ON STAGEThe newsletter of Stagecoach Group

INSIDE

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Issue 114 | March 2016

Author’s on the write road page 3 | Campaign to drive change page 3

I’m a celebrity... let me drive buses!TV personality Ferne McCann has backed Stagecoach’s drive to encourage more women to consider a career in the bus industry.The star – currently a presenter on This Morning – has trained with Stagecoach to become a qualified bus driver. Ferne, who has appeared on The Only Way is Essex and I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, undertook training for her PCV (Passenger Carrying Vehicle) licence with Stagecoach London driving instructor Yvonne Wallin at the company’s West Ham depot in London.Ferne McCann said: “I’m so proud of myself – I never thought in a million years that I would have the chance to even drive a bus and now I can say I’ve actually officially gained my bus driving licence. It’s been a fantastic experience and I’ve had a brilliant time getting to know Yvonne and the team at Stagecoach. I had no idea how much

Ferne McCann in the driving seat for her PCV licence

work goes into running buses. I take my hat off to the drivers I’ve met and I really hope my involvement has made more women think about bus driving as a career option.”Stagecoach Director Clare Kavanagh added: “We have a lot of fantastic female drivers, and other staff, across the UK but the bus industry as a whole still employs significantly more men than women. Many of the reasons for that are historic but times have changed and we want to make women more aware of what a career at Stagecoach can offer them. “More than 250,000 jobs are supported, directly

and indirectly, through the UK bus industry so there are many opportunities out there for both men and women to have a successful and rewarding career in the transport sector.”“We hope Ferne’s involvement will help shine a light on the bus industry as a potential job opportunity for women across the UK.”

VIRGIN Trains has unveiled the first of its new fleet of trains in a ceremony at King’s Cross attended by Sir Richard Branson. Set to revolutionise travel on the East Coast from 2018, the Virgin Azuma will be one of the most advanced trains on the UK’s rail network, and will embody the customer-centric approach which Virgin Trains is famous for.Literally translated as “East” in Japanese, the Virgin Azuma pays homage to the new train’s lineage and to the East Coast route. With 65 trains providing an extra 12,200 seats for a new and expanded timetable, the fleet of Virgin Azumas will increase

Virgin unveils the Azumacapacity into King’s Cross by 28 per cent during peak time.Whilst the trains will initially reach speeds of up to 125mph, Virgin Trains has announced the creation of a cross-industry working group, including Network Rail, to investigate the potential for the East Coast route to enable their operation at 140mph.Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, said: “This is a hugely important moment for passengers on the East Coast. A line which has witnessed the historic Flying Scotsman and Mallard will now see passenger services transformed with the UK’s most advanced long-distance trains. Our

customers on the West Coast have already seen what Virgin can bring to train travel and how the Pendolinos have made a huge difference to speed and comfort. Our new fleet of Azumas will bring a similar transformation to the East Coast, and propel one of the UK’s most prestigious lines into the 21st century.”

Virgin Trains Managing Director on the East Coast David Horne, Stagecoach Chairman, Sir Brian Souter and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson launched the new train

THERE’S still time to nominate your Stagecoach Champions of 2016.This year’s 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 are making a real difference in any of these areas.The deadline for nominations is Friday 27 May. Simply 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.

Nominate your champions now

ON STAGE

“This is great news for our customers who now have a smart, secure and simple way of purchasing, storing and using their coach tickets. Our new app, combined with our excellent customer service, affordable fares and state-of-the-art vehicles, provides even more reasons for people to get on board our greener, smarter coach services in the future.”

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Did you know? A Stagecoach survey has found that commuting by bus can save around £1,000 per year than taking the car.

What a Laugh!

Oxford tube launches new mobile phone appOverheard on a train...

Customer: “I wouldn’t call myself selfish, but what’s mine, is mine”.

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

n  TV stars at East Midlands Trains

Social media guidelines – a reminderSTAGECOACH employees are reminded of the guidelines on social media and other online issues in the Group’s Code of Conduct.The guide helps staff make sure that their use of digital media, including outside work, does not break the law or conflict with their obligations as an employee.It covers use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as personal websites and blogs. All employees are urged to read the new information and guidelines.Stagecoach Group Director of Communications Steve Stewart said: “Social media and the web have transformed everyone’s lives and have lots of positives for individuals and for businesses. We also all have the right to a private life outside the workplace. Nothing in the guidelines is designed to stop that.“But we will all have read about cases where social media and the web have been misused. The last thing we want is for our employees unwittingly to get into difficulties or break the law.“That’s why the new section of the Code of Conduct sets out some key principles to follow when using the internet either at work or elsewhere. It also includes helpful examples to help people understand what is and isn’t acceptable.”All staff have a duty not to breach the law or disclose company secrets. Employees also must not breach copyright, defame any company or its suppliers, customers or employees, or disclose personal data or information about any individual that could breach their right to confidentiality or breach the Data Protection Act 1998.Care also has to be taken online where people might see a connection between an individual and

MEGABUS.COM US recently announced a partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). To mark the event, the company donated $1 for every ticket sold on 19 January to support breast cancer research. The final donation to the charity was more than $19,000, and megabus.com plans to continue to donate to the cause with additional programmes. It has also created a new pink bus to promote the effort.To mark the partnership, a number of breast cancer survivors and their loved ones joined megabus.com executives and BCRF leadership aboard the new custom pink BCRF branded vehicle for a special trip to New York City which included attending a taping of The View and a celebratory lunch.

OXFORD Tube has launched a new mobile phone app which will let customers buy tickets for travel direct from their smartphone.The new app – called ‘Oxford Tube mobile tickets’ – makes travel easier by offering passengers mobile ticketing for the first time. Passengers can purchase their travel securely through Apple Pay, PayPal and credit or debit card. They can then activate their ticket before travel and simply show it on their mobile phone to the driver. A range of Oxford Tube tickets are available through the new app which is available on Apple and Android devices and can be downloaded free of charge via the App Store and Google Play. Oxford Tube Managing Director Martin Sutton said:

Stagecoach. For example, this could be through stating in a social media profile or online discussion that they work for the company.Some of the specific things which employees must not do include: � posting any non-public information which could

affect the share price of Stagecoach Group � conducting themselves in such a way that is

detrimental to the company � engaging in activities on the internet that might

bring the company into disrepute � posting defamatory, offensive or discriminatory

remarks on the internet about the company, customers, business partners, suppliers, shareholders or other stakeholders

� using the internet to bully, attack or abuse the company, colleagues, customers or suppliers

� disclosing confidential company information � posting images of or information about colleagues

without their permission � posting material on social networking sites,

personal websites, blogs or microblogs in work time.

The Code of Conduct document as a whole outlines the principles that have guided the development of Stagecoach Group over the past 30 years: acting with honesty and integrity, taking responsibility for our actions and treating people with dignity, respect and thoughtfulness. It covers how we deal with our employees, suppliers, customers, competitors, and the wider communities in which we work. A copy of the updated Code of Conduct with the new guidelines is available online at: www.stagecoach.com/~/media/Files/S/Stagecoach-Group/Attachments/pdf/code-of-conduct-2015.pdf

A screenshot of the new app

n  In the pink for charity

TWO members of East Midlands Trains’ frontline customer experience staff are enjoying their 15 minutes of fame after the train operator unveiled a new TV advertising campaign.Gemma, from Customer Relations in Derby, and Shaun, from Sheffield station, will both appear in new TV ads, which are based on heart-warming true stories demonstrating how East Midlands Trains staff go above and beyond to help their customers.The first ad, featuring Gemma, tells the real-life story of a small boy who was very upset when he left his teddy on a train while on a visit to see his grandparents. Despite her best efforts, Gemma was unable to track down the missing teddy but had a brainwave – her own child had the same teddy at home which she knew wouldn’t be missed.She posted the replacement toy to the youngster with a postcard saying how much teddy had enjoyed his holidays!The second ad involves a partially sighted woman getting extra special treatment from East Midlands Trains employee Shaun, who is himself partially sighted.

ON STAGE

commute into London where he works as an Asset Optimisation Manager, Martin wrote all 122 pages and drafted the four subsequent novels. The first book is now available to buy on Amazon and Lulu.com.Oxford Tube Managing Director Martin Sutton said: “We love hearing about our passengers and the stories behind their journeys. This is definitely one of the most exciting! “We pride ourselves on providing a comfortable and reliable service, and by offering WiFi we aim to make the journey for everyone, particularly commuters, as productive as possible.“We’re looking forward to seeing what the next four books have in store and wonder if one may be set on a bus!”

PART-TIME Oxfordshire author Martin Marais is celebrating after self-publishing his second novel and has thanked the Oxford Tube for providing the creative thinking space for him to pen the entire story.‘The Bounty Hunters’, the first in a five-part series, was hatched on the Oxford to London coach as Martin boarded the

6.10am every weekday from Thornhill Park & Ride.Over the course of eighteen months, while on his

n  A warm welcome

Couple board love bus ... find out more on page 5.

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STAGECOACH East and Cambridge Park & Ride have teamed up with Cancer Research UK to launch a Park & Ride Heroes campaign showing support for people affected by the disease.The campaign invites members of the public to nominate their personal hero by completing a specially designed card available at five Park & Ride sites. For every completed card deposited in drop boxes situated at Madingley Road, Newmarket Road, Milton, Babraham and Trumpington Park & Ride sites, Stagecoach East will make a donation to Cancer

GROUP Chief Executive Martin Griffiths has welcomed the latest group of new graduate trainees to the business. Eight trainees have taken up their places on the successful Stagecoach bus division graduate training programme.The new intake includes the first megabus.com European graduate trainee and the first Coach USA trainee. The group is now embarking on a two-year programme which has helped develop the careers of 13 current directors and 34 managers.

STAGECOACH North East has launched an innovative campaign to improve awareness of hidden disabilities in partnership with campaigner and author Jo Milne.Jo, who has Usher Syndrome, made headlines around the world after undergoing life-changing surgery to have cochlear implants fitted to allow her to hear for the first time in forty years. However, Jo’s condition means that she is now losing her sight and knows all too well the challenges that many people face every day as they travel around the region. Keen to improve understanding for those with conditions like her own when using buses and trains, she contacted local public transport operators, including Stagecoach North East, in April last year to explore possible ideas and support for a campaign.Jo said: “As Usher Syndrome is virtually unheard of, I felt there needed to be a hard-hitting campaign to change perceptions of hidden disability from a different angle. Since my diagnosis of Usher Syndrome 12 years ago, I felt so alone due to lack of awareness, with even my own GP having to Google information on the condition.”Jo has worked in partnership with the marketing team at Stagecoach North East to create a new

New campaign to drive change

Jo Milne with Stagecoach’s Paul Bradley

internal campaign, ‘Challenging Perceptions’, which uses eye-catching posters asking drivers not to judge customers on what they can see. The posters are displayed around the company’s six north east depots and focus on three of the main types of hidden disability: sensory (sight and hearing problems), anxiety disorders and chronic pain conditions.Paul Bradley, Stagecoach North East Training and Development Manager, said: “When Jo got in touch, we could see real value in using her experiences and expertise to help us devise an original, creative and high-impact campaign.”

Martin Griffiths welcomes the new graduate trainees

STAFF at Stagecoach Yorkshire have been going above and beyond the call of duty to assist customers. Barnsley depot’s Paul Keating and Danny Beale reunited a 92-year-old customer with his wallet, containing over £900. The pair returned the wallet after it was handed in on Danny’s bus, without an address. They knocked on doors near where the customer had alighted until they found him. Meanwhile, David Ivill, Jerry Ford and Mick Brown (now retired) from Barnsley depot helped a vulnerable passenger get home after she caught the wrong late-night bus.The teenage customer, whose mobile phone battery was flat, made driver David aware of her situation on the last trip of the night. David let the young girl stay on the bus to the depot where he and Jerry Ford managed to charge the phone for a few minutes to get a telephone number for the girl’s foster mum. Jerry then arranged for the customer to be taken to a meeting point where her foster parents collected her.

n  Good deeds

Author on the write road

Author Martin Marais on an Oxford Tube vehicle

Park & Ride heroes Research UK. The messages will then be designed and displayed inside Stagecoach buses so that passengers and nominees can read their personal tributes.Andy Campbell, Managing Director of Stagecoach East, says: “We want to recognise individuals who have made a positive impact on the lives of others. This could include partners, parents, hospital staff, volunteers, survivors, siblings and more. The aim is to share their stories in order to inspire others. “We’re proud to be working with Cancer Research UK to promote awareness of and support for World Cancer Day.”

Campbell Ross-Bain from Cambridge County Council, Zoe Paget from Stagecoach East and Laura Holland, Fundraising Manager for Cancer Research UK

ON STAGE

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Did you know? South West Trains passengers can now pay for their parking using their phone at all station car parks.

n  Lee’s a starHAVING recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, South West Trains is now the longest-running franchise in the country, providing half a million passenger journeys on the UK’s busiest railway network.To mark the occasion, the company held events to thank stakeholders and communities for their support over the last two decades as well as recognising and rewarding staff for their hard work and commitment. South West Trains has witnessed significant changes since taking over the franchise in 1996: � More than doubling the number of passenger

journeys from 108 million in 1996 to 234 million today

� Adding more than 400 extra train carriages and over 45,000 more train services compared to 1997

� Introducing free WiFi on more than half of all its 1,689 daily services

� Generating 240,000 followers on social media.In the next year, £50m will be invested in a range of improvements including 1,400 extra car parking spaces, a new website and mobile app, new customer ambassadors on station platforms and concourses as well 170 brand new ticket machines, many of which will include real-time video links to a dedicated customer contact centre.Work will very shortly get under way at London

THE very first Virgin Trains Star has been named as Lee Marshall from Doncaster Station.He was nominated for being ‘Red Hot’ by Doncaster Duty Team Leader Lindsey Hudson who had this to say: “On 28 December the announcing system at Doncaster wasn’t working. We couldn’t display platform information or use our Customer Information monitors, and there were no route messages or emails coming through. “While announcing the trains, Lee contacted our IS team and O2 for updates, as no one knew what the problem was. He gave IS and O2 his number so they could contact him (even after he went home) to make it easier for everyone. “I think Lee went over and above to try to resolve the problem. He was a star at keeping everyone up to date on progress. He took ownership of the problem to make sure the team and our customers could receive accurate and excellent information.”Lee’s fantastic efforts resulted in him receiving a £150 Virgin Experience voucher, which was presented by our Managing Director of Virgin Trains on the East Coast line, David Horne.

LONDON driver Dave Leigh is hanging up his running shoes after taking part in this year’s London Marathon, his 25th full marathon. Dave, from Bow Garage, has also run many half marathons and over the past 20 years has raised over £125,000 for children’s charities. The final cause for which Dave is seeking sponsorship is Get Kids Going, a national charity which gives disabled children and young people – up to the age of 26 years – the opportunity to participate in sport. Colleagues can sponsor Dave by visiting: www.virginmoneygiving.com/davebus8

n  Dave’s final run

Stagecoach London marathon man Dave Leigh

Sean’s a lifesaverSTAGECOACH East Midlands employee Sean Harris has been praised for helping to save the life of a colleague.When driver Sean McGowan suffered a serious heart attack at Lincoln Bus Station and stopped

breathing, fellow driver Sean Harris telephoned for an ambulance and gave his stricken colleague chest compressions, which successfully started Mr McGowan’s heart again.The paramedic who attended the scene contacted Stagecoach East Midlands to inform the company that Sean’s actions had saved his colleague’s life.

New rail appointmentsSTAGECOACH has announced the appointment of Tim Shoveller as Managing Director of the Group’s UK Rail division.Tim, who has nearly 25 years’ experience in the rail industry in the UK, has been Managing Director of South West Trains for the past four years.Reporting directly to Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Martin Griffiths, he now has responsibility for the management of the Group’s existing rail businesses and new business development opportunities.Stagecoach’s UK Rail division includes South West Trains, East Midlands Trains, Virgin Trains East Coast and the Supertram light rail network in Sheffield.Christian Roth, Fleet Director at South West Trains, has succeeded Tim Shoveller as Managing Director of the franchise. He has covered a variety of roles in his 25-year railway career, both in the UK and in Germany.

Christian Roth Tim Shoveller

His experience includes engineering management as well as project management and development. Christian Roth joined South West Trains in December 2008, following three years heading up the UK rail business for Siemens.Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Martin Griffiths said: “We have a strong rail business and a portfolio of franchises which extends through to 2023, with further opportunities to bid for a number of contracts over the next two years.“Tim has extensive management experience and first-hand insight into large parts of the UK rail network, as well as a strong commitment to safety, customer service and partnership working with stakeholders.“Christian has a strong understanding of the South West Trains network and the key priorities ahead.”

Special milestone

Waterloo, Europe’s busiest railway station, to deliver the biggest capacity improvement programme this network has seen for decades.The scheme involves the re-opening of the former Waterloo International Terminal, bringing platforms 20-24 back into regular passenger use. This will also allow platforms 1-4 to be extended, to allow longer trains to run on Suburban services for the first time.In addition, the first of a £210million fleet of brand new trains will start to arrive in 2017, providing 150 extra carriages in total.As part of the 20th anniversary celebrations, South West Trains has also launched the 20 for 20 campaign, with employees invited to raise £20,000 for South West Trains’ charities of the year.The company has also promised to match every pound raised (up to the value of £20,000).

To mark South West Trains’ 20th birthday, colleagues from Virgin Trains East Coast brought balloons to Waterloo Station to celebrate with staff

ON STAGE

Karen Thomson previously served as Chief Executive of AOL UK and President of AOL Europe. As a member of the Vodafone UK board Karen had responsibility for developing online strategy, customer experience and online sales performance. In addition, Karen served as a nonexecutive director of UBM plc from 2006 to 2014 and is currently the Nonexecutive Chairman of Outplay Entertainment.Sir Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chairman, said: “I would like to thank Garry and Phil for their contributions to Stagecoach Group.“Will Whitehorn has been an independent non-executive director of the Company since 2011. Together with his substantial experience across transport and other sectors, it means he is well placed to be the Company’s Deputy Chairman.”

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n PICTURE THISTHIS edition’s Picture This winner was taken by Stephen Armour, who works in the training department at Stagecoach North Scotland. It shows dawn breaking on an autumn morning over the bus depot in Inverness.Congratulations to Stephen 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

n  Playing for TylerSTAGECOACH London Garage Supervisor Ryan Aldridge is organising a charity football tournament to raise funds for Make A Wish UK.The seven-a-side Stagecoach London-wide tournament is being held on Sunday 22nd May at Thamesmead Town FC.The event was inspired by Ryan’s son Tyler G. In August 2015, Tyler was diagnosed with a rare x-linked metabolic condition called Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). The condition is a progressive degenerative myelin disorder, meaning that the myelin, insulation around nerves to the brain, breaks down over time. Until November 2014, Tyler appeared to be a healthy, happy boy. He was fun-loving, outgoing and loved playing football.Now seven years old, Tyler is deaf and almost blind. Thanks to Make a Wish UK, the family took a trip to Disneyland Paris last year. The charity arranges experiences known as ‘wishes’ to children with life-threatening medical conditions.

KETTERING drivers Nick Shipton and Patsy MacDonald were recently married and Stagecoach provided a heritage bus to help them begin their journey as a married couple.The new Mr and Mrs Shipton used a 1953 Bristol Lodekka as their wedding vehicle to transport themselves and guests on the day. The event was enjoyed by all who attended and everyone wishes the couple many years of married bliss!

LONDON driver and Acting Garage Supervisor Cameron Hollis is gearing up for the drive of a lifetime to raise money for Saint Francis Hospice.Cameron will be joined by friends Jake Brooker and Charlie Watson as the three attempt to drive their one-litre Nissan Micra from Gidea Park to Ulan Ude in Siberia as part of this year’s 10,000 mile-long Mongol Rally.They will be entirely unsupported on the trip, meaning that they will have to do all their own maintenance work on the car en route to Ulan Ude and sort out their own accommodation along the way. A fundraising target of more than £1,000 has been set for their challenge.

n  In the driving seat

n  The love bus

Falcon’s flying start ... find out more on page 6.

STAGECOACH has announced the appointment of two new non-executive directors, James Bilefield and Karen Thomson.In addition, Garry Watts has given notice of his intention to step down as the company’s Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director on 1 April 2016 and to step down from the Board on 31 July 2016.Phil White has also informed the company that he intends to resign from the Board with effect from 31 March 2016 to reduce his public company directorships and to pursue other interests.Will Whitehorn, currently a non-executive director, will assume the role of Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director with effect from 1 April 2016.James Bilefield previously managed the digital transformation of media group Condé Nast across 27 countries, scaled Skype’s global operations as part of its founding management team and held senior commercial and management roles at Yahoo!. Formerly CEO of global advertising technology company OpenX, he also co-founded the local information business UpMyStreet following a successful investment banking career at JP Morgan Chase.James currently serves as Chairman of ticketscript, acts as Advisor to McKinsey & Company, Advent International and the UK Government Digital Service, and was recently appointed a Trustee of Teach First.

New faces on Group Board

New Non-Executive Director Karen Thomson

The happy couple in front of the vintage bus

SURJ BHULLAR, the recently appointed Operations Manager for the Stagecoach Rugby depot, managed to go 13 months without a haircut to raise over £1100 for charity. Surj explained: “One of the drivers mentioned my hair was slightly longer than usual and I jokingly said I was growing it. He offered me a wager of £20 if I didn’t cut my hair for a month. With other drivers in hearing distance, I said I could do it for a year.

Hair today, gone tomorrow“Many of the other drivers wanted to take me up on the bet and I couldn’t back down. When the sum pledged reached £200 I decided to do it for charity.”Sandra Murphy, a long-time Admin Clerk at the Rugby depot, has a five-year-old grandson, Shay, who has the genetic disorder, Fragile X, so Surj decided to raise the money for the Fragile X Society. And, when the time finally came for Surj’s haircut, Shay was on hand to make the first snip of Surj’s flowing locks!

New Non-Executive Director James Bilefield

Did you know? Stagecoach Group Deputy Chairman Will Whitehorn is to become the next President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

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GREEN SCENE

n  Big switch-off Vital link restored

Townlines in track

THE Green Team at Stagecoach East Midlands organised their annual big switch-off event over the festive period to save energy.Mansfield depot came out on top for gas savings while Gainsborough depot were front-runners in electricity savings.

STAGECOACH Cumbria and North Lancashire is helping to provide a crucial link between Grasmere and Keswick while repair work continues on the flood-damaged A591.The new service – using a temporary road created by Cumbria County Council – will deliver a direct link between the north and south Lakes for the first time since the area was badly affected by flooding late last year.The service, which is being delivered on a commercial basis by Stagecoach, will offer a journey time of 45 minutes, cutting the existing journey time between the two locations by almost two hours. Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire Managing Director Matthew Cranwell said: “We have worked in partnership with Cumbria County Council and are pleased to be able to step in to deliver this hourly shuttle service using the temporary road.

A £2.7 MILLION fleet of 19 new single-deck buses has been launched by Stagecoast East Scotland in Fife.The buses feature the latest ‘green’ Euro 6 engines and free wi-fi access on board. Andrew Jarvis, Managing Director, Stagecoach East Scotland said: “Route 19 is one of our most popular routes in Fife and with this significant investment in the service, we want to ensure we provide comfortable and quality travel options for customers using the route.”

One of the new Route 19 vehicles

n  Vehicle investment

A FRESH fleet of next-generation Stagecoach Yorkshire buses, costing £1.9 million, is out and about in South Yorkshire.The 14 Enviro200 MMC single decker buses will operate on Stagecoach’s popular Townlines 11 and 22X routes and feature wi-fi and dedicated branding.Stagecoach officially launched the Alexander Dennis vehicles at a special event at Barnsley FC’s Oakwell Stadium, which was attended by VIPs including the Mayor of Barnsley, Cllr Brian Mathers.Paul Lynch, Managing Director of Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: “We like to innovate and investment is key to our success. In ten years, we have introduced more than 300 new buses and the average age of our fleet is just seven years in Barnsley and six and a half in Rotherham, compared

Stagecoach Yorkshire Managing Director Paul Lynch with Mayor of Barnsley Cllr Brian Mathers

THIRTEEN new single-deck buses are servicing Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire’s Anfield Stadium and Goodison Park, thanks to a £2 million investment by the company.The route covers Liverpool City Centre, Everton Road, Everton FC, Walton Hall Avenue, East Lancashire Road and Kirkby, allowing football fans to easily get to and from the grounds on match days.Elisabeth Tasker, Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire Managing Director, said: “Nothing but the best is good enough for our passengers and we want to make sure they never walk alone, which is why we’ve invested in a fleet of brand new buses to service this route. “This great, efficient service will help fans and their family and friends get quickly and affordably to and from the Anfield and Goodison grounds.”

One of the new vehicles outside Anfield football stadium

A NEW 24/7 coach service connecting major locations across the South West is a first for the area.Stagecoach’s South West Falcon service is operating 19 journeys a day, seven days a week, between Plymouth, Exeter, Taunton, Bristol Airport and Bristol City Centre.To celebrate the launch of Falcon, single and return journeys initially cost just £1. The eight brand new coaches operating the service represent a £2.5 million investment by Stagecoach. All feature free Wi-Fi as well as air conditioning, leather seats and charging sockets.Bob Dennison, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, said: “Falcon is a bold new step in making it easier for people to travel across the region. It’s a round-the-clock service between the One of the new Falcon vehicles

It will open up a vital direct link between the north and south lakes for the first time since December and we believe it will make a big difference for people travelling between Grasmere and Keswick. “Customers using the service will benefit from hugely reduced journey times as well as a significant price discount and we would encourage people – even those who may not be regular bus users – to take advantage of this temporary transport option.”

A vehicle on the temporary road

n  Great result for football fans

to the industry average of eight years. The cost of our Dayrider ticket hasn’t changed in nine years.“Out of all the large operators, Stagecoach has the best track record for investment, low fares and customer service.”

Falcon off to a flying startmain towns and cities across the South West plus Bristol Airport. “I am confident this new 24/7 connection will prove extremely popular with commuters, university students, shoppers, day trippers and, of course, holidaymakers flying from Bristol.”

ON STAGE

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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.

Dear Colin and Phil,I am writing to thank you and all your lovely colleagues at Stagecoach for looking after my son Andrew whilst he was on work experience at your depot.It’s extremely difficult as a parent of a vulnerable child to let go and allow them to explore the adult world. He loved every single minute of his time with you. He was happy and confident and delighted to be one of the lads!

n  Artistic licence

Snow on the train ... find out more on page 8.

n  Gus is bowled over

PRIMARY school children in Glasgow have seen their artwork featured on the side of a Scottish Citylink coach.Ashpark Primary School in the south west of the city entered the company’s competition in November to draw a picture titled ‘My City’. The winning entry was drawn by all members of class Primary 4M who are seven and eight years old.The winning design, highlighting many of Glasgow’s famous landmarks including the Armadillo concert venue, the City Chambers, a football and the River Clyde, is now displayed on the rear of a Scottish Citylink vehicle operating the 900 service which offers journeys between Glasgow and Edinburgh up to 50 times a day.The winners were also invited on a special trip to Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, travelling on their specially designed bus.Marketing Manager for Scottish Citylink, Nicola Campbell said: “We were overwhelmed by the number and quality of entries that we received. The children have obviously put a lot of time and effort into their drawings. It’s great to see all of the wonderful images that were prompted by the great city of Glasgow.”

NORTH Scotland spread the festive cheer in Inverness over the Christmas period with a ticket giveaway for the Peter Pan pantomime. As the main sponsor, Stagecoach gave away over £200 worth of tickets in a Twitter competition. Steve Walker, Managing Director, Stagecoach North Scotland, said: “We value the arts and the enjoyment they bring to the local Inverness community.”

STAFF at Stagecoach Manchester’s Stockport depot (pictured) recently held a onesie day and raised over £1400 for the company’s charity partner Genesis Breast Cancer Prevention. Well done to all involved and those who donated so generously.

WISCONSIN Coach Lines employee Gus Yansaras has been recognised for his talents in the field of ten pin bowling.Gus, who works part-time in the WCL shop, has been inducted into the US Bowling Hall of Fame, being described as the mastermind of one of the greatest teams in USBC (United States Bowling Congress) Open Championships history.Gus is a four-time USBC Open Championships winner. More about his induction into the Hall of Fame can be found here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=edap68hA1hw

NORTH East IT engineer Robert Whitehouse has gone the extra mile for a charity very close to his heart and raised over £1400 thanks to generous donations.Robert decided to run his first major race since he was a teenager and signed up for this year’s Redcar Half Marathon to raise funds for the South Tees Hospital Neonatal Special Care Unit which cared for his daughter when she was born prematurely.Robert explained: “I’m a dad who knows exactly what parents of the babies that need this unit go through and I’d like the Neonatal Unit at James Cook Hospital to be able to carry on helping others in the future.”

Dear Sir/Madam,I wish to pass on my compliments to the staff at the Kilmarnock bus station. I have only recently started using the Stagecoach services from Kilmarnock to Glasgow. Each time that my husband and I arrive at the Kilmarnock bus station, the staff are very polite and helpful.As it is very rare to get a wheelchair passenger like myself there and, at first, many were very unsure what to do. However, they have learned and even passed this knowledge within the group, all while never making me feel like I am any different than an able-bodied passenger. It is very rare to find this anywhere.

You have been extremely patient and understanding and we would like you to know how much it’s appreciated both by Andrew and ourselves. Best wishes, Andrew’s family

Email sent to Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire after the company welcomed school pupils on a period of work experience.

It would be greatly appreciated if the staff at Kilmarnock bus station get the recognition they deserve for being so helpful, understanding and patient, while allowing me to feel like any other passenger.

Yours gratefully, name supplied

Feedback received by staff at Stagecoach West Scotland.

n  Peter Pan panto fun

Inverness driver Sammy Torrance with this year’s cast of Peter Pan

Going the extra mile

Onesies at work day

ON STAGE

8

SOUTH West Trains Revenue Protection Assistant Nory Gherici bumped into a famous face travelling on the South West Trains network. Veteran Channel 4 newsreader Jon Snow was happy to have his photo taken during his journey.

If 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

Nory Gherici

n  Spring forward

10 million reasons to be cheerful

n  Customers rate Stagecoach best value

n  Take me out to the ball game

Did you know? East Midlands Trains saved the day by allowing football fans to use pre-booked tickets after match was rescheduled.

ALL West Coach Lines, based in Sacramento, played an important role by supplying some transportation (pictured) for Super Bowl 50 which saw the Denver Broncos taking on the Carolina Panthers.

Stagecoach in Oxfordshire has celebrated the 10 millionth passenger to board its S1 Gold bus since the service launched in 2009. To mark the occasion the company presented its special customer – care worker Busie Simelane – with a box of chocolates and a golden envelope, which included a complimentary Stagecoach Monthly Pass and £50 cash. Martin Sutton, Managing Director of Stagecoach in Oxfordshire said: “Our Gold bus service launched to bring a bit of luxury to public travel in Oxfordshire. We’re thrilled people have benefited from using the service and we’re celebrating our 10 millionth passenger milestone.”

ANDREW Jarvis, Stagecoach East Scotland Managing Director, has praised employees for their response to the closure of the Forth Road Bridge during December. The company played an important role in the Scottish Government’s travel plan during the closure, operating 33 additional vehicles each day to keep people moving. A reduced fare was also offered for the duration of the closure.Andrew Jarvis said: “We are so grateful for the support our colleagues across the country provided in offering extra buses and drivers to facilitate more journeys across the Forth.“As a result, we were able to offer high-frequency shuttle services to Edinburgh and maintain a quality network of services in Fife during the closure. I would also like to thank my own team who were marvellous – hugely adaptable and cheerful despite many changes and challenges during the closure.”

ALLAN Curran started his Stagecoach journey as a bus driver in Walton Lane depot, Liverpool, in 1971. Ten years later, he placed his lunch order with new canteen assistant, Marian Duffy. It was love at first sight... and the couple have been together ever since. Now after 17 years of marriage, Marian Curran said: ‘I still love him like I did back then.’ This year Allan and Marian celebrate 45 and 35 years’ service respectively.

STAGECOACH East Midlands is raising money for Marie Curie this spring by encouraging people to submit a message that will be printed on a specially decorated ‘daffodil’ bus. Donations have started coming in from people across the region who will have their tributes printed on the side of the bus. It’s all part of supporting the charity’s Great Daffodil Appeal, which is Marie Curie’s biggest annual fundraising campaign. Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director for Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “This is all about paying tribute and respect to family members and friends and hopefully making people think, when they see the bus, what they can do to help.”

BUS passengers have rated Stagecoach as the best value major bus operator in Britain for the third consecutive year, according to the latest UK Bus Passenger Satisfaction Survey by consumer watchdog Transport Focus.67% of Stagecoach customers in England said they were satisfied with value for money, significantly above the industry average of 62%The results showed that 86% of Stagecoach customers in England were found to be satisfied with their bus services overall, in line with the UK average. Merseyside had the most satisfied customers of any metropolitan area in England as 89% of customers said they were satisfied with services overall..Robert Montgomery, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “This is further verification, from the customers who use buses, that we offer the best value bus travel in Britain.”

Stagecoach driver Josh Kayany presents 10 millionth customer Busie with her prize

High praise

Merseyside employees Allan and Marian Curran

Depot romance

ON STAGE

9

STAGECOACH South raised more than £1,500 for the Rockinghorse charity in Brighton over Christmas and New Year.Rockinghorse, the official fundraising arm for the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, will use the funds for life-saving and cutting-edge medical equipment for young patients.The majority of cash was raised on board the Santa Buses which Stagecoach customises each year. Each bus has buckets for passenger donations and the company organises additional activity to maximise fundraising.Analiese Doctrove, Head of Fundraising for Rockinghorse, said: “We were delighted to have been chosen by Stagecoach to benefit from the Santa Bus in 2015. The generosity of everyone involved

COACH USA held a ‘Stuff the Bus’ food drive during the first two weeks in January which resulted in more than 1,000 pounds of food being donated to local food banks.The scheme – which is part of the ‘Coach USA Cares’ commitment to the community – was a success thanks to generous donations from both staff and customers.

TWO drivers from Thanet are preparing to make a marathon effort. Garry Warren and Jake Bowd will be running the 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon for the charity Children with Cancer UK.The pair, who will be running in the charity’s Superhero uniform, are aiming to raise £6,000. Garry has previously completed two London Marathons, in 2005 and again in 2014, while this will be Jake’s first attempt.Already the pair’s JustGiving page has notched up a total of £1,300 in donations helped by generous customers who travel on the buses. Stagecoach has pledged to top up the amount raised and local buses are carrying posters. To support Garry and Jake text GAJA70 and the amount you would like to sponsor e.g. ‘GAJA70 £1’ to 70070 or go to: www.justgiving.com/ Garry-and-jake

n  Help needed

n  New year honourCONGRATULATIONS go to Virgin Trains East Coast driver John Mccree Scott who was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list for Services to the Administration of Justice and to the Railway Community.John, also a Magistrate in Sunderland, has 38 years’ service as a driver for British Rail, GNER, National Express and now Virgin Trains East Coast.He said: “Railwaymen have a proud history of public service and during my time working for the railways, seven Lord Mayors of Newcastle have been railwaymen and councillors. I consider the award of the MBE a great honour, not only for me, but for my fellow magistrates who are the unsung heroes of the criminal justice system, and who, as unpaid volunteers, have been serving this country selflessly since 1361.”

THE Butterfly Trust provides support to people of all ages living with Cystic Fibrosis in Scotland.The charity is on the look-out for volunteers to fulfil a variety of roles including befriending, mentoring, support work and driving across Scotland.Anyone who is interested can find out more by visiting: www.butterflytrust.org.uk/volunteering

Bus duo face a marathon task

Garry (left) and Jake in their Children with Cancer UK t-shirts

The right stuff

Lots of people got involved in the successful food drive

n  New route for megabus.com

MEGABUS.COM has announced a new route linking Liverpool and Glasgow, marking the first direct public transport link service between the two locations.megabus.com Managing Director Edward Hodgson said: “This new route is great news for our customers who want to travel between these two magnificent cities. Liverpool and Glasgow have always had a close affinity and we’re delighted to be able to announce the first direct link between them.”

Rocking-good fundraising

NORTH Scotland bus driver Mark Robinson has raised over £16,000 for local communities badly affected by flooding in January. The floods devastated many small villages and towns in Aberdeenshire. To raise funds, Mark organised an auction and raffle night believed to have been the biggest of its kind in the local area, selling over 11,000 raffle tickets. He approached many local companies, big and small and obtained many generous gifts for the event.He said: “I know many members of the community, and it was terrible to see how people were affected.”

n  Making his Mark

has been overwhelming and the money raised will go towards ongoing projects at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and Trevor Mann Baby Unit.”

Apprentices begin their journey ... find out more on page 10.

ON STAGE

 n Who are you? I am Pietro Scalici, supervisor at Firenze control centre and crew base, megabus.com Italia.

 n What do you like most about your job? When I hear the people speak well about our services. I take a great pride when things go well.

 n What do you like least about your job? Delays to the services, inconveniencing our customers (thankfully not too often!).

 n Favourite food? “Pasta alla norma” (a typical Sicilian food).

 n Least favourite food? I have still many foods to try in the world to decide this.

 n What are you most proud of? My family.

 n Favourite holiday destination? Eolian islands (Sicily) in a sail boat without phones ringing, noise and pollution.

 n Most embarrassing moment? My wedding day – too many pictures!

 n Favourite music? Blues and soul music.

 n Person you would most like to have dinner with? Pope Francesco.

 n First thing you would buy if you won €1 million? I would buy a big house on my favourite island.

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 Friday 15 April 2016.

Pietro Scalici, megabus.com Italia

‘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  Jason gets on boardJASON Dixon has joined Stagecoach East Midlands as the new Engineering Manager in Worksop and hopes his previous nine years of managerial experience will help him develop his vision.He said: “I am

looking forward to implementing my new ideas at Stagecoach. My tasks are exciting with clear visible goals and achievements. I have learnt a lot over the years in my work and that will show through in this new role.”

FIVE young people from across Merseyside and South Lancashire are starting their careers in the transport industry thanks to the Stagecoach apprenticeship scheme.The local company has welcomed its latest crop of apprentices, aged from 16 to 20, who are learning their trade across the operator’s depots in Liverpool, Wirral, Chester, and Preston. Elisabeth Tasker, Mmanaging Director of Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire, said: “We’ve witnessed real growth in the number of ambitious young people who are choosing apprenticeships. The opportunity to ‘earn while you learn’ is a very attractive proposition for people who recognise that apprenticeships are a great way to learn new skills, get their foot in the door, and build exciting, stimulating careers.”

COLIN Newbury, who has almost 30 years in the industry, has been appointed Operations Director for Stagecoach North East.Colin began his career in the UK bus industry with Arriva Yorkshire in 1987 as a driver and worked his way up

the corporate ladder, progressing from Operations Supervisor to Depot Manager before taking up the roles of Assistant Area Manager, Commercial Development Manager and General Manager at various depots in Yorkshire. Most recently, he held the role of Operations Director.Colin said: “When the opportunity arose at Stagecoach North East I had no hesitation in taking it. Stagecoach North East is a larger company with almost double the number of staff to oversee than in my previous role, so it presents an exciting opportunity. “I’m very much looking forward to the challenges ahead, to experiencing a new approach with a different company and demonstrating the value and experience that I can bring to the role.”

MARCIN Leszczyk has been appointed as Operations Manager for the Stagecoach Kettering and Corby depots.Marcin has had an interesting and varied career with the company over the past nine years after starting as a bus driver at the Stagecoach Basingstoke depot. He then took part in the company’s Staff Development Programme and held Assistant Operations Manager roles before moving to Germany as General Manager at megabus.com’s Munich base. He has also worked for megabus.com in France.

New recruit Jason Dixon

Marcin Leszczyk

The next generation

The new apprentices in Merseyside and South Lancashire

Upon completing their training, apprentices will be awarded an Advanced Apprenticeship (Modern Apprenticeship in Scotland) in Bus and Coach Engineering Maintenance or Mechanical Engineering and will have the opportunity to become a member of the Society of Operations Engineers.

New Operations Director Colin Newbury

n  New to the North East

Marcin’s new role

Marcin said: “I have the advantage of having worked here before and knowing what to expect. My main function is to do my best to help further improve our bus services in the area.”