Going toplessin NewYork

Reaching anew levelof control

The newspaper of

Stagecoach Group

Issue 54

Spring 2004

Stagecoach Group has linked up with Danish StateRailways (DSB) to bid for a major UK rail franchise.

Stagecoach joins Danesin bid for rail franchise

The Group has taken a 29.9%stake in South Eastern Railways Ltd, acompany set up by DSB, to bid forthe new Integrated Kent franchise insouth-east England.

Three other companies – GNER,First Group and a consortium of Go-Ahead and Keolis, of France – havebeen shortlisted for the seven to 10-year franchise.

Integrated Kent, which will be letfrom early 2005,will include routeson the national railnetwork throug-hout Kent, parts ofSussex and South-East London. It willalso incorporatenew domesticservices on theChannel Tunnel RailLink (CTRL).

Graham Eccles,Stagecoach Group’sExecutive DirectorRail, said: “We aredelighted to bepartnering DSB tobid for theIntegrated Kent railf r a n c h i s e .Collectively, webelieve we have astrong mix ofexperience inoperating high-volume commuterand long-distance rail services.

“Both Stagecoach and DSB share acommitment to putting passengers atthe heart of our business, investing innew trains and focusing closely ondelivering a first-class operatingperformance. We look forward toworking together to develop a strongbid for the franchise.”

DSB, which has an excellentreputation in Europe, operates the

majority of passenger rail services inDenmark and has further franchiseoperations in other Scandinaviancountries.

It is an independent PublicCorporation, owned by the DanishGovernment, and is managed by aBoard of Directors and an ExecutiveCommittee, who are responsible forthe day-to-day business.

Executive Vice President and CFOof DSB, SørenEriksen said:“Stagecoach hase x t e n s i v eexperience withtrain operations inthe UK and DSB isundisputedly oneof the bestperforming trainoperators inEurope.

“Therefore, thetwo com-paniescan draw on theirrespective corecompetencies indelivering valuefor public money.DSB andS t a g e c o a c hcomplement eachother well.”

S t agecoach ’ sexperience inrunning SouthWest Trains – the

UK’s largest rail franchise with 1,700trains a day running out of London’sWaterloo Station – will be animportant factor as the new franchiseincludes a significant commuterelement.

The Strategic Rail Authority willdecide the preferred bidder for thefranchise and interested parties haveto submit final bids by August thisyear.

Carry on megabus.com!That was the messagefrom bubbly actressBarbara Windsor whenshe helped launchBritain’s first low-costinternet bus service.

And, with ticketsavailable from just £1through megabus.com, theinitiative is catching thepublic’s imagination forcatching a bus.

An astonishing 20,000folk a day are calling upthe website, with anincredible 25% snappingup a ticket.

Now, following thesuccess of trial routes inScotland and the north ofEngland, megabus.com islinking London to 10 citiesin England and Wales.

To celebrate thesuccess of the service,Barbara, one of thecountry’s favourite TV,stage and film stars, wasdelighted to spread theword that “fings ain’t whatthey used to be” when itcomes to the cost ofhopping on a bus.

Full report – page 3

Carry onlogging on

Barbara Windsor tries to getmore of us on the buses with herpromotion of megabus.com.

‘Both Stagecoachand DSB share acommitment to

putting passengersat the heart of our

business’

Graham EcclesExecutive Director

Rail

2

ContactsThe Editor, On Stage, Stagecoach Group, 10 Dunkeld Road, Perth PH1 5TW.Tel: +44 (0)1738 442111, Fax: +44 (0)1738 580407

www.stagecoachgroup.comIf you have a story for On Stage please get in touch withyour local contact below.

Stagecoach Group Steven Stewart 01738 642040

UK BusStagecoach East Scotland Lisa McCloy 01592 261461Stagecoach West Scotland Emma McNae 01292 613515Stagecoach North East Robin Knight 0191 567 5251Stagecoach North West Colin Nicholson 01772 255752Stagecoach Manchester Karen Best 0161 276 2727Stagecoach East Midlands Phil Cartwright 01246 222018Stagecoach South Midlands Adam Rideout 01788 562 036Stagecoach East Philip Norwell 01604 676060Stagecoach West Anne Dickinson 01242 545224Stagecoach Wales Stephen Evans 01291 623565Stagecoach London Benjamin Franklin 020 8477 7249Stagecoach South East Helen Martin 01243 536161Stagecoach South Helen Martin 01243 536161

Stagecoach South West Mark Whittle 01392 889747National Transport Tokens Sajda Khan 01254 680180

UK RailSouth West Trains Kathryn Rowe 0207 620 5238Island Line Stephen Wade 01983 812591Stagecoach Supertram Julia Shaw 0114 2759888

OverseasCoach USANorth East Roger Bowker 001 201 225 7581North Central Dale Moser 001 847 390 5800Coach Canada Jim Devlin 001 705 748 1170

New Zealand Dennis Elliot 00 649 309 3500

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Designed by Catchline PR and Communications, Scotland.

Spring 2004

Stagecoach Group Finance DirectorMartin Griffiths has scooped a topprofessional award.

Martin (37) was named YoungFinance Director of the Year at theFinancial Director of the Year Awardsin Edinburgh.

The award was presented by BBCBusiness Editor Jeff Randall at anevent in the Edinburgh InternationalConference Centre, attended by over400 leading professionals.

Martin was appointed Stagecoach

Top award takes accountof a great performance

Stagecoach UK Bus hasstrengthened its managementteam in the South Midlands aspart of moves to develop thebusiness.

The division will now bemanaged as two separateoperating companies.

Martin Sutton, the currentManaging Director for thearea, has been appointedManaging DirectorOxfordshire, with responsibili-ty for the Oxford, Witney andBanbury depots. He will bebased in Oxford and alsooversee the Oxford Tubeoperation.

James Freeman, OperationsDirector, has becomeManaging DirectorWarwickshire. Based in Rugby,he will manage the Nuneaton,Rugby and Leamington depots.

Les Warneford, ManagingDirector of Stagecoach UKBus, said: “This newmanagement structure willallow Martin and James tofocus on the continueddevelopment and growth oftheir respective businesses.”

New teamin placefor UK Bus

South West Trains’ newDesiro fleet has won a

top prize at a national railindustry awards ceremony.

The Desiro trains, manufacturedby Siemens, were announced aswinners in the Rolling StockExcellence of the Year category atthe HSBC Rail Business Awards inFebruary.

South West Trains was also highlycommended in the StationExcellence of the Year category forthe new station at Chandler’s Ford,which was built in partnership withHampshire County Council, NetworkRail and the Strategic Rail Authority.

The brand new station offers anhourly train service to passengers,

bringing new journey opportunitiesand providing an attractive gatewayto the South West Trains’ network.

Chandler’s Ford was officiallyopened in October 2003 andincludes a new station building,platform and modern footbridge.

The first Desiro trains wereintroduced to South West Trains’network in October 2003. They arepart of the largest train order in theUK, worth around £1 billion, whichwill see more than 150 new trainsarriving in the region.

The Desiros have improved levelsof crash-worthiness and bring awhole host of passenger benefits,including air-conditioning, on-trainCCTV, a passenger informationsystem and a smoother ride quality.

The Desiro award was a jointentry between South West Trains,Siemens Transportation, the rollingstock leasing company Angel Trains,and First Great Eastern, which alsohas Desiro trains operating on itsnetwork. Siemens was given afurther accolade when it wasawarded the ultimate title of RailBusiness of the Year.

South West Trains ManagingDirector Andrew Haines said: “Theaward for the Desiro trains is afantastic achievement, especially soearly on in the introductionprogramme.

“The trains are a credit to allinvolved and have delivered a realimprovement in our passengers’experience of travelling with us.

“Chandler’s Ford station is really aproject to be proud of and I’d like tothank everyone for their effortswhich have created a first classrailway station.

“These awards recognise theefforts that have been made to bringa high standard of rolling stock andstations to our passengers and it wasa night that made me proud to bepart of South West Trains.”

David Wilson, Director ofSiemens Transportation, said:“Siemens is delighted to win thisaward with its partners. Passengersare already beginning to experiencethe benefits of the Desiros and wewill continue to work hard togetherto ensure they achieve ever-improving levels of reliability.”

First class trainsbest in business

Martin Griffiths picks up theYoung Finance Director ofthe Year honour at theawards ceremony.

Group Finance Director in April 2000and is responsible for the Group’soverall financial policy and treasurymanagement.

A Chartered Accountant, he alsohas responsibility for the overallmanagement of the Group’s propertyportfolio.

Two other honours werepresented at the awards. StuartPaterson, Johnston Press plc, wasnamed FD of the Year for thecorporate sector, while JohnMatheson, of NHS Lothian, receivedthe top award in the Public/Not forProfit sector.

The awards were organised byASA International and sponsored byBank of Scotland Corporate Bankingand CA Magazine.

The Stagecoach East Scotlandoffice at Aberdeen bus stationwas recently crowned NationalExpress Regional Agent of theYear for Scotland.

Staff at the Aberdeen officebeat off competition from 300other agents throughoutScotland to pick up the awardand have now been entered inthe race for National ExpressAgent of the Year for the UK.There are some 1,800 agentsthroughout the UK.

Stagecoach operates as anagent for National Express andoverall sales at Aberdeenincreased by 20 per cent lastyear. There was also a 34 percent increase in add-onproducts such as insurance.

Congratulations go to all thestaff from Stagecoach EastScotland who played a part inthe winning of the award.

Robert Andrew, DeputyManaging Director ofStagecoach Scotland, said: “Weare delighted that theStagecoach staff at Aberdeenbus station have received thisaccolade.

“They have workedextremely hard for thetravelling public, offeringinformation and advice onjourney options.

“This award is welldeserved.”

Aberdeenheads theregions

3Spring 2004

Amillion bargain-huntershave rushed to cash in

on the £1 fares offered bythe UK’s first low-costinternet bus service,megabus.com.

Now the initial trial route hasgone into profit only seven monthsafter the new concept waslaunched.

Interest in megabus.com hasgone through the roof since it wentlive across the UK in March.

Some 250,000 passengers havealready travelled on the ground-breaking service.

Around 20,000 people a day arelogging on to the website, with anaverage of one seat booked forevery four visitors – an incrediblyhigh hit rate.

Megabus.com, which uses high-capacity double decker buses, hascaptured the public imaginationsince a new network of routes,linking London to 10 cities inEngland and Wales, was launched afew weeks ago. It followed similarsuccess on trial routes in Scotlandand the north of England.

Brian Souter, Stagecoach GroupChief Executive, said: “Interest in

Passengers take a mega-biteof internet bargain tickets

Rush to snap up £1 megabus.com deal hits million mark

megabus.com has been wellbeyond our expectations and weare seeing an encouraging growthin passenger numbers only three

weeks after we went live across thecountry.

“Prices for intercity bus travelhave never been so low and

Megabus.com has just scooped amajor business award forinnovation and technology.

Stagecoach’s low-cost intercitybus service was one of threeinitiatives in the running for anhonour as part of the prestigiousTayside Business Awards 2004.

Dozens of companies fromacross the region entered theawards, which spotlighted thesuccesses achieved by Taysidecompanies over the last 12 months.

Judges’ comments included:“Excellent presentation, verydynamic from concept to imple-mentation.”

Another wrote: “Good presenta-tion and business model.”

Shona Cormack, Chief Executive

It’s a winner – and that’s official

“It is excellent news forpassengers.” Caroline

Cahm, Chairman of theNational Federation of

Bus Users.

“We welcome suchservices because they

represent very efficientuse of road space.” David

Begg, Chairman of theCommission for

Integrated Transport.

“The megabus has afeelgood factor.” SimonCalder,Travel Journalist,

The Independent.

“Megabus.com is afantastic bargain. To beable to travel across the

country for only £1 isgoing to be a huge

incentive for commuters,families and visitors.”

Barbara Windsor,Actress.

“Thumbs-up for £1London trip.” South Wales

Echo.

“I saw the deal advertisedon a bus when going to

university one day. Ithought it was too good tobe true but I was wrong.”

Gary Payne, Student,Exeter University.

“Value for money?Definitely.” FrankieTaggart, Journalist,

Brighton Argus.

megabus.com –the reaction

Eastender Barbara Windsor drives home the Megabus message.

We are the champions: megabus.com controllers Donald Wight (left) and Don Adam(right) with megabus.com project manager George Connell (centre rear) and ShriShrikumar (centre front), from Kraya Solutions, who developed the website.

of Scottish Enterprise Tayside, said: “InTayside we have enormous diversity in ourbusiness base. The economy is being drivenby businesses which are demonstrating thecharacteristics reflected by the TaysideBusiness Awards.”

Hosted by broadcaster and TVpersonality Kaye Adams, the awards wereorganised by Scottish Enterprise Tayside,with principal funding from the Royal Bankof Scotland.

Awards were made in nine categories:

• Best Performing Business (over 25employees);

• Innovation and Technology;

• Customer Service Excellence; • Best Performing Business (25 employees

or under); • Most Entrepreneurial Young Company; • Business in the Community;• Excellence in Skills and Learning;• International Business;• E-Business.

A tale to tell?

Has your Stagecoach department or regionwon an award? If it has, let us know andwe could feature its success in these pages.Your On Stage contact is listed on p2.

The megabus.com network

customers know megabus.com is the onlyplace they will get real bargain deals allyear round rather than one-off promotionswith lots of small print.”

The first megabus.com trial route, fromOxford to London, was launched in Augustlast year and has already gone into profitfor the first time – an amazing achievementfor a new product.

The success of the Oxford-Londonservice is all the more impressive becauseStagecoach already runs its upmarketOxford Tube double-decker coach productevery 12 minutes on the same corridor.

Megabus.com’s low-cost offer has com-plemented the Oxford Tube service andmore passengers are now travelling withStagecoach than last year on that key route,proving that megabus.com is attractingnew people to intercity bus travel.

Based on the same concept as low-costairlines, megabus.com is appealing to awide audience, including students,commuters, families and ‘silver surfers’ –the over 55s market who use the internet.

Seats on the no-frills ticketless serviceare yield managed in the same way as thebudget airlines. Seats start from £1, withslightly higher fares for last-minutebookings or popular journeys. All reserva-tions are subject to a 50p booking fee.

4 Spring 2004

A new fleet of buses has beenintroduced in Devon on theBayline route.

The ALX400-bodied Tridents(left), which will operate a 10-minute frequency between NewtonAbbot and Brixham, havededicated branding and made animpressive sight at the launch onPaignton seafront.

Torbay Council has alsoimproved bus stops on the route.

Stagecoach is expanding its hugelysuccessful New York Sightseeing

operation with an order for 20 newopen-top double decker vehicles.

The new TransBus Enviro500 vehicles, to bedelivered later this year, follow the introduction of 40TransBus Trident open-toppers three years ago, whichtransformed the quality of the on-the-road product.

Tourists – many of them from Britain – are snappingup the wide range of NYC sightseeing tours, whichwere expanded last year to include a Showbiz InsidersTour.

Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive andChief Executive Officer of Coach USA, said: “We areseeing significant signs of recovery in the US tourmarket and the time is now right to be investing in newvehicles for urban sightseeing services.”

The triple-axle Enviro500s have 82 seats – 53 on theupper deck and 29 in the air-conditioned lower saloon,which also features tinted glass.

Space has been allocated for two wheelchairs in thelower deck, with access for passengers with disabilitiesby a powered ramp in the front entrance of the two-door buses.

A three-camera CCTV system ensures passengersafety, with coverage of the top deck, the centre exitdoor and the area behind the bus when reverse gear isengaged.

The new vehicles are slightly wider than the existingTridents – 2.55m instead of 2.5m – giving more internalspace. They will also be powered by the latest Cummins330PS EPA engine with exhaust gas recirculation.

David Quainton, Sales Director, TransBusInternational Body Division, said: “We are delighted tohave won repeat business from Stagecoach for itsdemanding operations in North America.

“This order builds on the long relationship betweenStagecoach and our Falkirk plant which has beensupplying new buses to the group since 1987.”

New York Sightseeing, which now employs up to140 drivers at the height of the season, had aphenomenal 2003, with July breaking all sales recordsand brisk business continuing right through into theautumn.

New York Sightseeinggiven new dimension

Passengers of Coach USANortheast are enjoying newlevels of luxury thanks to a $6million investment in 17 newmotor coaches.

Five of the new 55-seatercoaches, which were due to bedelivered at the end of January,are being introduced to thecompany’s suburban operation,based in New Brunswick, NewJersey.

The remaining 12 vehicles are

Travelling in the lap of luxurybeing allocated to Shortline, basedin Mahwah, NJ.

All of the coaches feature rest-rooms, video, and wheelchair lifts.Brian Souter, Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Coach USA, said: “Theperformance of our Northeastdivision is very encouraging and we

are continuing to invest in ouroperations.

“This $6 million investment innew coaches will improve thequality of service we provide forlonger distance commuter pass-engers and help facilitate organicgrowth.”

The coaches were purchasedfrom Motor Coach Industries Inc.(MCI), Chicago, Illinois, USA. ItsChief Executive Officer, TomSorrells, said: “We are extremelypleased Coach USA has,once again, selected MCI’sproven and dependable productsto serve its customers’ needs. MCIis proud of its ongoing relation-ship with Coach USA and thetrust and confidence that this newpurchase conveys.”

Stagecoach in London has wonback a major contract.

The route covered by the five-year contract, which takes effectfrom June, is currently operated byFirst and will continue to runbetween Oxford Circus and Ilfordat high frequencies.

Forty-two brand new articulatedbuses, known as bendy-buses, likethose found in central London, willbe introduced on to the route,replacing the existing low floordouble deckers.

Articulated buses are able tocarry around 135 passengers at atime – almost twice the number ofa double decker.

Barry Arnold, ManagingDirector of Stagecoach in London,said: “We are delighted to havewon this back. This route was onceoperated under contract to LondonBuses by us and lost on tender in1999.

“An order has been placed withMercedes Benz for the buses andwork is under way to prepare anew depot at Stratford, from whichthe route will be operated.

“We already operate articulatedbuses in south-east and centralLondon, and are delighted to bethe first operator of such vehiclesin east-London as well. There is nodoubt they will bring an all-roundhigher standard of service.”

Mercedesbends headfor London

Devon takesdelivery ofnew Tridents

New open-top double decker buses are heading for New York.

The first of 12 brand new SuperLow Floor buses has enteredservice in South Wales from theStagecoach bus depot at Porth.

All are expected to be inservice by the start of next month.

Announcing the £1millioninvestment, StagecoachOperations Manager StephenEvans said: “I am extremelypleased that we have these newbuses coming to the Rhondda.

“The investment has largelybeen made possible as a result ofthe increase in journeys beingmade following the introductionby the Welsh AssemblyGovernment of free travel for theelderly and disabled.

“Low floor, easy access busesmake travel so much easier, notonly for the elderly and those withmobility difficulties but alsomothers of young children whocan simply wheel their pushchairson board.”

There are also benefits for theenvironment as these vehicles arefitted with the very latest lowemission Euro 3 engines.

The routes the new buses willbe used on will enable other lowfloor buses in the fleet to bemoved, bringing easy accessbuses to almost all main corridorsin the area.

Rhonddagets the low down

5Spring 2004

Coach USA has placed a multimillion-dollar order for more than 60 new state-of-the art coaches.

The new vehicles, ordered frommanufacturer Motor Coach IndustriesInc, will be divided between thecompany’s Northeast and North Centraloperations.

It is the first order by Coach USA forthe 56-seater J4500 vehicles, which are

equipped with wheelchair lifts and aspiral entryway.

Brian Souter, Chief Executive Officer,Coach USA, said: “This new investmentwill make a real difference to thecomfort and reliability of our services onthe road.

“We believe there is significantpotential to grow our charter business,in particular, and these new state-of-the-

art vehicles will improve the quality ofservice we can offer our customers.”

The new vehicles are beingintroduced in Chicago, Milwaukee,Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and New York,with the last of the buses arriving in May.

Coach USA Northeast, which willhave more than 1,000 vehicles oncompletion of the order, provides long-distance express coach, commuter,

transit and sightseeing servicesthroughout New Jersey, eastern NewYork and southern Pennsylvania.

The North Central region operates1,300 vehicles, including school andtransit buses. As well as tour, charter andsightseeing services, the companyprovides commuter and universityshuttles, student transportation andscheduled airport services.

Nine New low-floor Dennis Dartbuses have been introduced onroute 67/68 in Carlisle.

Operating between BelleVue, Carlisle City Centre andUpperby, the nine new additionswill join the existing easy accessfleet, bringing the total numberof low floor buses in Carlisle to22.

Pictured, from left, are Graham Whiteley,Public Transport Manager, CumbriaCounty Council; Nigel Barrett, ManagingDirector, Stagecoach North West, andWillie McPhail, Operations Manager,Stagecoach North West.

Stagecoach in Portsmouthhas added new low-floor

easy access buses to thenumber 21 route.

This latest improvement is inaddition to last summer’s increasedfrequency on the route – to every15 minutes – as part of the HavantQuality Bus Partnership.

The partnership, which haspraised Stagecoach for providing aquality service in the region, isbetween Hampshire CountyCouncil, Havant Borough Counciland Portsmouth City Council.

Initiatives under way include buspriority schemes, relocation of busstops and raised kerbs to provideeasier access to the new low floorvehicles.

Andrew Dyer, ManagingDirector, Stagecoach South, addedhis signature to the Havant QualityBus Partnership at a ceremonyattended by regional and localcouncillors and transport officials.

Andrew said the improvednumber 21 route, betweenPortsmouth and Havant, is expectedto boost passenger numbers.

He said: “We are delighted to beworking in partnership with theauthorities. Our service and vehicleenhancements, along with on-streetinfrastructure improvements by thecouncils, is a winning combinationfor encouraging new users.

New low-floor busesmake access easier

Mum Julia Gaskin and children Callum and Louis demonstrate the number 21’s low floor access, watched, from left, by Councillor Alex Bentley, PortsmouthCity Council; Councillor Keith Estlin, Havant Borough Council; Andrew Dyer, MD Stagecoach South, and Nigel Tarrant, Havant Borough Council.

“In just three years, the number23 route has seen passengernumbers increase by 30 per cent.We expect the number 21 route to

follow a similar pattern and we aimto reduce travelling time by 10 percent on the service in the next threeyears.”

Havant Borough Council’s goalsfor reduction of car dependency arebeing complemented by plans for anew Havant Bus Station.

Latest vehicles arriveon Carlisle route

Coach USA investment boosts charter business

Stagecoach has linked up withDerbyshire County Council andother local authorities to helpimprove transport on the A619corridor between Chesterfieldand Staveley.

Improvements to bus prioritymeasures and the introduction ofnew bus shelters, timetable casesand specially branded buses arebeing made as part of the recentlylaunched Bus QualityPartnership.

The Partnership has already

led to passenger growth on the 77service between Chesterfield andWorksop.

Paul Lynch, Managing Directorof Stagecoach East Midlands, said:“I am delighted that, by workingalongside the local authorities,Stagecoach is able to offer itscustomers in North-EastDerbyshire an improved service.”

Other enhancements to thecorridor are scheduled to follow,including the introduction ofseven new Tridents.

Joint workingreaps reward

Nora’s award is Rugby first Nora Connor has become the firstemployee at StagecoachWarwickshire’s Rugby Depot to gainthe new NVQ Level 2 award for busindustry personnel.

She started her NVQ studies in thesummer on the old format beforeswitching to the new regime.

Nora joined the company after shereached the age of 40 and decidedthere was more to life than staying athome looking after her teenagefamily.

She responded to a Stagecoachadvertisement to become a driver butfor the last 12 months has beenworking as a mentor, helping newrecruits with on-bus training.

NVQs put depotout in frontStagecoach staff in Leamington areleading the way when it comes topicking up NVQs.

Nearly 20 of the depot’s busdrivers have just passed their NVQLevel 2 in Road Passenger Transport,putting the total number of successesat over 30 – more than any otherStagecoach depot in South Midlands.

Drivers are taking their lead frommanager Mick Rossiter, who hasstudied in his own time to gain thequalification.

Terry Dadzis, Stagecoach SouthMidlands NVQ Co-ordinator, said:“Mick and Leamington Depot’sAssessor, Lucy Mitchell, have pulledout all the stops to give thecompany’s NVQ initiative everysupport.

“I couldn’t be more proud ofLeamington’s success and the attitudeof the drivers. It’s the biggest singledepot presentation to date and isproving to be a worthwhileinvestment.”

Mick and a selection of the driversreceived their certificates from MartinSutton, Managing Director ofStagecoach South Midlands.

Closing bookson her careerJean Briggs, a founder member of theStagecoach Group PensionsDepartment, has retired after morethan 10 years in the role.

Based at the Group headquartersin Perth, Jean joined the pensions setup in April, 1993, following thedecision by the Group to move thescheme administration in-house.

Apart from being Senior SchemeAdministrator, she ran the pensionerpayroll, seeing it increase from under200 to over 3,500 in the last 10 years. Paul Goddard, Group PensionsManager, said: “Jean was a font of allknowledge for the more juniormembers of the team and will bemissed in many ways.”

Jean, who retired early at age 60,previously worked with Ribble inpayroll in the mid-1980s before it wasa Stagecoach company. She lives inBankfoot, near Perth, with husbandJim and the couple are now planningto move back to the North West ofEngland to be closer to their family.

6 Spring 2004

New control centre bSouth West Trains has joined

forces with Network Rail toopen the UK’s first integratedcontrol centre, which willtransform the way the railwaysrecover from breakdowns.

The Wessex Integrated Control Centre(WICC) is the first of a series of seven similaroperations across the UK rail network that willsee the introduction of so-called ‘fat controllers’to take charge of operations.

It will simplify communications andpromote more efficient ways of workingbetween train companies and the infrastructureprovider, so decisions are taken in the bestinterests of passengers.

Based in London Waterloo station, at theheart of the railway network in the South Westof England, it brings controllers from NetworkRail and South West Trains together to workside by side in one location.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling, whoofficially opened the new centre in February,said the initiative would address the problem offragmentation within the industry.

“Passengers don’t care who owns the trackand trains but they do care passionately thatthere is a person who is capable of takingdecisions,” he said.

Andrew Haines, Managing Director at SouthWest Trains, said the centre heralded the start ofa new era of partnership working for SouthWest Trains and Network Rail.

“The main aim of the centre is to improveperformance and, ultimately, offer a higherlevel of customer service to our passengers,” hesaid.

Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s RegionalDirector Southern, added: “Getting people backtogether has to be the right way to do things.”

The WICC has been ergonomicallydesigned so that all the controllers responsiblefor the minute-to-minute running of the railwayare seated in the most appropriate place.

Building work on the WICC began inNovember last year and took three months tocomplete.

It followed the first stage of integration inSeptember 2002 when South West Trains’managers were brought in to work alongsideNetwork Rail in signal boxes to provide inputduring decision-making.

‘Fat controllers’ at heart of improvements to the network

The WICC is bringing about betterintegration and improved working relation-ships between employees from South WestTrains and Network Rail.

Controllers work alongside each otherso dialogue is improved and informationcommunicated directly rather than over thetelephone or by fax.

Responses to incidents are far quickerand as soon as one controller has the

The experts’ views

• Around 2,000 trains a day are controlledfrom the WICC.

• The centre is responsible for over 600route miles.

• The project cost £2.5m and was fundedby South West Trains, Network Rail andthe Strategic Rail Authority.

• There are 105 employees based at thecentre with approximately 30 staff inthe centre at any time. The centre isstaffed 24 hours a day in three shiftsfrom 6am to 2pm, 2pm to 10pm and10pm to 6am.

• The WICC makes and receives a total ofaround 1,000 phone calls a day.

‘ ‘

Having everyone under one roofmakes communication much more

efficient. Controllers can heareverything that is going on around

them and can act on it immediately.Before, the phones would always be

busy, often because people fromboth companies were trying tocontact each other at the same

time.

Kevin MartinDuty Network Manager

‘ ‘

There is now a clear chain ofcommand, which means there arefewer operational interfaces and

much simpler channels of communi-cation, meaning information is com-

municated quickly and efficiently.Previously, information was passed

between controllers via telephone orelectronically; now communication is

face-to-face.

Alan RawboneService Delivery Manager

‘ ‘

Faults and incidents are inevitable onthe railway but this improved

command and control will limit theimpact of the subsequent delays. It isestimated that tens of thousands of

delay minutes will be saved each year,leading to a better, more reliableservice for customers.The WICC

represents a major step forward for therail industry and its stakeholders.

Andrew HarveyHead of Train Service Delivery

Working together fo

Control Centre factf

The Wessex Integrated Control Centre overlooks the platforms at Waterloo Station.

7Spring 2004

boosts rail integration

information, it can be circulatedthroughout the control centre using thecomputer systems and new technology.

The ground-breaking system hasinvolved the creation of a new role of DutyNetwork Manager, who oversees thedecision-making process and isresponsible for the real-time delivery oftrain services and helping to plan futurestrategies.

• More than 5km of cables were installedin the WICC along with over 300 dataand telephone points.

• In addition to eight 40-inch plasmascreens, there are around 80 computerscreens in the control centre.

• To complete the move between the oldand new control centre, a team ofaround 30 specialists worked from 5pmto 9am to ensure the successful transferof operating systems, while keeping therailway running. The move, whichincluded transferring and installingaround 20 different computer systems,was planned down to the minute.

A major incident room, equippedwith all the latest technology,helps a top team of controllersdeal with incidents quickly.

During severe disruption, theroom will be used by the teamalong with managers fromoperations, retail, fleet andcontrol, as well as members of thepress office and station staff fromWaterloo.

The incident room allowscontrollers to develop strategies ina designated area away from thehustle and bustle of the maincontrol room. It contains a bankof LCD screens that can display allthe train-running applications, aswell as a TV function linked to adigibox so the team can keep upwith the latest news via satellitetelevision.

In addition, an interactivewhite-screen has been installedwhich is linked to a computersystem. Computer files can bedisplayed on the board and thenmodified using electronic markerpens. These new images can thenbe stored, e-mailed or printed.This facility allows controllers tomodify plans and shareinformation easily with the maincontrol room and other operationsteams.

• Eight of the most importantlocations in the WICC have beeninstalled with touch screentelephone systems, allowingquick and easy access to all theimportant numbers. All the othertelephones have been upgradedto digital from the old analoguesystem.

• A system known as the ‘Gadget’has been installed, which allowsthe WICC to share informationwith any other control centre inthe country that has the sametechnology. This ‘Gadget’ islinked to a server via an ISDNline and allows instant sharingof information between differenttrain companies.

• Large LCD screens have beenput up at key locations in theWICC to allow all employees toview the same information at thesame time. The screens areconnected to a computer andcan display information from thevarious applications used to runthe railways including maps oftrack layouts and real-timedetails on the location ofservices.

• A new Local Area Network(LAN) room has been built witha powerful server to support allthe new IT systems.

High-tech response to incidents

or a better service

file

In control: Staff at the centre are working closelytogether to improve the response to incidents.Right: Transport Secretary Alistair Darling (centre)at the official opening with Andrew Haines (right)and Robin Gisby.

8 Spring 2004

Stagecoach is at the heartof a major staff discount

scheme for Manchesterhospitals.

The tie up came about after CentralManchester and Manchester Children’sUniversities Hospitals NHS Trust putforward its five-year developmentprogramme.

The introduction of a discountedstaff ticketing scheme for bus userswas seen as one of the possiblesolutions to try to encourage staff tomake more journeys using publictransport.

The scheme will offer Trustemployees, who number in the regionof 6,500 over four sites, theopportunity to purchase weekly,monthly and annual tickets on sitethrough the cashier’s office, withinterest free loans available for annualtickets.

David White, Car Park and TravelCo-ordinator for the Trust, helped takethe scheme from idea to reality.

He said: “Through the discountsmade available by Stagecoach and the

Andrew Howard-Smith, Nathan Ward, Colin Gallagher (all Stagecoach) and David White (CMMC Trust).

NHS staff scheme just the ticket

Trust, we have been able to attractimmense interest from the first day.

“The discount tickets and staffinterest free loan scheme will assist theTrust in a variety of ways. These will

include helping to achieve our goal ofreducing the amount of journeys madeto the Trust by cars with singleoccupancy and raise the number ofstaff who use public transport.

“It will also help us cope with ourmajor shortage of car parking space,particularly through the rebuildingprogramme, and make it possible forus meet some of the targets in ourtravel plan while benefiting staff.”

Ray Cossins, Commercial Directorof Stagecoach in Manchester, said: “Wehave been operating similar schemeswith NHS Trusts for some time.However, this is the first time theinterest free loan has been in place foran annual discounted ticket.

“We have worked with the Trust todevelop a pricing scheme which isattractive to the customer and hopethat the extra discounts, offered by theTrust to its staff, will encouragecustomers to transfer to annual ticketsand commit to Stagecoach for longerperiods of time.”

Public transport in Inverness hasreceived a boost following the£750,000 investment by Stagecoachin nine new ‘green’ buses.

The vehicles incorporate thelatest design features to benefitpassengers, such as low-level accessfor wheelchair users, parents withyoung children and people withlimited mobility.

Powered by ultra-clean Euro 3engines, the buses also demonstrateStagecoach’s commitment to sus-

tainability and better air qualitywithin Inverness.

Safety for drivers and passengersare a priority too, with CCTV fittedon all the new buses.Robert Andrew, Deputy ManagingDirector of Stagecoach Scotland,said: “We are at the forefront ofpublic transport development in theUK and this investment demon-strates our commitment to makingpublic transport an easy to usealternative to the private car.

“We are committed to deliveringhigh-quality services and makingpublic transport easier and safer touse, as well as more environmen-tally friendly.

“Our investment in new, state-of-the-art buses is yet anotherincentive for people to leave theircars at home. People not onlybenefit from the convenience andcomfort of the bus but can alsowork together with Stagecoach inInverness to help cut pollution and

congestion.”As well as new vehicles,

Stagecoach is introducing networkenhancements in parts of Invernessto make bus travel in the area amore sustainable alternative forresidents and commuters, and toassist in the bid to beat increasingtraffic congestion. The changes arepart of a review of Stagecoachservices which led, in February, totiming amendments and routechanges.

£750,000 investment in public transport in Inverness

Stagecoach and other bus andrail operators in Scotlandhave joined forces to offertravellers a single ticket foruse on both trains and buses.

The national PLUSBUSinitiative has been developedby the Journey Solutionspartnership of bus and railoperators, with £50,000support from the ScottishExecutive.

Passengers can now buyrail tickets that also allow all-day bus travel within localzones, which cover most partsof mainland Scotland. Ticketscan be bought for both thestart and end legs of journeysfrom all participating railstations.

The add-on cost to the railfare is less than the equivalentday ticket in the area andcosts less than multiple busjourneys, making it a simpleand convenient system fortravellers.

Scottish Transport MinisterNicol Stephen said: “This is abreakthrough in integratedtravel.

“Scotland needs morejoined-up public transportinitiatives like this to reducecongestion on our roads,grow our economy andimprove our quality of life.

Initial pilots of thePLUSBUS scheme werecarried out at EdinburghWaverley and Perth railstations and the system nowcovers 22 stations acrossScotland.

Robert Andrew, DeputyDirector of StagecoachScotland, was among thetransport operators whoattended the PLUSBUS launchat Edinburgh’s Waverleystation.

A big plus for Scottishpassengers

A tale to tell?

Do you have any initiatives that areattracting more people to try thebus, then let us know. Your OnStage contact is listed on p2.

Ayrshire receivesMagic Bus treatmentStagecoach West Scotland is hoping the launch ofMagic Bus in Ayrshire will spell success for the new53 service.

Operating on the Ayr to Bellsbank corridor, theservice started in March and is offering a low costalternative to travellers.

The Magic Bus brand has been introduced to theAyrshire network as an experiment to see if it will beas successful as its Glasgow operation.

Adult return fares are as little as £1.50, betweenDalmellington and Ayr, and a magic-multi-ticket,offering 12 journeys for £8, has been introduced tooffer further savings for regular travellers.

Bryony Chamberlain, Operations Director ofStagecoach West Scotland, said: “Magic Bus has longbeen a success for us in cities like Glasgow but nowwe are looking to trial this on inter-urban services.

“We hope that this exciting experiment will giveus the opportunity to develop this market furtherand to see if we can expand this brand onto otherroutes.”

9Spring 2004

Stagecoach in Warwickshiresaid goodbye to the last ofits 85 Leyland Nationals atthe end of March.

It celebrated what wasthe end of an era byrunning special final-dayservices for bus enthusiasts.

The last surviving

example, NOE 602R,(pictured) dates back toMarch 1977, managing toclock up 27 years of servicein the County. Sadly, NOE605R (also pictured) wentout of service in October2003, having completedover 26 years’ service

End of the road forLeyland Nationals

South West Trains hastaken further steps to

improve its passengers’travelling experience byintroducing an intensivetraining course foremployees who keep thecarriages clean.

The new Train PresentationCentre of Excellence at Frattonsteps up the level of training givento employees thanks to a week-long course combining classroom-based learning with practical on-train assessments.

Keeping South West Trains’ cleanis a massive job, with each trainbeing thoroughly cleaned everynight, as well as at regular intervalsthroughout the day.

South West Trains employsaround 300 train presentation staff,who work around the clock toclean more than 1,000 carriages andremove between 35 and 40 tons ofrubbish each week.

The five-day course, held at thecentre, covers every aspect ofcleaning from removing graffiti andchewing gum to emptying tanksand washing windows. Participantsare taught how to handle chemicalssafely, what tools to use for whichjob and the standards a train mustmeet before it returns to service.

The centre at Fratton is the firstof its kind in the country and SouthWest Trains is planning to open asecond Centre of Excellence atClapham in April.

Maggie Beecher, Head of TrainPresentation, said: “The work thetrain presentation team do is thefirst thing passengers see whenthey get on the train

“The new training centre and thecourse will bring about a realchange in terms of employees’ pro-fessionalism, motivation andstandards of work. This will resultin cleaner trains and a realimprovement in the service weprovide to our passengers.”

On completing the course,employees are presented with acertificate and can put theirknowledge towards gaining anationally recognised NVQ qualifi-cation.

The course will be delivered toall the existing train presentationstaff, including managers, and willthen become part of an ongoingprogramme to train new entrantsand provide refresher courses.

Making sure trainsare spick and span

Abingdon is the latest part of thecountry to benefit from a fleet of newlow floor buses thanks to a £700,000revamp of the popular X4 service.

Launched in August last year, theX4 runs every 10 minutes, during theday, to give the people of Abingdontheir best ever service into Oxford.

Adam Rideout, Marketing Managerof Stagecoach in Oxfordshire, said:“This new investment will set newstandards in quality and reliability.

“The new X4 vehicles have been

specially built to give our passengers amore comfortable journey. The seatsare a new design and each passengerhas more legroom to make the 20-minute trip as relaxing as possible.Each vehicle is, of course, buggy andwheelchair accessible.

“The new buses really do set a lotof firsts for our fleet. They have a newstyle of branding so that ourpassengers will recognise the serviceinstantly, they have engines built inAmerica that meet current environ-

mental regulations and the interior hasall the information anyone wouldneed on how to save money using ourservices.

“We have also specially selected ateam of drivers who will be dedicatedto work on the new low floor routeand nothing else.”

The launch of the low floor buses on the X4service, earlier this year, at Abingdon MarketSquare.

Market town enjoying new bus fleet

A total of 42 golfers took to the fairwayfor the inaugural Stagecoach NewZealand Golf Match in February.

The event – which featured teamsfrom Stagecoach Auckland andStagecoach Wellington – was held atTurangi, situated at the centre of theNorth Island, just minutes from wherethe Tongariro River flows into theMighty Lake Taupo.

Besides having an excellent golfcourse, Turangi is also known as ‘TheTrout Fishing Capital of the World’.

NZ tournament tees off in style

‘Surj-ing’up ladderSurj Bhullar (above) isfollowing in the footsteps oftwo colleagues who joined abus operator’s StaffDevelopment Programme andhave since become managers.

The 28-year-old is the latestrecruit to the Stagecoach SouthMidlands Staff DevelopmentScheme, which should lead to ajunior management role in eightmonths’ time.

Surj, who joined StagecoachSouth Midlands nearly fouryears ago, is looking to emulateJohn Bellinger, now managingthe Oxford Tube, and BashRafiq, who is OperationsManager at Rugby.

Stagecoach South MidlandsOperations Director JamesFreeman described the StaffDevelopment Programme as a‘unique’ vocational trainingscheme for people who werealready working in thecompany and had experience ofbus operations at the ‘sharpend’. He added: “At the sametime these people need to haveambition to expand and extendtheir career, which gives usaccess to a rich pool of talentamong the operating staff –people who joined the buses insome cases as a stop gap andthen realised it was a reallyworthwhile career. What’s alsoso important is that we arefinding them from within ourown organisation in the SouthMidlands.”

Surj started as a bus driver inthe spa town and was promotedto controller at the depot 18months later. He spent twoyears in the role, handling theday-to-day running of busesand travellers’ enquiries.

He is currently undergoingthe first stage of hisdevelopment programme atNuneaton under the guidanceof manager Bill Breen – Surj’sformer assistant manager atLeamington. Surj said: “I can’tthank Bill enough for giving memy first chance.”

At the time of the match a veryviolent tropical storm cut its waythrough the lower half of North Islandbut, while improved weather wouldhave lifted the standard of golf, the spiritin which the match was played couldnot have been higher.

The team from Wellington battledfloods to arrive late on Friday in Turangi,

while the Auckland team had a pleasant,relaxed trip, arriving in good time. Nodoubt this had a part to play in theresult, with Auckland winning theStagecoach New Zealand Challenge Cupcomfortably.

Saturday evening was spent at thelocal Returned Services AssociationClub, where the players received a

warm welcome and a most enjoyablenight was had by all, even though the‘Chiefs’ beat the ‘Hurricanes’ that day(NZ rugby teams and the Hurricanes arebased in Wellington).

Back in September 2003, DougHawkins and Tom Burt from Aucklandand Chris Rupapera from Wellington, hiton the idea of an annual golf

tournament and set about puttingteams together.

It is hoped that next year’s event, tobe held in either Rotorua or NewPlymouth, will generate greaterinterest.

Tom Burt, Southern Area Manager,Stagecoach Auckland, said: “A bigthank-you goes to the company for itssupport and also to the players, bothmen and women, who made this sucha memorable event. We look forwardto the challenge for the cup in 2005.”

10 Spring 2004

Friends and family of a Stagecoachemployee whose wife died of breast

cancer are set to tackle a gruelling 54-mile walk this summer to raiseawareness of cancer prevention.

Red & Tan’s project to revamp andpromote bus travel in greater NewYork City has been getting thethumbs up from the public.

In the latest phase, all 11 routesin Jersey City and Bayonne havebeen colour-coded on a newnetwork map, timetables andupdated website. Buses have alsobeen fitted with correspondingcolour placards.

A total of £400 was raised for aHampshire hospice over the festiveseason thanks to Stagecoach Portsmouthand its generous passengers.

A special ‘Santa Bus’ operated onmany routes for a week over theChristmas period and passengers madedonations to charity.

Stagecoach’s bodyshop teammembers – Simon Davis and Bryan Gigg– who created the special panels for thebus, were joined by David Rossiter,Operations Manager for Stagecoach inPortsmouth, and Michael Crockford, thedriver who dressed as Father Christmas,to present a cheque to Erika Lipscombe,Matron at The Rowan Hospice.

On presenting the cheque, Michael,

who has been a driver for 40 years, said:“This is on behalf of our generouspassengers who made donations andwere keen to support the importantwork of the hospice. The atmosphere onthe bus was great and much appreciatedby children and adults alike.”

Our picture shows the Stagecoachteam with Erika at the chequepresentation.

Highland challengeto help fight cancer

Santa Bus makes a difference

Colour code revamp gets green lightIt follows Red & Tan’s upgrading

of motor coaches on its newly-branded Staten Island Expresscommuter service.

And more than 100,000brochures, including the new

network map, route descriptions,fare information and summarytimetables have been mailed tolocal households.

Eventually the entire transit fleetwill use the standard rural red, blue

and orange livery of StagecoachGroup, which will make the busesstand out from the competition ofplain white buses.

Emory Edwards, GeneralManager, Red & Tan in Hudson

County, said: “We’ve had animmediate and dramatic response toour mailing from the community.Scores of residents have called tothank us for putting together such auseful guide to the buses, andthey’ve been requesting additionalcopies.

”This project seems to beopening doors for us with bothexisting and new riders.”

It was in October 2000 thatPauline noticed a lump on her breast,which was found to be cancerous.Despite a mastectomy, chemotherapyand radiotherapy, she was told inMay 2002 that the cancer had spreadinto her lymph system and she diedin October 2003.

“Sadly, what happened to Paulineis not unusual,” said Kevin. “Youread many such stories in magazinesand, sad though they are, in Pauline’sown words, ‘these things sometimeshappen’.

“Throughout the whole traumaticperiod, we tried various otheralternative treatments but the cancerjust kept growing. Despite whatdoctors can do, it’s convinced methat prevention is better than cure.

“That’s why we are trying to raisemoney for the World CancerResearch Fund, which is the onlymajor UK registered charitydedicated solely to the prevention ofcancer.”

WCRF, which was founded in1990, aims to raise awareness that therisk of cancer is reduced by healthyfood and associated lifestyles.

The walk will take the groupalong part of the West Highland Way,from Balmaha throughRowardennan, Inversnaid,Inverarnan, past Crianlarich, throughTyndrum, Bridge of Orchy, King’sHouse Hotel and on to Altnafead, justbefore the Devil’s Staircase.

WCRF has produced a number offree leaflets covering a range ofsubjects, including testicular andprostate cancer. To order the leaflets,or to find out more about WCRF andits work, log on to www.wcrf-uk.orgor phone WCRF UK on 0207 3434200.

HOW TO HELP PREVENT CANCER

Maintain a healthy weight.Try to avoid being underweight oroverweight and limit the amount ofweight you gain during adulthood.

Eat plenty of vegetables,fruit and other plant-

based foods.Try to eat at least five portions

a day of a variety of vegetablesall year round.

Drink alcohol only inmoderation.

For drinkers: men shoulddrink less than two drinks a

day, women less than one.

Be physically active.Although any amount of activity is goodfor health, try to be physically active foran hour a day in total, and exercise morevigorously for one hour each week.

Choose a diet rich in avariety of plant-based

foods.Eat plenty of starchy orprotein rich plant foodsand opt for wholegrain

varieties where possible.

Select foods low in fat.Opt for low fat versions of foods and

drinks. Cut down on meat products and redmeat – choose the leanest cuts and trim offvisible fat. Eat fewer cakes, biscuits andpastries.

Do not smokeor chewtobacco.Tobacco is amajor risk factorfor cancer, aswell as heartdisease, and isi n c r e a s i n g l yimplicated in otherchronic diseases, so it isfor your long-term health topersevere in your attempts to give up.

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Five South West Trains’ stations havebeen awarded Secure Station statusby the British Transport Police,Crime Concern and the Departmentfor Transport, bringing the total onthe network to 36.

The latest stations to be awardedSecure Station status are Earlsfield,Raynes Park, Teddington, StMargaret’s and Vauxhall.

Working in partnership with theBritish Transport Police, South WestTrains had to ensure that stationspassed rigorous analysis set down bythe Department For Transport.

Tony Holland, South West Trains’Security and Information Manager,said: “We are continuing to worktirelessly at South West Trains tointroduce further security measuresat our stations in the hope that morepeople will be encouraged to useour trains.

“The safety and security of ourpassengers and staff remains ournumber one priority. One of ourinitiatives to make our passengersfeel more secure was the introduc-tion of TravelSafe Officers whopatrol stations and trains.

Dr Vincent Cable MP added: “Iam pleased that the staff atTeddington and St Margarets stationshave been recognised in their aim tomake every passenger’s journey amore pleasant experience. I wishthem well as they continue to makeimprovements.”

The Secure Station scheme waslaunched in 1998 to encouragestations to improve security for bothpassengers and staff. To date, SouthWest Trains and Network Rail haveinvested around £4 million installinga combination of help points andCCTV cameras across the network.

Securestatusadds up

Eleven years of round-the-clock busservices in Oxford have been com-plemented by a new service.

Stagecoach is now running busesbetween Oxford city centre andWoodfarm every 30 minutesbetween midnight and 3am onFriday and Saturday nights.

Adam Rideout, MarketingManager for Stagecoach Oxfordshire,said: “We spent several monthslooking at ways to improve the nightbus package, researching whichareas of Oxford would benefit mostfrom the late night services.

“Having analysed our findings,we decided to launch the serviceand, if it proves popular, more latenight buses could be introduced inthe future.”

Longer nightsout in Oxford

Kevin Bickerstaffe, a seniorclaims negotiator atStagecoach’s PSV ClaimsBureau in Perth, lost his wife,Pauline, last year at the age ofjust 42.

Now Kevin, friends andfamily are planning the 24-hourchallenge walk through remote,rough terrain in Scotland onJuly 10 to raise funds for theWorld Cancer Research Fund.

A tale to tell?

If you have been up to somethingunusual to aid your local communitythen we’d like to hear about it. YourOn Stage contact is listed on p2.

11Spring 2004

The Great Britain Fastpitch teamcompeted with the best during therecent Men’s Softball WorldChampionships in Christchurch, NewZealand.

Stagecoach UK sponsored the teamand transport was provided byStagecoach New Zealand.

The GB men are one of the world’stop ranked teams, having gone fromfoundation level to the WorldChampionships in five years and havingrecorded its second top-three finish inthe European Championships.

Driving instructor Peter Dunthorne,from Auckland’s North Shore depot,drove the team to Rotorua, Napier andHastings for their warm-up games, andthen to Albany, Auckland, for the VicGuth Trophy tournament. The teamthen flew to Christchurch.

Steve Stewart, Head of Media andPublic Affairs for Perth-basedStagecoach Group, said the companywas delighted to be able to help the GBmen with their special transportationrequirements during their WorldChampionship tour of New Zealand.

He explained that Stagecoach NewZealand was the biggest bus operator inthe country and a key part of thecommunity. It was hoped thatStagecoach’s transportation expertiseand background support would helpGB do well at the WorldChampionships.

GB national team manager MarkBerman said: "Having Stagecoach as asponsor and in charge of our trans-portation really made a difference. Wecan truly say that, without thatassistance and the help of colleagues on

Softball team turns to Stagecoach

the ground, we would not have beenprepared for the challenges of theWorld Championships and our tour maynot have happened. We plan to beregular users of Stagecoach now and in

the future." The New Zealand Black Sox won

the World Championships, which tookplace between January 29 and February8, for a record-breaking third time.

Mark Winterton recently retired fromGrimsby depot after 40 years ofvalued service.

Mark was a conductor and adriver before working as an inspector– a post he held for 24 years.

During his retirement he will beable to spend more time on hishobbies, which include reading andlocal history.

Grimsby Operations Manager RonSmith said: “Mark was one of a smallteam who played a very importantrole in ensuring the smooth andefficient operation of the TrafficOffice. He is a character and will bemissed by everyone at the depot.

“I would like to thank him for hislong and loyal service and wish hima happy retirement.”

Mark of greatachievement

Stan, who put the finishing touches on hiscareer as a Trimmer.

The GB Fastpitch team which travelled courtesy of Stagecoach New Zealand.

In what is a first for high speedintercity trains, their brakes pumpelectricity back into the powerlines.

The Alstom-built tilting trains useelectric regenerative braking whichcuts dependence on conventional,dust-producing disc brakes andputs power back into the supply forother trains.

Pendolinos will use ‘reversethrust’ traction motors to slowdown, generating up to fiveMegawatts of electricity for theNational Grid, dramaticallyreducing creation of dust.

Alstom engineers have workedclosely with infrastructure providerNetwork Rail to ensure Pendolinosmeet rigorous UK power supplyrequirements and that the upgradedWest Coast power supply canabsorb the full reverse power flow,should several trains brake in thesame area.

Chris Green, Chief Executive ofVirgin Trains, said: “Our new trainswill prove a valuable benefit to theenvironment while using impressivestate-of-the-art braking.

“On test, a Pendolino travellingat 110mph stopped easily withinone signal section in pouring rain,and the disc brake cut in only as thetrain came to a stop.”

Meanwhile, the state-of-the-art newPendolino has won its first interna-tional award for on-board service.

The tilting train’s innovativeshop has won the bronze MercuryAward in the hotly contested OnBoard Service category of In FlightCatering Association’s competition,judged in Nice.

The shop sells a range ofconvenience products includingbooks, magazines and compactdiscs as well as high quality self-service food.

Pendolinos are currentlyreplacing older trains on West CoastMain Line services between LondonEuston, the West Midlands,Liverpool, Manchester andGlasgow.

The competition, organised bythe global trade association for in-flight catering around the world,attracted 14 short-listed entriesfrom a wide field of nominations.Entries were judged for innovationand customer satisfaction.

Around two-thirds of the 53-strong Pendolino fleet on order hasbeen delivered and now operatesalmost 40 per cent of West CoastMain Line services. FromSeptember, the trains will run at upto 125 mph and tilt on curves to cutjourney times.

Pendolinos slambrakes on waste

Now here’s a first class effort we canall tip our hats to.

Engineers Brian Janikos, based atSlatyford, and James Morrow, whoworks at Walkergate, have becomethe first bus fitters in StagecoachNorth East to achieve NVQ Level 3Mechanics.

Hitting anew level

One of the original members of theStagecoach UK Bus in-house S/NVQteam, Les Udale, has retired.

Les joined Stagecoach in 1990 as adriver and won several safe-drivingawards. He achieved his NVQ in 1994and went on to become the companyscheme co -ordinator for StagecoachNorth West.

As one of the four originaladvisors Les was instrumental inmaking the new in-house approach a

success. His area covered StagecoachManchester, North West and WestScotland and he made a big impactwith his customers.

A retirement lunch and presenta-tion were held to mark the occasionand colleagues wished Les and hiswife Pat a long and happy retirement.

Donna Beighton, previously thecompany scheme co-ordinator forStagecoach East, has now taken overLes’ role.

Les qualifies for a quieter life

Huge energy savings and dust reduction are two ofthe top features on Virgin’s new Pendolino trains,

serving on the West Coast route.

Stag-coach makes an impressionStagecoach in Mansfield recentlystrengthened its links with localfootball club Mansfield Town bypainting a bus in the team’sdistinctive livery.

Mansfield Town, knownlocally as The Stags, plays animportant role in the localcommunity and the special bushas been turning heads whereverit goes.

The promotion-chasing side is

having a successful season andthe eye-catching bus is helping topromote the twin message,‘Support the Stags – Travel withStagecoach’.

Our picture shows, from left,Mansfield MP Alan Meale,Stagecoach East Midlands MDPaul Lynch, Mansfield TownManager Keith Curle and theteam’s Commercial Manager, BobGorrill.

Retirementall sewn upStan Bolam, trimmer at StagecoachNorth East’s Walkergate depot, hasretired after almost 49 years’ service.

Stan was just 16 when he startedwith Newcastle Corporation in May1955, in the days when the trolleybuses were still going strong.

Since then he has witnessed thecompany change hands severaltimes before becoming part of theStagecoach Group.

All his friends and colleagues atWalkergate wish him a long andhappy retirement.

Les Udale with his Stagecoach colleagues.

12 Spring 2004

Supertram has clockedup 10 years of

delivering lifeline tramservices to thecommunity in SouthYorkshire.

The milestone for the service,which serves the city of Sheffieldwith three light rail routes, wasmarked in March with the unveilingof a specially wrapped celebratorytram.

Graham Eccles, StagecoachGroup Executive Director Rail,Andy Morris, Managing DirectorLight Rail, and Roy Wickes, DirectorGeneral of South YorkshirePassenger Transport Executive,were among those at the event atthe Nunnery depot site.

Guests and the media boardedthe special liveried tram for a trip toMeadowhall terminus using thesame piece of track that sawSupertram first begin operation in1994.

Stagecoach Manchester’s “realistic andrefreshing” driver recruitment advertswere voted Best Campaign at a recentManchester Evening News awardsceremony.

The whole Manchester team can takepride in the achievement as Stagecoachbus drivers played a big part in producingthe ads.

Personnel Manager for StagecoachManchester Jim Crenigan was present atthe ceremony to accept the award onbehalf of the team.

Last year, recruitment advertisingagency Ward Diamond visited theManchester depots to meet drivers andcarry out focus group discussions. A lot ofinteresting opinions came out of thesessions, such as the good and bad points

of becoming a bus driver, and other firms’advertising campaigns came in forcriticism for portraying an unrealisticpicture of the job.

Ward Diamond account director SamDiamond said: “Hearing the drivers’thoughts first hand gave us a really clearidea of what we should be saying in theadverts, and how we should put ourmessage across.”

The drivers were asked to providefeedback on the initial advertisingconcepts, which helped to shape the finalproduct. Members of the team also posedas models for the campaign imagery.

The end result was a series of advertsthat the Manchester Evening News judgesdescribed as realistic, refreshing andsimple in execution.

Still Supertram-tastic10 years down the line

Sheffield celebrates a decade of serving the community

Buses have a central role to play indelivering the Government’stransport strategy in the UK, a seniorminister has told industry chiefs.

Tony McNulty, Under Secretaryof State at the Department forTransport, emphasised thatpartnership was the key to attractingmore people to public transport.

He praised the Kickstart initiative,championed by Stagecoach, and alsocalled for greater political will fromlocal authorities to introduce buspriority measures.

Mr McNulty, who was speakingat the Confederation of PassengerTransport UK’s annual dinner inLondon, said: “Around two-thirds ofall public transport journeys are bybus – over four billion every year.And, as the prime movers of peoplefrom ‘A’ to ‘B’, buses are absolutelycentral to our integrated transportstrategy.

“Coaches also make a vital contri-bution, increasingly providing analternative option for commuters aswell as contributing to the touristeconomy. Very simply, we want tochampion buses and coaches.

“The Government has responsi-bilities in the drive to encouragepeople to choose to travel by bus –so does the industry and so do localauthorities. Local authorities mustshow leadership and vision and taketough decisions for the long-termbenefit of their area.

“We are encouraging localauthorities to implement buspriorities, which can reducecongestion and meet the buspassenger’s principal desires: a quickjourney and a dependable timetable.

The Government recentlyannounced a consultation onreducing the 21-month minimumperiod between making andbringing into force a Quality Contractscheme if the partnership approachfails to deliver improvements. Theperiod may be reduced to as little assix months, which is already the casein Scotland.

The 3% increase in bus patronageacross England in 2003, whichreversed a decline in the number ofpassengers in previous years, waswelcomed by the Minister.

Among the areas he focused onwas Cambridge, where Stagecoachhas invested millions of pounds innew buses and increasedfrequencies and generatedpassenger growth of 20% over fouryears.

Mr McNulty also welcomed the“fresh ideas put forward by busoperators” and singled out theKickstart initiative, which has beensuccessfully tested by Stagecoach inNew Zealand and in Perth, the homeof the company’s headquarters.

Buses playkey role

The whole system opened forpassenger service after a five-yearconstruction phase that createdBritain’s first state-of-the-arttramway. The original tram systemin the city was abolished in 1960

but, by the late 1970s and early1980s, the idea of a light rapidtransit or tram system gainedmomentum.

Supertram stands out amongmajor infrastructure projects inthat it was built on time and tobudget. Since its completion,passenger numbers havecontinued to rise steadily,reaching almost 12 million thisyear.

During the course of thebirthday week, conductors gaveaway badges and balloons tochildren travelling on the tramsand promoted a competition toname Supertram’s new animatedcharacter tram.

To mark the 10th anniversary,each member of staff waspresented with a personalised mugshowing a photograph ofSupertram. Employees with 10years’ service themselves alsoreceived a specially engraved pen.

Carl Williams, General Manager,said: “It’s a credit that so manystaff have been with us for the 10years. I’m sure I could speak foreverybody when I say we’re reallyproud of how well Supertram hasprogressed.”

Drivers’ starring role in ad’ campaign

Supertram staff beside the new tram that was introduced as part of the celebrations.

Britain’s first state-of-the-art tram system is 10 years old.

It’s a fact!• The system’s three routes

covers 29km across thecity.

• Superttram links fivepark and ride sites withthe busy city centre.

• A fleet of 25 trams wereengineered by Siemensin Germany and built at acost of £50 million.

• Each vehicle is 35m long,2.65m wide and weighsnearly 52 tonnes.

• Vehicles can each carry250 passengers.

• Low level accessiblefloors account for 40% ofthe space on eachvehicle.

• Over 90% of the supportsfor the overheadelectrical system wereplaced on buildings toavoid planting poles oncity centre walkways.

Pictured at the award ceremony are from left, Adele Swift of the Evening News, Sam Diamond,Jim Crenigan and Andy Quigley (all from Stagecoach).