – as “stage-managed propaganda”, bursting with outdated ideology and bereft of new ideas.

Stagecoach instead called on the Government to enforce partnership working across the country, introducing binding targets on bus operators and transport authorities to benefit passengers.

Speaking on the 20th anniversary of measures to open up the bus industry and make it more customer-focused, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Brian Souter said: “The Transport Committee report is nothing more than regurgitated regulation. It is a blatant attempt to rena-tionalise the bus industry by the back door by confiscating bus companies’ revenues.

“Bus professionals, responsible for employing 167,000 workers in the UK attended the Committee, anxious to share their many ideas for improvement, only to be ridiculed and shown no respect. Gwyneth Dunwoody has made herself the mouthpiece for the Passenger Transport Executive Group (pteg), the super-quangos created in the 1960s to operate public transport in the metropolitan areas.”

Stagecoach, which branded the Transport Committee “a complete farce”, deposited a life-size dinosaur and cardboard cut-out of Gwyneth Dunwoody outside pteg’s Wellington House headquarters in Leeds to show the report should not be taken seriously.

In a speech to a major transport conference in Leeds, Brian Souter described pteg as the “bureaucratic beasts from the 1960s lagoon”.

“Their habitat is large office buildings, they have long chains of command, are painfully slow at making decisions and

UK’s transport dinosaursfailing bus passengers• Transport Committee report branded ‘re-nationalisation by back door’• PTE spending on buses slashed by 75% as congestion delays rocket

feed on large sums of public money. They have been the catalyst that has accelerated the decline of bus use in our biggest cities,” he told delegates at the Transit conference, “20 years after D-Day”.

Mr Souter added: “We believe the current system needs to be improved – and quickly. But unlike the transport dinosaurs, we understand that people who rely on lifeline bus services need practical measures that will help make buses faster and more reliable.

“Stagecoach has consistently increased the number of people on its buses outside London for the past four years. The key

to our success has been a public-private partnership with the Shire counties. We believe the Government should ensure everyone across the country enjoys the same benefits.

“We need binding targets on local authorities and bus operators to ensure both parties meet their responsibilities to improve services. Those who do should be rewarded; those who don’t should face penalties. We desperately need measures to encourage intelligent car use and give buses priority, and transport entrepreneurs have an important role to play.”

Biting satire: The life size dinosaur and cardboard cutout.

PTE record of failure

Buses account for around 80% of all public transport journeys in the UK every year. But official figures show England’s six PTEs – covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, West Midlands and West Yorkshire – have a dismal track record on pro-bus measures as the number of cars licensed in the UK has shot up by 57% since 1985.

• PTEs have slashed spending on buses by nearly 75% since 1985, while spending in London has increased by more than 150%

• Metropolitan authorities have failed to tackle rising congestion in the biggest conurbations, allowing bus services lost to traffic congestion to double since 2001

• No significant bus park and ride operations have been set up in any PTE area in the past 20 years

• More than 80% of the decline in bus passengers in England’s biggest city regions since 1986 was while metropolitan transport companies remained in public ownership.

Bus operator success

In contrast, bus operators have trans-formed the quality of bus services in the UK over the past two decades, delivering:

• More bus services – up 17% outside London since 1985/86

• More investment – around 8,000 new state-of-the-art vehicles are now introduced every year, compared to just 3,800 before de-regulation

• More sustainable operations – emissions from the nation’s bus fleet have more than halved since 1990

• More satisfied customers – passenger satisfaction with bus services is higher outside London (83%) than in London (78%).

‘Cautious welcome’ for Government’s bus plans

Winter 06/074

Stagecoach Group has given a major boost to shareholders with proposals to return value of

not less than £400 million to its investors.The announcement follows a review of the Group’s capital structure

by the Board of Directors.The review was carried out in light of a number of factors, including:

• Disposal by the Group of its New Zealand business in November 2005 and its London bus business in August 2006;

• Continued strong cash generation by the Group; and• A significant reduction in the Group’s net debt.

Stagecoach said in a regulatory announcement that, in order to ensure the Group has an efficient and appropriate capital structure, the Board believed a return of value should be made to shareholders.

In deciding the amount of value to be returned to shareholders, the Board has taken account of the:

• Group’s strategy to focus on organic growth and potential bolt-on acquisitions in its UK and North American bus operations, and to target opportunities to expand its rail portfolio;

• Ongoing capital requirements of the Group; and• Group’s progressive dividend policy.

As part of the plans, Stagecoach has also reached agreement in principle to make a one-off cash contribution of up to £50m to the Group Pension Scheme as part of an agreed funding plan.

The Group has worked closely with employees, trade union representa-tives and pension scheme trustees over the past year and made substantive progress in reducing the pension deficit and securing the accrued benefits for the current members of the Group’s main pension scheme.

Subject to shareholder and other approvals, the Board expects the proposed return of value and contribution to the Pension Scheme to occur by June 30, 2007. The return of value is likely to be structured on a pro-rata basis, similar to the return of capital in 2004.

Funding for the proposed return of value and contribution to the Pension Scheme is expected to come from the Group’s existing cash resources and bank facilities.

Stagecoach Group Chairman Robert Speirs said: “The Group’s strong financial position and positive outlook has enabled us to announce plans to return significant value to our shareholders. As well as optimising our capital structure and enhancing value to investors, our plans should ensure we continue to invest in the business, maintain our progressive dividend policy and have the flexibility to take advantage of future growth oppor-tunities.

“The Board will continue to monitor the Group’s capital structure and consider opportunities to enhance shareholder value on an ongoing basis.”

Further details of the proposed return of value will be announced in due course.

Review signals £400mboost for shareholders£50m contribution to Group pension scheme

Police praise launch of new nightbusChristmas partygoers in Forest of Dean had no fears about getting home this festive season thanks to a new nightbus service.

The service, which runs on Friday and Saturday nights until 2.30am, has been welcomed by police.

Inspector Steve Burnside, responsible for policing in the Forest South Inspector Neighbourhood Area, said: “The nightbus should provide a valuable service to people in the area and we are really pleased at the support the idea has attracted from various organisations and agencies.

“From our point of view, it can only have a positive impact on ensuring the town centres empty of drinkers quickly when the pubs and clubs close, and that people have a safe method of getting home rather than walking or risking drinking and driving.

“This is the time of year when we expect to see more people going out in the area to celebrate Christmas, however, it is hoped people will want to use this service year round.”

The service is also being supported by the landlord of the Angel Hotel in Coleford, Barry Stokes, who is providing funding for Security Industry Association (SIA) trained door staff to ride on the routes.

Security company Safe and Secure is providing staff to ensure the security of passengers and Stagecoach staff.

The service and its timetable is being advertised via flyers in bars and clubs in Lydney and Coleford and online at www.stagecoachbus.com/wyeanddean.

Service with a smile has paid off for Darlington driver Anne Marie Scott who has just been chosen as the North East’s first winner of a new customer service award.

Anne Marie, who has being driving for Stagecoach for just a few months, was previously an HGV driver and really enjoys her new vocation as she enjoys meeting and interacting with people while working.

She commented: “I think the awards are a good idea. A good attitude towards customers is really important when working and, this way, people can see rewards for the effort they put in.

“It makes a difference to people to make them feel welcome on the bus, and a smile doesn’t cost anything!”

The initiative invites customers to text in the driver’s number when they receive good customer service and the overall winner is selected from all the drivers nominated over a two-month period.

Anne Marie received £150 for her efforts and added: “I’m really over the moon to have won this and am going to spend it as any girl should – on shopping!”

Winning smiles: Darlington driver Anne Marie Scott and passenger Kathy Simpson celebrate their success in the customer service promotion.

Customer service pays off in new role

Passengers are travelling in style on an ExpressCoach service relaunched by Virgin Trains.

Six new wheelchair-accessible coaches costing £500,000 have pride of place on the service that operates out of Stagecoach’s Bedford depot.

It runs between Milton Keynes Railway Station and London Luton Airport, connecting with the long-distance Pendolino trains from the West Midlands, North West, Cumbria and Scotland.

The vehicles, finished in the Virgin Trains colours, have an integral wheelchair lift, operated by the driver, at the normal entrance area. The Volvo B7R chassis has a Plaxton Profile body with seating for 49 passengers. Other facilities include air condition-ing, seatbelts as well as interior and exterior CCTV equipment for passenger safety. The coaches are also environmentally friendly, meeting Euro 3 emissions

standards.Although operated by Stagecoach, the drivers all

wear Virgin Trains uniforms and have had additional customer service training.

James Freeman, Managing Director, Stagecoach East, said: “These coaches are a real boost. Besides being fully accessible, they provide the ultimate in comfort and security for the thousands of customers who use the service every year. The service has clocked up over 600,000 passengers since its launch in 1999 and we now intend to introduce additional journeys during peak weekday periods from mid-January.”

Currently, over 146,000 journeys are made on the Luton Airport Coach Link each year, with through tickets available from most staffed rail stations. Over three-quarters of all journeys are made for leisure purposes.

Six of the best keep passengers on the moveOne of the new Virgin-liveried ExpressCoaches.

Julie’s newmega-roleon megabusLong-serving Stagecoach in Warwickshire employee Julie Gwynne has just been made the Manager of the Rugby megabus.com operation.

Julie Gwynne, has worked for Stagecoach for 16 years, starting her career as a driver at the Nuneaton depot.

She then progressed to Assistant Operations Manager at Nuneaton, a position she held for just over six years.

Stagecoach in Warwickshire’s Managing Director, Phil Medlicott, said: “I wish Julie all the best in her new position; she is a committed individual and is sure to do great things with megabus.com.”

megabus.com, the low cost inter-city bus service offered by Stagecoach, travels to a huge variety of destina-tions throughout the UK and tickets start from as little as a £1.

Julie said: “I’m really looking forward to the challenges ahead, it’s going to be hard work but I can’t wait to get my teeth into the job.”

Julie will be in charge of the Rugby operation, ensuring that it runs smoothly and continues to serve customers throughout the UK.

Customers who text in are automatically entered into a monthly draw for a month’s worth of free travel on Stagecoach. The first lucky winner was Kathy Simpson, a peer mentor for Darlington Borough Council, who was very excited to receive her prize.

She said: “I think it is very important to recognise good customer service and I hope these awards make the day of some friendly drivers.”

The scheme was introduced in an effort to raise customer service standards throughout the region.

Darlington Operations Manager Frank Price said: “We have had previous feedback from customers that our drivers are pleasant and friendly to travel with, and we thought it was important to reward this. The bus industry is a people-facing environment and customer service is an important part of what we can offer. This scheme has definitely helped to raise awareness of standards among our drivers.”

If the Darlington scheme continues to be successful, the company intends to introduce it across Teesside and Tyne and Wear.

Forty years old and still going strong…That’s the unblemished record of

Old Scarlett, which is still registered as an operational bus in the reserve fleet of Stagecoach East.

Old Scarlett, a closed top double decker, was so called from its days with Eastern Counties when it had dark red livery. It went into the Queen’s Jubilee colours prior to being painted in Stagecoach corporate livery three years ago.

The 70-seater capacity Bristol FLF 40, which came to Northampton four years ago, is recognised as ‘something a little different’ and is hired for a variety of local events.

Old Scarlett, registration JAH 553D, attends rallies, carnivals and open days, and is also popular for weddings, trans-ferring guests between the hotel and church.

Linda Butler, wife of Stagecoach East’s recently-retired marketing assistant, Howard, conjured up a cake with candles to celebrate Old Scarlett’s 40th birthday.

It has a sister open top double decker, JAH 552D, which is also 40 years old, and is occasionally seen in the area. Both are still in good condition and fans of the veteran double deckers hope their immediate future is secure with Stagecoach East.

Winter 06/07 5

If you have interesting news about a vintage bus at work in the community, then we’d like to hear about it.

Your On Stage contact is listed on p2.

A taleto tell?

Stagecoach Group has posted a strong set of half-year results as more people get on board its bus and train services.

They’ve certainly been jazzing things up in Basingstoke.Eight brand new buses for Stagecoach’s re-branded

Line 3 service have been officially launched by Councillor Tony Jones, the worshipful Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, and Andrew Dyer, Managing Director for Stagecoach South, as the Jazz 3 route.

The wheelchair and baby buggy friendly single deck buses will be dedicated to the every 10-minute service between East Popley and South Ham via central Basingstoke.

The Jazz 1 Route has also been upgraded. It now offers twice the frequency of service between the town centre and Chineham, using low floor, easy access buses.

At the banner cutting ceremony, Andrew Dyer said

that the £750,000 investment to add to the fleet of 70 buses operated from the Basingstoke depot reflected the success of the town’s bus network where over 50% passenger growth has been experienced over the last four years.

“The established route 3 deserves the introduction of new buses for the comfort and convenience of passengers and a new route name and image,” he said. “I am sure that the increased 10-minute frequency of service and improved vehicle quality in Chineham will be much appreciated by the local community.”

Stagecoach in Basingstoke employs over 170 drivers, engineering and administration personnel to provide the vital network of 12 routes within the town and to rural areas.

Return to bus and trainboosts Group resultsRevenue and profits on the rise as public transport dominates national agenda

It's textbooktravel forcollege lifeStudents faced with paying more for travel because of funding cuts now have a reason to be cheerful as they hop aboard local buses.

Stagecoach North East has joined forces with Newcastle College to offer its further education students the Unirider ticket, historically only available to those in higher education.

Jodine Milne, Stagecoach North East Marketing Manager, said: “This is great news for students at Newcastle College. It offers them another travel option and if someone can do all their day-to-day travel on Stagecoach buses, then this is the cheapest alternative available.

“At the time of the reduction in Teen Travel funding, the college was looking for solutions for students and we realised we had a product that might work for them. However, there is every opportunity for this initiative to be extended to other colleges within the region if everything goes smoothly. We recognise there are a lot of other students out there who could also benefit from this.”

Revenue from the Group’s continuing operations shot up by 10% for the six months ended 31 October 2006, while profit before taxation jumped by more than 30%.

Stagecoach, which was recently named UK Bus Operator of the Year for the second year running, grew passenger volumes by 6.1% compared to the same period in 2005.

Strong partnerships with local authorities, coupled with innovative services and the success of its telemar-keting campaigns, have been behind the huge return to public transport.

Excellent operational performance at the Group’s rail division, which includes South West Trains, Island Line and Sheffield Supertram, has continued to drive revenue and passenger growth. Rail operating profit increased from £24.4 million to £31.4 million.

Both operating profit and margins were up in the Group’s North American operations where growth has continued in sightseeing, charter, contract,

commuter and scheduled services.Stagecoach was boosted earlier this

year with the news that it had secured the 10-year South Western rail franchise. It has also been shortlisted for the East Midlands rail franchise and, through Virgin Rail Group, for the New Cross Country contract.

Commenting on the results, Stagecoach Chief Executive, Brian Souter said: “Our management expertise and commitment to innovation, investment, targeted marketing and strong part-nerships have driven excellent organic growth in our UK and North American bus operations.

“We are delighted to have secured a significant revenue stream for the next decade following our successful bid for the South Western rail franchise, and we are encouraged by the potential to develop our rail portfolio. The Group is also focused on developing compelling bids for the East Midlands franchise and, with our joint venture partner, Virgin, for the New CrossCountry

franchise.“I believe we are well-positioned to

create further shareholder value and we are confident in the prospects for the rest of the financial year.”

Stagecoach Group Chairman Robert Speirs added: “I would like to pay tribute to the continued hard work of our employees, whose commitment to first-class customer service is playing a key role in growing our business and attracting more people to our transport services.

“As a Group, we will continue to innovate, invest and develop strong partnerships across our businesses. We believe we are well placed to benefit from further opportunities for growth in our bus operations and the expansion of our rail portfolio, both of which can deliver increased value to our share-holders.

“Stagecoach has made a promising start to the second half of its financial year and current trading of the Group remains in line with our expectations."

HIGHLIGHTS

• Strong set of results for six months ended 31 October 2006

• UK Bus: partnerships and innovation driving revenue and passenger growth

• “UK Bus Operator of the Year” for second year running

• Rail: further revenue growth and excellent operational performance

• North America: operating profit and margin up

• 10-year South Western rail franchise secured

• Disposal of London bus operations in August 2006 for c.£265 million

• Shortlisted for East Midlands rail franchise; Virgin Rail Group shortlisted for New Cross Country rail franchise

• Proposal to return no less than £400 million of funds to shareholders by 30 June 2007

• Revenue from continuing businesses up 10.0%

• 7.4% increase in earnings per share• Interim dividend up 9.1% at 1.2 p.

Jazz theme hits a perfect note

All that jazz: Basingstoke Council Leader Councillor John Leek, Andrew Dyer, Mayor Jones and Horace Mitchell, portfolio holder for Planning and Transport, Basingstoke, at the launch of the upgraded service.

Lost visitor finds knightin shining double deckerTearful and cold after getting separated from her work colleagues during a trip to Manchester, 19-year-old Vicki Cook was rescued by Bus Inspector Chris Kaye at bustling Piccadilly bus station.

There she told Chris she didn’t know how to get back to her hotel. Chris calmed her down, made a quick radio message and bus driver Jorgina Wasili cut short her break and turned up – with a double decker.

Vicki, an administrator at Hartlepool Borough Council, jumped on board the out-of-service bus for an exclusive, free ride back to the Hilton in the Beetham Tower in Deansgate.

“I was really shocked because it was just me on the bus, and it didn’t follow a normal bus route but went straight from Piccadilly to the hotel – and the driver wouldn’t take any money,” she said.

“I just want to thank them all so much. It really made my weekend unforgettable. I’d definitely come back to Manchester. I always thought it was a wonderful city.”

Chris, from Newton Heath, said: “I could tell she was genuine. She’d originally asked for a taxi, but she’d have waited at least half an hour in the taxi rank on a Saturday night.”

Jorgina who lives in Bolton said: “When she got on the bus, Vicki was crying. She explained that she’d lost her friends.

“I’m originally from London and you just wouldn’t get that there. That’s what’s so nice about this city, everyone really looks out for one another.”

A spokesman for Stagecoach said: “The situation called for quick action to be taken. Both Chris and Jorgina acted in a compassionate manner ensuring the lady was not put in any danger.”

Manchester's city centre spokesman, Councillor Pat Karney, said: “We are very proud of the bus staff and we are going to invite them to meet us at the council.”

Many happy returns: From left, Timetables and Schedules Manager Steve Loveridge, Howard Butler and Managing Director James Freeman mark Old Scarlett’s 40th birthday.

Happy birthday Old Scarlett

Winter 06/076

Stagecoach in Fife has launched 14 new wheelchair-accessible coaches on routes between St Andrews, Leven, Glenrothes,

Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline and Glasgow.

Newcastle Falcons rugby club has a new regular supporter thanks to a Stagecoach North East promotion.

To mark the launch of a new service that runs from the club’s Kingston Park stadium to the city centre, Stagecoach held a prize draw for two season tickets.

Disabled access fleetoffers a first to Fife

Bridging a gap in the service: Pictured at the launch of the new vehicles at River Leven Bridge in Glenrothes are, from left, Robert Andrew, Managing Director, Stagecoach Scotland; Councillor Jim Philp, Transport and Environment spokesperson, Fife Council; Murray Hannah, Transportation Services, Fife Council; Doug Fleming, Managing Director, Stagecoach East Scotland, and Derek Beveridge, Transportation Services, Fife Council.

Costing over £2 million, the fleet is the first to offer wide scale use of accessible coaches on registered bus services in Fife.

Built by Swedish manufacturer Volvo, the coaches have British Plaxton Profile bodies, fitted at its plant in Scarborough. The vehicles are driven by a seven-litre Volvo engine that meets Euro 3 emissions regulations.

The vehicles seat 49 and can accommodate one wheelchair. Wheelchair users can access the vehicle using the lift, designed by U-Lift of Sweden.

It raises the wheelchair user from the bus stop into the saloon of the vehicle. The vehicles are also fitted with the latest CCTV equipment to ensure maximum passenger and driver safety.

Doug Fleming, Managing Director of Stagecoach East Scotland, said: “We are

delighted to introduce these state-of-the-art vehicles to our Fife fleet.

“These are the first of this type to operate in the area. It will introduce a comfortable, alternative travel option for wheelchair users and further demonstrate the company’s commitment to being at the forefront of bus and coach travel in Scotland.”

Councillor Jim Philp, Fife Council’s transport and environment spokesperson, said: “Fife Council is delighted to see this improved level of service on the express coach network. We are sure it will be of benefit to many public transport users with accessibility difficulties.”

Stagecoach has also introduced a booking facility to guarantee disabled passengers access to their chosen services.

Classroom cabtakes trainingto a new levelThe latest in computer technology is helping new drivers with Virgin Trains get their skills up to speed.

A £150,000 upgrade to a Pendolino simulator at the Virgin Trains training centre in Crewe creates real life scenarios in a safe classroom environment using a three-channel project system, which is a first for the UK rail industry.

Used alongside two Voyager simulators, the Pendolino simulator is part of the training package for new drivers. From 2007, it will also be a part of the on-going assessment that drivers have to undertake.

Over 1,000 drivers have been trained on the simulators since 2000 but, with advances in computer technology, the processing capabilities and graphics package have now been enhanced. For the first time, the simulator features a panoramic 120-degree cab view, which provides detailed graphics of track and surrounding area.

The new simulator has been programmed to replicate the effects of degraded systems on board the train. The graphic effects can even simulate – with sound effects – driving rain, various densities of falling snow and even the effects of a brick being thrown off a bridge, breaking the train’s windscreen.

Instructors can place obstructions on the track, instantly change weather conditions or even mimic the effects of leaves on the track. They can also simulate the effects of the failure of any of the train’s power, electrical or air systems.

The control workstation provides visual contact, allowing the instructor to see how the driver reacts to created scenarios. A voice communication system is also fitted.

An audio and visual record of each training session is produced and can be saved to DVD to enable debriefing to be carried out. The DVDs also form part of a driver’s training record.

Colin Campbell, Head of Operational Development, said: “Drivers have to be competent in dealing with a multitude of situations, but are unlikely to experience some of them for real. The simulator allows us to replicate these scenarios in the classroom.”

Passenger gets a flying pass to Falcons

Flying high: Winner Linda King and husband Robin with the Falcons season tickets.

The winner was Linda King, a school admin-istration officer in Gosforth, who was delighted with her prize: “I used to go to the occasional match before but now I’ll be able to go a lot more often,” she said.

She has been a rugby fan for many years and even celebrated her recent 25th wedding anniversary by travelling to an international in Paris.

The new service, which has distinctive green livery, was launched in June.

Long-serving bus drivers in Warwickshire are going to be film stars in their own right.

Four drivers have been interviewed to document their recollections of the past for an archive film of old buses from the 1950s.

The interviews were carried out at the third reunion of past and present Stagecoach staff in Warwickshire and those of its predecessor, Midland Red. Their memories of the company’s long history will be built into the archive footage.

David Hale, of Dudley Transport Museum, displayed footage from the old Midland Red film unit at Bearwood, Birmingham.

It captured the first C5 bus to break the 100 mph barrier on the M1 prior to it opening to the public and was in fact, the first purpose built motorway coach, operated between Birmingham and London by the BMMO.

The film also shows Midland Red buses that operated throughout the Midlands from the early '50s.

More than 100 guests, as well as 30 helpers, gathered at the reunion to reminisce over old times and catch up with the news since they last met two

Bus drivers look back down the road of history

years ago.A DVD was shown of the last reunion

and a film of Dudley Transport Museum’s 100 years of the old BMMO company was also on display.

Ex-bus conductor George Burton amused guests at Rugby’s British Rail Club with some anecdotes about his job and the

characters of the day, while retired busman Arthur Townsend also contributed to the eight hours down memory lane.

Bob Page, Stagecoach Rugby’s only remaining founder member of the reunion organising committee, said: “It was an absolutely superb day that started at 2pm and continued until the last guests went

home at 10pm in the evening.“Everyone had a lot of catching up

to do on the comings and goings within the bus industry over a great many years and long may these reunions continue in the future.”

Managing Director Phil Medlicott, who was attending his first reunion since his appointment, represented Stagecoach in Warwickshire.

Two other Stagecoach people, Beverley Tapp, and Martin Oldfield, were co-opted on to the Rugby depot committee.

Guests paid a nominal fee for the buffet and sponsorship was provided by Richard Townsend, who was an engineer at Rugby depot and now runs a garage in the town.

Memory Lane: A veteran driver recalls the good old days. If you have been involved in a community project then we’d like to hear about it.

Your On Stage contact is listed on p2.

A taleto tell?

£2m investment provides alternative travel option for wheelchair users

Driver helpsrescuecrash coupleA Stagecoach in South Wales driver helped save the day for a stricken motorist and her passenger.

Andrew Price, from Brecon Outstation, parked his 704 bus when he saw a car end up on its roof in a field, after it had swerved off the road in wet conditions late at night.

“When I reached the field, I found two occupants stuck in the car,” said Andrew. “I called the emergency services and, with the help of a man, who had arrived at the accident, freed the very shaken but unhurt young ladies.

“We kept them warm and dry on the bus until the emergency services arrived. Once the police had taken my details, I continued with my service.”

Winter 06/07 7

Garden centre staff in West Sussex have spread some Christmas cheer by giving their local bus stop a festive make over.

Hilary Norcross and Pam Wechsler at the Haskins Roundabout Garden Centre near Worthing decided to give alighting passengers a warm welcome by decorating the stop with bows and tinsel.

They adorned a wooden arbour with lights and traditional trimmings and even planted a Santa Please Stop Here sign – determined to create the most festive bus stop in the region.

Stagecoach Marketing Manager Helen Martin congratulated the two women on their achievement.

She said: “We believe this to be the most Christmassy bus stop on the network and I’m sure it will bring a smile to the many passengers using our services to and from the garden centre.”

Passengers on the fastest growing bus route in Wales are benefiting from a double bonus.

A fleet of 14 brand new low-floor buses has been launched on the X24 route between Blaenavon and Newport. And daytime customers on the route can now catch a Stagecoach bus every 10 minutes, Monday to Saturday.

Branded justgo…, Stagecoach’s £1.3 million investment in the X24 service is part

Smiles all round at Santa’s Sussex sleigh stop

Stagecoach Group has been shortlisted to the final round in

the bids to operate the Manchester Metrolink tram network.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) has invited Stagecoach to submit a Best and Final Offer to run the existing system and carry out tram maintenance.

The company has also been asked to put forward proposals for a combined operating, systems and infrastructure maintenance contract. The 10-year contracts would run from April 2007.

Nearly 20 million passengers travel every year on the Metrolink network, which generates an annual turnover of around £22 million. Metrolink operates four routes:

• Altrincham – Manchester City Centre - Bury • Altrincham – Manchester Piccadilly Rail

Station• Bury – Manchester Piccadilly Rail Station • Eccles – Manchester Piccadilly Rail Station.

Stagecoach already operates Supertram, a 28km tram system in Sheffield, incorporating three routes in the city.

Ian Dobbs, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group’s Rail Division, said: “We are pleased to have been shortlisted for the Manchester Metrolink contracts and we look forward to submitting attractive, high-quality and value-for-money bids.

“We have significant experience of operating a major tram system in Sheffield, where we are now carrying a record 13 million passengers a year, and we believe we can build on this operational expertise.

“Stagecoach has already developed an excellent reputation for delivering high-quality bus services in Manchester over the past decade, increasing passenger numbers by around 25%. We believe we can work in partnership with GMPTE to improve Metrolink’s quality of service to customers and attract more people to the tram.”

Race enters final lapfor Metrolink trams

Bus passengers in Newcastle are benefiting from a £5.3 million investment that has brought the introduction of 23 new, easy access double decker Enviro 400 vehicles.

The state-of-the-art Alexander Dennis buses, officially unveiled by Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Brian Souter, feature a modern exterior and radical interior solutions, allowing for up to nine more seats in the lower deck than in other comparable buses.

Double deckers remain at the heart of the UK public transport system, a testament to the fact that they are fuel-efficient, highly manoeuvrable and carry more people in a 12.0m ‘footprint’ than any other vehicle.

Stagecoach North East Managing Director John Conroy said: “This is great news for the North East. These buses will help to provide a more convenient and comfortable service for our customers.”

Stagecoach customers in the Sunderland and South Shields areas also benefited from an investment in 20 new single decker buses, introduced in the run-up to Christmas. Features include clean and spacious interiors, low entrances that kneel to kerb height, a special buggy parking area and space for a wheelchair. They also feature the latest Euro 3 engines to help improve the environment.

£5m investment in NE servicesAt the double: Brian Souter and John Conroy at the launch of Newcastle’s new state-of-the-art fleet.

Twin track approach keeps demand growing

Lynne Neagle, Assembly Member for Torfaen, cuts the ribbon to launch the new low-floor buses on the X24 service. Looking on is Richard Davies, Commercial Director of Stagecoach in South Wales.

of a South Wales campaign to encourage more people to leave their cars at home and travel instead by bus.

Since November 2004, Stagecoach has introduced 75 new low-floor buses and now runs more than 200 in South Wales.

John Gould, Managing Director of Stagecoach in South Wales, said: “We believe that the combination of new vehicles, alongside enhanced timetables, will deliver a much-needed boost for bus provision in the Eastern Valley and play a vital role in sustaining the environment.”

The X24 service was identified as the fastest growing bus route in Wales in 2005 and the third fastest in the UK.

Passengersmoved by festive spiritFestivities at an annual event in Stroud were helped along with a touch of Christmas spirit from Stagecoach West.

Each year hundreds of locals and visitors gather for the Stroud Goodwill Evening, which includes acrobats, jugglers, bands, choirs, stalls and late-night shop opening, and heralds the official start of the festive trading period.

To help ease traffic congestion, free buses ferried revellers to and from the celebrations.

Nathan Williams, Marketing Manager of Stagecoach West, said: “In a spirit of seasonal co-operation and goodwill, we teamed up with other operators in the area to offer shoppers, revellers and visitors a variety of ways to enjoy Stroud’s Goodwill Evening.”

Quackingsales drive fits the bill!A drive to get more families on to the buses in East Kent this summer boosted Explorer tickets by an incredible 90% – although it did involve everyone going a bit ‘quackers’.

Everyone who bought Stagecoach in East Kent’s family offer on Explorer tickets was able to enter a draw to win a cuddly duck and each of the six depots went on to hold a draw to find the winners.

Helen Martin, Marketing Manager, explained that the family promotion, which ran with the theme Take Out Your Brood For Less, allowed three children to travel free with each adult.

All aboard: The ducks set off for their new owners.

Icy conditions welcomedIcy conditions usually mean problems on the road at this time of year, but for a group of Stagecoach West people, the ice in question was more than welcome.

They may not have put Torvill and Dean to shame, but the seven employees still put their best skates forward to help celebrate the company’s sponsorship of Gloucester’s Christmas Ice Rink, an outdoor facility open over the festive period.

The skaters were Paul Hoskins, Suzanne Mckeever, Ken Gowling, Madeleine Baylis, Jenny Powell, Martin Bennett and Kathy Beard.

Hilary and Pam get carried away with the Christmas decorations.

Winter 06/078

High-flyer Sarah Longair has been named the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Young Manager of the Year.

A former Stagecoach graduate trainee, Sarah (26), Operations Director at Stagecoach West Scotland, was nominated for the award for her achieve-ments in tackling driver cost control, attendance, staff morale and welfare issues, industrial relations and liaison with schools.

Sarah has a BSc (Hons) from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh and completed Stagecoach’s two-year graduate training programme, giving her experience of the operations, engineering and commercial aspects of the business.

Now a trained graduate assessor for Stagecoach UK Bus, she is involved in the selection of graduates each year. She is currently undertaking a CILT Level 5 Professional Diploma in Transport and Logistics.

The honour is part of CILT’s Annual Awards for Excellence, which are made to individuals and organisations that demonstrate achievement in logistics and transport management.

Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “This award is a reflection of the excellent

ability, commitment and determination shown by Sarah in her early management career with Stagecoach.

“She has made a significant con-tribution to the business in a short period of time and we are delighted she has received independent recognition by winning this award.

“Stagecoach has an ongoing investment in recruiting and developing the transport managers of the future through its highly successful graduate training scheme.”

Sarah, who is also a qualified bus driver, took up her post at Stagecoach West Scotland in September.

She was previously Operations Manager at Stagecoach Manchester’s Princess Road depot, which employs more than 400 drivers operating over 180 vehicles.

Sarah said: “I am delighted to have won this award. To be recognised for such a prestigious award after such a short period of time is something that I am immensely proud of and it is testament to the investment that Stagecoach makes in all of its employees.”

The CILT awards are open to organisations of all sizes, including companies, the armed forces, public utilities, charities, health services, local authorities and government agencies.

Stagecoach has won a national award for the high standard of its UK Bus training team.

The company took the Centre of the Year Award for training providers and employers at the Scottish Qualifications Authority Annual Awards 2006 held in Edinburgh.

Stagecoach UK Bus, which now has more than 12,000 driving staff in 113 locations throughout the UK, beat off competition from a wide variety of training providers and employers, including the other shortlisted finalists, East Renfrewshire Council’s Training Employment Unit and Thistle Training Services.

Training and assessment at Stagecoach’s sites were restructured and a manager appointed with responsibility for Scottish

Stagecoach has been named Britain’s best bus

operator – for the second year running.

Judges at the 2006 UK Bus Awards voted Stagecoach West Scotland, which runs around 400 buses stretching from Dumfries to Glasgow, as winner of the headline Belmont International Bus Operator of the Year Award and the Award for Operating Excellence – Large Fleet.

The West Scotland business also won both categories at the 2005 event and it is the first time in the 11-year history of the UK Bus Awards that the same company has won the top honours two years in a row.

Sam Greer, Managing Director for Stagecoach West Scotland, said: “This is a fantastic achievement.

“It is a tribute to the hard work and commitment of all our employees, from drivers and engineers, to managers and support staff. They are the people who, day in day out, ensure Stagecoach delivers a high quality bus service to our passengers.”

Three other Stagecoach companies, covering Fife, Devon and Cambridge, were also in the running for the top award.

Stagecoach had a total of six finalist entries across four categories in this year’s 11th annual awards, which were presented at a special lunch in London.

Stagecoach in Cambridge was runner-up

We’re ‘best bus opera• West Scotland operation win• Stagecoach in Cambridge ru• Supertram operation in Shef• Former Stagecoach London

in the category for Operating Excellence – Smaller Fleets. The company has grown passenger numbers on its services in the city by around 70% in the past four years – double the growth rate in London – as a result of strong partnerships with local authorities.

Cambridgeshire County Council, which has worked closely with Stagecoach on developing bus services in the city, was runner-up in the Transport Authority of the Year category.

Stagecoach Supertram, operator of the light rail system in Sheffield, won the Street Transit Award. Supertram runs a 28km network incorporating three routes in Sheffield and was Britain’s first state-of-the-art tramway.

Barry Arnold, who retired as Managing Director of Stagecoach’s former London bus operations last summer after a 42-year career, received a special award for Services to the Bus Industry, along with Paul Hill, formerly of Lincolnshire Road Car.

Stagecoach’s other shortlisted entry was Stagecoach North West’s ‘Cumbria and the Lakes’ promotion in the Bus in the Countryside category.

Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “We are delighted so many of our companies have been recognised for their commitment to excellence. Stagecoach is leading the way in attracting more people to bus travel through innovation, investment, strong marketing, operational expertise and a commitment to excellent customer service.”

John Owen, Chairman of the UK Bus Awards, said: “Bus companies, local authorities and suppliers to the industry are working together to improve passenger services and increase patronage. Slowly but surely their efforts to provide a truly viable alternative to cars are succeeding – as indeed they must if congestion and environmental issues are to be tackled. Today’s winners show how it can be done. Congratulations to them all.”

Training standards e

Operations Director wins Young Manager title

• UK Bus team recognised by Scott• Judges praise contribution to gett

and National Vocational Qualifications to share best practice and develop standard systems.

Improvements included:• Reduction in time staff spend

producing forms and documents• Production of high quality printed

portfolios

• Recruitment of a full-time scheme co-ordinator, as well as a group of assessors and advisors to ensure local support

• Development of specific training materials, including a customer service DVD featuring Stagecoach staff.

”Stagecoach is leading the way in attracting more people to bus

travel through innovation, investment,

strong marketing, operational expertise and a commitment to excellent customer

service.”

Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus

Barry Arnold, joint winner of the Backhouse Jones Award, is pictured with David Brown of Transport for London.

John Carr (right) presents the Belmont International Stagecoach West Scotland. Also pictured are Stageco

Stagecoach UK Bus Training and Development Manager Matt Daroch (right) and John Mulgrew, Chairman of Learning and Teaching Scotland, who presented the award.

Winter 06/07 9

ator in Britain’ – again!ns top honours at 2006 UK Bus Awards unner-up in smaller operator categoryffield wins Street Transit AwardMD recognised for service to bus industry

earn national honour

Train fleet just keeps getting betterVirgin Trains has won a top award for its fleet of state-of-the-art Pendolinos.

The trains, which operate Virgin’s West Coast services, were named the Most Improved Inter-city Train Fleet at the Golden Spanner industry awards.

The award was presented at the Modern Railways magazine event in recognition of the close working rela-tionship between Virgin Trains and ALSTOM.

ALSTOM built and maintains the 53-strong fleet, which runs between London and the West Midlands, Manchester, Liverpool, Cumbria, North Wales and Scotland.

This relationship has led to a 148% improvement in train reliability, con-tributing to a record performance on West Coast services this year – having achieved 90% for the first time in more than a decade.

Customer satisfaction is also at its highest, with passenger numbers continuing to grow at 11% year on year.

Virgin West Coast Fleet Director Ross Spicer said: “Working together, Virgin Trains and ALSTOM have achieved a cultural revolution ‘from hammer to laptop’ to support continuing engineering improvements.

“Reliability of the Pendolino has risen dramatically and this award confirms that the close working rela-tionship with ALSTOM is producing one of the most reliable inter-city trains.”

ALSTOM’s Director of Operations for the West Coast Main Line, Roy Sullivan, added: “I’m pleased that the hard work invested by the fleet teams from ALSTOM and Virgin Trains in a joint approach to improving Pendolino reliability has been recognised nationally.

“This award is a great credit to the joint project team. There is a real shared passion and a will to achieve strong results across both parties.”

tish Qualifications Authoritying more people on board buses

Since its introduction, the programme has awarded more than 6,000 S/NVQs. It has also contributed to annual growth of 1.5% in the number of people travelling by Stagecoach bus services against an industry-wide reduction in passenger numbers.

Les Warneford, Managing Director

of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “We are delighted our training team has been recognised for its high standard and con-tribution to attracting more people to bus travel. Stagecoach is a people business and it is down to our highly-trained and committed employees that we deliver first-class bus services day in, day out.”

The awards judges looked for good practice, innovation and unique initiatives in the delivery of SQA qualifications. They also considered the use of new technology, qualifications for candidates with special needs, links and partnerships with the wider community, and the contribution to business growth.

Tom Drake, SQA’s interim Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to congrat-ulate Stagecoach on this win. Like all of our finalists, they have shown outstanding commitment to the use of qualifica-tions and learning, and in particular they have also shown clearly that training can be a positive influence on commercial performance and customer satisfaction – well done.”

Meanwhile, judges choosing the

Stagecoach Apprentices of the Year 2006 also had some tough decisions to make.

But, after much deliberation, Stagecoach Wales walked away with the winning trophy as the division’s Lloyd Thomas scooped the 1st Year Apprentice of the Year title.

Anthony Seed, Stagecoach North West, came second while Ben Trotter, Stagecoach South, took third place.

Stagecoach West’s Graham Evans was the overall winner in the 2nd Year Apprentice category with Ben Evans, of the East Midlands division, in second place. David Phillips, Stagecoach Wales, came third.

Other categories included Consistent Achiever, Best Depot Vote and Best Team Players at Outward Bound.

UK Bus Awards Vice Chairman John Carr congratulates Ian Thompson, Colin Nicholson and Chris Bowles of Stagecoach North West, commended in The Bus in the Countryside category for its Cumbria and Lakes promotion.

UK Bus Awards Vice Chairman John Carr congratulates Andy Campbell and Philip Norwell on receiving the runner up prize for Operating Excellence in the Smaller Fleets category on behalf of Stagecoach in Cambridge.

Bus Operator of the Year Award to George Connell, Sam Greer, Emma McNae and Sarah Longair of oach Scotland MD Robert Andrew and Tom Wileman, Regional Director, North.

Dave Hopkins and Julia Shaw, both of Sheffield Supertram, are pictured receiving the Trueform Street Transit Award from Christine Colley-Jones, of South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. Also pictured is Andy Morris, Managing Director – Light Rail, Stagecoach Rail.

Winter 06/0710

Eight new low floor buses, known as the Blue SoLos, have taken to the streets of Bedford.

The new buses have been bought by Bedfordshire County Council and will be operated by Stagecoach.

The Blue SoLos use the latest low-floor technology, which lowers the bus to make it much easier for all passengers to get on and off the vehicles, especially people with buggies and wheelchair users.

Bedfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Customer Service Councillor John Street said: “I’m really proud that the County Council has teamed up with Bedfordshire’s largest bus operator to launch the new Blue SoLos service.

“This is another improvement to Bedford’s bus services, which I hope will go from strength to strength and help reduce traffic congestion in and around the county town.”

Managing Director of Stagecoach East, James Freeman, said: “Stagecoach operates bus services across the country and we know from our experience that introducing new and easyACCESS vehicles encourages more new passengers to use buses.

“The launch of the Blue SoLos means that all buses on the town service are low floor vehicles. Bedford is one of only a handful of towns in the country which can say that every single bus has this kind of technology, making it easier for everyone to simply hop off the bus.”

The contribution made by the men and women of an East Kent bus company has been

marked by a transport museum with a special tribute room sponsored by Stagecoach.

Paul Southgate, Managing Director of Stagecoach in East Kent, was one of the guests invited by Dover Transport Museum to open the East Kent Road Car Tribute Room, which commemorates the people who worked with East Kent Road Car company since 1916.

Among the artefacts being exhibited is a war memorial from the Dover bus depot, which lists the 18 male and female employees who were either killed in action or by enemy action during World War Two.

And a special memorial service was held at the museum on Remembrance Sunday, with 28 people turning up to pay their respects to the many soldiers who lost their lives during World War One.

Paul said that he was delighted to support the museum through sponsorship, adding: “The provision of bus services in the region has always played an important part in the success of the regional economy. Not only has it provided a public transport network but vital employment in the most of the main conurbations.”

The Rev John Lines, Deputy Chairman of the Dover Transport

Remembering thosewho came before

Paying tribute: Paul Southgate, right, with the Rev John Lines, left, and Mayor of Dover Councillor Jan Tranter at the opening of the bus tribute room.

The power and glory of the PendolinoVirgin’s state-of-the art Pendolino trains generate enough electricity each year to power nearly 14,000 homes.

During December alone, the trains created enough power to light over two million sets of Christmas tree lights for the entire month.

The 125mph Pendolino trains save energy and reduce pollution every time they brake. The 53 tilting trains, built and maintained by ALSTOM, are fitted with electronic control systems that cause the traction motors to provide braking effort by generating electricity back into the supply system. The generated electricity, which is put back into the supply system, achieves an overall energy saving of 17%.

The Pendolino trains are now used over all of the West Coast routes from London Euston to the West Midlands, Liverpool, Manchester, Cumbria and Scotland.

Research by Virgin Trains and ALSTOM shows that, based on data from Pendolino trains operating over the Manchester to London route, the Pendolino fleet, which covers around 13 million miles a year, is generating around 55 million kWh of power a year, which is returned to the National Grid.

On a typical London to Manchester journey, a Pendolino will return around 750kWh of electricity to the power supply system for re-use.

Regenerative braking used on the Pendolino trains also reduces the use of the friction brakes, dramatically reducing brake-pad dust and pollution, to provide a double environmental benefit.

Virgin West Coast Managing Director Charles Belcher said: “Our Pendolino trains are providing valuable benefits to the environment. We know that our passengers care about the environment and they can travel in the knowledge that by choosing to travel by train, they are doing their bit to save the planet and reduce consumption of energy.”

Passengers get the low down on Bedford’s new buses

A blue day: Stagecoach East Managing Director James Freeman, left, and Bedfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Customer Service, Councillor John Street, at the launch of the new Blue SoLos buses.

Students in Manchester have been voting with their feet and taking advantage of cheap bus travel offered by Stagecoach.

As Unirider ticket sales hit their seventh year, the market is still growing year on year and weekly ticket sales along the student corridors have consistently increased.

Sales of annual and term student tickets have increased by 5% with a record-breaking 7,366 students buying the tickets in the first term. A total of 63% of these sales came through stagecoachbus.com, taking the total number of online tickets up to 17,200 transactions since the launch in 2003.

Students who don’t want to commit to a longer-term purchase can continue to buy their tickets on a weekly basis and have two low price options – Magic Bus Magicrider or the Oxford Road Smartrider tickets. The sales of these two tickets combined have also jumped in 2006, with a 50% weekly increase, year on year, equivalent to an extra 3,750 ticket holders a week.

Part of the success can be attributed to a

targeted marketing campaign in September, however the main reason for students moving to using Stagecoach and Magic Buses is that students know we are the reliable bus company. At busy stops, buses fill up and go through effective management at the stop by inspectors ensuring everyone gets to their destination on time.

Marketing Manager Karen Coventry said: “We are delighted to have exceeded our sales figure again this year. It was hard, as we spent nine long September days in bright orange T-shirts competing against a 20-foot gorilla (a marketing tactic by a competitor), shouting above the noise in nightclubs through megaphones and handing as many flyers out to students as we could.

“We had a brilliant team of local inspectors and head office staff and are grateful for the enthusia-stic help received from the first and second-year graduates, who worked tirelessly to ‘spread the word’. We hope to continue the success and keep up the hard work to maintain Stagecoach and Magic Bus as the student’s choice,” she said.

From left, Ross Stafford (graduate trainee year 1), Neil Davies (Inspector Manchester), Colm Lynch (graduate trainee year 1) and James Hodgson (graduate trainee year 1).

Students clamber aboard to set Unirider record

Stagecoach sponsors transport museum's tribute room

Museum Society, said: “Despite the strong support from the volunteer members of the society, the museum still faces ever increasing operating costs. We are very grateful for the sponsorship and support offered by Stagecoach.”

The Dover Transport Museum was founded in 1980. It moved to its present location, former Army barracks on the Whitecliffs Business Park, two years ago with funding from the National Lottery. For information visit www.dovertransportmu-seum.homestead.com

Stacey readyto drive her designsSince joining Stagecoach as Marketing Assistant based in Canterbury almost three years ago, Stacey Hall has used her design skills to create some of the new liveries seen on many of the new routes across Kent and the Hastings area.

Now the promise that one day she would be able to drive some of her designs has become a reality.

Stacey has now passed her PCV licence after joining the course held by the company’s own team of instructors which trains recruits to become bus drivers.

“Designing a bus can be challenging enough,” she said, “but driving one was a whole new experience. The most difficult part was getting used to the size of the vehicle but, once I overcame this, I realised just how rewarding it is to have passed.”

Stacey will now be expected to help drive buses on special occasions throughout each year to enable her licence to remain current although her busy job within the marketing department restricts the opportunity to spend much time learning routes in the area. But with one out of eight bus drivers in Kent now being female, passengers are already very used to female drivers.

Winter 06/07 11

We’d like to hear from you if you have been involved in a project aimed at improving performance.

Your On Stage contact is listed on p2.

A taleto tell?

Staff at Stagecoach in Warwickshire have been pulling out all the stops to raise cash for charity.

The Rugby depot was given a splash of colour as staff turned up in every shade of pink imaginable to support Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

There was unmistakable glamour too, with fluffy tiaras and novelty headbands as the must-have accessories of the event.

With everyone donating £2 to wear the red hue, they raised a total of £60 for breast cancer research.

Marketing Assistant Lisa Downer said: “It was a great day, everyone looked fantastic and we raised some vital money

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Virgin Trains winning the West Coast and CrossCountry rail franchises, the

company has been giving away 10,000 tickets throughout its network.

Birthday treat bringsrail ticket giveaway

John proves he's still one of the beston the roadNewcastle’s John Page has been judged the best driver in the North East at the National Bus Driver of the Year Awards.

The annual competition is open to all drivers throughout the UK and consists of a series of qualifica-tion stages before culminating in a day of driving and written tests at the final in Blackpool.

John (55) came eighth in the competition and, not only is he the highest placed North East driver, but he also came top within Stagecoach UK Bus, receiving £500 from the company for his achievement.

To qualify for the competition, drivers must have an unblemished record throughout the year before successfully completing a series of regional heats.

At the finals, they sit a theoretical test, covering topics such as bus mechanics and the Highway Code. After this, they complete a number of complicated manoeuvres in a bus before heading out on to the road for an observational test. Each driver starts off with a score of zero and then is given penalty points for any faults. The driver with the lowest score at the end of the day is the winner.

This is not the first time John has reached the finals – this was his 19th! So it was fitting that he received an additional award for being the driver who has reached the finals the most number of times.

Despite that veteran status, John says this doesn’t affect how he feels on the day.

“I still get butterflies in my stomach,” he admitted. “It’s such a big rush when you hear your name called out when you have made it to the top 10. I’m over the moon to have been placed eighth… and to be judged the best in the North East and Stagecoach is amazing.”

The competition, firmly established as the skills standard within the industry, has been running since 1967.

John Conroy, Managing Director for Stagecoach North East, said: “This is a real achievement and we are very proud that John has been so highly placed in the competition.”

John has been driving at the Newcastle depot for 34 years, and joined the day before his 21st birthday, when it was still run by the Tyneside PTE.

He is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and has completed courses in disability awareness, NVQ and first aid.

He says he will definitely be entering again next year… unless he wins the Lottery!

Stagecoach in Cumbria helped out in the filming of a new BBC nature series called ‘Mountains’, to be presented by Griff Rhys-Jones.

The 77A Honister Rambler was used in the filming around the Honister Pass, although the weather was not the best on the day!

Rain, cameras, action!

The free tickets were only available online up until mid-December and covered travel from January to March.

Each weekday almost 400 Virgin trains link towns and cities on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, Liverpool, Manchester, North Wales and Glasgow and on a 1,500-mile CrossCountry network linking Scotland and northern England with the South Coast and south-west via Birmingham.

Virgin Trains Chief Executive Tony Collins said: “When we won the franchises we knew we faced difficult years ahead. Bringing in state-of-the-art trains to provide many more and much faster services were just three of the challenges to which we have risen successfully.

“As a big thank you for our customers’ patience and loyalty during this revolution, we wanted them to join in our birthday celebrations with a free trip on us.”

Since taking over the franchises in

1997, Virgin Trains revolutionised its West Coast timetable with 125mph tilting trains in September 2004, increasing frequency and cutting journey times. Its share of the Manchester to London rail/air market has risen from 38 to 58% and annual passenger numbers have leapt from 14 million to more than 19 million in less than 10 years.

On Virgin CrossCountry complete rewriting of the timetable in 2002 and investment of more than £1 billion in a fleet of 78 modern Voyager trains has seen numbers of weekday services rise by almost two-thirds from 110 to 181. This is attracting more than 22 million passengers a year, up from 12 million in 1997.

The latest National Passenger Survey, independently carried out by Passenger Focus, has identified 90% customer satis-faction on Virgin West Coast and 84% on Virgin CrossCountry.

Nothing uniform about charity events in Rugbyfor a very worthwhile cause.”

The administration team made the most of another opportunity to dress up – or dress down – on Jeans for Genes Day by ditching their uniforms in favour of denim.

They raised £100 for the appeal, organised by four different charities, to help children with genetic disorders by paying a £2 fee to wear their comfy jeans and tee-shirts.

Marketing Manager Adam Rideout said: “I’d like to thank everyone at the depot for their support. It’s a very worthwhile cause and every penny donated will help these charities continue to provide the support and resources needed to combat genetic conditions.

“It was great fun to wear jeans to work for the day; I think all staff enjoyed the relaxed dress code!”

Staff also raised £250 for Macmillan Cancer Support by serving up tea and biscuits at a depot coffee morning.

Bev Tapp, who organised the event, said: “The coffee morning was very well attended by the majority of depot staff. We raised more than £119 on the day, which was generously matched by Stagecoach.

“I’d like to thank everyone who came along on the day and our Managing Director, Phil, in particular for doubling the money raised.”

Anniversary celebrations see 10,000 passengers travel for free

Air we go…Stagecoach North West revved up some of its finest vehicles for a charity open day in Carlisle. A grand total of £520 was raised at the event for the Pride of Cumbria Great North Air Ambulance.

Winter 06/0712

Credit Union spreadsthe wordStaff from the Credit Union recently held a half-day seminar, offering pension information and promoting the Scottish Transport Credit Union.

The seminar, at the Dean Park Hotel in Kirkcaldy, was chaired by John Fotheringham (Credit Union Director for Fife) and attended by staff from all Stagecoach depots in Fife.

John then visited each depot with Lyndsey Robinson, Pension Information Manager, who had the chance to meet with current and prospective members.

Stagecoach in South Wales has stepped up its service with the introduction of eight new Optare Solo buses.

They are equipped with a step-free entrance, a low floor and wheelchair or buggy areas.

Trish Law, Assembly Member for Blaenau Gwent, said: “This is great news, especially for those people who have mobility problems or parents with pushchairs, as these buses are so much easier to get on and have a space set aside for a wheelchair or buggy.

“The investment from Stagecoach is a real step forward in promoting the use of sustainable transport, which is something that we all need to think about whenever we make a journey.”

The buses have been running on five routes since the end of October.

Richard Davies, Commercial Director of Stagecoach in South Wales, said the investment of £650,000 demonstrated Stagecoach’s commitment to Blaenau Gwent and its desire to offer residents a real alternative to the car.

He added: “Low floor buses are already running successfully in other areas in South Wales and have made a clear difference with significant increases in the number of people using the services, something that we hope will be mirrored in Blaenau Gwent.”

Passengers on a Stagecoach in Chesterfield service were recently offered 21st century travel at 20th century prices as part of the

celebrations to launch Kickstart service 39 in the town.

Time travellers enjoy 1986 fares

Back to the future: Paul Lynch and Marketing Manager Phill Cartwright help get the 39p message across.

For the first week of operation, customers were able to travel on service 39 for just 39p – the same price the journey would have been in 1986 at the time of deregulation.

Passengers are now benefiting from more frequent buses – now every seven to eight minutes instead of the previous 10 in the daytime – plus improved evening and Sunday timetable.

Bus stops have been upgraded along the route, including raised kerbs, drop kerbs and new bus stop signage and information as part of an improvement programme by the county council.

Stagecoach has invested around £1 million in nine new state-of-the-art, low floor buses, offering passengers a more comfortable trip. The 39 Steps may be a famous book and film but, on service 39, there are no entrance steps, making getting on or off a doddle!

The new service has already proved a hit with passengers and is currently showing encouraging passenger growth.

Paul Lynch, Managing Director for Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: “We are delighted that through Kickstart we are able to work in partnership with the county council and the Government to help give our customers improved services and facilities on service 39.”

If you have been involved in a project aimed at growing passenger numbers, then we’d like to hear about it.

Your On Stage contact is listed on p2.

A taleto tell?

The alternative to the car is now even stronger

One small step: Trish Law climbs aboard one of the new Optare Solo buses.

Offering advice: John and Lyndsey prepare for the seminar.

Expert Mickhelps out on research

A leading Warwickshire busman has been asked for his expert opinion on a system for relieving motorway congestion.

Training Officer Mick Copson was invited by the Highways Agency to test drive three different vehicles on a mock piece of motorway at the Fire Service College.

Rugby-based Mick, a trainer for seven years, was one of only two drivers from a bus company to be drafted in from various walks of life.

He tested one of the vehicles for visibility, noise and vibration and gave his feedback to one of the Highways Agency officials at the Moreton-in-Marsh centre.

He said afterwards: “The test drive was part of a ‘Dynamic Road Markings Test Survey’, which was very interesting. All three products have their own qualities with one of them being similar to cats' eyes and very visible.

“They wanted my feedback on their day time visibility, noise content and vibration as I drove over them in the road.

“The idea is that, in the rush hour, motorway lanes’ lines can be changed quickly from solid to dotted lines to allow the hard shoulder to be used to ease congestion.”

The three vehicles have been submitted for a new venture, which will begin a 12-month trial next year.

Mick Copson.

Special offer has more passengers clambering aboard for even less

It was birthday cake and balloons all round at the Kingsmead Shopping Centre as Stagecoach in Farnbrough celebrated the first anniversary of the successful Yo-yo bus service with pas-sengers.

Jim Mortimore, Operations Manager for Stagecoach, was joined by Richie Windsor, the former British Yo Yo champion, to cut the cake. Richie then treated the passengers to a yo-yo demonstration, while they enjoyed a slice of cake.

Jim said that the service, which goes up and down the route between Farnborough town centre and

Prospect Estate every 10 minutes during weekday daytimes, has enjoyed exceptional passenger growth over the last 12 months.

“Our £250,000 investment has proved that by introducing more new buses, more frequently, we can offer people in the region a very real alternative to using their cars. We are now carrying over 5,000 people each week – an increase of 66% compared to the previous year.”

This is one of five successful Quality Partnership Schemes with local authorities operated by Stagecoach’s Aldershot depot.

More go-go on Yo-yo bus service

Jim Mortimore (left) with Yo Yo champ Richie Windsor at Kingsmead Shopping Centre.

Winter 06/07 13

Stagecoach has cut emissions from dozens of its workplaces across the

UK by more than a third after the intro-duction of a hi-tech energy management system.

Gas consumption at 80 depots has been slashed by an average of 36%, while CO2 emissions have been cut by more than 6,200 tonnes a year.

Developed by Manchester-based Vickers Electronics Ltd, the technology is now in place at the Stagecoach

sites in Scotland, England and Wales, saving hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

The system uses self-learning predictive programming, coupled with high accuracy temperature sensing. It handles the existing heating and delivers improved control, staff comfort and dramatic reductions in energy consumption.

Stagecoach has worked in partnership with Vickers on the project for three years, initially installing the system at a handful of sites and monitoring the savings delivered, before rolling it out across the UK.

Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK

Security has been stepped up on buses after an investment of over £50,000 in 20 new CCTV camera systems in the North East region.

Cameras have been installed on buses in Newcastle and Sunderland and were equally funded by Stagecoach and Nexus.

This investment means almost a quarter (23%) of all regional Stagecoach buses are covered by CCTV. It follows the highest ever order of CCTV cameras for use on buses by Stagecoach UK earlier this year.

The cameras come from respected industry supplier Look CCTV and include systems of up to six units per bus. They are typically installed so that they cover areas such as the driver’s cab, the rear seats and the entrance to the bus.

Importantly, these systems will also feature external cameras to check the movement of traffic and pedestrians. Footage taken from the films can be used to aid police or to help with accident prevention schemes in schools and local policing areas.

CCTV is seen as an important step to increasing passenger security and is a key driver to improving passenger numbers.

John Conroy, Managing Director for Stagecoach North East, said: “Buses are the country’s most popular form of public transport and crime on buses is extremely low.

“However, even the fear of crime can act as a deterrent to travel. CCTV has a proven track record of making passengers feel safe, cutting crime and anti-social behaviour and helping track down offenders.

“This latest investment is part of our ongoing commitment to the safety and security of passengers and drivers and our continuing efforts to deter and detect crime and anti-social behaviour.”

Hi-tech energy systemslashes CO2 emissionsGreen initiative in place at 80 sites in England, Scotland and Wales

Blue buses go greener Bus services in East Northampton have just undergone one of their biggest improvements in years.

Stagecoach is investing nearly £1 million on nine new low-floor easy-access buses.

Each of the new vehicles has a Euro 3 environmentally-friendly engine, which means less pollutants and more fuel efficiency. They will also have CCTV cameras onboard to increase passenger safety, and seats designed to improve overall comfort on the journey.

The buses will run on the route between Ecton Brook, Bellinge, Northampton College, Birchfield Road and Northampton town centre, which has grown in popularity over the past few

years, so much so that it introduced an evening service in July.

James Freeman, Stagecoach East’s Managing Director, said: “The investment on the new buses is opening up accessible public transport to more and more people in Northampton.”

Adam Rideout, Stagecoach East’s Marketing Manager, said: “The buses will really stand out because they are branded in a striking blue and we hope that the improved safety, comfort and green credentials will encourage more people to use the bus.”

Ready to go: James Freeman, Stagecoach East’s Managing Director, on board one of the new vehicles.

The investment of millions of pounds in Gloucester – including 17 new buses – has culminated with the launch of a newly-branded network.

The new citi network raises the bar for bus travel in the area and reflects the many improvements to the city’s services over the last few years, including increased frequencies, Sunday and evening services and the intro-duction of low floor buses.

Brian Souter, Chief Executive for Stagecoach Group, and Ian Manning, Managing Director for Stagecoach West, jointly launched citi at Gloucester Cathedral in November.

Ian said: “This is a practical, quick-win initiative that

will deliver a much needed boost for bus provision in the area, while making a real difference to passengers in Gloucester. The investment shows our commitment to both improving and increasing the profile of bus travel in Gloucester.”

The 17 new single and double low floor buses took investment in Gloucester services to almost £2.5 million.

Ian concluded: “Whilst we will continue to improve bus services across Gloucestershire, it’s vital that local authorities work in partnership with us to help keep fares stable, increase bus speeds and generally aid public transport.”

New citi network revitalises services

Bus boost: The new citi network, launched at a ceremony at Gloucester Cathedral, will deliver a significant improvement to services in the city.

Bus, said: “Tackling climate change is one of the key priorities facing the global economy. As one of the country’s major businesses, we are committed to playing our part in building a sustainable environment and improving the environmental management of our operations.

“The introduction of this state-of-the-art technology has delivered a significant reduction in our energy consumption and emissions. As well as benefiting the local environment, it means we can invest more in our public transport services.”

The Government is encouraging companies to reduce the amount of energy they use as part of a range of policies designed to tackle climate change.

Vickers, which has been accredited with the international quality standard ISO 9002, was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Environmental Achievement in 1994 for its unique method of controlling heating systems.

Malcolm McKinlay, Vickers Electronics Regional Accounts Manager, said: “Vickers has worked for many years in the energy reduction sector, leading the way in helping companies like Stagecoach cut emissions. With the recent surge in interest through media reports and Government initiatives, we are well placed to deliver similar results for other businesses.

“We are proud of our partnership with Stagecoach and have been impressed with both its desire to take action on climate change and its willingness to share information on its successes with its commercial rivals – putting the environment before the commercial ‘edge’.”

Stagecoach is already involved in a number of initiatives to make its operations more environmentally sustainable.

In August, Stagecoach conducted the first UK trials of a bio-ethanol powered bus outside London in a move that could lead to the company’s vehicles being powered by sugar beets in the future.

Earlier this year, Stagecoach expanded the use of biodiesel to 1,800 vehicles in its UK bus fleet in a move to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel efficiency.

Stagecoach has already rolled out the use of the next-generation fuel additive Envirox™ across its entire UK bus fleet after the success of a 12-month commercial evaluation. Tests of the product delivered more than a 5% cut in fuel consumption and an associated decrease in vehicle emissions.

The energy management system is in use at the following Stagecoach sites:

Scotland: Aberdeen, Aberhill, Ardrossan, Ayr, Cowdenbeath, Cumnock, Dumfries, Dundee, Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Inverness, Kilmarnock, Perth, Peterhead.

England: Barnsley, Bedford, Chichester, Darlington, Doncaster, Exeter, Grimsby, Hartlepool, Hastings, Huddersfield, Hull, Kettering, Lillyhall, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Perterborough, Portsmouth, Preston, Ramsgate, Rawmarsh, Shafton, South Shields, Stockton, Sunderland, Winchester, Worksop.

Wales: Brynmawr, Cwmbran, Merthyr, Porth.

Smile please… the camerais adding to your security

Picture this: CCTV – adding to passengers’ sense of security.

That’s a fact…

In the 2002 British crime survey, 80% of UK adult respondents said they did not report the last harassment incident they had experienced on public transport. Most anti-social behaviour on public transport can be attributed to vandalism, with the most popular offence being damage to windows and seats.

The cost of vandalism to operators is huge, mainly due to the time that buses have to be off the road. In North West England, local authorities in partnership with transport operators assess the costs of vandalism at almost £4 million a year.

Winter 06/0714

Stagecoach has celebrated the 30,000th passenger on its

airdirect747 service from Fife to Edinburgh Airport.

Luke Maynard won a Dell Computer and £100 of gift vouchers to spend in Edinburgh Airport shops. He lives in Chelmsford and was in the area for an interview at Rosyth Dockyard.

The service, which runs between Inverkeithing rail station, Ferrytoll Park & Ride and Edinburgh Airport, was introduced just eight months ago and has seen passenger numbers rise steadily.

The service is now used by around 1,300 passengers a week, many of whom are now regularly leaving their cars at home and choosing to travel to the airport by the airdirect747 bus.

The booming passenger numbers are the result of a successful partnership between Stagecoach, the Scottish Executive and Fife Council.

Under the terms of this partnership, the three have jointly committed £972,000 to the airdirect747 bus service. The service offers a convenient and fast method of transport to the airport.

This investment has included the purchase of three new state-of-the-art low floor buses that have the latest environmentally-

It pays to travel by bus, as half a dozen lucky passengers in Darlington have discovered.

To promote three of its services, Stagecoach North East ran a competition in which six passengers

won an array of prizes. They had all entered into a prize draw by sending in their bus tickets and the winners were selected at random at the beginning of October.

Marketing Manager Jodine Milne said: “We received almost 2,000 entries for this competition, which is a phenomenal amount. All of the operators and councils seem to be

working very well together to encourage people to use public transport and even small competitions like this can make a difference to people’s attitudes to using the bus.”

The prizes won included a rowing machine, an Apple i-pod, a digital camera, £100 worth of shopping vouchers, a Gameboy Advance and a kids’ bouncy castle.

A new route in Warwickshire is now up and running… and is sending out a clear message about the benefits of the bus.

The official launch was a grand affair at Warwick Castle, with several high-profile councillors and local dignitaries on hand to cut the ribbon.

Guests were given a preview of two of the new low floor, easy access buses, which have rolled into service.

The route has received one of the largest investments to improve Warwickshire bus services in many years – the overall sum amounting to more than £1 million.

It runs between Coventry, Kenilworth, Leamington, Warwick Hospital and Warwick town centre every 15 minutes, Mondays to Saturdays.

Each of the new vehicles has a Euro 3 environmentally-friendly engine, which emits less pollutants and is more fuel-efficient.

Warwick Hospital is being served by Stagecoach for the first time with low floor

buses and Kenilworth also sees its first low-floor bus route.

Phil Medlicott, Stagecoach in Warwickshire Managing Director, said: “The investment on the new buses is opening up accessible public transport to more and more people in the area. The investment on the new timetable and vehicles is purely down to the success of the route.

“The route is completely new and improves low floor bus services into Coventry town centre for the residents of Leamington and Kenilworth.”

Councillor Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “We welcome the introduction of these new buses and the enhanced service. The benefits of the low floor buses will bring the services and shops in our town centres into easy reach of more people, helping to build our local economy and make public transport a practical choice again.

“The County Council is set to match

Hitting new heightson airport bus routeService lures ever increasing numbers to leave the car at home

friendly engines. The distinctively-branded vehicles will also have CCTV to give added security for passengers.

There are several ticket options available on the route and a high profile marketing campaign was launched to promote the

service, encouraging more people to leave their cars at home and take the green option of the bus to the airport.

Stagecoach in Fife Managing Director Doug Fleming said: “airdirect747 is showing signs of being an outstanding success and

this demonstrates what can be achieved with targeted investment, innovative ideas and the support of a forward-thinking local authority.

“We are very encouraged by the usage and the public feedback. We believe the airdirect747 is a winner all round – passengers win because they now have a bus service to Edinburgh airport; the Fife area wins because more people leave the car at home; the taxpayer wins because subsidy is temporary, and it benefits the environment by cutting car use. It brings social benefits, by giving people greater mobility and more travel options.”

Richard Jeffrey, Managing Director of Edinburgh Airport, added: “Encouraging more passengers and airport staff to use public transport to get to and from the airport is a key priority for us. Already, 20% of our passengers travel to the airport by bus or coach, a figure that compares favourably with other regional airports.

“This exciting service, the first ever dedicated bus link between Edinburgh Airport and Fife, is helping us boost that figure further.

“We are looking forward to working with Stagecoach and Fife Council to ensure passengers and airport staff living north of the Forth continue to be made fully aware of the 747 bus service.”

Prize passenger: Luke Maynard (centre) celebrates being the 30,000th passenger on the Stagecoach 747 airport service. He is pictured with Ann Follin, Planning & Development Manager, BAA (left) and Doug Fleming, Managing Director, Stagecoach in Fife (far right).

Extra seatsto meetrise inpassengersVirgin Trains is planning to provide 10 million extra seats a year to meet rising demand.

The proposal follows publication of the National Audit Office report praising Virgin Trains for achieving a 20% increase in West Coast passenger journeys during the past year – 4% more than expected.

Sir Richard Branson said: “During the past 10 years, thanks to the fantastic hard work of our people, we have achieved unprecedented and massive levels of growth on our West Coast and CrossCountry franchises and we will meet the sustained and continuing demands of the next decade.”

From the end of 2008, Virgin Trains will be running 32% more train services on the West Coast network, providing 10 million extra seats every year. Frequencies will be improved from two to three trains an hour between London, Birmingham and Manchester, and hourly services will run between London and Glasgow.

Discussions are under way with the Department for Transport to add two more coaches to each of the 53 nine-coach Pendolino trains, and with Network Rail to increase speeds to 135mph over sections of the West Coast Main Line now being further improved.

“This is just the beginning,” said Sir Richard. “We are now set to bring in more and faster services and look forward to being able to exploit the capabilities of our Pendolinos in the future.”

£1m investment widens appeal

Stagecoach’s commitment to the route and other services by spending nearly £13 million on improvements for bus users in the area in the next five years through the SPARK initiative, which has recently been approved for funding by central government.”

Adam Rideout, Stagecoach in Warwickshire Marketing Manager, said: “The new buses really stand out because they are branded in a striking purple. All bus

stops on the route have been improved with new flags and timetable information.

“We are also door dropping a ‘free test drive’ to every resident in Warwick, Leamington and Kenilworth inviting people to try the service for free.

“Overall, we hope that the new buses, better timetable and free ticket offer will encourage more people onto the bus and out of the car.”

Competition just the ticket for Darlington passengers

Launch day: Dignitaries join in the celebrations to mark the new service.

H o w a r d Butler will be taking a ‘busman’s h o l i d a y ’ when he retires from Stagecoach East after 44 years in the industry.

For not only is Howard restoring a double deck bus but he has a collection of over 4,000 model buses!

He started his career in the bus industry in 1962 with London Transport where he became responsible for all passenger information and signage throughout the Underground system. Howard later took over responsibility for information displays for London Buses, which had four depots and an information team of 30 people.

When he moved to Northampton 20 years ago, Howard was on operational duties at Greyfriars Bus Station. He transferred to head office in Rothersthorpe Avenue, Northampton, six years ago as Publicity and Marketing Officer to take over leaflet production and promotion.

Howard (61), who lives in Northampton, has been married for 33 years. He is looking forward to his retirement and restoring his 1939 ex-Brighton, Hove and District Bristol convertible open topper.

Retiral means more time… on the buses!

A busman through and through: Howard Butler.

Prize guys: The lucky winners of Stagecoach North East’s special prize draw to promote three of its services.

Winter 06/07 15

Skills and hard work were rewarded at East Kent recently when Managing Director Paul Southgate presented employees with NVQ certificates.

Included in the presentation were awards for Road Passenger Transport Level 2 (Bus), Driving Instruction Level 3 and Passenger Vehicle Maintenance Level 3.

Those who received certificates included Andy Taylor, Dick Stacey (Assessor), Ian Horgan, Jim Mills, Ernest Griffin, Keith

Locking (Assessor/IV), Bill Webb (NVQ Co-ordinator), Mick Telford, Nick Ray, Owen Harmer, Jean Oram, Paul Osbourne, Andreas Yiannki, Peter Chandler, Tim Young, Malcolm Janes (Assessor), Dawn Baker, Pazhupanbil Pradeep, Sarah Docherty, Thomas Edwards, Adrian Starbuck, Gary Fitzgerald, Shane Hymers, John Rance, Bob Bailey (Assessor), Karan O’Conor, Malcolm Leslie, Paul Southgate, Neil Webb, Derick Perkins, Steve Hillier and Carl Hudson.

Sharpening up the skills

Warwickshire is leading the way in NVQ’s and ROSCO safe driving.

The division has achieved the highest percentage of drivers in Stagecoach UK Bus with an NVQ qualification.

Over 60% of its drivers hold an NVQ and, during the presentation of certificates at the Dunchurch Park Hotel in Rugby, Warwickshire Managing Director Phil Medlicott said the achievement was testament to all the hard work and effort of everyone concerned.

“In today’s competitive workplace, it’s a requirement that our drivers achieve an NVQ Level 2 qualification. Over 20% of our work is completed for local authorities and other

outside agencies, including National Express,” he said.

“Our drivers have given that extra effort to achieve a personal qualification that enhances both their own and the company’s reputation as well as standards in the wider working environment.”

He added: “To trainers, assessors and those who qualified, I would like to thank you all for helping us achieve this goal.”

Deputy Training and Development Manager Dorothy Hermiston also attended the presentation evening.

This year has also seen 151 Warwickshire-based drivers receive their ROSCO safe driving

awards – equating to 50% of the workforce and clocking up some 275 years of safe driving.

Phil said: “In today’s driving conditions, this is an exceptional achievement that requires constant dedication and concentration from the individuals concerned, especially considering that the average person drives 25,000 miles a year.

“A number of drivers have been awarded six-year Safe Driving badges for the length of time we have been members of ROSCO, which means 150,000 safe driving miles.

NVQ’s and Safe Driving awards were presented to Stagecoach drivers at Rugby, Leamington and Nuneaton depots.

Warwickshire team top for safety

AStagecoach apprentice has scooped a top award for industry

excellence.

Ben Trotter (20), based at Worthing Depot in West Sussex, was one of five people to achieve a Go for Excellence honour at the GoSkills Passenger Transport Apprenticeship Awards.

The bus body fitter won the Transport Engineering and Maintenance Apprenticeship category and walked away with £300 of vouchers after a ceremony at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London.

The awards, which cover the rail, aviation, coach and bus industries, are organised by GoSkills – the Sector Skills Council for Passenger Transport.

Michelle Dewberry, winner of BBC show The Apprentice, joined employers and finalists to celebrate the achievements of young passenger transport sector workers.

Ben, who joined Stagecoach in 2005, said: “I’m delighted to have won this award; I really enjoy my job and always try to do better than expected of me.”

Colleague Danny Williams (18), an engineering apprentice at Stagecoach Devon, was one of two

other finalists in the same category.Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach

UK Bus, said: “We make a significant investment in our people every year and these awards reflect the high standard of training and development we provide for our employees.”

Former ‘Apprentice’ Michelle added: “It’s very rare in this day and age to have youngsters who are so dedicated to, and proud of, their careers.

“Proud is indeed what they should be; I thought they were a tremendous group of people and I sincerely wish them all the very best for the future.”

Industry honours top apprentice

Winning apprentice Ben Trotter.

Deputy Training and Development Manager Dorothy Hermiston (centre) with Warwickshire's top team.

Congratulations go to Stagecoach Manchester’s long serving members of staff who between them have clocked up an impressive 760 years.

The annual long service dinner was held at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel in November, when presentations were also made to mark the retirement of Eddie Sutcliffe, Roy Martin and David Purser.

Congratulations are in order for the successful candidates who attended an NVQ awards event, held by Stagecoach in South Wales at Cwmbran.

They were:

NVQ RPT Level 2: Leigh Boulter, Paul Ford, William Hayman, Wayne Powell, Raymond Reynolds, Jeffrey Thomas, Janice Harris, Philip Rees, Garry Needs, Cheryl Smith, Philip Arnold, Stephen Wilding and Lawrence Willson.

NVQ Level 3 – Driving Instruction: Anthony Hughes, Honri Jones, Peter Rothwell, Jeremy Tranter and Gerald Williams.

Level 2 Certificate – Transport Engineering Maintenance, Mechanical Engineer: Paul Hawkins and Ashleigh Price.

Level 3 Certificate – Transport Engineering Maintenance, Mechanical Engineer, Completion of Apprenticeship in Transport Engineering and Maintenance: Steven Wakely.

Apprentices: Lloyd Thomas (Cwmbran) – Apprentice of the Year for year one, Company Best Apprentice and Best Result in S&B College (Shield); David Phillips (Merthyr) – 3rd place as Apprentice of the Year for year two; Daniel May (Porth) – Best Apprentice for Overcoming Fears at the Outward-Bound course.

Seven centuries of service

The award recipients at Stagecoach Manchester’s annual presentation dinner.

South Wales harvests awards

The Stagecoach in South Wales award winners.

Awards were presented by Mark Threapleton, Managing Director of Stagecoach Manchester.

Accepting awards on the evening were:

45 years – William Revill, Stockport.

40 years – David Murray and Michael Taylor, both Stockport, and Terence Rawcliffe, Glossop.

35 years – Thomas Bumby and Peter Riley, both Hyde Road; William Fairhurst, Mike Regan and John Ward, all Princess Road; Bob Gee, Thomas Harrop and John Williams, all Stockport, and Dick Grenfell, Head Office.

30 years – David Hewitt and Stuart Gaw, both Stockport; Philip Sparham, Glossop; Peter Williams, SSC; Colin Williamson, Princess Road, and Tony Wilson, Head Office.

25 years – William Bryce and John Clinton, both Princess Road; Kevin Harrison, Stockport, and Kevin Hodkin, IT Support.

Retirees – Eddie Sutcliffe, 32 years; Roy Martin, 35 years, and David Purser, 36 years.

Winter 06/0716

Vietnam trek doubles hospice cashStaff at the Stagecoach Bedford depot recently donated £500 to The River Bank Children’s Ward at Bedford Hospital. The money was raised with a raffle earlier in the year. Vince Malandra (left), Chairman of the Amenities Fund, and Andrew Pike (right), are seen handing over the cheque to Nurse Naomi Sinclair. Also pictured is Zoe Page, Bedford Operations Manager, along with children from the ward and their mums.

Staff at Stagecoach Group’s headquar-ters in Perth have helped raise hundreds of pounds for good causes.

The Children in Need campaign total was boosted by £223 thanks to the fund-raising efforts of staff, who undertook a range of sponsored activities, including home baking.

Wear it Pink Day raised £215, including £50 for Scottish Breast Cancer, as employees gave their work-day clothes a splash of colour.

Boxes of presents were collected by

Stagecoach employees as part of the Shoebox Appeal, led by the humanitarian charity Blythswood Care.

They are part of a consignment of 140,000 Christmas presents that are are either on their way or already delivered to children, families and the elderly in some of the poorest parts of Europe.

Boxes have contained everything from a bar of soap or a pair of socks to a toothbrush or a small toy – things that are simple necessities to us but luxuries to many in Eastern Europe.

A Stagecoach boss who raised cash for charity by trekking in Vietnam has doubled his money.

Paul Southgate, Managing Director of Stagecoach in Kent, walked his way to £20,000 for sick children after the company matched his sponsorship sum.

Paul (52) endured an 11-day challenge, walking for at least eight hours a day, to boost the coffers for Demelza Hospice in Sittingbourne.

Despite being the eldest of the group, he held his own alongside 15 other trekkers in hot and humid conditions – walking 100km between Hanoi and the Pu Luong Nature Reserve.

Paul encountered uninhabited areas of Vietnam, with nothing but a satellite phone in case of emergencies, and many villages that had never before been visited by Europeans.

Before the trip, he raised sponsorship money among his colleagues in Kent and, on behalf of the company, Chief Executive Brian Souter pledged the same amount again on completion of the

Generous staff boost for children's ward funds

Star trek: Paul Southgate and Shirley Spencer at the Demelza children’s hospice.

challenge. Shirley Spencer, Demelza Hospice

Events Manager, joined Paul on the trek and, after receiving his £20,000 cheque, presented him with a medallion.

She said: “Thanks to the determination of Paul and his fellow walkers, we expect

the trek to have raised more than £45,000 and we really appreciate the support and friendship offered by Stagecoach staff throughout the year.”

For more information, or to make a donation, contact the charity on 01795 845 200 or visit www.demelza.org.uk

HQ staff help good causes

Inverness drivers take on the RockiesStagecoach in Inverness drivers Alex Mackenzie and Keith Biggerstaff recently celebrated completing the Canadian Rockies Cycle Challenge 2006.

Raising £7,630 for the Highland Hospice, which provides specialist palliative care free of charge to those who need it in the Highlands and Islands, the drivers endured tough cycling conditions, covering 250 miles in just five days.

The route, known as the Golden Triangle, covers diverse terrain within Western Canada, spanning three World Heritage National Parks, many historical points of interest and hundreds of miles of wildlife habitat.

Alex and Keith have extended thanks to Stagecoach and the Gloag Foundation for helping them reach such a target with the donation of £1,000 and sponsored cycle tops. Thanks have also been expressed to their colleagues in the Inverness and Tain depots for their kind donations and the many passengers on their routes that contributed to the collection.

Top that: Alex and Keith show off their Stagecoach sponsored cycle tops whilst taking in the view of Peyto Lake from Bow Pass.

Giving a lift to charity walkers might seem a contradic-tion but when there are many miles to be covered in aid of a very worthy cause, Stagecoach West is always happy to help.

The Five Valleys Walk is an annual event that takes in 21 miles of beautiful Cotswold countryside to raise money for the Meningitis Trust. The year’s event attracted 1,800 walkers and aimed to raise £55,000.

One of the event co-ordinators is Stagecoach West driver John Evans and, to show its support, the company provides walkers with free transport around the valley.

Stagecoach Bluebird staff commemo-rated Engineering Director Mike Reid’s retirement by commissioning a carica-ture of him hard at work to present at his leaving party.

The print depicts Mike in full Celtic regalia – Welsh rugby strip and kilt in family tartan – providing support for a Bluebird coach… something he did frequently during his time with the company!

Mike’s popularity with his colleagues and friends in the industry meant that this was the third event to celebrate his departure. Students at Anniesland College, Glasgow, took part in a competition to come up with the caricature with the winning illustration penned by Gary Brander, a graphic design and illustration student.

Mike has been in the bus industry for 41 years, and joined Stagecoach in September 1994 with Western Scottish. Since January 2000 he has been Engineering Director at Stagecoach Bluebird. Mike has contributed greatly to the growth and success of Bluebird, particularly through the rapid fleet

expansion since 1994.Mike’s family home has been in

Ayrshire since 1994 and he feels the time is right for him to spend more time with his family and join his wife, Jane, in their guest house business.

All aboard on charity walk

Best feet forward: A few of the walkers who participated in this year’s Five Valleys Walk with a couple of the Stagecoach West buses provided for the occasion.

Staff put Mike in the picture

Bluebird staff present the gift to Mike.

Double retirement whammy in RugbyRugby has bade farewell to two of its most popular bus drivers – Chris Eddon and Peter Tallet.

Chris has taken early retirement to help wife Deanna with her Mayoral duties. She became the Mayor of Daventry, and Chris the Mayor’s Consort, after four years as town councillor and now they are required to attend a variety of town council functions.

Chris (64) joined Midland Red in Rugby 20 years ago as a continental tour driver when the company operated coaches as far afield as Austria, Germany and Holland.

He later switched to touring Britain and travelling to Scotland and the south coast of England. He has enjoyed a varied career with National Express and Stagecoach.

He took an active role at Rugby Depot, which later became Stagecoach. He served on the union committee for many years and, for the last five years of his service with Stagecoach, was the depot health and safety officer.

Peter has finally decided to hang up his driving gloves after leaving and re-joining the company 17 times. His long career began in 1962 when he joined Leamington Depot in the days of Midland Red.

After spending nine years driving local bus services, he decided to switch to coach driving and left the company for the first time.

And, a qualified heavy plant operator, he has, over the years, preferred to spend the warmer months working on construction sites driving bulldozers and dumper trucks.

He re-joined the Rugby depot in the early 1980s and has also experienced a short spell at Nuneaton.