ON STAGEThe newsletter of Stagecoach Group

INSIDE

1

Issue 113 | January 2016

Great service rewarded page 2 | Retired bus goes back to school page 8

Nominate your 2016 Stagecoach ChampionsTHE SEARCH is under way for the Stagecoach Champions of 2016 – so make sure you nominate someone you think is deserving of a Champions Award.Now in their seventh year, the awards have already seen more than 120 employees from across the Group being honoured for their outstanding efforts in a number of fields.The 2016 awards will again recognise success in the categories of Safety, Environment, Community, Health, Customer Service and Innovation.Employees from across the Group’s bus and rail businesses in the UK and North America are invited to nominate colleagues who they believe are making a real difference in any of these areas.For the Customer Service category we will once

Improving accessibility

Stagecoach Director of Communications Steven Stewart with Katie and Karl who are involved in the Whizz-Kidz campaign

more be calling on the help of the millions of passengers who use our bus and rail services each year, inviting them to put forward their recommendations for their Stagecoach Champion. Their views and those of our own team of employees will be considered in deciding the award.Gold, Silver and Bronze awards are presented for each category and shortlisted entrants receive a trophy and a cash prize.We are giving employees plenty of time to submit their nominations. This year, the deadline for nominations is the end of May with an awards ceremony to follow later in the year.To nominate your Champion, just download a nomination form from the FAQ section under

‘Media’, at www.stagecoach.com.Then email the completed form to champions@stagecoachgroup.com or send it by post to Lindsay Reid, Corporate Communications Manager, Stagecoach Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 5TW. You can nominate yourself or one of your colleagues.For innovation nominations we would like to hear about employees who have ideas that could make a difference to the business and our customers in the future. Simply give details of the idea being put forward and explain whether it has been implemented within the business yet or not.Nominations close on Friday 27 May 2016.

Bus travel has never been easier STAGECOACH is supporting a new campaign to

improve transport accessibility for young wheelchair users.A report from disabled children’s charity Whizz-Kidz found that many wheelchair users, as well as their families and carers, are unable to travel as independently as they would like and do not feel confident enough to use public transport.The Get on Board report shows that barriers in accessing public transport remain, despite significant investment in accessibility improvements in recent years. Issues can include a lack of accessible transport near where respondents live and the attitude of staff or other passengers.Stagecoach, which operates around 8,500 buses and coaches across the UK, has invested more than £650 million in past eight years to introduce more low-floor buses and coaches to help wheelchair users and people with mobility difficulties.The company has dedicated disability helplines and has taken steps to enforce wheelchair spaces on its buses. Stagecoach has also invested in a sector-leading driver training programme, which includes employees receiving dedicated guidance on the challenges faced by people with disabilities and how to help them.

MILLIONS of Stagecoach bus passengers are benefiting from easier journeys after the company launched a new responsive website that lets customers check live running times for their services and buy travel straight from their smartphone.As part of a new online platform at www.stagecoachbus.com Stagecoach launched the UK’s first nationwide online bus planning service to help its two million daily customers access journey and ticketing information more easily for Stagecoach services across the country.The new website is designed to make it as simple as possible for passengers to plan and book their Stagecoach bus travel across the UK. The site is also accessible from mobile devices, allowing customers to call up journey information and buy tickets while on the move.The website is part of a three-year, £11 million digital investment strategy which includes investment by Stagecoach in redeveloping its UK Bus online platform, delivering real-time

Turn to page 3 to find out more about the Stagecoach Champions Awards 2016.

Continued on page 2

Stagecoach is backing the Whizz-Kidz campaign, which recently formed a national Accessible Travel Alliance – an industry-leading group made up of forward-thinking travel operators, to make a real and lasting difference to disabled people’s experience of travel.Steven Stewart, Director of Communications for Stagecoach Group, said: “Everyone involved in transport has a responsibility to work together to make the door-to-door journeys of people with disabilities better.”

ON STAGE

2

Did you know? Stagecoach HQ staff raised £1,000 for Women’s Aid in Perth through a Christmas raffle and Christmas Jumper Day

What a Laugh!Heard on board a train…

Customer: “These Virgin East Coast Trains go just about everywhere, don’t they?!”

If you have seen or heard something funny – online, in the papers, on social media or just while out and about – send your contributions for the ‘What a Laugh’ section in the next edition to lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com

Joining forces to benefit customers

Great service rewardedEAST Midlands Trains staff recently gathered in Nottingham for the company’s annual Great Service Awards.Now in their fourth year, the awards recognise staff who ‘go the extra mile’ and really make a difference to customers and improve the service on offer.A record 1,616 nominations were received from customers and colleagues across 26 award categories. Each runner-up and winner received a trophy and certificate presented by Jake Kelly, Managing Director of East Midlands Trains.The main award of the night was the ‘Outstanding Individual’. The winner was Kim Cinavas from Sleaford station who received more than 100 nominations from customers and colleagues.Kim was also named the Ticket Office Staff Member of the Year.Other notable winners included Wendy Cunningham, based in Derby, who received the Unsung Hero Award, and Karen Miller from Leicester station who won the Outstanding Contribution to the Community Award. Kevin Arthur from Derby was named as Fleet Staff of the Year.Over 90 nominations were received for Welcome

MEGABUS.COM has opened its 50th domestic journey in France.Prior to the liberalisation of the coach market, megabus.com ran only one domestic journey. The latest announcement means that the company now offers more than 50 domestic journey pairings in France, between 27 destinations, with fares from just €1.The new routes are being delivered from megabus.com’s existing Lyon depot, with a new crew base established in Tourcoing, near Lille. The company also recently opened an operating base in Bordeaux and a crew base in Nantes, and has so far created employment for around 180 French staff.megabus.com Managing Director Edward Hodgson said: “The decision by the French government to open up coach travel is proving to be a massive boost for the country. megabus.com is delighted to be a big part of that.”

LONDON’S Waterloo Station was the venue for a romantic marriage proposal, with a bit of help from South West Trains.The train company helped customer Kevin Coleman pop the question to girlfriend Emma-Louise Ward by displaying the proposal on the customer information screens at the station while Kevin got down on one knee.Emma-Louise was delighted to accept, and the couple are now planning their wedding.

CONTACTLESS travel could be in place on every bus in Britain by 2022 under ambitious multi-million-pound plans being developed by the country’s major transport groups.Britain’s five main bus operators – Stagecoach, First Bus, Go-Ahead, Arriva and National Express – are working together to produce a business case which is expected to be completed by late spring 2016.The scheme could see new EMV contactless technology installed on every one of the UK’s buses outside London and would offer cashless travel for those who want it and capped pay-as-you-go-fares in all urban areas.Contactless transactions are already accepted on London’s buses. This new project would complement that scheme, covering more than 1,200 bus operators in England, Scotland and Wales, and making contactless travel available for 5.2 billion bus passenger journeys a year across Britain. Associated government

legislation would be needed to ensure contactless ticketing was offered by all individual bus operators.The development of the bus contactless plan comes just weeks after the major operators completed the introduction of smart multi-operator bus ticketing in all nine of England’s smart city regions with support from local transport authorities. It is making public transport more accessible in regions which account for around 15 million people – over a quarter of England’s population. A similar project is now underway in Scotland to deliver the same benefits to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen.Robert Montgomery, Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director and chair of the major operators’ steering group on smart ticketing, said: “This contactless initiative would be the biggest smart ticketing project ever delivered in Britain and a major milestone in providing simpler travel for the millions of people who rely on buses.”

information and improving payment options.In 2016, the transport group will also introduce a mobile app for customers as part of its strategy.Key features of the new website include a clearer, more user-friendly journey planner allowing customers to plan journeys across a number of Stagecoach bus companies. There’s also an online fare calculator, a simple online booking system and a tool to download personalised timetables.Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director Robert Montgomery said: “Our customers want seamless

Kevin got down on one knee at Waterloo Station while his proposal was displayed on a customer information screen.

journeys – from planning their trip and buying tickets, to getting real-time travel information and catching the bus.“That’s what we are aiming to deliver and we believe this new website will help make life easier for all of our passengers, no matter how often or how little they use the bus.“We’ll also continue to embrace further developments in technology to ensure we can deliver even better bus services for our customers in the future.”

Bus travel has never been easierContinued from page 1

Host of the Year and this year’s winner was Charlotte Cordner from Derby station.Joy Iggleden from Nottingham was named Train Manager of the Year, while Stephen Carlyle-Hearn, a senior conductor based in Norwich scooped the brand new ‘Voice of East Midlands Trains’ award.Liz Haynes, a greatly valued member of East Midlands Trains was also presented with a special Lifetime Contribution Award.Jake Kelly said: “We have some fantastic people and Great Service Awards are a fantastic opportunity to recognise all the hard work and commitment that they put in on behalf of our customers.”

The winners of the East Midlands Trains Great Service Awards 2015

nFrench connections

nWaterloo wedding bells

ON STAGELifesaver awarded ... find out more on page 5.

3

Nominate your 2016 Stagecoach Champions

First stop for Tram Train

nTrain services transformed

nSanta’s golden carriage

nMidnight bus marks end of era

Look out for updates on the awards and the shortlisted nominees in future editions of On Stage. Nominations close Friday 27 May 2016.

CATEgorIES for 2016Safety Champion: Awarded to employees who have championed good safety or excelled in dealing with a specific situation or incident.Environment Champion: Presented to individuals who have championed greener working practices and sustainability, such as improving energy efficiency, reducing the company’s carbon emissions or developing innovative ways to get people to switch from the car to public transport.

Community Champion: Recognises employees who have made a significant contribution to the local community through charitable fundraising or volunteering.Health Champion: For employees who have done most to promote employee health within the Group.Customer Service Champion: Presented to individuals who have gone the extra mile to deliver exceptional customer service.Innovation Champion: For employees who can suggest the best new ideas across any area of the business, whether it’s the launch of a new product, the introduction of a new system or a way of saving the company money.

Continued from page 1

THE UK’S first Tram Train has arrived in Sheffield from Spain and is now based at Supertram’s Nunnery depot.Passengers in the county will be the first in the UK to benefit from the innovative vehicles which have the signalling, power supply, control and communication technology to run on both street tram lines and the rail network.Painted in Stagecoach Supertram’s blue, orange and red, three Tram Trains an hour will run between Sheffield and Rotherham from 2017.The arrival of the first of seven Tram Trains marks an important landmark for the two-year pilot scheme, delivered by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), Network Rail, Stagecoach Supertram, Northern Rail and the Department for Transport.Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “This is a great milestone in the pioneering Tram Train project which, when complete, will mean better journeys for passengers in South Yorkshire, as well as helping to boost the economy of the local area and beyond.”

SOUTH West Trains passengers in the west of England are benefiting from extra seats, new services and more frequent connections to London following the introduction of an improved timetable.The increase in services, which adds 8,000 seats every week across the region, was developed with local stakeholders and followed extensive consultation with local communities – transforming services for passengers throughout the West of England.In addition to the extra services, passengers will also be travelling on a fleet of newly refurbished trains.Tim Shoveller, Managing Director for South West Trains, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be introducing a much improved timetable for the West of England which transforms the services on offer for many stations and the local communities they serve.”

BUS enthusiasts gathered at Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire’s Eaves Lane bus depot for a midnight ride to mark the closure of the depot.A Stagecoach bus branded with traditional Old Ribble Conservation Trust colours made its final journey to Eaves Lane. It was followed by a new Gold bus which drove to the depot to mark the end of operations there.Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire Managing Director Elisabeth Tasker said: “It was right that we marked the relocation of this engineering facility with this special event showcasing Stagecoach’s heritage and the company’s ongoing commitment to innovative engineering.”

SANTA set a new ‘gold standard’ in travel when he arrived in Exeter on a luxury bus, encouraging shoppers to donate and decorate themselves for charity.Teaming up with Exeter Leukaemia Fund (ELF), Stagecoach South West brought Santa to Exeter on one of the company’s new Gold buses, which feature leather seats, extra legroom, free Wifi and USB ports.The event was in aid of ELF’s EARS 4 ELF day, which is helping to raise awareness and funds to help families across Devon affected by blood cancers and blood disorders.

Speaking on behalf of the Tram Train project team, SYPTE Executive Director Steve Edwards added: “Tram Train will demonstrate the potential of this new technology to deliver value-for-money services. And, if the pilot is successful, it opens the way for Tram Trains to be introduced in other parts of the country.”Major works to make the scheme a reality also include the electrification of the rail network between Sheffield and Rotherham, building new Tram Train platforms at Rotherham Central and Parkgate, and the construction of a new 160-metre section of track called the ‘Tinsley Chord’, linking the tramway to the train line near Meadowhall.

Tram Trains are set to run between Sheffield and Rotherham in 2017

The Chester City Sightseeing team, including Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire Managing Director Elisabeth Tasker (centre), collect their award

Top attractionCHESTER City Sightseeing operation, run by Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire, recently won the award for Small Visitor Attraction of the Year at the Marketing Cheshire Awards.The team will now go on to represent Cheshire at the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2016 which will take place during English Tourism Week in March.

Santa meets a young fan in Exeter

ON STAGE

4

Did you know? megabus.com ran services throughout the whole of the festive season, including on Christmas Day

Golden generation

Birthday celebration

nEdward’s a star driver

nShow on the road

nMeals on wheels

GRIMSBY’S Simplibus network celebrated its first anniversary by inviting people to a Christmas-themed birthday party on one of the biggest shopping days of the year.A £4m investment saw a fleet of 28 new buses introduced last year, with one bus hidden by wrapping paper unveiled in the centre of Grimsby as an early ‘Christmas present’ for the town.One year on, Stagecoach staff were in Grimsby running competitions and games for shoppers, and providing travel information about Simplibus.Jon Donnelly, Stagecoach East Midlands Commercial Manager North, said: “The Christmas Party is a chance to say thank you to some of the many

FOLLOWING a £7.5 million investment, Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lanarkshire has rolled out the first ‘next-generation’ brand of luxury Stagecoach Gold busses.The company has added 18 brand new Enviro 300 luxury vehicles to its Merseyside fleet and, to celebrate, handed out around 500 ‘golden tickets’ giving customers the chance to win prizes.“This is an exciting time for the business,” said Elisabeth Tasker, Managing Director for Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire.“Our new fleet of Gold-standard buses are top of the range and will deliver a new level of quality for passengers.”

COACH Canada is proud to have yet another employee named Driver of the Year by the Ontario Motor Coach Association.Edward Rodrigues earned the accolade thanks to his friendly, punctual, dependability and having a very positive attitude.He is often requested for multi-day trips, and receives many letters from customers praising him and his abilities and professionalism.

PECKISH passengers are tucking in to a new on-board catering service on East Midlands Trains services between Nottingham and Peterborough.An at-seat catering trolley service is now provided on 24 trains every weekday, offering hot and cold drinks, snacks and sandwiches at competitive prices.This is the first time a catering service has ever been offered on this part of the busy Liverpool to Norwich route by East MIdlands Trains, and represents the company’s major investment to deliver an improved experience for its customers.Adrian Allen, Service Proposition Manager for East Midlands Trains said: “We know how important it is for our customers to be able to have a drink or a snack whilst they’re on the move, and the new service will deliver a significantly improved service for the thousands of people who use this route every day.”

SHOPPERS, workers and visitors to Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield were offered some exciting prizes during a series of special festive megabus.com roadshows.The Merry Mega Roadtrip visited the locations along with mascot Sid, who was Santa for the day and enjoyed giving out sweets and Christmas stockings filled with megabus.com goodies and taking selfies with visitors.Several lucky winners also received £500 of high street vouchers.Edward Hodgson, Managing Director for megabus.com UK and Europe, said: “This was our opportunity to get right to the heart of the communities we serve. By visiting cities across the country with Sid and the gang we hope we raised a smile with our customers.”megabusGold.com – which operates overnight sleepercoach services – also recently held a series of successful roadshows in several locations across Scotland including Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Run-in with world-beatersSTAGECOACH Cumbria stepped into help two world record holders recently as they took part in a running and cycling challenge.Rob Young (also known as Marathonmanuk), who holds the record for the most marathons run in a year, and Adam Holland (AKA Tango), who is the record holder for the fastest 10 marathons run on 10 consecutive days, recently passed through Carlisle on the UK leg of Walk for Peace.The Walk for Peace started in Kenya and Rob and Adam ran and cycled 1,900 miles between them in just 25 days. While in Carlisle, they had

a mechanical problem with their bike which engineering manager Carl Thornborrow helped arrange to be fixed before they headed off to continue their challenge.

Rob (left) and Adam with Amanda Kirtley, Engineering Administration Co-ordinator with Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire

people who use Simplibus to shop, visit friends and commute – and remind shoppers that getting the bus is a great way to beat the parking log-jam at Christmas!”

The Simplibus party gets under way

Hackers get on boardSOME of the world’s most skilled computer programmers, designers and entrepreneurs travelled with South West Trains and Virgin Trains recently.The company supported this year’s HackTrain, a 48-hour event involving a team of 120 ‘hackers’ travelling up and down the country working on solutions for a range of challenges faced by the rail industry.

Stagecoach and Virgin were part of a small number of rail operators sponsoring the HackTrain Event event earlier this year.James Vickers, Commercial & Business Development Director for South West Trains, said: “As part of Stagecoach, we have a good reputation for coming up with innovative solutions and we’re therefore pleased to be playing a part in this exciting initiative that will hopefully deliver new ideas to benefit our customers.”

Merseyside Managing Director Elisabeth Tasker with Operations Director Rob Jones and Engineering Director Tony Cockroft

ON STAGE

5

npiCTuRE ThiSTHIS edition’s Picture This winner was taken by Neil Mackinnon, UK Bus Data & Market Analyst. It shows a Stagecoach Cumbria service on the Honister Pass in the Lake Distict.Congratulations to Neil who will shortly receive his prize of £50 in M&S vouchers.If you have any good photos for Picture This, please send them to Lindsay Reid, On Stage, Stagecoach Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 5TW, or email them to lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com

Footie fundraisers

Red hot and blue

Do we have the X Factor? ... find out more on page 6.

nLittle voices make big impression

nCapital carol-oke

nLifesaver honoured

STAFF from Stagecoach East Midlands kicked off a sporty charity fundraising event.Employees from the Lincoln Depot took to the football field to raise more than £500 for the Bransby Horses rescue and welfare charity.Marc Harris, Lincoln driver and organiser of the event, said: “Overall the match was played in good spirit and at a high tempo. Unfortunately Stagecoach Lincoln lost 2-1, however Bransby Horses were the real winners”.East Midlands Managing Director Michelle Hargreaves said: “After the success of the first football match, played in memory of one of our drivers Paul Farrell, we decided that it would be great to hold another one to support a great local charity.“The match was a lot of fun and the players all

SOUTH West Trains got into the spirit of Children in Need in advance of the national fundraising day.A group of Year Two pupils from St Mark’s Preschool in Salisbury spent time with the Wessex Integrated Control Centre (WICC) team, recording PA announcements that played across the network.The excited group of five children and their families boarded a train from Salisbury to Waterloo and began learning their lines as soon as they arrived.After a few practice runs, the youngsters got on with recording some important messages which were played out during Children in Need day on 13 November.Arthur Bonczoszek said his announcement was ‘easy peasy lemon squeezy’!The group then spent the rest of the day sightseeing in London, courtesy of South West Trains.

PASSENGERS at London’s Waterloo Station enjoyed a special musical treat over the festive season.Two school choirs led a Christmas carol concert, accompanied by a full-sized traditional organ. The event raised money for food banks in Waterloo and Sherborne and all donations were gratefully received.The finale included a ‘Carol-oke’ session, with passengers, staff and station visitors encouraged to join in.Chris Loder, Head of Service Strategy for South West Trains, said: “The choirs and musicians helped to create a really fantastic festive atmosphere in London Waterloo while helping to raise funds for two very worthwhile charities.”

VIRGIN Trains unveiled some colourful new train identities recently.The Red Hot Flying Scot, the company’s new-look Flying Scotsman train, was launched by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.Meanwhile Christmas-themed trains Claus 91 and the Penguilino were in-service throughout the festive season on each coast.The Pendolino and Class 91 locos showcased the artistic talents of nine-year-old Amber Maxfield and Madeleine Deakin (11), and the striking blue liveries combined with the kids’ drawings certainly turned a few heads.

A LIFESAVING Stagecoach driver received special recognition at the Hampshire Chief Constable Award Ceremony.Peter Levesque helped save the life of a customer who became ill on board his vehicle and was presented with an award at the ceremony in Hampshire Constabulary’s Southampton HQ.The event allowed Chief Constable Andy Marsh to reward those who had gone above and beyond the call of duty to make their community safe.

East Midlands staff limber up for the charity football match

peter Levesque receives his award

looked like they were having a great time. It’s fantastic that the match has raised a significant amount of money for Bransby Horses.”

Open for competition

North East staff at their open golf day

STAGECOACH North East employees enjoyed their annual open golf day recently.Five of the six local depots were represented with a total of 30 golfers enjoying the sunshine at Stocksfield golf course.The winner on the day was J.P. Mayne from South Shields depot with a points score of 39. Second and third place went to Peter Wilkinson and Kev Middlemiss, both from Sunderland Depot, with scores of 36 and 35 respectively.Well done to all involved.

The Virgin Trains Christmas locomotives

Did you know? Scottish Citylink ran a record number of special coach services on New Year’s Eve

6

GReeN ScENE

Pedal plaudits for rail companies

nAction on climate change

nFirst regeneration

Showbiz stars have the X34 Factor

Stars sponsoredSparkling new buses for Winchester

‘Olly Murs’ and ‘Simon Cowell’ took centre stage in the ‘X34 Factor’

RAIL companies from Stagecoach Group came out top at the annual National Cycle Rail Awards, scooping three winner’s awards and four Highly Commended honours.East Midlands Trains and South West Trains picked up awards in six out of the ten categories, and were recognised for delivering good customer service and significantly improved cycle facilities.South West Trains won first prize for Best Customer Service for looking after passengers during the annual Prudential Ride London event, a two-day festival of cycling over the summer.The company also picked up top prize for Cycle-Rail Photo of the Year for ‘Flamme Rouge’ (with permission of Ride London), an image taken during the Prudential Ride London event. In the Operator of the Year category South West Trains was highly commended.East Midlands Trains’ General Manager North,

STAGECOACH is supporting pledges to help implement the world’s first universal climate change agreement signed in Paris recently.The Group is among 800 companies, cities, regions and investors from around the globe who have signed The Paris Pledge for Action, while its train companies are among 66 international operators backing the Railway Climate Responsibility Pledge.Following the United Nations COP21 talks in Paris, Stagecoach has also called on governments to prioritise public transport and take urgent, practical steps to incentivise the use of greener buses, coaches, trains and trams instead of cars.East Midlands Trains, South West Trains and Virgin Trains have also signed the Railway Climate Responsibility Pledge. Presented at the Paris climate summit by the International Union of Railways (UIC), it commits companies to reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to global targets to limit climate change.“It is vital the momentum of the agreement in Paris is maintained so it becomes a real and lasting turning point. That means turning pledges into practical action,” said Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Martin Griffiths.“Many individuals, organisations and businesses, like Stagecoach, are making changes in the way they live and work to help protect the future of our planet. That commitment must be matched by government action to prioritise public transport.”

STARSTRUCK passengers experienced a taste of the ‘X Factor’ during the launch of the new combined 34 and X34 services from Leigh to Manchester.An impromptu ‘X34 Factor’ show added showbiz glamour to the regular morning commute, with Olly Murs impersonator and 2015 ‘X Factor’ contestant Jamie Benkert performing a string of hits under the critical eye of Simon Cowell lookalike Andy Monk, who judged from the back of the bus.Stagecoach Manchester has invested £1.5 million in a fleet of new buses with Euro 6 engines to serve the X34 and 34 routes. The buses have been designed to significantly reduce the level of carbon emissions and also provide upgraded levels of safety and comfort.Complimentary Wifi, which is now present in over half of the Stagecoach Manchester fleet,

STAGECOACH Group sponsored the Contribution to Sustainability Award at the 2015 Business Star Awards held by the Perthshire Chamber of Commerce.Lindsay Reid, Stagecoach’s Senior Group Communications Manager, handed over the award to the winning team from Comrie Croft, a popular eco-friendly facility which offers camping, wildlife viewing, mountain biking and other outdoor activities.

THE GREEN Team from Stagecoach West won the Believe in Gloucester ‘Regeneration Award’ for their work on the regeneration of St James City Farm last year.Three of the team – James Williams, Graeme Allardyce and Mike Tandy – attended the event to collect the accolade.Stagecoach West driver Mike Foran also scooped top spot in the Customer Service category. Well done to all.

WINCHESTER was buzzing recently as Stagecoach South launched 18 brand new buses onto the city’s streets and suburbs.The new fleet is part of a new £2.5 million package of improvements for the Winchester Community.In addition to the customary CCTV and GPS tracking technology, the buses have been customised with USB charge ports and WiFi.Stagecoach South’s Managing Director, Michael Watson, said: “The launch event was very well attended, which demonstrates how important buses are to the residents and businesses of Winchester.”

The Stagecoach West Green Team with their Regeneration Award

Jonny Wiseman, was named UK Rail Cycle Champion for his extensive work to improve cycling facilities at stations across the East Midlands Trains network.Meanwhile, Malcolm Page, Estates Development Manager for South West Trains, was also highly commended in this category. The judges praised Malcolm for working with stakeholders to successfully deliver new cycle schemes at stations.Phil Dominey, Stakeholder & Accessibility Manager for South West Trains, said: “Since the start of the South West Trains franchise, we have added around 6,000 extra cycle spaces to our stations, and we have worked in partnership with local authorities and partners such as ATOC to improve the quality of our facilities for cyclists.”Jonny Wiseman, General Manager North for East Midlands Trains, said: “It’s a real honour to be recognised as UK Rail Cycle Champion this year.”

also features on the new buses, along with USB charging points.Stagecoach Manchester Managing Director Christopher Bowles said: “It’s down to local transport providers to make sure there are regular and accessible transport links for local people travelling into Manchester, which will help the wider region grow together with the city.”

ON STAGE

7

This month’s claim to fame ... find out more on page 8.

nChristmas spirit

Hi,I wanted to pass on my compliments to whoever thought up StagecoachSmart. I have not had any issues with it and have been really impressed by the service I have received.Also, I have recently started a newish job that is further away so I take several buses to and from work and have no complaints!Though the buses can be a little annoying at times, traffic and congestion is normal so I don’t mind. The bus drivers are mostly lovely and considerate and the buses are often very clean and work well.Overall, a great service and I simply wanted to say thank you to everyone who works at Stagecoach – yes, even you, you lovely customer service person.

Many thanks, name suppliedEmail sent to StagecoachSmart customer service

Dear Sir/Madam,I travel on the Grantham bus from Waddington to Lincoln on a regular basis.

LETTERS OF pRAiSEIf you or one of your colleagues has received a letter of praise from a customer, please email a copy to lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com or post it to Lindsay Reid, Senior Group Communications Manager, Stagecoach Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 5TW. We will publish as many as possible.

npictures at the park and ride

nBig investment means more room for travellers

KATRINA Leese, Stagecoach Group’s Deputy Treasurer, picked up two awards recently for her charity fundraising work.She collected an individual award as well as an award on behalf of Stagecoach Group, for Best Third Party Event at the annual Down’s Syndrome Scotland Fundraising Awards.The accolades followed a successful ‘Down Right Fabulous Ball’ organised by Katrina and her friend Sarah Robertson with help and support from a team at Stagecoach, including Katie Loudon.Both Katrina and Sarah have young children with Down’s Syndrome who have been supported by the charity.

FESTIVE film magic filled Stagecoach Manchester’s Hazel Grove Park & Ride when it was transformed into a drive-in cinema for a special charity event.More than 450 movie-loving motorists flocked to the facility to watch ‘Frozen’, ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ and ‘Elf’.The event raised more than £2,300 for Stagecoach Manchester’s charity partner, Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention.“It really felt like Christmas came early for the people of Stockport, as we all enjoyed some festive film classics while raising money for such a worthy cause,” said Stagecoach Manchester Managing Director Christopher Bowles.

South Wales’ Aberdare depot Green Road champion Gareth Walker (pictured) got into the spirit of Christmas at the depot’s annual admin staff Christmas lunch.

THE £65 MILLION roll-out of extra carriages for South West Trains passengers has passed an important milestone with the delivery of the final refurbished Class 456 train, providing more space for passengers.The extra and refurbished carriages come as part of the Government’s High Level Output Specification Programme (HLOS), adding 108 refurbished carriages across the network. All feature wider doors to help passengers get on and off more easily, plus improved seating, full CCTV and new flooring.This is the first stage of the multi-million-pound investment which ultimately will see more than 250 additional carriages in use across the network.Christian Roth, Engineering Director for South West Trains, said: “This roll-out is an absolutely crucial part of the biggest improvements made to this network since the 1930s which, when completed, will provide a 30% increase in space for passengers during the busiest times of the day.”

One driver stands out as just the nicest person. For instance, yesterday he helped with great patience a lady who was not sure she was on the correct bus. She gave him a rather complicated story of where she wanted to be and he sorted it out for her, and then told her when to alight then gave directions of where she wanted to go!On the same journey the bus became packed with school children. A lady with a pushchair wanted to get on the busy bus and he politely asked the youngsters if they would go upstairs to let the lady on, which they did. When most of them alighted at Bracebridge Heath he thanked each and every one of them.He is very pleasant and handles even difficult people with diplomacy and tact.I saw him on the bus today, his usual cheery and pleasant self. He really seems to love his job and take a professional pride in it. I just feel he should be recognised for the brilliant work he does, turning a bus journey into a pleasant experience.

Name suppliedEmail sent to group Communications team

South West Trains is investing to offer passengers more space

All new at Virgin TrainsVIRGIN Trains has launched its brand new services to London from Sunderland and Stirling as well as unveiling the first of its newly refurbished trains as part of a £40 million project to improve its customers’ experience.Business, civic and community leaders joined Virgin Trains on-board the inaugural services, with the new Sunderland service being met at London King’s Cross Station by the UK Rail Minister, Claire Perry MP, who named the Virgin Train ‘Spirit of Sunderland’.The new services mark a major milestone in Virgin Trains’ ambitious plans to transform services on its east coast route, which include a £21 million overhaul of its fleet of 45 trains.In March 2015 the company spelt out plans to

invest £140 million over eight years. A fleet of 65 brand new Virgin Trains will also be introduced on the east coast from 2018.David Horne, Managing Director of Virgin Trains East Coast, said: “This is a hugely exciting for us as we launch more services. Our new fleet of trains arrive in 2018, but we want to ensure the trains people are catching right now deliver the same comfort and glamour for which Virgin Trains is known.”

Charity ball earns awards

Katrina Leese (left) and Sarah Robertson collect their award

The ‘Spirit of Sunderland’ train

ON STAGE

8

RADIO 1 presenter Huw Stephens got on-board in South Wales recently, travelling on the Stagecoach Service 120 as he filmed a documentary about Welsh Music.Staff were pleased to meet him and make sure he got from A to B smoothly.

Radio roadshowIf you, or one of your colleagues, have a claim to fame – perhaps a hidden talent, a meeting with a celebrity or an interesting hobby – please email details to lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com

Huw Stephens

Rocky hits the road with VIP passengers

megabus.com backs German charity

Did you know? Staff at Stagecoach East Midlands have raised almost £2,000 for UK war veterans

nMayor’s Award for Guildford

nTurkey Trot teamwork

MEGABUS.COM has celebrated its first year of providing domestic travel in Germany by joining forces with one of the country’s nationwide charities, Arbeiterkind.deFive megabus.com vehicles will promote the charity on routes across Germany with the Arbeiterkind.de logo added to the outside of the vehicle. The charity

CHILDREN receiving treatment for brain tumours were given their very own open-top double-decker bus for the afternoon in Nottingham.The youngsters from the Nottingham Queens Medical Centre enjoyed tours around the site on board Rocky, a member of the Skegness Seasiders family of buses, after fundraising efforts raised £1,000 for the Research Centre from the sales of the Stagecoach East Midlands Seasiders Christmas story book.Stagecoach handed over £1,000 as part of ongoing fundraising efforts for the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre (CBTRC) charity, which has seen more than £20,000 raised so far.Louise Wright, Publicity Officer for Stagecoach East Midlands, has a personal connection with the CBTRC. Her daughter, Leah Brockbank, battled with a brain tumour for three years and was treated at the centre.

GUILDFORD Station has been honoured with The Mayor’s Award for Access 2015 – Customer Service.The station was highly praised and recognised for the level of service they deliver in a joint effort from all Guildford colleagues.Nominations for the award were sent to the Guildford Access Group from people with disabilities who live in or visit the borough.Venkatesh Nathan Sankaran, Flagship Station Manager, said: “Our team who are at the front of meeting, greeting and helping our customers make all the difference.“This award goes a long way in thanking our people who passionately put our customers first, ensuring their journey is a safe and memorable experience.”

PUPILS from Westoe Crown Primary School in South Shields have been working hard to help turn a retired bus into a funky new library for the school.Young DIY-ers gave the bus a marvellous makeover after Stagecoach North East donated the 1995 Volvo Olympian double-decker to the school.Members of the DIY Goldentime Library Club said: “We love working on the bus and it’s just the best lesson of the week. We really want to complete it so we can start using it as our very own library bus.”

CHICAGO Trolley & Double Decker Company was again a proud sponsor of the annual Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.The Turkey Trot is a 5K run/walk that raises money to feed vulnerable people in DuPage County, IL, and 2015’s was the 32nd annual event with 8,222 participants.Chicago Trolley & Double Decker provided two open-top double-decker buses at the start line as stages for the event coordinators and other sponsors to view the start of the race.Seven vehicles also provided shuttles for participants to get to and from the race from remote parking areas.

Leah passed away on January 1 2013, and now Louise continues to raise money for the charity with support from family, friends and Stagecoach colleagues and customers.

Stagecoach hands over the cheque with help from Seasider Rocky

is being promoted on-board through the company’s wireless homepage and megabus.com has also made a financial contribution.ArbeiterKind.de aims to make academic education accessible for everyone, regardless of their social background. The charity provides information and practical support to help and encourage young people from previously non-academic families to go on to further study.megabus.com Managing Director Edward Hodgson said: “We want to make travel and mobility affordable for as many people as possible.“By offering fares from €1, our services are very popular with young people and we help many students travel home from university to visit their families at little expense.“Education and mobility open up new perspectives for young people. We are therefore particularly excited to promote the initiative.”

megabus.com Managing Director Edward Hodgson (right) joins Katja Urbatsch and Wolf Dermann from Arbeiterkind.de along with megabus.com mascot Sid

nBusy bookworms turn bus into library

Westoe Crown Primary School’s DIY Goldentime Library Club are turning a former Stagecoach bus into a school library

ON STAGE

Community spirit

9

Success for graduate managers ... find out more on page 10.

A £1.6 MILLION fleet of new coaches has been launched by Stagecoach West Scotland on its express service between Dumfries and Glasgow.The five new vehicles have free Wifi, power sockets, air conditioning, an on-board toilet and leather reclining seats for up to 68 passengers and one wheelchair. The vehicles also have additional luggage space and bike racks for up to five bikes.Tom Bridge, Managing Director, Stagecoach West Scotland, said: “It’s important that we continue investing in our fleet across West Scotland and make improvements wherever we can to provide luxury travel for our passengers and encourage more people to travel by bus.”

SOUTH West Trains has joined with the London Borough of Hounslow to create London’s first ever Community Rail Partnership.The Partnership aims to bring the community together with the local station as its focus.In other areas, Community Rail Partnerships often include station adoption groups – local volunteer-led groups who look after the general appearance of stations across the network. Their work includes upkeep of flower beds

A NEW Bus Alliance promises big benefits for passengers in the Liverpool area.Stagecoach is part of the new formal alliance with transport body Merseytravel and operator Arriva, aiming to boost the number of fare-paying passengers, improve customer satisfaction and drive up investment for the benefit of all who use bus services.The alliance has set ambitious growth targets of a 10 per cent increase in passenger journeys – the equivalent of over nine million more journeys – by April 2017.The Bus Alliance will take a City Region-wide approach looking at matching bus routes to demand, the clarity of fare structures and value for money. It will also focus on the quality of vehicles, how easy it is to get information, reliability and punctuality of services and the standard of customer service. COACH USA’s Van Galder Bus Company employees

began a new holiday tradition at their corporate headquarters this year.Instead of exchanging gifts, they opted for a ‘Giving Tree’ that supported local charitable causes.“We wanted to give something back to the community that supports us,” said Van Galder General Manager Al Fugate.“We live here, we work here and we are proud to have a positive impact here.”The four organisations supported included student charity Parker Closet, teen charity Project 16.49,

UK BUS apprentices recently joined Juratek Ltd at Brands Hatch Racing Circuit for an exciting racing day.Apprentices Ben Dawson, Ben Houghton and Alex Booth spent two days around the truck racing paddock and enjoying the racing.They were able to see the effort and dedication that the pit crew gave to achieve the best truck performance, coupled with the absolute need for safety and reliability.

STAGECOACH South East’s Dover depot held a cake sale in aid of Children in Need.Sales of the tasty treats helped the team raised more than £320 for the good cause.

Shown launching the new coaches are (from left): David Stewart, Stagecoach Engineering Director; Tom Bridge, Managing Director, Stagecoach West Scotland; Alison McCluskie, Stagecoach Operations Director; Tom McAughtrie, Chairman of SWestrans and William Mainus, Stagecoach Commercial Manager

Luxury fleet for Scottish service

Pit stop for apprentices

nGreen light for bus alliance

nGraeme’s back on-board

nBake-off bonus

The Stagecoach apprentices with truck racing driver Stuart Oliver

the Rock County Cancer Coalition and the Friends of Noah charity.“The response was overwhelming,” said Al. “Proof, once again that our employees are truly fantastic!”

A time for giving

and generally keeping the station clean and appealing to the travelling public.South West Trains’ Head of Business Excellence, Dave Morris, said: “The work of these groups and of station adopters is vital in making our stations feel part of the communities they serve.“We’re pleased that, working with the London Borough of Hounslow, we are able to announce funding of this group. It’s great to see that work is already under way with the introduction of new planter tubs at Hounslow station.”

GRAEME Muir has been appointed Assistant Operations Manager for the Aberhill and St Andrews depots in East Scotland.Graeme began his career with Stagecoach Strathtay in 2008, based at the former Montrose Depot, and has now returned to the Group.He said: “I am excited to be back with Stagecoach.  I’m settling in and finding my feet and getting to know everyone. It’s a great place to start with a friendly bunch of staff.”

Assistant Operations Manager, Graeme Muir

Tammy Dunlavy and Al Fugate with the Giving Tree

ON STAGE

n Who are you? Chris Simpson, Information & Customer Experience Manager in the Wessex Integrated Control Centre (WICC).

n What do you like most about your job? I feel genuinely privileged to work with and help lead a brilliant team who are always focused and dedicated to delivering excellent customer service.

n What do you like least about your job? Getting up at 4.50am for an early shift!

n Favourite food? Roast grouse with some root vegetables.

n Least favourite food? I cannot stand meringue!n What are you most proud of? When I was

younger, I sailed competitively and going to Italy to compete in the Topper World Championships.

n Favourite holiday destination? South Africa. Not only is it one of the most beautiful countries

I’ve ever visited but the braais (barbecues) and food in general is outstanding, not to mention the incredible wine on offer!

n Most embarrassing moment? In my third year at University ‘Gangnam Style’ was the song of the moment. Whilst going hell for leather pretending to ride an imaginary horse in the silent disco I may have extended one of my legs a little high causing my trousers to rip.

n Favourite music? Anything from the ‘80s.n First thing you would do if you won £1m?

I’d probably be really boring and spend half of it on an investment property somewhere before blowing the rest on a five-star round-the-world-trip with my girlfriend!

Editor: Lindsay reid, On Stage, Stagecoach Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 5TWEmail: lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com

If you have a story for On Stage, please contact Lindsay Reid as above. The copy deadline for the next edition of On Stage will be Wednesday 17 february 2016.

Chris Simpson, South West Trains

‘Getting To Know You’ features in every edition of On Stage and we want to hear from as many staff as possible. To suggest the next participant, email lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com

ThE peOpLe pAGE

10

GETTiNG TO KNOW yOu...

n Contacts

n Loyal service

Graduate programme keeps delivering

n Fond farewell to Alan

Centuries of service for Stagecoach South

STAGECOACH Midlands bus driver Alan Plant has retired after 35 years at the company’s Nuneaton depot.Alan worked for Midland Red at Hinckley depot for five years prior to its closing and had a 12-month gap in service before re-joining the company at Nuneaton.“Alan’s commitment to the company over the past 35 years has been exceptional. I hope he enjoys his well-deserved retirement,” said Ian Campbell, Operations Manager at the Nuneaton depot.Alan added: “It will be really strange not driving buses any more. I will miss it and my mates at the depot I am sure but I am also looking forward to retirement.”

ALL of the trainees who joined Stagecoach in 2013 through the UK Bus Division’s Graduate Management Programme have now taken up their first management positions.The two-year programme is made up of structured on-job training combined with a series of off-job specialist management training courses.The strength of the programme lies in the fantastic training support which all of the Operating Companies supply to help with the trainees’ development and progress.After completing the programme, trainees are appointed to their first substantive management roles with the UK Bus Division.

OVER 700 years of loyal service were celebrated at a recent Stagecoach South awards ceremony.Jenny Harris, who last year reached her 50-year milestone, was the longest serving employee, having spent her career running the travel shop in Aldershot.Jenny was joined by Richard Alexander, who

Stagecoach North Scotland has presented 12 members of staff with commemorative long service awards in recognition of their hard work and to celebrate their careers.Two members of staff were recognised for an impressive 40 years’ service. Iris Durno, Administration Clerk from the Peterhead depot, and Philip Russell, Bus Driver from the Elgin depot, were both rewarded for over four decades of service.

Alan plant (left) with ian Campbell, Operations Manager, at the Nuneaton Depot

UK Bus Regional Director Robert Andrew with the group of graduate trainees who are now in their first management positions

Within Stagecoach there are now 13 Directors (including four Managing Directors) and 34 Managers who all began their careers on the graduate management programme.

retired recently after also serving over 50 years in the business.Aldershot driver Mohammed Raja was joined by Winchester Engineering Manager Paul Denne in celebrating 45 years’ service. Meanwhile, Chris Remnant, newly appointed Engineering Director for Stagecoach South, was one of the youngest

award winners, having reached the 20-year mark.Mike Watson, Managing Director for Stagecoach South, said: “It was great to spend time with such loyal employees. We pride ourselves in our training and development opportunities and it is wonderful to see the benefits.”Stagecoach South’s long-serving employees

The group of long-serving employees with North Scotland Managing Director Steve Walker (second left)