ON STAGEThe newsletter of Stagecoach Group

INSIDE

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Try our UK Bus app!STAGECOACH has launched a new app which will make travelling by bus even easier... and you can be part of making sure it’s a success.The new Stagecoach Bus app is available free of charge for Apple and Android mobile phones. The company’s staff can contribute to the success of the new tool by downloading the app to their smartphones. The higher number of downloads of the app achieved, means it will feature more prominently in searches... good customer reviews will also increase its popularity. Through the app, Stagecoach will offer mobile ticketing on its local bus services for the first time, allowing customers to instantly buy and download tickets straight to their smartphone. Mobile ticketing, offering Dayrider tickets, is now live across the company’s Manchester and Wigan business, and is expected to be rolled out across all of Stagecoach’s regional companies in the coming months. Payments via the app can be made by PayPal, or via debit or credit card.The new app offers a simple journey planning tool which uses interactive maps and the smartphone GPS system to help customers identify their nearest bus stop and the most suitable bus service for their journey requirements. They can also find out information on journey length and available fare options. Passengers can also access live running times via their smartphone to check the status of their journey before catching the bus – giving them more time to finish what they are doing before leaving for the bus stop. In addition, the app enables customers to pinpoint their location during their journey, helping them determine where they are on the route at any one time, how far they are from their destination and when to get off the bus. This will be of particular benefit to those who are not regular bus users or people who may be visiting a new location and are unsure of the route the bus will take.

East Midlands Trains comes out on top

MDs on the move page 2 | Sam is chuffed to bits in Salisbury page 5

EAST Midlands Trains has once again been named best train operator in the most recent UK Customer Satisfaction Index. Carried out by the Institute of Customer Service twice a year, the UK Customer Satisfaction Index looks at satisfaction across a range of companies spanning 13 different industries.In the latest survey released in July, East Midlands

Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director Robert Montgomery said: “In today’s fast-paced world, time is really precious. Our new app will make bus travel easier and give people more time to focus on the other important things in their lives. Bus travel is changing rapidly. We’ve invested more than £1 billion in new greener and more accessible buses over the past 10 years, many with free wifi. Smart ticketing and the lowest bus fares in Britain also mean there are big reasons to choose the bus.” To help make our new app a success, we’re encouraging staff to tell their family and friends about it, give it a try, rate the app in the app store and report any feedback to us via our intranet, The Loop. So, feel free to pay a visit to the app store, try it out and give your feedback!

CHRIS Bowles, Managing Director of the Stagecoach Manchester business, is set to step down after more than 42 years in the UK bus industry.Chris, who took up his current post in 2010 and has worked with Stagecoach for 20 years, will formally hand over the role to his successor, current Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire Managing Director, Elisabeth Tasker on 1 November.Chris will remain with Stagecoach for up to 12 months, reporting directly to Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director Robert Montgomery, to help develop the future strategy for the company’s bus network in Greater Manchester, before retiring in 2017.Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan has a team of 2,350 employees, including 1,800 drivers, running 800 buses out of six depots on 600 routes across the region. Chris joined Stagecoach in 1996 and became Operations Director in Manchester in 1998, moving to Stagecoach’s Ribble business in 2000, before being promoted to Commercial Director for the North West in 2001 when the Ribble and Cumberland operations were merged. He was Managing Director of Stagecoach North West from 2006 to 2010.Chris said: “Public transport has been transformed during my lifetime and I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with many superb people and partners.” Elisabeth Tasker has 30 years’ experience in

Trains was rated as the highest performing train operator with 77.7% satisfaction, 3.3% higher above the transport industry average. Andrew Conroy, Customer Experience Director for East Midlands Trains, said: “We have put a real focus on improving the experience our customers receive at our stations and on our trains, and this is testament to these improvements and the hard work

Manchester boss set to retire

Issue 117 | September 2016

of our own employees in continuing to deliver the best service they can for our customers.“It’s always great to be rated highly against other train operators but our real focus is on becoming one of the best customer service organisations in the UK and we are pleased that the latest satisfaction scores are showing that we are moving in the right direction.”

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ON STAGE

STAGECOACH has confirmed a number of Managing Director appointments across its UK Bus business.Steve Walker, current Stagecoach North Scotland Managing Director, has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Stagecoach North East.He took on the role from 12 September after the company previously announced that former Stagecoach North East Managing Director Phil Medlicott had decided to leave the company.Mark Whitelocks current Operations Director, Stagecoach East Scotland, has been appointed Managing Director, Stagecoach North Scotland, effective from 1 October. In addition, Edward Hodgson, currently Managing Director of megabus.com Europe, will also take on the position of Managing Director, Stagecoach South, from 1 October 2016. This follows the promotion of previous Stagecoach South Managing Director Mike Watson to the position of Regional Director South. Steve Walker worked in the bus industry in Manchester before joining Stagecoach East Scotland in 2001. He took on the role of Managing Director, Stagecoach Highlands in June 2010 and was appointed Managing Director of Stagecoach North Scotland in May 2013.Edward Hodgson was previously Commercial Director at Stagecoach South before spending three years in the US in the role of Director of megabus.com. He returned to the UK in 2011 after being appointed Managing Director of Stagecoach West Scotland and in July 2014 also took on the role of Managing Director of Scottish Citylink. In October 2014, he moved from West Scotland to take on responsibility for megabus.com Europe and, as Managing Director, led the rapid expansion of the megabus.com network within mainland Europe over the past two years. Stagecoach confirmed earlier this year the sale of the retail part of the megabus.com business in mainland

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Did you know? Virgin Trains employee Karen Duffy won a Virgin Group raffle and had lunch with Sir Richard Branson!

What a Laugh!OVERHEARD – A Metro driver over the tannoy saying: “This is Byker, there’s Metro inspectors here so please have your tickets, passes or best running shoes at the ready please.”

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

New ManagingDirectors confirmed

STAGECOACH East Midlands re-designed one of its buses to honour the memory of local hero Amy Johnson, marking 75 years since her death.Bus passengers in Hull can ride on the bus which is dedicated to pilot Amy Johnson CBE, who was the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia.Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director for Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “We wanted to show recognition for one of Hull’s most famous women and, by dedicating this bus to her, we can ensure that her memory lives on.”

THE very first Londoner Live Show has been hosted at Stagecoach’s West Ham depot. Inspired by “Top Gear Live”, the idea was to showcase the latest in London’s bus technology and design while contrasting it with examples of buses from previous generations. Vehicles on show ranged from the latest electric BYD double deck to the petrol driven K type of 1921.Some 1,500 people attended the show and bought souvenirs, models and books from a number of stalls within the east wing. Rides on vintage buses were also provided from Canning Town Station with tours around Docklands arranged as well.

n  Tribute to local hero

The event was attended by hundreds of visitors.

What a show

The organisers also made donations to St Francis Hospice Havering, the London Transport Museum at Covent Garden and the London Bus Museum at Brooklands. Stagecoach London donated £1,300 from its own sales stand to the same three charities.

Europe to international company FlixBus. megabus.com continues to operate a number of European services on behalf of FlixBus.As such, Edward Hodgson will now carry out a dual role, as both Managing Director of Stagecoach South and Managing Director of megabus.com’s retail business in the UK, as well as overseeing the on-going operations in mainland Europe. Mark Whitelocks is a product of the highly successful Stagecoach UK Bus Graduate Development Programme which takes graduate trainees through a Senior Management Scheme to help them become the managers of the future. Mark has previously held managerial positions at Stagecoach West and Stagecoach South West. He was also Highly Commended in the Young Manager of the Year category at the 2010 UK Bus Awards. In September 2013 he took on the role of Operations Director at Stagecoach East Scotland. Robert Montgomery, Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director, said: “I would like to congratulate Steve, Edward and Mark on their appointments and look forward to working with them in their new roles.”

New Stagecoach North East Managing Director Steve Walker.

Jon Donnelly, Stagecoach East Midlands Commercial Manager, and Rick Welton, Director of the Amy Johnson Festival, with the Amy Johnson bus.

MEGABUS.COM US sponsored a team for this year’s Tank Pull Challenge which benefits the Gary Sinise foundation, better known as Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump. The megabus.com team was victorious in the corporate fund-raiser category and the trophy is now proudly sitting in the office of megabus.com Director Bryony Chamberlain.

n  On the pull

The megabus.com tank pull team.

ON STAGEHow the smart GrassHOPPER landed a Scottish first on p4.

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Catching the bus together n  Manchester boss set to retire

n  Long serving ladies

AS MENTIONED in the last issue of On Stage, many of the company’s bus businesses took part in the national Catch The Bus Week campaign recently.The event, organised by campaign group Greener Journeys, involves many bus operators from across the UK and aims to share the benefits of bus travel to encourage people to try the bus.As you’ll see from the photos on this page, a number of Stagecoach companies took part in some interesting activities to mark the week.

A NETWORK of video ticket machines, which will make it easier for passengers to get help and find the best value fare for their journey, is now live on the South West Trains network. It is believed to be first network of its kind in the country and is directly linked to a dedicated contact centre with specially trained staff who can offer face-to-face advice as well as remotely purchasing a ticket for the passenger if needed. This is part of the £50million investment being delivered across the South West Trains network to improve passenger experience and also includes the introduction of 100 Customer Ambassadors in stations, 1,400 extra car parking spaces and a new website and smartphone app.The state-of-the-art video ticket machines offer many of the features passengers will already be

IT WAS Ladies’ Day at Stagecoach London recently as the company held a lunch event for its long-serving female employees. The lunch was hosted by Head of HR Services Sarah Rennie. The longest serving female bus drivers from each of our garages were invited to attend along with other long serving female staff from supervisory and administrative roles. In fact, the accolade of longest serving female employee is jointly held by Jill Chart, Garage Operations Clerk at Bromley, and Sarah Rennie herself, who have known each other since the first day they joined the business 36 years ago. Jill commented: “I have undertaken many different roles within the business and the industry gets into your blood and I really enjoy the diversity of the people I meet and the challenges this brings”.Stagecoach London has worked hard to increase the proportion of females working for the company through a series of initiatives. Sarah Rennie added “It has been really interesting to hear the thoughts and ideas of women in front line roles on how we can raise the profile of women in the industry in a more positive way. I would like to congratulate all those who attended the lunch today on their fantastic achievements”.

the transport industry. During the first part of her career she worked in transport logistics within the heavy goods industry before joining Stagecoach Manchester as Operations Director in 2000. In 2011, she was appointed Managing Director of Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire.She said: “I am delighted to be returning to the Manchester area. It is one of the biggest and most important regions in the country and has a public transport network to rival any other UK city, including London.“Buses play a key role in delivering connectivity, providing good value links to education, employment, health and leisure facilities and contributing significantly to the local economy. However, it’s clear there are tough decisions to be made in the future if we are to unleash the full potential of the bus network. Traffic congestion is strangling the city of Manchester and I look forward to working with our partners to deliver solutions which will help buses flourish and deliver even better services to the millions of customers who rely on the bus network every year.”

Stagecoach East Midlands held a popular roadshow and bus bake off event in Lincoln.

Video ticket machines up and runningfamiliar with, including pre-booked ticket collection and tickets for immediate travel. However, the screen also includes a ‘Help Me’ button, which a passenger

can press at any time and be immediately connected to the dedicated contact centre in Basingstoke.Staff can offer advice and guidance and, if needed, take control of the passenger’s screen and complete the purchase for them.Arthur Pretorius, Customer Service Director for South West Trains, said: “We are delighted to be rolling out the UK’s first integrated and large scale network of video ticket machines. They

will significantly improve the experience of our passengers and provide real time guidance and help passengers make sure they get the best value fare for their journey, 24 hours a day.”

Continued from page 1

Stagecoach Merseyside MD Elisabeth Tasker, Claire Haigh, CEO of Greener Journeys and Liz Chandler from Merseytravel marked the week in Liverpool.

Stagecoach Manchester handed over a cake to Stepping Hill Hospital to mark the first anniversary of the Hazel Grove Park & Ride facility..

STAGECOACH North Scotland has invested over £750,000 in a purpose built depot in Portree. The new depot is now the base for 15 buses which operate throughout the Isle of Skye. The depot boasts the latest on site engineering and maintenance facilities with bluetooth vehicle lifts in addition to the latest compressed air technology. The new site also includes parking and washing facilities for the vehicles. These improvements will allow all maintenance work to be carried out in Portree which previously would have been completed at the Fort William depot, 107 miles away.Steve Walker, former Managing Director, Stagecoach

Portree’s new depot

North Scotland, said: “We are delighted to open the new depot which has good on site facilities for both the engineering and driving staff. The previous depot gave us limited opportunity to maintain the vehicles so this will make our operations in Skye much more efficient.”

The new bus depot in Portree.

Left to right: Kim Thorby, Sarah Rennie, Jill Chart, Mavis Amoakohene, Joyce Jordan, Roseclair Sanderson-Laing and Sally Trundley.

ON STAGE

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Did you know? Oxford SmartZone has celebrated its 5th birthday, and has increased passenger numbers by 5%.

VIRGIN Trains employee Natalie Simpson has been given a Star of the Month award after delivering great service to customers in need.Following a last-minute change of platform, a family group with lots of luggage, two mobility-impaired elderly members and a deaf adult, along with four children were understandably stressed about catching their train. But Natalie leapt to the rescue – despite being on her way home after her shift!“Natalie was a sea of calm,” says Paul Larder, who nominated her for the Star of the Month Award. “She made sure the family got to the train, found their seats and got their luggage stored onboard. Natalie made sure the Guard was aware of the group then joined the train herself and asked the onboard team if they required any support!”

n  Natalie’s a star

THIS year, South West Trains ran its first ever services to take festival goers to and from the Glastonbury festival.Thousands of passengers travelled by train to and from Waterloo direct to Castle Cary for the iconic event.Keith Hawkins, On Train Depot Manager for the West of England, said: “Glastonbury is a fantastic show and we also put on a great show for the festival-going passengers. This was another first for us – we have provided a new journey opportunity, which continues our entrepreneurial approach to creatively delivering new services and routes to encourage more people to travel by rail.”

Many festival goers chose to take the train.

n  On board to Glasto

SMARTER travel has been introduced across the North East as local bus operators and local authorities launched Scotland’s first smart multi-operator travel.The popular GrassHOPPER pass, which currently exists as a paper ticket only, is now smart, bringing greater convenience to bus passengers across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. The announcement means that customers can store the GrassHOPPER ticket electronically on a smartcard – either a StagecoachSmart card, a First Touch card or a GrassHOPPER smartcard – meaning they no longer need a paper ticket and can use one smartcard when travelling with any participating operator. The Smart GrassHOPPER ticket was launched in Aberdeen by Bill Reeve, Commercial Director for Transport Scotland, on behalf of Scottish Transport Minister Humza Yousaf. Mr Yousaf said:“It’s great to see Scotland’s first regional multi-operator smart ticketing scheme go live. Giving passengers the option to have one ticket that can get them on a number of bus services should help encourage more people out of their cars and onto public transport .“I’d like to thank operators for their commitment to making this product, delivered on the saltirecard, a reality and in doing so making integrated journeys

Scotland’s first smart, multi-operator bus travel

Launching the smart travel were Daniel Laird from First Aberdeen, Doug Bain who represented the independent operators involved in the scheme, Bill Reeve from Transport Scotland and Steve Walker from Stagecoach North Scotland.

simple. I look forward to seeing even more smart ticketing schemes rolled out across the country in the future”Steve Walker, former Managing Director of Stagecoach North Scotland, added: “It is fantastic to see the GrassHOPPER ticket reach another milestone in its introduction. The fact that it can now be stored on smartcards, including our StagecoachSmart card, will deliver greater convenience to customers and cut down the amount of paper tickets issued. The GrassHOPPER tickets have gone from strength to strength since the launch back in 2014 and we look forward to welcoming even more passengers on our buses now that the product has got even smarter.”

MINNESOTA Commissioner Charlie Zelle joined in as megabus.com named its latest vehicle as part of the company’s nationwide “Name the Bus” campaign. The 10,000 Lakes Bus was shown off to Commissioner Zelle in St. Paul who was thrilled that the people of Minnesota are served by megabus.com and that local people had the opportunity to participate in the competition.

n  Name that bus

FROM sweets in jars to washing cars and pushing a bed, Stagecoach Yorkshire staff have raised almost £2,000 for a local children’s hospice as part of an ongoing fundraising drive.Fundraising activities include donating the cost of an Easter egg, raffles and competitions and a bed push event as well as three staff giving up their time to wash other employees’ cars for a donation. John Young, Stagecoach Yorkshire Commercial Director, said: “The success of fundraising efforts by the team has been fantastic and the ideas for fundraising event have been great. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next to support this great cause.”

Driving up charity donation

Rawmarsh staff taking part in the charity bed push.

A DOZEN employees are the most recent group to benefit from Stagecoach’s Staff Development Programme (SDP).The staff members from the UK Bus division successfully completed SDP18 recently, which has helped prepare them to take on management roles. In fact, four of the 12 trainees have already progressed their careers by being appointed into their first management positions. The group celebrated with a presentation evening in Manchester, attended by Regional Director Scotland Robert Andrew. To date, the programme has helped develop the careers of six current directors and 85 current managers.

Taking the next step

Regional Director Scotland Robert Andrew with the 12 successful SDP trainees.

ON STAGE

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n PICTURE THISTHIS edition’s Picture This winner was taken by Christopher Lowe who is based at Stagecoach’s Sharston depot in Manchester. It shows a hybrid bus gingerly making its way back into the garage through flooding outside the depot. Congratulations to Christopher 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  Sam’s special day

n  Cycle for John

Green awards shine a light on eco-driving stars on P6.

New vehicles in the Lakes

Airport connections

SALISBURY station recently provided a very special day out for young train enthusiast Sam.The team invited Sam and his mother Becky to visit the station where they met with drivers, guards and their managers. The youngster then spent time in the platform signal box, followed by a walk around the station.Sam was then taken to the depot where he got the chance to look around the trains there and sit inside a cab and to top it all off, both Sam and his mother were given a first class pass for a train ride to finish off their wonderful, train-mad day.

STAGECOACH East Scotland has recently improved airport links for people in Fife.The company has upgraded its fleet of JET747 buses with luxury vehicles, which provide the only direct link between Fife and Edinburgh Airport seven days a week.The operator has also launched a new coach link between Fife and Glasgow Airport. The Express Jet Connect service is operated by four newly branded Volvo B12B coaches, which feature air-conditioning, free wifi access, large luggage lockers, power sockets, an on board toilet and reclining seats.

STAFF at Ayr Depot took part in a cycle ride to raise funds for the family of bus driver John Kiltie who was fatally injured in a disturbance near his home earlier this year. Different groups joined for different legs of the route but the completed route was from Girvan to Largs in the west coast of Scotland. The Stagecoach employees have so far raised around £7,500 to assist John’s family.

A BRAND new fleet of buses have been introduced by Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire on the 555 route between Keswick and Lancaster.The launch coincided with an increased timetable of more frequent services and represented an investment of £2.5 million to providing sustainable travel throughout the region.Matthew Cranwell, Managing Director at Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, said: “We are really excited about launching our new and enhanced vehicles which will continue to serve the local community who rely on bus services as part of their everyday commute.”

The Girvan cyclists get ready to depart.

Sam during his station visit.

n  IT lifesaversTWO members of the Stagecoach UK Bus IT team played an important role recently to help a woman who was taken ill.As the team from around the UK gathered for their six monthly team meeting at the SSC, they met before dinner in the hotel. North East employee Bob Whitehouse spotted that the barmaid had collapsed out of sight behind the bar. Between himself and IT Field Engineer Shaun Presslie, they ensured the lady was placed into the recovery position and looked after her until the ambulance arrived.It was later found out that the lady had a heart condition and the help Bob and Shaun provided potentially saved her life. Well done both.

One of the new buses out in service.

East Scotland Managing Director Andrew Jarvis launched the new service to Glasgow Airport.

Love is in the airSTAGECOACH East Commercial Director Ross Burton recently married his fiancée Pippa and, as part of the day’s celebrations, they used a Bristol FLF vehicle to transport guests to and from the wedding venue. In addition, East employees Richard and Jemma Wood married five years after they first met while working together in the engineering department of Peterborough depot.Congratulations to both couples.

Ross and Pippa Burton on their wedding day..

GREEN SCENEDid you know? South West Trains is launching free Wi-fi at Aldershot, Basingstoke, Farnborough, Guildford, and Woking stations.

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n  Green art winner Awards for eco-driversTHE UK Bus division’s eco-driving champions have been recognised through an awards scheme held in tribute to a former employee.Christopher Ball, Stagecoach Ecodriver Project Manager, sadly passed away in 2014. Christopher had worked tirelessly to roll out the GreenRoad eco-driving technology to Stagecoach’s bus companies across the UK and was a respected and well-liked employee.As a tribute to Christopher, an awards scheme in his memory was introduced last year and now the company has awarded the 2016 winners. The Christopher Ball Memorial Award has been awarded to the best performing company in Stagecoach UK Bus, with glass bowls also presented to the best depot and best driver. Overall winner of the award – for the second consecutive year – was Stagecoach Oxfordshire for its employees’ consistently strong eco-driving performance over the past year.Stagecoach North Scotland’s Macduff depot won the top depot award, while Stagecoach Merseyside

STAGECOACH Yorkshire has joined forces with CMR Recycling to ensure all unclaimed mobile devices, such as phones, iPads and laptops, left on its fleet of buses are turned into cash for local good causes. Devices that remain unclaimed for more than three months will be wiped of all data by CMR Recycling who will recycle or send them for secure disposal. The recycling company will then make a donation for each device to the Stagecoach Yorkshire depot’s preferred charity.

n  Turning devices into donations

driver Dave Birch, from Birkenhead depot, was named top driver for the past 12 months after winning the same accolade last year.Christopher Ball’s father John was once again involved in presenting the awards. He said: “I would like to congratulate the winners of these awards. It is good to know that Christopher’s hard work is being continued and he would have been delighted that the GreenRoad system is helping to deliver such high standards of driving across Stagecoach.”

KARIS Harrington, who lives in Wolvercote, Oxford, was crowned the winner of a Green art competition for her entry “Shake the Tree” which will be showcased on Stagecoach in Oxfordshire’s buses, including its 21 new Euro 6 green-engine fleet that launches this month.Stagecoach in Oxfordshire, in collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council, launched the GreenART competition to celebrate Low Carbon Oxford Week, a local ‘green’ initiative which took place across the county in June.The competition invited local artists to create a piece of art inspired by Low Carbon Oxford Week and all of the admirable things local residents and businesses do every day to help look after the environment. The winning artwork was chosen by the public.Martin Sutton, Managing Director at Stagecoach in Oxfordshire, said: “I hope our passengers will see the detail captured in “Shake the Tree” and feel inspired to make one small change to protect our city.”

Merseyside winner Dave Birch with his trophy.

The presentation to overall winner Stagecoach Oxfordshire..

Staff from Macduff receive the depot of the year title.

Macduff driver Duncan James Brown wrote this poem about the eco-driver experience.

CYCLISTS using Loughborough and Sheffield railway stations received a treat recently.Those using Loughborough Station now have access to a £180,000 Cycle Hub offering 130 spaces, tools and secure access.The facility was officially opened today by Jonny Wiseman, Head of Customer Experience Delivery for East Midlands Trains, Prea Duhra, Integrated Transport Officer, Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), and Andrew Bailey, Sustainable Travel Officer, Leicestershire County Council. The hub significantly improves the cycle facilities at the station and now includes 130 spaces for cycles on two-tier racks, CCTV coverage, free to use

maintenance equipment including a pump and tools and 24 hour secure access. Jonny Wiseman said: “Loughborough station is used by more than 1.3million passengers per year and offers fast and reliable services to London, Sheffield, Nottingham and Leicester. We hope this superb new facility will be welcomed by passengers for many years to come.”Meanwhile, the new and improved Sheffield Cycle Hub has been officially opened following a major expansion.The second level of the Sheffield Cycle Hub provides more than 150 extra cycle spaces, taking the total number across the station to around 600 spaces. The improved hub facilities also include a customer lift and cycle ramp to help customers push their bike up to the new mezzanine level.

The Cycle Hub continues to offer secure entry, CCTV and Russell’s Bicycle Shed.Darren Ward, Head of Drivers for East Midlands Trains, said: “Since opening Sheffield Cycle Hub in 2014, it has gone from strength to strength and is now an extremely popular facility for our customers.”

On your bike

Darren Ward from East Midlands Trains; Philip Darnton, Chair of the Cycle Rail Working Group and Executive Director of the Bicycle Association and Conrad Haigh, Head of Integrated Transport at the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) at the launch in Sheffield.

Left to right: Jennifer Carr, Oxford City Council, winner Karis Harrington and Karen Coventry from Stagecoach in Oxfordshire.

Traffic lights Red Amber GreenShows me where my bus has beenThrough the country or along the coastThe colour green is what I look for mostRoundabouts or fast descendsAren’t always my favourite friendsBut good timing is all it takesTo stop the jamming of those brakesTaking it smoothly like the sambaDance away from the dreaded amberTry and keep calm maybe count to tenAs sometimes it can be hard a kenSo take your time try not to rushOr you and your lights will tend to blushBut when a lesson’s learnt enough is saidSo let’s be good and put those reds to bed.

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 Sir/Madam,I am a nursing student from Aberdeen and I have a nursing placement based between Peterhead and Fraserburgh that I revisit for 12 weeks annually. When on this placement last year I had a lot of trouble with the buses and being late, etc. and the cost of the buses.

I just wanted to say that the improvements to the Buchan line have not gone unnoticed, it’s fantastic now. The buses are more regular and are much nicer

Stagecoach East Midlands help dreams come true on P8.

n  Special birthday on the Oxford Tube

n  Top bus rallySEVERAL hundred of people attended the Peterborough Bus Rally with many travelling to the event on a free service provided by Stagecoach.Three Stagecoach buses, all carrying branding for charities, provided a shuttle service between central Peterborough and the rally site at Sacrewell, where around 60 buses and commercial vehicles were on display.

Stagecoach East provided two buses (an Enviro 200 and an Enviro 400) carrying Cancer Research (UK) liveries from its Peterborough and Cambridge depots, whilst Stagecoach East Midlands provided an Enviro 300 carrying its Lincoln Poppy Livery from its depot at Lincoln. The Lincoln bus also did one of the shuttle services to the nearby Nene Valley Railway which was running a ‘Thomas’ weekend. Also on show was a new Coasthopper Enviro 200MMC from Stagecoach in Norfolk.

The vehicles on display at the bus rally.

OXFORD Tube passenger Michael De Souza celebrated his 40th birthday by fulfilling a lifelong dream of getting behind the wheel of one of the Oxford Tube coaches – even if it was stationary.After writing to the coach operator about his memories of travelling to and from London on the Oxford Tube as a child, Michael was invited along to the Oxford depot to celebrate his milestone birthdayMichael’s passion for the Oxford Tube began as a young boy. He and his Aunt would travel to Oxford for days out and travel up from London on the Oxford Tube. Oxford Tube Managing Director Martin Sutton said: “We love hearing stories from our passengers. It’s so interesting to hear the different tales that take place on board our coaches. Michael’s story is full of nostalgia and it’s great to share some history together.”

The route 69 open-top bus ready for service.

STAGECOACH South West joined forces with the North Devon Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) to produce a new guide to visiting some of the region’s best pubs by bus.The ‘21 pubs on the 21 bus route’ guide includes pubs perfect for families, pubs with history, pubs with live music or sports and ones that serve great food. The pubs are all located on, or close to, Stagecoach’s flagship 21/21A North Devon Wave bus service. Chris Harbour, Operations Manager for Stagecoach in North Devon, commented: “Our 21 service runs up to every 10 minutes, 7 days a week until late into the evening, making it the ideal choice for exploring the pubs featured in this new guide. I’ll certainly be taking the opportunity to visit a few places I’ve not been to before!”

OPEN-TOP buses returned to Thanet this summer after an absence of nearly 25 years thanks to Stagecoach South East.The new Number 69 bus ran between Ramsgate, Boating Pool and Broadstairs, Stone Bay during the summer. The open-top double decker helped customers enjoy the scenery along some of the region’s finest coastline at Stone Bay and Dumpton Gap. The service is part of Stagecoach’s year long celebration of the 100th anniversary of East Kent buses. Philip Norwell, Stagecoach South East’s Managing Director, said: “Having reached the milestone of 100

Topless in Thanet

Real ale bus route

years we wanted to celebrate by doing something special. Open-top buses were a popular part of the summer scene in Thanet during the 1960s and ‘70s so we decided to bring them back and recreate a bit of nostalgia and a lot of fun for the summer holiday.”

buses and the tickets are cheaper for a student (as a nursing student travel costs are always a worry). I had put a complaint in last year after a week of multiple bus disasters and I just wanted to say that there is a huge difference in the service now and it’s so much better.

Thanks,

Name supplied

Oxford Tube Manager David Rouse presents Michael De Souza with a birthday cake.

Chris Harbour, Stagecoach Operations Manager, with members of CAMRA outside one of the pubs featured in the guide.

FOUR new character buses have been launched in Nottinghamshire by Stagecoach East Midlands. The company has rebranded its Sherwood Arrow service by introducing character vehicles Robin Hood, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Maid Marian and Friar Tuck.The buses encouraged families to leave the car at home and enjoy hassle free travel during the busy school holidays. Michelle Hargreaves, Stagecoach East Midlands Managing Director, said: “The characters seemed to be well received by children and adults alike.”

Getting into character

(L-R) Elliott Mizen from Nottinghamshire County Council, Louise Wright, Stagecoach Publicity Officer and Janet Warriner, Stagecoach Marketing Assistant.

ON STAGE

8

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

South West Trains

n  Tramendous deals

n  At-desk-dining

n  Wedding party on board

Did you know? Coach USA recently held its first Safety Conference for employees.

Jacob’s dream comes true

SOUTH West Trains recently ran an online auction as part of it’s 20 for 20 fundraising activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the South West Trains franchise.A range of high-profile items were available for bids including a golf glove signed by Colin Montgomery, an All Blacks t-shirt signed by Sean Fitzpatrick and an England Rugby Squad 2015/16 signed ball. This year, South West Trains is aiming to raise £20,000 for four charities that are doing great work in the communities that it serves - Autism Wessex, the On Course Foundation, Southbank Sinfonia and the Active Communities Network.

Super serviceSOUTH West Trains employees had a treat recently as Teaffany’s – a team of fundraising staff – launched their very first at-desk dining service at Friars Bridge Court. For only £3 per person, staff enjoyed a range of homemade sandwiches, a scone with jam and cream and a choice of either carrot cake, chocolate cake, lemon cake or battenburg. All were washed down with a cup of freshly brewed tea or coffee.Thanks to everyone’s generosity on a very hot afternoon, a massive £400 was raised for the South West Trains charity appeal 20 for 20.

A HAPPY couple travelled from the church to their wedding reception on the number 99 bus in Bexhill.Keira Henley and Matt Salt headed off to their reception in Eastbourne on the bus and local operations manager, Richard Tandy made the bus fit for the occasion decorating it with white ribbon and posh bows.“We just wanted to do things our way,” said Keira. “Matt and I thought why not take the bus and travel as ordinary passengers.”

GREAT customer service was rewarded at Stagecoach West’s recent Customer Service Award Ceremony in Cheltenham.At the event, Ben Davis was named Male Driver of the Year for the second year in a row while Amy Sansum was awarded the Female Driver of the Year accolade.Diane Walton was named Frontline Hero for her commitment to excellent customer service as a Travel Shop and Enquiries Clerk over the last 20 years and Neil Brooking was named Runner-up Driver of the Year.In total, 25 drivers were short-listed and rewarded for their contribution to customer service, based on commendations received from customers.

TO CELEBRATE the summer, Supertram has announced a special offer on family tickets and a range of ‘Tramendous’ special offer deals.Family Tram dayrider tickets were available at the discounted price of only £8 and passengers were also able to use their Supertram tickets to get their hands on a range of Tramendous Deals. Working with local companies, Supertram offered top discounts and freebies to customers including money off food and drink and discounted entry to local facilities.James Stewart, Head of Customer Service at Stagecoach Supertram, said: “We’ve joined forces with local retailers to provide our customers with some great offers at locations across the city. From free coffees to 2 for 1 entry, we have a great choice of goodies for the summer holidays.”

PROCEEDS from Stagecoach East Midlands’ Skegness Seasider books helped make a young boy’s dream come true. The money was donated to Dreams Come True, a charity that helps children and young people with serious and life-limiting conditions to fulfill a dream. As a result, three-year-old Jacob from Hertfordshire who has Hurler Syndrome, was able to visit CBeebies Land in Alton Towers. The £1,000 raised allowed Jacob’s family to take him to the theme park for a whole weekend, including staying at a woodland villa in the enchanted village. Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director of Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “We are just pleased that we could help Jacob’s dream come true. Stagecoach East Midlands continues to support Dreams Come True and we hope to make more dreams a reality for children like Jacob in the future. They are such an important charity, and our customers and staff continue to do great fund-raising for them. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far.”

The winners with Stagecoach West MD Rupert Cox (centre).

The happy couple Keira and Matt boarding the bus on Devonshire Road, Bexhill.

Jacob enjoying his weekend at CBeebies Land.

Staff handed out the tasty treats.

ON STAGE

9

Mining Expo attendance

A South East cultural twist

Celebrating years and years of great service on P10.

n  In the pink

n  First look for staffSUPERTRAM gave staff a first look at the new Citylink tram and offered the chance for employees to ask questions about the new vehicles. Testing of the first of the new vehicles is currently underway and all seven are expected to enter service in early 2017, allowing some of the existing fleet to be stood down for maintenance work. Long term, four of the new trams will be used on the new tram-train pilot service to Rotherham. The new trams feature a larger low floor area than the current fleet. They also have state of the art CCTV, passenger communication equipment and climate control.

COACH USA recently exhibited at a top mining Expo.For the past 30 years, the Elko Convention & Visitors Authority has hosted the annual Elko Mining Expo. It is one of the oldest and most respected mining expos held in the United States and draws around 8,000 people, nationally and internationally, to its exhibits. Coach USA Elko is a leading service provider for the industrial sector, with an emphasis on supporting the mining and construction industry so took stand at the most recent event. The Elko business segment operates 120 motor coaches, transports over 3 million passengers, and operates 7.8 million miles annually, with 35% of those annual miles being off-road or in extreme inclement conditions.

THE South Downs National Park finest cultural and historic locations are featured on a stunning new bus livery.Stagecoach South East has unveiled a new livery depicting some of the most iconic and picturesque locations along the popular route 60 that runs between Chichester, West Dean, Singleton and Midhurst.

A TEAM of South West Trains ‘Pink Ladies’ recently took part in a 5k race across Basingstoke – all to raise fund for Cancer Research UK. So far they have raised a massive £2,426 and the money is still coming in!After the race they all had a big picnic, followed by a Men v Ladies football match – won by the ladies, of course!

GLOUCESTER Operations Manager James Williams recently visited a local primary school with the company’s vintage 1967 London Routemaster. James gave the children a talk about buses and held a colouring competition. The winning piece of artwork is to be used as a template for a mosaic which Stagecoach staff plan to make and present to the Friendship Cafe at Chequers in Gloucester. The company has an on-going relationship with the Friendship Cafe as staff recently helped refurbish the Cafe during Stagecoach Green Week.

n  Dropping in

The South West Trains Pink Ladies.

EAST Midlands Trains has appointed two new directors.Andrew Conroy (47) will take up the post of Customer Experience Director with immediate effect and Lawrence Bowman (35) joined as Commercial Director in August.Andrew Conroy joins the board from his current role as Head of Customer Experience Delivery where he has been responsible for the delivery of the service East Midlands Trains customers receive at stations and on trains, leading a team of some 1,000 front-line employees. Lawrence Bowman has moved from his current post as Head of Business Planning for East Midlands Trains to become Commercial Director.

East Midlands appointmentsAndrew and Lawrence replace Neil Micklethwaite who has moved to the role of Commercial Director for Stagecoach Rail and will be responsible for helping to shape Stagecoach’s commercial strategy and plans. Jake Kelly, Managing Director for East Midlands Trains, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank Neil Micklethwaite for his contribution to East Midlands Trains over the past four years. I am particularly pleased that we have been able to replace Neil with two very strong internal candidates. It demonstrates our continued commitment to developing and recognising our internal talent and the appointment of Andrew and Lawrence puts us in a great position as we seek to continue transforming the travel experience for our customers.”

Coach USA Elko’s Ryan Veater (VP & General Manager) and Mike Pjevach (Senior Vice President) at the Expo.

The new bus livery.

Inside the new trams.

Stagecoach Commercial Director Mark Turner said: “The South Downs National Park offers some magnificent and breathtaking views. Working in partnership with the South Downs National Park Authority we have designed a new livery that resonates with the area it serves and promotes the bus as the best way to experience the landscapes and attractions found along the route.”

ON STAGE

 n Who are you? Jason Bulman, Marketing Coordinator for Coach Canada.

 n What do you like most about your job? Working with a great team of people, and the ability to dream up and produce marketing campaigns and designs that are seen daily by thousands of people.

 n What do you like least about your job? Can’t quite think of anything!

 n Favourite food? Steak dinner.

 n Least favourite food? Liver!

 n What are you most proud of? My two sons, Jonathan and Zachary.

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 14 October 2016.

Jason Bulman, Marketing Coordinator for Coach Canada

‘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  New recruits

 n Favourite holiday destination? Cancun.

 n Most embarrassing moment? Getting my belt loop stuck on a door handle while trying to quietly exit a conference room.

 n Favourite music? Foo Fighters.

 n Person you would most like to have dinner with? Dave Grohl.

 n First thing you would buy if you won $1 million? Buy a farm.

n  Marking long service

ASHFORD Operations Manager Dutch Docherty was given a fond farewell from his team of Gurkhas as he takes on a new role as Service Delivery Manager in Canterbury. Dutch joined Stagecoach in May 2000 following a career as a Regimental Sergeant Major in the Royal Horse Artillery.During the past six years as Operations Manager in Ashford, he significantly increased the number of Gurkha bus drivers at the company – previously there

COACH USA has announced the appointment of Jason Louis as Vice President of Safety and Dominic Manuele as Vice President of Fleet Maintenance. Jason and Manuele will report directly to Linda Burtwistle, President & COO of Coach USA. Jason will oversee safety strategy and work with operations and maintenance teams throughout Coach USA, Coach Canada, and megabus.com. Jason has more than 15 years’ experience in the transportation industry. Manuele’s responsibilities include overseeing maintenance activities for the entire fleet of Coach USA’s companies in the United States and Canada, which includes megabus.com. He previously worked at UPS and brings more than 28 years’ experience.

STAGECOACH North East has recognised employees that have demonstrated loyalty and dedication to the company in its annual long service awards.This year, 66 long-serving staff were acknowledged after accumulating an impressive 2,290 years of service between them. They were recognised for their prolonged hard work and commitment over the years at a celebration dinner and awards ceremony.

STAGECOACH North East bid farewell to Brian Sleightholme, a much loved and respected Operations Manager, who retired after almost 44 years’ service in the transport industry.Brian, 65, worked his way up the career ladder at the South Shields depot on Dean Road after beginning his career as a conductor with Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) in October 1973.Brian said: “I have enjoyed all the roles that I have undertaken here, especially managing a team and seeing new people come in, become part of that team and progress up the ladder. I feel South Shields has a good group of people of whom I am very proud.”Robin Knight, Commercial Director, Stagecoach North

Dutch Docherty during his farewell meal.

New role for Dutch

Brian steps downEast, said: “It has been my pleasure to work with Brian over the years and he is very much respected by his colleagues and peers for the sheer amount of knowledge he has brought to the role. He has given

so much and will be very much missed by all at South Shields and the wider Stagecoach team. We wish him every success for a long and happy retirement.”Janine Fowley, 36, originally from Preston, has taken over from Brian at South Shields depot following three years as Operations Manager

at the depot in Hartlepool, where she successfully ran the operations for bus services across the Teesside region.

The long-serving employees.

Neil Wilmin, new Engineering Manager at Stagecoach Kettering and Corby.

n  Neil gets on boardNEIL Wilmin has been appointed Engineering Manager for Stagecoach’s Kettering and Corby depots. Neil has worked in the bus industry since 1983 when he left school and started an engineering apprenticeship with United Counties at Northampton. He is now responsible for the good running of 66 Stagecoach buses.

Brian Sleightholme.

were four employed and now 40 per cent of drivers at the depot are Gurkhas. They enjoyed a meal before Dutch moved on to his new role.

TERRY Mead, Operations Manager at Stagecoach East’s Fenstanton Depot, has retired after over 40 years’ service. Terry initially joined the industry after leaving his job as a work study analyst to join his father, Gerald, who was the manager at the bus company in Huntingdon before it became a Stagecoach company.

Terry Mead.

Retirement for Terry