Sharper focus drives growth - Stagecoach Group

25 YEARS ON THE ROAD INSIDE 

Your 4-page silver 

anniversary pullout 

25 YEARS ON THE ROAD 

tagecoach received a 

Spositive response from 

the financial markets with a 

strong set of results for the 

2004-05 financial year. 

The Group share price rose on the 

back of an excellent performance for 

the 12 months to April 30, 2005, with a 

significant increase in profits. 

Innovation, investment and strong 

marketing have all driven the strong 

numbers that were reported to the City. 

Analysts were impressed at the performance 

of the company’s rail and bus 

divisions in the UK, particularly against 

a backdrop of significant increases in 

fuel prices affecting the transport sector. 

Passengers have been flocking to 

South West Trains after the introduction 

of new high-quality Desiro trains and 

the new timetable on the network has 

meant more than 90% of trains are now 

arriving on time. 

The results included: 

• Strong passenger growth at UK 

Bus both inside and outside 

London. 

• Significant uplift in passengers, 

punctuality and profits at the rail 

division 

• Big increase in turnover from 

continuing operations in North 

America, particularly at New 

York Sightseeing. 

• Market-leading position maintained 

in New Zealand, despite 

competition and cost pressures 

• Significant increase in the full 

year dividend to shareholders 

Stagecoach is also well-placed to 

expand its rail portfolio and is shortlisted 

for the Greater Western, Thameslink/Great 

Northern and Integrated Kent 

franchises. 

The newspaper of Stagecoach Group Issue 59 Summer 2005 

Sharper focus 

drives growth 

Innovation, investment and strong marketing boosts performance 

by Steven Stewart 

Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chief 

Executive, said: “We have achieved 

strong organic growth in our bus and rail 

operations in the UK and overseas, 

delivering on our strategic objectives for 

the Group. This excellent performance 

has been driven by increased investment, 

innovation, targeted marketing 

and a clear focus on first-class service 

delivery. 

“Our Rail division has performed particularly 

well, benefiting from the introduction 

of new trains and a significantly 

improved operational performance. We 

have delivered impressive growth in the 

UK in both our provincial and London 

bus operations as a result of our Kick 

Start initiatives, sector-leading telemarketing 

campaigns and online sales. A 

focus on our core markets, supported by 

complementary bolt-on acquisitions, has 

resulted in further revenue growth in 

North America. In New Zealand, where 

we are the largest bus operator, we have 

performed well in a difficult market.” 

Stagecoach Group Chairman Robert 

RESULTS HIGHLIGHTS 

• Group turnover from continuing operations 

£1,787.6m (2004: £1,641.1m) 

• Profit before tax up 14% 

• Earnings per share up 34% 

• UK Bus passenger volumes up 1.5% outside 

London 

• Rail passenger numbers up 4.8% 

• Operating margins in North America up from 

4.4% to 6.7% 

• Full-year dividend up 13.8% 

Speirs added: “I am pleased that the 

hard work of our employees has been 

rewarded with another year of achievement 

across the Group. We believe 

there are significant opportunities for 

organic growth and the expansion of 

our rail portfolio, both of which can 

deliver increased value to our shareholders.” 

Announcing the results, Brian Souter 

said plans were under way to introduce 

optically guided buses in Cambridge 

within the next two years. He also 

raised the possibility of a megabusstyle 

operation on the railways, 

using dedicated high-capacity 

carriages with variably priced seats 

that could be booked on the web. 

Earlier this year, Stagecoach 

shareholders benefited from a 

£241million return of capital 

programme. 

Signs for the start of 

the new financial year 

are encouraging, with 

current trading in 

line with the 

company’s 

expectations. 

Brian Souter – ‘A clear 

focus on first-class 

service delivery.’ 

Rail Division 

welcomes new 

Chief Executive 

Stagecoach Group has strengthened its 

senior management team with the 

appointment of Ian Dobbs as Chief 

Executive of the Group’s Rail Division. 

Ian Dobbs (50), who has 28 years’ 

experience in the rail industry in the UK 

and overseas, is a former Divisional 

Director of British Rail. 

More recently he was Chief 

Executive Officer of the Victoria Public 

Transport Corporation in Australia, 

where he was responsible for the rail, 

tram and bus services. 

Currently a railway management 

consultant and advisor to Government 

and the private sector, based in 

Melbourne, he will join the Group this 

month. 

Ian will have operational responsibility 

for all of the Group’s rail interests, 

including South West Trains – the UK’s 

biggest rail franchise – Island Line, the 

Stagecoach shareholding in Virgin Rail 

Group, which operates the 

CrossCountry and West Coast franchises, 

and Sheffield Supertram. 

He will initially report to Graham 

Eccles, Stagecoach Group Executive 

Director Rail, who has indicated that he 

intends to retire and step down from 

the Board in April 2006. 

Stagecoach Group Chief Executive 

Brian Souter said: “We are delighted Ian 

is joining the Group at what is an 

exciting time when we have a number 

of significant opportunities to grow our 

rail portfolio. 

“Ian has wide rail and light rail operational 

experience both in the UK and 

overseas. His high-level management 

and competitive rail franchising experience 

will help further improve our 

current operational performance and 

significantly strengthen the development 

of our current and future rail bids. 

Ian, who is from Nottingham, is 

married with a teenage son and 

daughter. 

He told On Stage: “Stagecoach is 

one of the most dynamic players in the 

rail industry, with an excellent reputation 

for delivering quality rail services. I 

am delighted to be joining the Group 

and I am looking forward to the 

challenge of developing further 

Stagecoach’s rail portfolio.”

John steps in 

to help 

revamp 

the bus stops 

Warwickshire’s 5,000 bus stops are 

flourishing under the care of 

Stagecoach employee John Gwynne. 

A bus driver for the past 34 years, 

John is now the first dedicated 

publicity officer for the company’s 

three local depots at Nuneaton, 

Rugby and Leamington. 

He has taken on the task of 

ensuring the latest information on 

routes, times and fares is available at 

all times. As an ex-driver he knows 

how important it is to provide 

customers with as much up-to-date 

roadside information as possible. 

John (57) said: “This has always 

been an issue and I am certain that 

the company is getting it right in the 

best way possible.” 

Stagecoach in Warwickshire 

Marketing Manager Adam Rideout 

added: “John is certainly starting to 

make his mark with the upgrading of 

bus stops on many of our local 

routes. He is conscientiously implementing 

what will be an on-going 

programme of upgrading and 

cleaning bus stops across the 

network. 

“It’s an important role for both the 

company and our customers as he is 

helping us to deliver key information 

through the rolling bus stop improvement 

programme.” 

Meanwhile Stagecoach in 

Warwickshire has invested £27,000 in 

the bus stop infrastructure in 

Nuneaton. 

A striking new bus stop pole with 

new flags and cases will now greet 

local passengers as part of a wider 

initiative called Project Diamond. 

Around 70 bus stops have already 

been upgraded under the scheme to 

include the latest travel information. 

The latest timetable information 

lists the times when services depart 

from each of the newly upgraded 

stops, which represents a big development 

for Nuneaton and 

Stagecoach as a whole. 

In addition, stops within the bus 

station will also be upgraded to 

include a map to the station, a map 

of the Nuneaton network and timetables 

for each bus service departure 

from the station. 

Niterider lifts 

top award 

Mansfield’s late night transport initiative 

has won the ‘Managing the 

Evening Economy’ award at a 

showcase conference run by the 

Association of Town Centre 

Management and East Midlands 

Development Agency. 

The Stagecoach East Midlands 

Niterider services beat off opposition 

from towns across the East Midlands. 

Since they were launched prior to 

Christmas, they have been popular 

with customers and played an 

important part in helping make the 

town a more vibrant place as well as 

assisting in curbing late night antisocial 

behaviour. 

2 

Summer 2005 

Running to schedule 

A team from Coach USA made light 

work of the annual Lincoln Tunnel 

Fun Run, now in its 19th year. 

Its team of 124, organised by 

Christine Schulz and colleagues, was 

the largest among the 1,000 runners in 

the 5km event, sponsored by Coach 

USA and the New York & New Jersey 

Port Authority Police. 

All agreed that that the event was a 

great success, with employees, family 

and friends having a wonderful time 

and at the same time raising valuable 

funds for the New Jersey Special 

Olympics. 

There was an impressive turn-out of runners 

from Coach USA. 

Soaring service wins 

innovation award 

Stagecoach East Midlands MD Paul Lynch, the Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield and leader 

of Chesterfield Borough Council Ray Russell attend the opening of the new Coach Station. 

Stepping inside tomorrow today 

Chesterfield’s new Coach Station 

comprises the new Stagecoach 

Travel Shop as well as spacious 

passenger waiting facilities and a 

driver’s rest area. 

The ultra modern facility, which 

replaces the 1930s Bus Station, is 

part of a £1.5 million project to 

improve the centre of Chesterfield. 

Not only pleasing to the eye, the 

new building is also practical as it 

sources its power requirements from 

large solar power panels housed in 

the roof. 

The new Coach Station is 

currently being used by various 

services, including all Stagecoach 

Express routes in the area, and 

provides excellent links with many 

local Stagecoach services. 

Contacts 

tagecoach has won a 

Sprestigious honour at 

the National Transport 

Awards in London. 

Gloucestershire’s Service 41, connecting 

Cheltenham to Tewkesbury 

and Northway, was proclaimed the 

Most Innovative Transport Project 

2005. 

Once a predominantly rural halfhourly 

service, the 41 has gone from 

strength to strength following the 

2003 purchase and branding of two 

low-floor vehicles for the route and 

introduction of an enhanced 20minute 

frequency. 

Backed by local advertising and 

extensive marketing materials, 

including a discount ticket offer that 

was door-dropped to 5000 households, 

Service 41 attracted 22.4% 

more passengers in 2003. 

Then, in 2004, to encourage even 

more people out of their cars and on 

to the bus, a telemarketing campaign 

was implemented. Targeting over 

600 potential bus users, a series of 

phone calls and mailings was made. 

Each mailing consisted of a letter, 

credit size timetable and wallet, 

Tewkesbury Town Bus Guide and a 

The Editor, On Stage, Stagecoach Group, 

10 Dunkeld Road, Perth PH1 5TW. 

Tel: +44 (0)1738 442111, Fax: +44 (0)1738 580407 

www.stagecoachgroup.com 

If you have a story for On Stage, please get in touch 

with your local contact below: 

Stagecoach Group Steven Stewart 01738 642040 

UK Bus 

Stagecoach East Scotland Lisa Henry 01383 516454 

Stagecoach West Scotland Allan Henry 01292 613515 

Stagecoach North East Kate Williams 0191 567 5251 

Stagecoach North West Colin Nicholson 01772 255752 

Stagecoach Manchester Karen Coventry 0161 276 2727 

Stagecoach East Midlands Phil Cartwright 01246 222018 

Stagecoach South Midlands Adam Rideout 01788 562 036 

Stagecoach East Philip Norwell 01604 676060 

Stagecoach West Anthony Evans 01443 687682 

Stagecoach Wales Anthony Evans 01443 687682 

Stagecoach London Benjamin Franklin 020 8477 7249 

Stagecoach South East Helen Martin 01243 536161 

Stagecoach South Helen Martin 01243 536161 

by Anthony Evans 

free seven-day goldrider voucher 

worth £16. By the end of 2004, 

passenger numbers on Service 41 

had grown a further 17.8%. 

The award was collected by 

Sholto Thomas, Operations Director 

at Stagecoach West. 

He said: “This award is a tribute to 

the dedication and enthusiasm of our 

Cheltenham staff who have helped to 

transform Service 41, resulting in a 

staggering 44% growth in passengers 

in just two years. 

“Our success on Service 41 proves 

that Gloucestershire residents are 

prepared to travel by bus if the 

service on offer is frequent, reliable 

and comfortable; and we hope this 

will encourage the local authorities 

to work with us to enhance other 

routes within the county and 

promote buses as a viable alternative 

to the car.” 

With phase II of the telemarketing 

already under way and an hourly 

Sunday service also introduced at the 

end of last year, further growth on 

Service 41 is anticipated in 2005. 

Stagecoach South West Mark Whittle 01392 889747 

National Transport Tokens Sajda Khan 01254 680180 

UK Rail 

South West Trains Lisa Davies 0207 620 5892 

Island Line Stephen Wade 01983 812591 

Stagecoach Supertram Julia Shaw 0114 2759888 

Overseas 

North America 

North East Roger Bowker 001 201 225 7581 

North Central Dale Moser 001 847 390 5800 

Coach Canada Jim Devlin 001 705 748 1170 

New Zealand Dennis Elliot 00 649 309 3500 

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Cosmopolitan Basingstoke 

throws down a challenge 

There’s a truly international feel at the 

Basingstoke depot, which now boasts 

drivers from seven different countries. 

Operations Manager for Stagecoach in 

Basingstoke Robbie Hall is laying down 

the challenge to other bus depots in the 

country to beat this impressive tally of 

different nationalities. 

Along with the 120 British drivers 

providing a quality bus service to people 

in the South East, there are representatives 

from Holland, Poland, Spain and Italy. 

Hailing from even further afield are 

drivers from India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. 

yneside’s showpiece 

Tcross-river Quayside 

Transit bus service, 

operated by Stagecoach, is 

scheduled to go live this 

month. 

The multi-million-pound groundbreaking 

project, known as QuayLink, 

will operate with 10 New Zealand-built 

hi-tech diesel-electric powered buses – 

the first time the vehicles have been 

used on a commercial contract in the 

UK. 

Stagecoach North East won the 

contract to run the operation on behalf 

of Newcastle City Council and 

Gateshead Council – and the buses 

will start running in time for the start of 

the popular Tall Ships Race. 

Karen Buck, Minister for Transport 

at the Department for Transport gave 

the thumbs up to the state-of-the-art 

vehicles at a special preview, which 

was also attended by Stagecoach 

Group Chief Executive Brian Souter. 

At £250,000 apiece, the vehicles are 

more than twice the price of a normal 

bus, but they incorporate the latest 

technology. They have two sources of 

power, are emission-free and use 

battery-powered technology. 

Manufactured by Designline and 

“We certainly welcome the contribution 

to the team from our international 

friends,” said Robbie. 

“Most of them have started with the 

company as trainees and have qualified as 

drivers alongside their fellow British 

trainees and have great respect from the 

more experienced drivers.” 

The international drivers are also 

popular with passengers as their polite 

manner and cheerful nature overcomes 

the occasional lack of understanding 

despite their competence with the English 

language. 

Operations Manager Robbie Hall (centre) with his international team (from left) Yusop Ali (Malaysia), 

Chellathambi Mohamed (India), Shaik Shariff (India), Johnson Susapillai (Sri Lanka), Vincenzo Colantonio 

(Italy), Fabien Rech (Spain), Genus Oke (Holland) and Artur Mieldzicz (Poland). 

Tyneside’s hi-tech 

quay to the future 

by Kate Williams 

already operating in New Zealand, 

Japan and Hong Kong, the buses also 

boast sophisticated electronics 

enabling engineers to ‘dial’ in by 

laptop from anywhere around the 

world. 

The 10 bright yellow buses, big 

enough for 50 passengers, will operate 

a mainly 10-minute service on two 

routes in Newcastle and Gateshead. 

As well as providing links to the 

Quayside, the two routes will also link 

the central areas with major tourist 

attractions, including Gateshead 

Millennium Bridge, Baltic Centre for 

Contemporary Art and the stunning 

new music venue - The Sage. 

Kim Teasdale, Stagecoach 

Engineering Manager, who is responsible 

for the QuayLink buses, said: “This 

is a very exciting and challenging 

project to be involved in. 

“These buses look like nothing else 

operating in the UK at the moment. 

They are very quiet and smooth. I 

think passengers will be very 

impressed.” 

Keith Taylor, Project Manager, 

Newcastle City Council, said: 

“Investing in this innovative and futur- 

Chief Executive Brian Souter at the launch of the new hi-tech buses. 

istic scheme is vital as the regeneration 

of Newcastle and Gateshead 

continues. 

“The QuayLink service will 

A different attitude to accidents… 

Safety starts with you! – that is the 

message to bus drivers in road safety 

posters produced for ROSCO’s 

Golden Jubilee year. 

Promoting a positive driver 

attitude was a recurrent theme in the 

recent ROSCO workshop evaluation 

forms. 

The poster tries to reinforce that a 

driver has to take responsibility for 

his or her attitude and realise that 

attitude may affect the potential for 

accidents. 

The Safety starts with you! 

campaign is the second to be 

produced with sponsorship by 

Stagecoach. 

Enough copies of the A3-sized 

transport increasing numbers of 

people around the Quayside area, 

while reducing congestion and 

pollution.” 

poster have been printed to supply 

more than 100 bus and coach 

companies nationwide, which enter 

some 40,000 drivers annually for 

ROSCO Safe Driving Awards. 

It is the latest of a series of 

ROSCO posters on various aspects of 

safety. The previous poster (Which 

lane are you in?) focused on the need 

for ongoing driver training; posters 

last year addressed the issues of 

bridge bashing (Stop bridge strikes), 

speed limits (Must I always stick to 

this speed?) and obscured visibility 

(It’s a jungle out there!). 

For more information, telephone 

Tony Beetham, Secretary, ROSCO on 

01865 775552. 

BritBus Tour 

reaches 

10 million 

across USA 

Stagecoach’s association with the 

popular BritBus Tour, to promote 

British music in North America, 

resulted in global media coverage 

and exposure to an estimated 10 

million people. 

As one of the venture’s major 

sponsors, Stagecoach enjoyed its 

share of the limelight when the bus 

embarked on a 12-day trip from 

New York to Los Angeles in March. 

The BritBus Tour 2005 took a 

large slice of British life to 

thousands of Americans during the 

3,000-mile journey, completed at a 

maximum speed of 48mph. 

It kicked off in New York’s 

Times Square with a British 

karaoke session from the top deck 

of an accompanying Coach USA 

bus. 

The patriotic flavour increased 

in the city’s Virgin Megastore with a 

British Tea Party while Atlantic 

Records artist Ellie Lawson entertained 

the masses. 

Additional promotional stops 

were included along the way at 

Columbus, Indianapolis, St Louis, 

Amarillo, Albuquerque and Las 

Vegas. 

The event proved an ideal 

opportunity for BritBus to forge 

links with television and radio in 

both the UK and USA. 

The next planned stage of 

development is to launch a largerscale 

BritBus Tour USA in 2006, 

with pre-tour promotion and a UK 

band talent search later this year. 

A penalty 

worth 

missing 

South West Trains has sent out a 

strong message to passengers who 

try and travel without paying their 

fare. 

In June, the network increased 

its penalty fare to £20 after the 

Department of Transport’s review 

of the penalty fare amount. The 

new fine applies to all train 

operating companies that 

currently have a penalty fares 

system. 

Passengers travelling to and 

from stations in the penalty fare 

area without a valid ticket may be 

liable to a penalty of £20 or twice 

the single fare to the next station 

at which the train stops. 

The penalty fare area covers 

the South West Trains’ network 

with the exception of stations west 

of Salisbury, stations between 

Barnes and Hounslow (via 

Brentford) and between Eastleigh, 

Chandler’s Ford and Romsey. 

While the majority of passengers 

on South West Trains pay 

their fares, the network has a duty 

to make sure they are not subsidising 

the minority of passengers 

who want to evade them. 

The message is: buy your ticket 

before you board a train. 

Summer 2005 3

Summer service aiming to replace the car 

A new commercial service has been 

launched by Stagecoach in 

Warwickshire, introducing an exciting 

new link between Coventry and 

Stratford. 

The experimental Stagecoach XI 

express service will run via Warwick 

University, Kenilworth castle and 

Warwick Castle. If successful there is a 

chance it will be repeated next 

Pupils from Compton All Saints 

Primary School near Winchester 

have revelled in the chance to step 

back in time. 

Lilli Davies (7) won the 

Stagecoach-sponsored day trip to 

Amberley Working Museum near 

Arundel, an attraction dedicated to 

the industrial heritage of the South 

East. The competition was part of 

Hampshire County Council’s 

‘Miracles’ environmental initiative. 

The excitement began when the 

youngsters hopped on a Stagecoach 

Coastliner Xpress bound for 

Amberley. Dressed in period 

costume, provided by the museum, 

4 

Summer 2005 

summer. 

Two buses, branded in a distinctive 

green livery, will operate the service 

until September 25. 

Jim Mortimore, Stagecoach operations 

manager for Leamington, 

Warwick and Stratford, said: “The new 

service is an experiment at the moment 

as we’re keen to test the water to see 

whether or not people will go for it. 

the children toured the reconstructed 

bus depot before enjoying a trip 

on the Stagecoach owned 1929 

Leyland Titan open top doubledecker 

bus. Afterwards they viewed 

the many other exhibits on the 36acre 

site before heading home. 

“Passengers will enjoy a much faster 

journey time between points on the 

route and the entire journey from 

Coventry to Stratford will take only an 

hour and a quarter.” 

It is also hoped the move will bring 

wider environmental benefits if people 

travelling to see tourist attractions in the 

area opt for the bus instead of taking 

their cars. 

riday the 13th may send 

Fshivers up the spines of 

many but for staff at 

Newcastle’s Walkergate 

depot it was more shivers of 

excitement than dread. 

The Stagecoach depot was already 

buzzing with the visiting Manchester 

Trident and Barrow Solo but there was 

also a lot of interest in the models 

required for a planned photo shoot. 

Helen Martin, Marketing Manager for 

South and East Kent, organised the 

shoot for Stagecoach. The idea is to 

create a bank of lifestyle photography to 

be used in future UK-wide company 

promotions. 

The Edinburgh-based design agency 

chosen to produce the photography – 

Story – has already developed a palette 

of photography specifically for the 

‘where you want to be’ telemarketing 

campaign. The aim of this new visual 

Passengers on the XI will also be 

able to buy discounted tickets for 

tourist attractions onboard and the 

service is also useful for summer 

students at Warwick University. 

A return fare between the university 

and Kenilworth Castle will be £1.50 and 

if a ticket to the castle is bought from 

the bus driver then passengers will save 

£1.50 on the entrance price. 

We are the very model 

of modern day travel 

The model drivers take a well-earned break from life in front of the lens! 

Bus buzzes pupils back in time 

A feast of fun: the barbeque proved a great success. 

If you have been up to something 

that has helped your local community 

then we’d like to hear about it. 

Your On Stage contact is listed on p2. 

A tale 

to tell? 

More than 250 employees from 

Coach USA’s Elizabeth Garage, New 

Jersey, enjoyed the warm hospitality 

served up at a special barbecue. 

The event was held to show 

management’s appreciation for the 

dedication of all Elizabeth’s drivers 

who operate daily in difficult conditions 

and who need to be constantly 

aware of driving safely. 

Maintenance and cleaning staff, 

The Compton All Saints Primary pupils get into the spirit of Amberley. 

who work hard to provide buses to 

the highest standard, also attended. 

Apart from tucking into the 

food, many danced to music played 

by a fellow employee who is a professional 

disc jockey. Prizes were 

also raffled off throughout the 

event on the garage lawn. The 

thank-you card responses, sent in 

by many employees, showed how 

popular the event had been. 

by Helen Martin 

library is to show what happens once 

passengers reach their destination – to 

think of the bus as a means to an end. 

Story was also asked to produce 

some shots of four core Stagecoach 

vehicles (Solo, Trident, Dart and MAN). 

The photo shoot took place in 

Newcastle, which the agency recommended 

as there was a good selection of 

models available and they could easily 

achieve the mix of city and countryside 

shots from there. 

The final day centred on Walkergate 

and featured a number of models on the 

selected buses. Thanks go to David 

Copeland and Tommy Pilkington and 

the drivers who brought the vehicles - 

David Cramer (South Shields Dart), 

Jason Garnett (Barrow Solo), Karen 

Fairbrother (Manchester Trident) and 

Brian Stonely (Sunderland MAN). 

Sizzling safe service earns staff a treat 

Present at the event were Roger 

Bowker, Chief Operating Officer of 

the Northeast Region; John 

Emberson, Southern District 

General Manager; Fred Sprengel, 

Regional Director of Safety, Security 

& Training for the Northeast 

Region; John Reddan, Regional 

Director of Human Resources for 

the Northeast Region; Jim 

Rutherford, Operations Manager, 

Bringing calm 

to the wild 

in the West 

A special Stagecoach West Scotland 

bus is helping drive youngsters in 

north Ayrshire away from 

vandalism. 

The ‘up 2 U’ bus is equipped as 

a mobile youth club with 

Playstations and an air-hockey table 

and has proved very popular with 

kids on its tour of schools and 

community centres. 

The anti-vandalism initiative, run 

by the North Ayrshire Education 

Department and the Community 

Safety Department of Strathclyde 

Police, also involves an interactive 

play for the primary five pupils to 

highlight how vandalism is a mug’s 

game and can ruin the lives of 

people in their communities. 

The children are encouraged to 

remember the play’s message, 

which is VVC: Vamoose to 

Vandalism Club. 

Apart from Stagecoach’s 

donation of £2,000 to the project, it 

is also running a competition for the 

best poster and slogan, with the 

winning entry being reproduced on 

the rear of a Stagecoach double 

decker bus. 

A rail era 

slams shut 

Marking the end of an era, a slamdoor 

train has made its last journey 

to the seaside – for charity. 

South West Trains ran the special 

event to commemorate the 

departure of the old units. 

The train – one of the newly 

refurbished Lymington Heritage 

Railway stock, 3-CIG unit and the 

blue 4-VEP unit 3417 ‘Gordon Pettitt’ 

– made its last ever trip on the 

mainline from London Waterloo to 

Weymouth, filled with paying passengers. 

All funds raised from the event 

will be donated to the new 

Lymington Hospital, which is 

currently under construction. 

Graham Eccles, South West 

Trains’ Chairman and Managing 

Director, said: “Slam-door stock has 

been part of life in southern England 

for the last 40 years and every day 

they have brought hundreds of 

thousands of people into London. 

“Many people who have fond 

memories of the old units took this 

opportunity to pay their final 

respects and raise money for charity 

at the same time.” 

and Al Koval, Maintenance 

Manager. 

“It was great to see the 

employees having a good time and 

enjoying the company of their colleagues,” 

said John Emberson. “I 

hope that this will be an annual 

event. We look forward to a successful 

year with everyone’s 

teamwork and dedication to 

safety.”

Icemen 

touched 

by Frost 

An unblemished record as a 

driver with the Peterborough 

Petes hockey team is not the only 

reason Ray Frost has been 

honoured by the Canadian 

Hockey League club. 

As team coach driver for the 

last 10 years, Ray has been a 

great support to the players with 

his calm and steady influence. 

These qualities have been recognised 

with the club’s prestigious 

Vince & Lottie Garvey Award in 

respect of a significant off-ice 

contribution. 

Ray, who joined Coach 

Canada in 1967, received his 

award at a Peterborough Petes’ 

Awards luncheon. Aaron Garfat, 

the team’s Marketing Manager, 

said the players looked on Ray 

very much as a friend, rather 

than simply their driver. 

“Ray understands that most of 

the players are away from their 

homes for long periods of time 

and tries to make them as comfortable 

as possible,” he 

explained. 

“We are proud to have him as 

part of our team. When the team 

wins, he is the first person to 

congratulate them, but when they 

lose, he is also the first person to 

try and cheer them up.” 

Motoring off 

on a mission 

A Stagecoach New Zealand bus 

is about to embark on a series of 

adventures that will put its 

former daily rounds in the shade. 

The vehicle was sold to the 

Salvation Army in Winton and is 

to be used as a mobile youth 

club. 

Instead of rows of seats, the 

upper deck now has a 

lounge/classroom area with 

desks, computers and a television. 

The lower deck now has 

around 10 remaining seats and 

also boasts a kitchen area. 

Analayst joins 

marketing team 

Stagecoach has boosted its 

marketing team with the appointment 

of Neil Mackinnon as Data & 

Market Analyst, based at the UK 

Bus HQ in Perth. 

Neil will work closely with UK 

Bus Research and Development 

Manager Elaine Rosscraig and the 

operating companies across the 

country. He will also support the 

Stagecoach telemarketing unit 

with all data requirements for 

current and future campaigns. 

Previously, Neil worked in the 

public sector with the Scottish 

Executive and in the private sector 

in New Zealand, focusing on the 

property sector. 

Hollywood stars climb on board 

Some of the best-loved stars of the 

silver screen are helping encourage 

more passengers to jump on the 

train. 

In an £8 million marketing blitz, 

Virgin Trains is using computer 

wizardry to allow the most famous 

Hollywood faces of yesteryear to 

drive home the message that the train 

is best. 

Movie legends Cary Grant, Sir 

John Mills, Tony Curtis and Jack 

Lemmon feature in the biggest 

irst year engineering 

Fapprentices attended an 

Outward Bound Centre in 

Appledore, North Devon, 

as part of their block 

release course at S&B 

Training in Bristol. 

The week, held during April, was 

aimed at team building, motivation 

and leadership. It was also the first 

opportunity all 33 first years had to 

It’s green and its all go in NZ 

Stagecoach New Zealand has embraced 

a greener future by using the next-generation 

fuel additive Envirox across its 

1,000-strong bus fleet. 

The move follows a successful 12month 

commercial evaluation in the 

UK, where extensive testing of the 

product delivered more than a 5% cut in 

fuel consumption and an associated 

decrease in vehicle emissions. 

Stagecoach New Zealand uses 17 

million litres of diesel annually so a 5% 

saving means 652,500 litres less fuel that 

national rail marketing campaign 

since privatisation – using scenes 

from classic train movies such as 

Murder on the Orient Express, Some 

Like it Hot, The Railway Children and 

The Lady Vanishes. 

The stars marvel at Virgin Trains’ 

125mph tilting Pendolino train, as it 

speeds through some of Britain’s 

most stunning scenery. 

Seven million people will see the 

advert on cinema screens, with many 

more catching the ad on TV. The 

campaign also includes national and 

regional press, radio, outdoor and 

online advertising, as well as promotions 

and direct marketing. 

The Return of the Train campaign 

coincides with massive growth on 

Virgin Trains’ West Coast and 

CrossCountry franchises. It links the 

golden era of cinema with the speed 

and convenience of the Pendolino 

trains, which offer onboard shops, 

laptop and mobile phone sockets and 

audio entertainment at every seat. 

Craig Inglis, Sales and Marketing 

Director for Virgin Trains, said: “We 

have delivered on our promises of 

new trains, more frequent and faster 

services and these improvements are 

winning new passengers every day. 

After committing £2billion to rail, this 

ground-breaking campaign will 

ensure the British public feels proud 

of the UK’s railways again and that 

our recent unprecedented commercial 

success continues long into the 

future.” 

Apprentices test 

the team spirit 

by Clare Willis apprentices had to give a presentation 

on what they had learned during 

meet with the other Stagecoach 

apprentices from around the 

country. 

Activities during the week 

included abseiling, raft building, 

team assault course, climbing, team 

challenges and the infamous ‘high 

ropes’. 

At the end of the week all 

the week and how they would put 

this into practice in the workplace. 

The apprentices were supported 

at different times during the week by 

Paul Lee and Mark Horide, 

Engineering Directors, Dorothy 

Hermiston, S/NVQ Manager, and all 

week by Clare Willis, S/NVQ 

Administrator. 

The Outward Bound Centre staff 

A team that splashes together stays together! The first year apprentices pose for our photographer. 

by Dennis Elliot 

has to be imported, refined and distributed. 

In turn, transport and refinery-processing 

impacts will also be reduced. 

Ross Martin, Executive Chairman of 

Stagecoach New Zealand, said: “As a 

large consumer of fuel we have been 

affected by its rising costs. This innovation 

enables us to continue to offer 

affordable public transport options and, 

just as importantly, reduce greenhouse 

emissions. Stagecoach will be reducing 

C02 emissions by at least 1,900 tonnes 

every year”. 

The Minister of Transport, the Hon 

Pete Hodgson, launched the initiative 

and urged more firms to follow suit. 

He said: “Stagecoach has highlighted 

an area I have great interest in. 

Companies need to move with the times 

and make positive business decisions 

regarding the welfare of the environment.” 

and company representatives were 

very impressed by the enthusiasm 

and attitude of the apprentices 

during the week and felt they were a 

credit to Stagecoach UK Bus. 

The next event on their calendar 

will be the Apprentice of the Year in 

Manchester during August. 

Information is currently being sought 

from the apprentices’ workplace, 

S&B Training and also from their 

peers. 

Transport Minister Pete Hodgson pours in the 

additive that offers a greener future. 

Summer 2005 5

Schoolboy’s 

skills earn 

apprenticeship 

A Basingstoke schoolboy has been 

showing off his engineering skills to 

the team at Stagecoach South East. 

During his week’s work experience, 

Chris Herrington so 

impressed the Stagecoach team of 

21 engineers, body fitters and 

cleaners that Engineering Manager 

Gerry Fisher offered him a full time 

apprenticeship when he leaves 

school in the summer. 

“Chris has proved during his 

time with us that his heart and soul 

is in the job,” said Gerry “We are 

delighted that he has accepted our 

offer of the four-year apprenticeship.” 

Chris admitted that he has some 

knowledge of motor mechanics as 

his father is a self-employed car 

mechanic. However, his experience 

didn’t run to working on anything 

quite as big as double and single 

decker buses. 

Pole position 

on the track 

Stagecoach in South Wales is the 

proud sponsor of Wales’ premier 

motorcycle race meeting in 2005 – 

the Aberdare Park National 

Motorcycle Road Races. 

This long-established two-day 

family event, organised by 

Aberaman Motorcyle Club, draws 

up to 10,000 visitors to the 

woodland circuit in Aberdare Park. 

Attracting some of the biggest 

names in British motorcycling, the 

race action includes classes from 

50cc to 600cc as well as single and 

quad contests. 

Stagecoach is using the event to 

highlight recruitment opportunities 

within the region and promote the 

Aberdare/South Wales bus 

network. 

History? It’s a 

piece of cake! 

Over 100 years of motoring history 

were celebrated at the Portsmouth 

bus depot in June as the Big Bus 

Show got into full swing. 

The event, which raised £1,300 

for The Rowans Hospice in 

Purbrook, was organised to commemorate 

the 90th anniversary of 

Southdown Motor Company and 

the 25th anniversary of Stagecoach. 

Management trainee Alex 

Hornby arranged buses from most 

of the 16 companies operated by 

Stagecoach across the UK as well as 

many vintage buses in the green 

and cream livery of Southdown 

from various clubs and private 

owners. Visitors also enjoyed 

different activities, stalls and 

displays of bus memorabilia. 

One of the highlights of the day 

was the cutting of a bus cake by 

South East Traffic Commissioner 

Christopher Heaps, Stagecoach 

Regional Managing Director 

Andrew Dyer and VIP guests. 

6 

Summer 2005 

Start spreadin 

Big Apple’s newest tourist buses honour an Am 

The parade of 3 of the new Alexander-Dennis Double Deckers led by New York Scottish Pipes & Drums. 

$7m fleet of new coach 

Coach Canada has taken delivery of a new $7m fleet of 

15 state-of-the-art coaches. 

The new 56-seat coaches are being introduced on 

the 570km Toronto-Kingston-Montreal route, which is a 

key corridor for the business with excellent potential for 

future growth. 

Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Brian Souter and 

Jim Devlin, Coach Canada President, launched the new 

vehicles with special introductory fares for customers. 

“Coach Canada remains firmly committed to 

One of the new state-of-the-art coaches 

for the Toronto – Montreal route. 

providing 

Toronto-K 

now enjo 

Jim ad 

the two 

Coach Ca 

arrive in 

hassles of 

The n 

and bette 

Coach 

around 40 

in the To 

also a ma

g the news… 

ew York City’s tourism 

erican hero Nindustry has had a 

$10million boost from 

Stagecoach. 

The unveiling of a new fleet of 

open-top double decker buses was 

held at a celebration at Times 

Square and the event also honoured 

the US’s most decorated military 

chaplain, Father Frances Patrick 

Duffy. 

The hugely popular New York 

Sightseeing operation from Gray 

Line will see 20 new open-top 

double decker vehicles on the 

streets of Manhattan. The new 

TransBus Enviro500 vehicles follow 

the introduction of 40 TransBus 

Trident open-toppers five years 

ago, which transformed the quality 

of the service. 

Tourists – many of them from 

Britain – snap up the wide range of 

NYC sightseeing tours, which were 

expanded to include the NYC 

Showbiz Insiders Tour, Three-Day 

VIP Package, Coney Island Day Trip 

and a host of other exciting NYC 

packages. 

Equally exciting, the first Enviro 

of this new fleet was named ‘Father 

Duffy’, in honour of the legendary 

chaplain. 

Father Duffy was a military 

chaplain and priest in the Times 

Square area in the 1920s, and 

served the theatre district 

community for over a decade. He 

became US’s most celebrated army 

chaplain in the Great War. He was 

es for Canada 

fast, frequent and friendly services on the 

ingston-Montreal route and customers can 

y luxury travel,” said Brian. 

ded: “With air travel prices on the rise between 

cities, and gas prices reaching record highs, 

nada is the affordable alternative. Travellers 

the downtown core and avoid the airport 

security checks and pre-flight wait-time.” 

ew coaches have improved fuel consumption 

r environmental performance. 

Canada employs 800 people and operates 

0 vehicles in Canada. It is the biggest operator 

ronto area, with a 25% market share, and is 

jor transport provider in Montreal. 

by Roger Bowker 

always near the heaviest fighting, 

putting himself in danger as he 

moved from unit to unit. His decorations 

included the Distinguished 

“These new vehicles shall 

serve the visitors of NYC 

well. This is a very special 

time for New York City 

and its tourism industry.” 

Tom Lewis, 

President of Gray Line 

“We are delighted to have 

won repeat business from 

Stagecoach for its 

demanding operations in 

North America.” 

David Quainton, 

Sales Director, Transbus 

International 

Service Cross and the Distinguished 

Service Medal. 

“It is an honour and a privilege 

to have our first Enviro named after 

Father Duffy, who constantly 

reminds us of how special this city 

is,” says Tom Lewis, President of 

Gray Line New York Sightseeing. 

“These new vehicles shall serve the 

visitors of NYC well. This is a very 

special time for New York City and 

its tourism industry.” 

The triple-axle Enviro500s have 

82 seats – 53 on the upper deck 

and 29 in the air-conditioned lower 

salon, which also features tinted 

glass. Space has been allocated for 

two wheelchairs in the lower deck, 

with access for passengers with disabilities 

via a powered ramp in the 

front entrance of the two-door 

buses. A three-camera CCTV system 

ensures passenger safety, with 

coverage of the top deck, the 

centre exit door and the area 

behind the bus when reverse gear 

is engaged. 

The new vehicles are slightly 

wider than the existing Tridents – 

2.55m instead of 2.5m – giving 

more internal space. They are 

powered by the latest Cummins 

330PS EPA engine with exhaust gas 

recirculation. 

David Quainton, Sales Director, 

TransBus International Body 

Division, said: “We are delighted to 

have won repeat business from 

Stagecoach for its demanding operations 

in North America. 

“This order builds on the long 

relationship between Stagecoach 

and our Scottish plant in Falkirk, 

which has been supplying new 

buses to the group since 1987.” 

The Dedication ceremony (left to right.) Cristyne Nicholas, President & CEO, NYC & Company; William Castro, Manhattan Borough Commissioner of Parks 

& Recreation; Sir Philip Thomas, British Consul-General; Tom Lewis, President, Grayline New York; Major General Joseph Healey, USA (Ret) 69th Regiment; 

Tim Tomkins, President, Times Square Alliance; Father Joe Kelly, St. Malachy's, The Actor's Chapel 

Dougie receives his special award from Her 

Majesty The Queen. 

Queen honours 

Dougie’s 

loyal service 

Chorley driver Dougie Bailey, who 

was awarded an MBE for services to 

the bus industry in the Queen’s New 

Year Honours, has been presented 

with his award. 

Dougie has worked in the industry 

for 43 years and at the Chorley Depot 

since 1970. 

He is well-known across the UK 

for his work with the TGWU, Ribble 

Central Negotiating Committee and 

Stagecoach Cab Designing 

Committee. He is also a Stagecoach 

Pensions Trustee and plays an active 

role in the UK Bus Driver of the Year. 

Buses also occupy most of 

devoted Dougie’s spare time as he is 

heavily involved in Ribble Bus 

Preservation Trust. Last year 

Stagecoach North West Managing 

Director Nigel Barrett ‘sold’ prototype 

Leyland Olympian 2100 to Dougie for 

the princely sum of £1 for donation to 

the Trust. 

One of the recent highlights of his 

career was when he worked at the 

Bow garage in East London driving 

Routemasters on the No.8 route 

shortly before they were de-commissioned. 

Bryony takes 

up new 

MD position 

Bryony Chamberlain has been 

appointed as Managing Director of 

Stagecoach Warwickshire. 

Formerly Operations Director at 

Stagecoach West Scotland, she took 

over at Warwickshire in May when 

outgoing Managing Director James 

Freeman left for Stagecoach East. 

The youngest managing director in 

Stagecoach’s UK Bus Division, Bryony 

joined the graduate training scheme in 

1996 after gaining a BSc in mathematics 

from Durham University. 

After training with Stagecoach East 

Midlands, she quickly progressed to 

Assistant Operations Manager in 

Manchester, Operations Manager in 

Aldershot and Basingstoke and then 

Divisional Traffic Manager in 

Sunderland. Since 2002, she has been 

Operations Director of West Scotland. 

In Warwickshire, Bryony will be 

responsible for Stagecoach’s 

Nuneaton, Rugby and Leamington 

depots, with some 180 buses and 

coaches and 400 staff. 

Les Warneford, Managing Director 

of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “I am 

delighted Bryony is taking up this 

important position. It is a credit to her 

ability and enthusiasm that she 

becomes our youngest managing 

director.” 

Summer 2005 7

Demand 

prompts 

Sunday 

service 

Stagecoach in Warwickshire has 

broken new ground in Rugby by 

introducing a Sunday service for the 

first time in the town’s history. 

The service began in June and 

runs every half hour on the popular 

‘Rugby 4’ route. 

In response to a growth in 

demand, the weekday freq-uency on 

Rugby 4 will be increased from 15 

minutes to 12 minutes, making five 

buses an hour in each direction. 

Newer buses with additional lowfloor 

capacity will soon replace the 

current models, providing a boost for 

the many mums with pushchairs who 

use the service. 

In addition another popular route 

will get low floor buses for the first 

time, increasing the accessibility of the 

town centre for more people. 

Stagecoach Marketing Manager 

Adam Rideout added: “These two 

developments are really significant 

and show our commitment to the 

town for improved bus services. Both 

the new Rugby 1 and 4 will be 

branded and all roadside infrastructure 

will be upgraded.” 

Nick’s cavalry 

on standby! 

Stagecoach has thrown its weight 

behind solicitor Nick Marshall’s 

charity cycle from Land’s End to John 

O’Groats in seven days. 

The firm will demonstrate its 

support by having a Standard Red 

VLT Routemaster double decker bus 

follow the intrepid cyclist during the 

entire Lancashire stretch of his 

journey. 

For the past two years, Nick has 

set himself a challenge for charity and 

to date has completed marathons in 

London and Paris. 

By completing the 864-mile trip in 

seven days, he aims to raise £20,000 

for the National Children’s Home, 

which assists children from vulnerable 

and excluded backgrounds. 

Splendid 

service 

Congratulations go to Stroud Travel 

Shop’s Patricia Goodchild for 

winning an Extra Mile Award, 

presented to her by Gill Silsbury, 

National Express Key Account 

Manager – South. 

She was chosen for the award 

because of her first class customer 

service and impressive sales record. 

8 

Summer 2005 

You won’t be mad getting off your trolley 

Public transport in New Zealand’s capital city got 

a new look recently with the delivery of the first 

two upgraded trolley buses to Stagecoach 

Wellington. 

With a striking, futuristic appearance, the new 

version preserves the environmental benefits the 

electric trolleys deliver. 

The upgraded trolley is the Super Low Floor 

(SLF) Bus with a wheelchair access ramp and an 

aluminium body, which weighs less and will 

likely reduce the incidence of dewirement. The 

new bus also ‘kneels’ to the kerb to assist 

passenger loading. 

Among the many other benefits offered by the 

new trolley are an improved braking system, 

better signage and a new auxiliary system that 

will improve bus reliability. 

The SLF buses are a welcome addition to Stagecoach 

Wellington’s fleet. 

Star launches 

£4m bus fleet 

Bubbly Barbara Windsor helps launch Carlisle’s state-of-the-art fleet. 

ctress and soap star 

ABarbara Windsor 

launched Stagecoach’s 

investment in a new 

£4million fleet of state-ofthe-art 

buses for Carlisle. 

It is a major boost for bus services in 

the city only six months after 

Stagecoach’s entire fleet in the area was 

written off following some of the worst 

floods to hit the north-west of England in 

living memory. 

The 39 new low-floor vehicles will 

make all city services in Carlisle easy 

access for the elderly, people with disabilities 

and parents with young 

children. 

Stagecoach has given the Carlisle fleet 

a makeover, with new-look citi branding 

and better bus stop and timetable information 

for passengers, as well as 

reducing fares for the next two months. 

A star is born: The specially-designed Thanet Stars 

cake was a treat at the launch ceremony. 

by Colin Nicholson 

The company has also launched a 

marketing campaign targeted at 35,000 

households in the city, offering passengers 

discount travel to encourage more 

people to take the green option of the 

bus. 

Barbara Windsor, whose father was 

a bus conductor, joined Stagecoach 

Group Chief Executive Brian Souter 

and Stagecoach North West Managing 

Director Nigel Barrett at Carlisle railway 

station at the launch, which featured a 

pipe band and street entertainers. 

“I know how important bus services 

are to the local community and the 

floods that hit Carlisle at the turn of the 

year were horrendous,” said Barbara. 

“These brand new buses are going 

to make a real difference to local 

people.” 

The people in a Kent district have been 

seeing stars – not heavenly bodies, but 

the livery on nine new midibuses 

launched by Stagecoach. 

Stagecoach has invested a further 

£750,000 in the Thanet Stars service, 

which builds on the success of the 

Thanet Loop service launched last 

October. 

The midibuses, complete with distinctive 

livery, will replace existing 

vehicles on services in Margate and 

Ramsgate, providing new links to 

Westwood Cross. The fleet, with Super 

Low Floors, will offer easy access for 

Nigel added: “It’s not that long 

ago that we were surveying the 

remains of our waterlogged fleet 

under five feet of dirty water but, 

only six months later, bus services in 

Carlisle are being transformed. 

“This multi-million-pound investment 

in brand new accessible buses 

is a tremendous vote of confidence 

in our customers, our employees and 

the city of Carlisle.” 

Brian said: “We are already 

running buses in the city at frequencies 

of up to every seven minutes 

and these new buses will mean it 

makes even more sense to catch the 

bus. 

“People across the country are 

getting back on board our buses, 

particularly where they see congestion 

increasing on our roads, and we 

are extremely excited about the 

future of services in Carlisle.” 

Stars in their eyes 

wheelchair users and parents with 

buggies. 

Dr Stephen Ladyman MP, Minister 

Of State For Transport and the MP For 

South Thanet, cut a specially made 

cake at a launch ceremony held in 

June at the recently opened Bus Hub at 

the Westwood Cross Shopping Centre. 

Paul Southgate, Stagecoach’s 

Managing Director in East Kent, said: 

“The Thanet Loop has helped to make 

Special 

effort 

to aid 

athletes 

Stagecoach backed this 

summer’s Special Olympics in 

Glasgow with £20,000 of 

transport sponsorship. 

The company was responsible 

for transporting some 2,500 

athletes as well as their coaches 

and families to and from the 11 

venues during the Great Britain 

National Summer Games from 

2-9 July. 

Steve Stewart, Stagecoach 

Group’s Head of Media and 

Public Affairs, said before the 

event: “We are delighted to be 

providing the transportation to 

the athletes, coaches and 

families taking part in what will 

be a great sporting occasion. 

“Every year, Stagecoach and 

its people help hundreds of initiatives 

that benefit all sections 

of the community. The Special 

Olympics is a fantastic cause 

and we wish all the competitors 

every success.” 

Games Director Gordon 

McCormack said: “Organising 

transport for several thousand 

people across several sites is a 

logistical nightmare. With 

Stagecoach’s kind donation, we 

have overcome that hurdle and 

are very grateful for its 

support.” 

Nineteen teams from 

throughout Great Britain took 

part in the event, with eight 

teams from Scotland, one from 

Wales and ten from England. 

Special Olympics Great 

Britain, set up in 1978, reaches 

out to the 1.2 million people in 

the UK with a learning disability. 

The organisation enables 

people with a learning disability 

to use sport to acquire confidence, 

social and life skills. 

public transport more accessible and 

attractive to local people and the proof 

is the increasing numbers of journeys 

being made by bus in Thanet. We’ve 

worked with our partners in the 

Thanet Quality Bus Partnership to 

improve buses. This new investment is 

the next stage of putting an excellent 

public transport network in place and 

shows the confidence that we have in 

the area.”

The Morecambe, the merrier 

A great time was had by all when 

Morecambe depot threw its doors open 

to the public one day in May. 

Even the bad weather couldn’t keep 

the crowds away from what turned out 

to be another highly successful open 

day at the depot. 

A variety of events took place to 

ensure that there was something for all 

ages to enjoy. Children (and a few 

adults!) had a great time on the bouncy 

castle, while visitors were also able to 

have their photographs taken in front of 

a bus with a destination blind of their 

choice, which proved very popular! 

An assortment of enthusiasts’ and 

suppliers’ stalls and the chance to view 

and travel on many vintage buses added 

to the day’s entertainment. 

Engineering Manager Jim Speed and 

Assistant Operations Manager Malcolm 

O’Halloran and their staff were on hand 

all day to ensure everyone had a fun 

day. 

Reaching the heart of the community 

All aboard – Stagecoach lends support to the charity hike. 

A display of vintage Ribble vehicles 

Winner Tom breaks 

with tradition 

ew York’s Rockefeller 

NCentre hosted The Big 

Apple Chapter of the 

Hospitality Sales and 

Marketing Association 

International (HSMAI) 2005 

annual awards in June. 

Present at the glittering black tie 

event were employees nominated for 

the prestigious title of General 

Manager of the Year, Sales and 

Marketing Executive of the Year and 

HSMAI Professional of the Year. 

However, new ground was broken 

this year when the first non-hotel 

candidate was crowned HSMAI Big 

Apple Chapter 2005 General Manager 

of the Year. And winner Tom Lewis, 

General Manager of Gray Line New 

York Sightseeing, was delighted with 

his award. 

He said: “As we all know, hospitality 

encompasses many industries: 

hotels, attractions, theatres, restau- 

by Mike Alvich 

rants, shops, sightseeing and transportation. 

“All of these groups share a 

common denominator – to provide 

visitors with the best possible 

memories of their stay in our great city. 

Being the first non-hotel recipient of 

this special award makes the recognition 

all the more important to me.” 

HSMAI is a professional association 

whose members are committed to the 

sales, marketing, management, 

education and planning disciplines 

within the hospitality industry. 

Criteria for the General Manager of 

the Year Award are: an established 

career of involvement, commitment 

and achievement within the hospitality 

industry; recognised as both an outstanding 

industry and community 

leader and admired and respected for 

their professionalism and dedication 

by peers and employees. Tom Lewis proudly displays his award for General Manager of the Year. 

Stagecoach Devon agreed in a 

heartbeat to support Exeter residents 

participating in the British Heart 

Foundation’s ‘Hearts First Great West 

Walk’. 

More than 300 people walked the 

perimeter of the city for the sponsored 

event, which aimed to raise around 

£15,000 for the nation’s heart charity. 

Participants could either walk six, 

eight or 13 miles. Stagecoach Devon 

provided a bus service between the 

shorter distances and supported tired 

walkers after they had run out of 

steam. 

Stagecoach also offered marketing 

support by donating LED advertising 

space and on-bus poster positions. 

Trevor Boyland, Ken Hawkins and 

Andy Bradford from Stagecoach Devon 

worked as bus drivers, marshals and 

registration desk officials on the day. 

Customer Services Manager, Mark 

Whittle, said: “Although Exeter 

Leukaemia Fund is our charity of the 

year, we were happy to offer this 

support as many members of our staff 

and their families have, in one way or 

another, been supported by the British 

Heart Foundation in the past.” 

Jessica Boston, of the British Heart 

Foundation, said: “It has been fantastic 

working with Stagecoach on this event 

and we are grateful for all its support 

and hard work.” 

Queen honours 

Stagecoach 

policy guru 

Peter Nash. 

Stagecoach UK Bus Head of 

Commercial Policy Peter Nash has 

been made an MBE in the Queen’s 

Birthday Honours List. 

Peter, who has a career in public 

transport spanning 35 years, was 

given the honour for his services to 

the bus industry. 

Starting out as a management 

trainee with the National Bus 

Company in 1969, Peter spent four 

years in Yorkshire before moving on 

to join the Tyne and Wear Passenger 

Transport Executive. 

During the period leading up to 

the opening of the Metro system in 

1981, he played a major role in the 

development of the integration of bus 

and Metro services in Tyne and Wear. 

In 1986, when bus services were 

deregulated, Peter took up the role of 

Commercial Director of Busways 

Travel Services Limited and helped 

ensure the successful transition of 

Busways into a private operator. 

Three years later, Peter was a 

director of the company that successfully 

completed a management 

/employee buyout at Busways and in 

1994 saw the company join the 

Stagecoach Group. 

During his career, Peter has been 

involved in a number of major pioneering 

developments in public 

transport, including being a founder 

director of Network Ticketing Limited 

– the first multi modal ticketing 

company established outside 

London. 

In 1999, Peter became chairman 

of the newly-formed North East 

Transport Information Service and he 

is also chairman of ITSO (Integrated 

Transport Standards Organisation). 

Shortly after moving to the North 

East, Peter became a member of the 

regional Confederation Passenger 

Transport (CPT) committee and in 

1995 became the Stagecoach representative 

on the CPT Council. He also 

represents the Group on the Bus 

Commission. 

In 1999 Peter left the North East to 

move to Macclesfield. He continued 

to work for Stagecoach Group on 

commercial issues as part of the UK 

Bus team and in 2000 took up the 

role of Commercial Director for 

Stagecoach Manchester. 

Peter, who now also provides 

competition compliance advice to the 

UK Bus Division, has also played an 

active role in the community and in 

recent years became a Justice of the 

Peace. 

Summer 2005 9

Top marks: Paul Southgate (left) and Bill Webb (far right) are pictured with some of the NVQ recipients. 

10 

On course for celebrations 

Four members of the Stagecoach 

team in Winchester cracked open 

the bubbly recently to commemorate 

achieving significant milestones 

in their careers. 

Drivers Paul Hayward, Mike 

Hiles, Tony Rafferty and Paul 

Duke all achieved their NVQ 

Level 2 for Transporting 

Passengers by Road after six 

months of studying, practical 

training and assessments. 

So far, 29% of the 100 drivers 

in Winchester have taken the 

voluntary course provided by 

Stagecoach as a way of enhancing 

their driving and people skills. 

Kevan gains 

certification 

Body fitter Kevan Ross is the 

latest Stagecoach bus engineer to 

gain NVQ Level 3 certification for 

Maintenance of Automotive 

Vehicles. 

One of 21 engineers, body 

fitters and cleaners who maintain 

the buses at the company’s 

Basingstoke depot, Kevan gained 

the qualification for his body 

cladding skills. The part-time 

course involved both a written 

and practical syllabus and took 

him six months to complete. 

The Basingstoke engineering 

team service and maintain 72 

single and double decker buses. 

The Department of Transport regulations 

require servicing every 28 

days but every Stagecoach bus is 

mechanically checked and 

serviced every 21 days as part of 

the company’s national policy. 

Alex savours the stunning scenery on the Great 

Wilderness Challenge 2004. 

Summer 2005 

Nigel Deacon, Operations 

Manager for Stagecoach in 

Winchester, said he was delighted 

more drivers have embraced the 

training. 

He added: “It is all about 

striving to provide a high standard 

of service and care for our 

customers and the NVQ courses 

help individuals to develop their 

skills. We now have many other 

staff following their example.” 

(From left) Nigel Deacon presents an NVQ 

certificate to Paul Hayward, joined by NVQ 

Assessor, Ian Dunster and drivers Mike 

Hiles, Tony Rafferty, Paul Duke. 

Kevan’s studies have paid off. 

The NVQ curriculum now 

forms an important part of the 

company’s ongoing training and 

staff development programme. 

Stagecoach Chief Executive Brian 

Souter recently stepped in to boost the 

fund-raising efforts of Inverness driver 

Alex Mackenzie. 

Alex is due to participate in a fiveday 

trek in Peru to raise vital funds for 

the Highland Hospice. To secure a 

place he must raise £2,500 and had 

recently hit the half way mark in 

reaching his target. 

Now, on Brian’s recommendation, 

the Charitable Committee has donated 

£1,000 and pushed Alex’s total beyond 

Queuing up for qualification 

The latest group of bus drivers from 

Stagecoach in East Kent & Hastings 

has qualified with an NVQ level 2 for 

Transporting Passengers by Road. 

More than 200 drivers out of 614 

have now taken the voluntary 

course, aimed at enhancing driving 

and people skills, offered by 

Stagecoach. The next group, 

exceeding 50, has already started 

with more ready to follow, so NVQ 

Coordinator Bill Webb and his fellow 

assessors Keith Locking, Bob Bailey 

and Dick Stacey certainly have their 

work cut out! 

Paul Southgate, Stagecoach’s 

Managing Director for the region 

joined Bill at an awards evening to 

present certificates to each of the 23 

drivers from depots in Ashford, 

Dover, Canterbury, Folkestone, 

Hastings, Herne Bay and Thanet. 

“It is all about striving to provide 

a high standard of service and care 

for our customers and the NVQ 

courses help individuals to develop 

their skills,” said Paul. “We now have 

many other staff following their 

example.” 

Dumfries bids farewell to Donald 

One of the longest serving drivers at 

Dumfries depot has retired after 35 

years service. 

Donald McKay has handed in his 

waybill for good. 

A popular and well known face in 

Boost for Alex’s Inca trek 

the required target. The generous boost 

brings the total donated by the 

company to £1,200. 

Alex said: “I was completely 

surprised but very grateful to receive a 

further cheque of £1,000. On behalf of 

the Highland Hospice, I would like to 

say thank you very much to Stagecoach 

for its generosity towards this very 

the town, Donald has spent most of 

his career on long-distance routes, 

working on the London route as well 

as Highland tours before finishing 

out his time on the Glasgow Express 

service from Dumfries. 

Donald (centre) is pictured with his wife Maureen at a presentation dinner with former 

Stagecoach colleagues, (from left) Eric Johnstone, Shop Steward, Hugh Fowler, Dumfries 

Operations Manager and Alex McSorland, Ayr Operations Manager. 

worthwhile cause. 

“Although I have now surpassed my 

initial fundraising target, I shall 

endeavour to continue raising as much 

as possible before leaving for Peru in 

September.” 

If you would like to help Alex in his 

quest to raise money for the Highland 

Hospice, contact him on 01463 790358. 

Waterden 

leads 

the way 

Every staff member at Waterden 

Road garage is now BTEC 

trained, leading the way within 

Stagecoach London. 

Transport for London 

developed a unique training 

programme to improve driving 

and help employees manage 

customer requirements. 

Classroom training involves 

a five-stage syllabus and is 

conducted over two one-day 

workshops. 

Topics covered include an 

introduction to the bus industry; 

operating bus services; health, 

safety and security; driving 

skills and working with others. 

One day is devoted to disability 

awareness to enhance 

their understanding. 

Drivers are assessed on all 

areas of the BTEC exam. Those 

that achieve the required 

standard receive a Level 2 

Business and Technology 

Education Council (BTEC) qualification, 

which is nationally 

recognised, a badge and certification. 

Banbury team 

forges ahead 

Drivers at Banbury Depot in 

Oxfordshire have delighted 

Operations Manager Trevor 

Bayliss by achieving their NVQ 

Level 2 in bus driving. 

With 18 out of the 26 drivers 

now vocationally qualified, 

Banbury is well ahead of 

schedule. Trevor’s other depot 

at Witney is also forging ahead 

of schedule with a current pass 

rate of 60 per cent. 

Stagecoach in Oxfordshire 

NVQ assessors Keith 

Broadbury and Tim Fuller are 

now at Witney. 

Making 

his Mark 

Congratulations to Mark 

Sedgwick, a fitter at 

Hartlepool, who has attained 

his NVQ Level Three. 

Mark joined Stagecoach as 

an apprentice in 1982 and 

since completing the NVQ has 

joined the Institute of the 

Motor Industry as an associate 

member. 

He was presented with his 

new qualification certificate by 

Alan Richardson, Engineering 

Manager for the Hartlepool 

depot.

Scotland celebrates 

string of SVQ successes 

edicated Stagecoach 

Demployees recently 

celebrated attaining 

Scottish Vocational 

Qualifications (SVQs) at 

award ceremonies 

across the country. 

Workers from Perth, Fife and 

the north-east gathered together 

at various venues to reap the 

rewards of months of hard work 

and devotion to career development. 

East Midlands 

Kirkcaldy’s Strathearn Hotel 

welcomed Fife and Perth award 

winners, while the north-east 

workers enjoyed their ceremony at 

Aberdeen’s Patio Hotel. 

Both events were an ideal 

opportunity for drivers to receive 

praise for gaining Road Passenger 

Transport Level 2 qualification. 

Engineers were also congratulated 

on achieving qualifications in 

Maintaining Automotive Vehicles 

Levels 2 and 3. 

Robert Andrew, Deputy 

Long Service Awards 

The Stagecoach North West stalwarts receive well-earned praise. 

East Midlands’ annual long service 

presentation dinner at Hotel 

Elizabeth Hull, North Ferriby in April 

was a most successful and enjoyable 

evening . 

During 2004, 33 employees 

achieved qualifying periods of long 

service: many of them attended the 

function with their partners and 

were presented with their 

awards by Les Warneford, UK 

Bus Managing Director. 

Their total years of service 

came to an amazing 1,040. 

40 years’ service – Mark 

Winterton, Grimsby; William 

Chapman, Grimsby; Alwyn 

Buttle, Hull. 

North West 

Managing Director for Stagecoach 

Scotland, said: “Working towards 

recognised qualifications forms a 

significant part of the working day 

of many employees. It is important 

to give credit to those who have 

achieved qualifications throughout 

the past year and continue to 

support and encourage this vocational 

training”. 

The class of 2005 was: 

Perth Driving Staff: Alexander 

Perth drivers receiving their SVQ awards with 

Deputy Managing Director of Stagecoach 

Scotland, Robert Andrew (front row, centre) 

and Operations Manager of Stagecoach in Perth, 

Robert Robinson (front row, second from left). 

Stagecoach North West paid tribute to its long 

serving employees and retirees at a special 

dinner in Penrith in April. 

A total of 27 people cracked open the 

champagne at the North Lakes Hotel in the 

knowledge that they have clocked up a staggering 

852 years of unbroken service 

35 years’ service – David 

Rattray, Brian Sutcliffe, Paul 

Abbott, all Grimsby; Ronald 

Lloyd, Allan Rogers, Robert 

Drewery, Alan Hunter, Michael 

Pearson, Tony Bray, all Hull. 

30 years’ service – Kevin 

Murray, James Cork, Raymond 

Snell, Keith Charles, James 

Bavin, Bryan Doyle, Robert 

Jarvis, David McIntyre, all 

The annual long service presentation 

dinner, held at Hassop Hall Hotel, near 

Bakewell, Derbyshire in March, was as 

popular as ever. 

During 2004, 28 Stagecoach in 

Derbyshire employees achieved qualifying 

periods of long service. Many 

attended the function with their partners 

to be presented with their awards. 

Their total service came to 865 years 

service. 

Gallacher, Cliff Laing, Roselyn 

Reid, Robert Mitchell, Brian 

McDonald, Scott McIntosh and 

Wilma Smith 

Perth Engineering Staff: 

Calum McGregor and Robert 

Petrie 

Aberdeen: William Watt, Ian 

Cabel, Ray Mitchell, Duncan 

Buchan. 

Stonehaven: Callum Adams, 

Ian McHardy. 

Peterhead: Derek Strachan, 

Angela Gibbon, David 

Handsley, Gregory Pearce, Brian 

Hutchison. 

Elgin: Ian Fraser, Stephen 

Alexander, Stanley Morrison. 

Inverness: Nadil Subah. 

Fife Engineering Staff: Bob 

Bell (Aberhill); William Bence 

(Glenrothes); David Catto 

(Aberdeen) and Alec Murray 

(Glenrothes). 

Fife Driving Staff: Mike 

Brewster (Glenrothes); John 

Morrison (Aberhill); Harry 

McDonald (Dunfermline): Steve 

McLaren (St Andrews): Danny 

McMullan (St Andrews); Brian 

Radcliffe (Dunfermline); George 

Smith (Cowdenbeath) and Clark 

Watson (Aberhill). 

between them. 

Stagecoach Holdings’ UK Bus Division 

Managing Director, Les Warneford, was also 

on hand to congratulate the colleagues, who 

come from Carlisle, Chorley, Kendal, 

Morecambe, Preston and West Cumbria. 

Cliff Lord was given a special mention on 

the night as someone who, having reached 

retirement age, agreed to continue working 

for the company in the Morecambe/Lancaster 

Grimsby; Norman Gadie, John 

Williams, Joseph Kemp, all 

Hull. 

25 years’ service – Roger 

MacDonald, David Winder, 

William Pattison, Colin Fox, 

Stuart Smith, all Grimsby; 

Raymond Thompson, Raymond 

Windle, Paul Craggs, David 

Thompson, Colin Wilson, 

Frederick Mills, all Hull. 

Derbyshire 

45 years’ service – Tony Stacey, 

Chesterfield; Roy Talbot, Mansfield. 

40 years’ service – Brian Barnett, 

Chesterfield; Phillip Goodall, Mansfield. 

35 years’ service – Stephen Lilliman, 

John Cotton, John Heath, all Chesterfield; 

Alan Wilkinson, John Cordy, Gyula 

Perth and Fife engineers receiving their SVQ 

awards with Deputy Managing Director of 

Stagecoach Scotland, Robert Andrew (front row, 

second from right) and Engineering Director of 

Stagecoach in Fife, Sandy Brydon (front row, 

centre). 

Fife drivers receiving their SVQ awards with 

Deputy Managing Director of Stagecoach Scotland, 

Robert Andrew, (front row, centre) and Operations 

Director of Stagecoach in Fife, Doug Fleming (front 

row, second from left). 

area on special late night services from 

Lancaster University. His length of service is 

by far the highest ever recorded in the whole 

Stagecoach Group and his long service badge 

had to be ‘made to order’. 

Also of note was the first of two presentations 

within a week to Chorley driver Douglas 

Bailey who went on to receive the MBE from 

Her Majesty The Queen shortly after the event 

for services to public transport in Lancashire. 

Landek, David Hardy, all Mansfield. 

30 years’ service – Trevor Hubbard, 

Anthony Herberts, David Booth, all 

Chesterfield; Sheila Harrison, Head Office; 

Rodney Booth, Mansfield. 

25 years’ service – John Lake, William 

Mann, Lesley Grozier, Melville Mason, 

Phillip Simpson, all Chesterfield; Valerie 

Answer, Graham Geliher, Derek Davidge, 

all Mansfield; Harry Price, Betty Hatton, Ian 

Whalley, Gerald Brown, all Worksop. 

Summer 2005 11

12 

Summer 2005 

Congratulations go to Tony Gibbons, 

a driver from Newcastle’s Walkergate 

depot, for being selected as a finalist 

in the Public Transport Employee of 

the Year competition, held by the 

Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 

Tony, a Stagecoach driver since 

1993, was nominated for his commitment 

and exceptional customer focus. 

He drives the AD122 Hadrian’s Wall 

In the driving seat when it 

comes to training is Ali 

Nicholson, Stagecoach’s first 

female bus-driving instructor in 

the South. 

Ali joined the company at 

Aldershot in 1999 as a trainee 

driver and has now qualified as 

a PSV instructor. 

Graham Harmer, Operations 

service and has made a big impact, 

recently attending a promotional day 

involving the Hadrian’s Wall bus. 

Commenting on Tony’s professionalism, 

Simon Brooks, Hadrian’s Wall 

Tourism Partnership, said: “I was 

extremely impressed by Tony’s 

knowledge, friendliness, willingness 

to help and his commitment to the 

Hadrian’s Wall bus.” 

Megabus helps 

tagecoach showed its support for 

Sthe anti-poverty rally in Edinburgh 

in July by making available 1,000 subsidised 

seats on dedicated buses travelling 

north from London. 

People keen to make their voices heard at the 6 

July rally could snap up a seat on one of the 12 northbound 

megabus.com double-deckers for only £8 

return. 

The convoy travelled to the Scottish capital the 

night before the rally, arriving the morning of the 

event. The buses returned south on the evening of 6 

July after the rally. 

Brian Souter, Chief Executive of Stagecoach 

Group, said: “Having operated buses in Africa we 

have seen, at first hand, the huge scale of the poverty 

problem and the devastating effect of the Aids 

pandemic. 

“We have consistently assisted health and orphan 

projects for more than a decade and this year we are 

giving £50,000 to help Ugandan orphan programmes. 

“We support the objectives of the Make Poverty 

History coalition and Gordon Brown’s aid for trade 

initiative and we hope our offer of low-cost transport 

to the rally in Edinburgh has helped get the message 

across loud and clear.” 

Stagecoach has worked with the Make Poverty 

History coalition to establish appropriate safety and 

security measures. Dedicated stewards were on duty 

when passengers boarded the buses at Greenline 

Coach Station in Victoria, London. 

There was also a family-friendly travelling environment 

on board and no alcohol was permitted. 

Manager for Stagecoach buses in 

Aldershot, is delighted that Ali, 

who comes from the town, took 

up the challenge. 

“We are very proud of Ali’s 

achievement,” he added. “She 

now joins the team of 10 instructors 

which trains an average of 

350 drivers each year.” 

Aldershot is one of the 

Stagecoach in Fife staff had a ball when 

they were treated to five-star hospitality 

at Stark’s Park in Kirkcaldy. 

Employees from Cowdenbeath and 

Aberhill, the two depots with the top 

scoring Key Performance Indicator 

Reports for April, won the chance to see 

Fife side Raith Rovers tackle Scottish 

League rivals Hamilton Accies. 

The prize, offered by Operations 

Director Doug Fleming, also included a 

tour of the ground and a three-course 

meal in the Raith Suite before the match. 

Stagecoach has supported local 

football throughout the past year by 

sponsoring the Raith Rovers Youth 

Development Team. 

The lucky team included David 

Tony, along with the other 

finalists, was invited to a special 

awards lunch in July at Newcastle 

United Football Club, where the 

winners were to be announced. Good 

luck Tony!! 

Customer commitment: Public Transport 

Employee of the Year finalist Tony Gibbons with 

the Hadrian’s Wall bus. 

anti-poverty rally 


Ali leads the way in training 

company’s busiest depots in the 

south. Forty-seven services are 

operated in Hants and Surrey 

using a fleet of 85 buses and a 

team of 140 drivers – 11 of 

whom are women. The latest 

recruit, trained by Ali, is Brenda 

Painter from Bordon who has 

now completed the six-week 

driver training course. 

A match made in heaven … for Raith fans 

Caption: David Watson receives a signed football. 

Dedicated to the cause of customer service 

On the road to success: Ali Nicholson (third from left) with some of Aldershot depot’s other female drivers, congratulates new 

driver Brenda Painter. 

Watson (Supervisor, Cowdenbeath), 

Colin Clarke, (Supervisor, 

Cowdenbeath), Jackie Ferguson 

(Administration, Cowdenbeath), Cliff 

Low (Driver, Cowdenbeath), Pete 

Wilders (Driver, Cowdenbeath) and Jim 

Fitzimmons (Supervisor, Aberhill). 

If you have been up to something 

innovative in your local community 

then we’d like to hear about it. 

Your On Stage contact is listed on p2. 

A tale 

to tell? 

New boss 

for Ashford 

Mark is gearing up for new challenges at 

Ashford. 

Former Royal Marine Mark Spratt 

has been appointed Operations 

Manager for the Ashford region. 

Mark, from Deal, is now 

responsible for the 56 drivers, 

engineers and administration 

personnel who operate 

Stagecoach’s fleet of 22 buses in 

the region. 

His career began on the buses 

eight years ago before he was 

promoted to NVQ Assessor and 

then to Assistant Manager and 

Depot Manager at the company’s 

Canterbury and Dover operations. 

Paul Southgate, Regional 

Managing Director of Stagecoach, 

was delighted with the 

news. 

He said: “Having started as a 

driver Mark understands the daily 

problems faced by his team. He 

has what it takes to ensure that 

the important commuter and 

regional services we provide in 

the Ashford area are operated 

efficiently.” 

Stagecoach 

tops London 

league 

Stagecoach in London has come top 

of the Freight Transport Association’s 

(FTA) league for the second consecutive 

year. 

FTA inspectors carried out 1683 

vehicle inspections across the six 

major operating companies in 

London (Stagecoach, First, Arriva, 

Go-Ahead, Metroline and London 

United) in 2004 and the average 

number of penalty points per bus 

was eight. 

Around 310 inspections were 

conducted within Stagecoach 

London, where the average penalty 

per bus was 5.6. Bow topped the 

chart with only 3.7 points per 

vehicle. 

Peter Sumner, Engineering 

Director, said: “This demonstrates 

the pride that we take in our vehicles 

and the importance placed upon 

passenger comfort by our team of 

engineers.” 

The FTA represents the transport 

interests of companies moving goods 

by road, rail, sea and air. 

Inspections are carried out every 

month and assessments are based on 

the number of vehicles at each 

garage. 

Each inspection covers ramps, 

brakes, fuel, bodywork, electrical, 

tyres, chassis as well as cleanliness 

and Transport for London’s statutory 

notices.

SilverJubilee Special 

1980-2005 

Stagecoach marked 25 years at the 

frontier of transport with a week of 

celebrations in Scotland for the staff 

and community that have helped drive 

the company’s success. 

The business was launched in Perth in 

1980 by Chief Executive Brian Souter and his 

sister, Ann Gloag, with just two buses. A 

quarter of a century later, it is now an international 

transport group with 30,000 

employees in the UK, United States, Canada 

and New Zealand. 

A special marquee was built on Brian 

Souter’s estate at Ochtertyre near Crieff, 

Perthshire, in June for a number of events to 

mark the milestone.. 

“We have come a long way in 25 years, 

but we have never forgotten our roots in 

Perth or the people that have helped our 

business get to where we are today,” said 

Brian. 

“We wanted to do something for our staff 

and for the community to mark this 

milestone and to say a big thank you for the 

part they have played in the Stagecoach 

success story.” 

More than 300 people attended a long 

service and retirement awards evening when 

staff with 25 years service or more were 

recognised at a special dinner followed by 

music and an impressive fireworks display. 

One of the highlights of the celebrations 

was a family fun day for staff across the 

company. More than 2,000 employees, some 

from as far away as Devon, enjoyed all the 

fun of the fair as well as Robbie Williams and 

Tina Turner sound-a-likes. 

During the day, vintage buses ferried staff 

to and from the fun day attractions and there 

was plenty of camaraderie during the day. 

One retired Perth driver recalled how he was 

asked to pull his bus over into a layby by 

Brian Souter and transfer his passengers 

from a Volvo coach to a Bristol double deck. 

When the driver asked why the bus was 

being changed, Brian replied that he had 

sold the coach! 

Around a dozen heritage vehicles rolled 

back the years in and around Perth to 

operate on a number of routes to mark the 

anniversary. Passengers also got an added 

bonus, with Stagecoach rolling back the cost 

of a ticket to 1980 prices. 

The buses – some more than 70 years old 

- were driven by volunteers from the Scottish 

Vintage Bus Museum at Lathalmond in Fife, 

which has preserved dozens of old vehicles. 

Among the historic vehicles in service 

were be HGM 335E - Bristol FLF, RCS - 

Leyland Tital PD3, UCS 659 - Albion 

Lowlander LRS, RAG 578 Daimler CVG6, 

DGS - Leyland PS1, PC1 - Leyland Royal 

Tiger, HDV 639E Bristol MW, FRD 199 - 

Bristol Lodekka, EVA 324 - Guy Arab, and 

GVD 47 - Guy Arab. 

The marquee at Ochtertyre was also the 

venue for the 2005 Scottish Business 

Achievement Award Trust charity fundraising 

lunch, attended by Transport 

Secretary Alistair Darling and trust patron the 

Princess Royal. 

Guests from the world of business, 

transport and politics attended a formal 

25 YEARS AT THE 

FRONTIER OF 

TRANSPORT 

Stagecoach pays tribute to everyone who made the journey possible 

Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Brian Souter with members of the Watoto Choir from Uganda. 


Stagecoach 25th anniversary dinner. Waiting 

staff at the dinner got into the transport 

theme of the evening, dressing up as 

“clippies” and train conductors. Guests were 

also treated to some traditional Scottish 

music as well as a youth jazz band and the 

Watoto Choir from a children’s orphanage in 

Uganda, before the evening was rounded off 

with a spectacular fireworks display. 

Many things have changed over the past 

quarter of a century, but one thing has 

stayed the same: the 2.5 million customers 

that trust Stagecoach to get to their destination 

every day are still getting great value for 

money. 

Brian received an interesting gift from 

Alan McNight of Hyde Road depot, which 

was an original 25 year old poster advertising 

inter-city coach services. On examina- 

tion it showed that the earlier Glasgow to 

London express coach service had a fare of 

£6.75, 40% cheaper than the Scottish Bus 

Group’s fare of £11 (more than £40 in today’s 

prices). Some 25 years later, megabus.com 

customers can now make the same trip for 

just £1. Even the average megabus.com fare 

on that trip is just £8, marginally more than 

the price was in 1980. This is clear evidence 

that Stagecoach continues to deliver affordable 

transport.

25 YEARS AT THE FRONTIER 

1 

4 

2 

5 

3 

6

OF TRANSPORT 

10 

13 

7 

PICTURE KEY 

11 

1 ON SONG: Attendees at the Long Service 

Awards enjoyed a special song, courtesy of 

George Williamson. 

2 CONGRATULATIONS: Stagecoach Group 

Chairman Robert Speirs with company 

founders Brian Souter and Ann Gloag. 

3 LOYALTY HONOURED: Some of the dedicated 

Stagecoach staff recognised at the Long 

Service Awards. 

4 BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT: The Princess Royal 

with Brian Souter at the Scottish Business 

Achievement Award lunch held at Ochtertyre. 

5 SETTING THE STAGE: Ochtertyre House, the 

venue for a number of events to mark 

Stagecoach’s 25th anniversary. 

6 TAKE A BOW: The Ayrshire Fiddle Orchestra 

entertains guests at the 25th anniversary 

banquet. 

7 JUBILEE BANQUET: First Minister Jack 

McConnell and his wife, Bridget, chat to 

guests at the 25th anniversary banquet. 

8 ALL THAT JAZZ: music was also provided by 

the South Ayrshire Jazz Band. 

9 CLOWNING AROUND: two of the many performers 

at the Stagecoach Family Fun Day. 

10 DEDICATION: Bluebird employees Patricia Durno 

(30 years’ service) and James Wallace (38 

years’ service) were among staff presented 

with awards by Brian Souter. 

11 TARTAN TOUCH: Comrie Pipe Band entertained 

the 2,000 staff and their families who 

attended the fun day. 

12 SMILE: Youngsters from all over the country 

enjoyed the Family Fun Day entertainment. 

13 MARKING THE OCCASION: Inside the marquee, 

specially erected for the celebrations. 

8 

9 

12

ROLLING BACK THE YEARS: a dozen vintage 

vehicles made special journeys in and around 

Perth to say thank-you to the local community 

WIN your copy of the 

STAGECOACH 25TH 

ANNIVERSARY BOOK 

A new book has been produced to mark 25 years 

of Stagecoach – and we have 20 copies to give 

away in our latest On Stage competition. 

The hardback book, written by transport journalist 

Doug Jack, charts the history of the 

company from its foundations in Perth in 1980 

through to the present day. 

Full of glossy colour photography from 

Stagecoach’s bus and rail operations around the 

globe, the book also features a foreword from cofounder 

and Group Chief Executive Brian Souter. 

As well as covering the businesses the 

company has bought and sold over the past 

quarter of a century, the book contains many 

amusing anecdotes from the past 25 years. 

For your chance to win a copy, just answer the 

following question: 

In what city and year was 

Stagecoach founded? 

ALL THE FUN OF THE 

FAIR (right): 

Families from as 

far away as Devon 

travelled to 

Ochtertyre for the 

special fun day. 

Send your answers on a postcard to: 

The Editor 

On Stage 

Stagecoach Group 

10 Dunkeld Road 

Perth 

PH1 5TW 

The closing date for entries is August 31, 2005 and 

the Editor’s decision is final. Good luck!

Sharper focus drives growth - Stagecoach Group

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