DOCSLIB.ORG

Annual Results

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Annual Results 1 Annual Results Year ended 28 April 2018 28 June 2018 2 Cautionary statement This document is solely for use in connection with a briefing on the group headed by Stagecoach Group plc (“the Group”). This document contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risk factors associated with, amongst other things, the economic and business circumstances occurring from time to time in the countries, sectors and markets in which the Group operates. It is believed that the expectations reflected in these statements are reasonable but they may be affected by a wide range of variables which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. No assurances can be given that the forward- looking statements in this presentation will be realised. The forward-looking statements reflect the knowledge and information available at the date of preparation. This document is not a full record of the presentation because it does not include comments made verbally by Stagecoach Group management or by others. 3 ROSS PATERSON FINANCE DIRECTOR 4 Good momentum in bus and rail Financial ▪ Adjusted EPS 22.3p (2017 restated: 23.3p) ▪ Basic EPS of 12.3p (2017: 5.5p) reflect exceptional charges ▪ Full year dividend per share rebased to 7.7p (2017: 11.9p) ▪ No significant change to our 2018/19 adjusted EPS expectation Bus & Coach ▪ Commercial and technology-led initiatives to drive growth ▪ UK bus pricing and network changes delivering improved revenue per vehicle mile ▪ Moderating capital investment following several years of significant fleet and technology expenditure Rail ▪ Greater clarity on Virgin Trains East Coast – operation of train services now transferred to publicly owned company ‒ £85.6m net exceptional expenses ▪ East Midlands Trains franchise extended to March 2019, with plan for further Direct Award ▪ New Virgin Trains West Coast Direct Award franchise expected to run to at least September 2019 ▪ Bid submitted for new South Eastern franchise ▪ Progressing work on our shortlisted bids for East Midlands and West Coast Partnership franchises ▪ Reduced revenue risk on new franchise opportunities 5 UK Bus (regional operations) Focus on improving short-term revenue per mile & long-term revenue growth Year to Year to 29 April 2017 28 April 2018 (Restated) Change Revenue (£m) 1,012.5 1,015.7 (0.3)% Like-for-like revenue (£m) 1,012.3 1,013.8 (0.1)% Operating profit (£m) 112.9 117.0 (3.5)% Operating margin (%) 11.2% 11.5% (30)bp Estimated like-for-like passenger journeys* (m) 652.6 671.5 (2.8)% ▪ Actions to adjust pricing and networks ▪ Like-for-like revenue per vehicle mile up 2.7% ▪ Like-for-like revenue per journey up 2.7% ▪ Commercial growth initiatives ▪ 90% customer satisfaction ▪ No significant change to our 2018/19 operating profit expectation * Excludes inter-city coach services operated as a sub-contractor 6 UK Bus (London) Positive tender results in a competitive market Year to Year to 28 April 2018 29 April 2017 Change Revenue and like-for-like revenue (£m) 251.8 263.4 (4.4)% Operating profit (£m) 13.3 18.4 (27.7)% Operating margin (%) 5.3% 7.0% (170)bp ▪ Positive tender results in year ▪ Maintaining sustainable contract pricing ▪ New site in South East London ▪ Pressure on staff costs versus historic bidding assumptions ▪ 2018/19 operating margin expected to remain below 7% 7 North America Building on 2017/18 management actions Year to Year to 29 April 2017 28 April 2018 (Restated) Change Revenue (US$m) 630.0 632.3 (0.4)% Like-for-like revenue (US$m) 628.7 630.6 (0.3)% Operating profit (US$m) 28.1 23.5 19.6% Operating margin (%) 4.5% 3.7% 80bp ▪ Continued focus on new contract wins ▪ New megabus.com website performing well ▪ Looking to build on management actions in 2018/19 ▪ Higher oil prices should be “net positive” for the business 8 Rail Clarity on the way forward and new opportunities ahead Year to Year to 29 April 2017 28 April 2018 (Restated) Change Revenue (£m) 1,495.2 2,160.7 (30.8)% Like-for-like revenue (£m) 1,183.7 1,142.6 3.6% Operating profit (£m) 24.9 28.5 (12.6)% Operating margin (%) 1.7% 1.3% 40bp ▪ Good profits from East Midlands Trains and South West Trains ▪ 3.5% revenue growth at East Midlands Trains, franchise extended to March 2019 with plan for further direct award ▪ Unwinding residual matters on South West and East Coast franchises ▪ Bids for three new franchises ▪ UK Rail franchises moving to a more balanced risk profile 9 Virgin Trains East Coast A clear decision ▪ Services transferred to publically-owned company ▪ Period of transition and legal/financial unwind 2017/18 exceptional items: Income statement OCI* Total £m £m £m Provision for payment in lieu of performance bond (21.0) - (21.0) Pensions actuarial loss - (32.9) (32.9) Onerous contract and other adjustments (28.0) - (28.0) (49.0) (32.9) (81.9) Tax (14.5) 2.5 (12.0) (63.5) (30.4) (93.9) Non-controlling interest 5.6 2.7 8.3 (57.9) (27.7) (85.6) * Other comprehensive income 10 Virgin Rail Group (incorporates West Coast franchise) New franchise and continued good financial performance Year to Year to 28 April 2018 29 April 2017 Revenue – 49% share (£m) 574.0 556.8 Operating profit – 49% share (£m) 30.0 31.5 Operating margin (%) 5.2% 5.7% Dividends received (£m) 24.1 28.1 ▪ Continued good financial performance ▪ High customer satisfaction ▪ New Direct Award franchise to potentially March 2020 ‒ Successor franchise currently planned from September 2019 11 Modest current rail revenue risk and risk capital East Midlands Virgin Trains Trains West Coast Season ticket bonds (£m) 7.2 ** Performance bonds (£m) 15.0 ** Guarantees to suppliers (£m) 3.0 ** Undrawn parent company loan facilities (£m) 25.0 ** Total risk capital (£m) 50.2 ** Latest end date March 2019* March 2020 Revenue risk GDP sharing with DfT takes 90% of DfT revenue variance in excess of 1% variance to “bid” * A new East Midlands direct award franchise is being negotiated to start from March 2019 ** Currently, there is no recourse to Stagecoach for Virgin Trains West Coast risk capital 12 More inclusive sharing of rail revenue risk ▪ Forecast Revenue Mechanism (“FRM”) ‒ DfT shares in revenue variances to bid, irrespective of cause ‒ FRM start date varies by franchise ‒ Deadband and sharing % varies by franchise ‒ Need to “elect” for “revenue support” in advance ‒ Additional obligations and lower profit share thresholds when revenue support elected West Coast South Eastern East Midlands Partnership Franchise start (date) April 2019 August 2019 September 2019 GDP share from (date) n/a n/a September 2019 Deadband n/a n/a 2% DfT share n/a n/a 90% FRM from (date) April 2020 April 2021 April 2021 Deadband 3% 4% 4% DfT share 80% 80% 80% 13 Rail value Existing franchises Share of April 18 Net assets £m East Midlands 7.3 + post-tax profits to March 2019 Virgin Rail Group (West Coast) 21.2 + post-tax profits to March 2019 28.5 Negotiating/extension opportunities East Midlands DA Competitively tendered franchise not expected to begin before August 2019 West Coast extension Competitively tendered franchise not expected to begin before September 2019; DfT option to extend up to March 2020 Shortlisted bids ▪ South Eastern (expected 80% share) ▪ West Coast Partnership (50% share) ▪ East Midlands (100% share) 14 Stagecoach Group Good financial position Year to Year to 28 April 2018 29 April 2017 Change Net finance charges (including share of net finance income of joint ventures) (£m) (34.7) (33.6) (1.1) EBITDA from continuing operations and joint ventures* (£m) 334.4 345.4 (11.0) Closing net debt (£m) (395.8) (409.4) 13.6 Net Debt/EBITDA* 1.2x 1.2x - EBITDA*/Net finance charges (including share of net finance income of joint ventures) 9.6x 10.3x (0.7)x ▪ Net pension liability down £90.3m to £142.2m ▪ Non-rail net debt down £61.8m to £567.0m ‒ further forecast reduction in 2018/19 ‒ lower capital expenditure and dividends * excluding exceptional items 15 Dividend policy ▪ Board recognises that dividends are important to shareholders ▪ Dividend rebased to 7.7p per share per annum ▪ Rebased to sustainable level, covered by normalised non-rail cash flow ▪ Broadly 50:50 split between interim and final ▪ No change to earnings expectation or growth ambitions 16 MARTIN GRIFFITHS CHIEF EXECUTIVE 17 Progress in 2017/18 Clear Group strategy with progress across bus and rail: ▪ Digital technology: development of industry-leading ticketing and information tools for bus and rail customers ▪ People: biggest employee engagement programme to date ▪ Customer: strong passenger satisfaction across bus, tram and rail ▪ Commercial initiatives: piloting new mobility services; launched new low-cost sightseeing product; successful partnership with Norwegian Airlines ▪ Contract markets: tender wins in London and North America ▪ Competitive and regulatory environment: more balanced rail risk profile; partnership working on bus and rail 18 Rail: Bidding with confidence ▪ Trusted and experienced rail partner ▪ Lessons learned from Virgin Trains East Coast and other franchises ▪ More inclusive sharing of revenue risk with DfT ▪ Moderating levels of risk capital ▪ Relatively few competing bids per franchise 19 Demand drivers analysis: Greater Manchester ▪ Biggest upside opportunity from addressing car dependency/congestion ▪ Modest impact from taxi use and switch to online shopping Drivers of change 10 8.2m 8 205.9m trips 6 5.0m 2011/12 4.4m 4 3.5m 2.2m 2 Overall estimated impact over the time period Bus trips 0 (0.1)m (0.0) (0.1)m (0.6)m (0.3)m (4.5)m (2) (1.5)m (1.9)m (4) (6) (8) (7.1)m (8.0)m (8.2)m
Load more

Recommended publications
  • United States GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS Monthly Catalog ISSUED by the Superintendent of Documents
    United States GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS Monthly Catalog ISSUED BY THE Superintendent of Documents no . 608 SEPTEMBER I 945 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 194$ FOR SALE BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON 25, D. C., PRICE 20 CENTS PER COPY SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.25 PER YEAR FOREIGN SUBSCRIPTION $2.85 PER YEAR Contents Page Abbreviations, Explanation_________ iv Alphabetical List of Government Authors________________________ v General Information_______________ 927 Notes of General Interest__________ 930 New Classification Numbers, etc____ 931 Congressional Set_________________ 932 Monthly Catalog__________________ 933 m Abbreviations Amendment, amendments_____ amdt., amdts. Paragraph, paragraphs---------------- par., pars. Appendix---------------------------------------------- app. Part, parts------------------------------------- pt., pts. Article, articles________________________ art. Plate, plates____________________________ pi. Chapter, chapters_____________________ chap. Portrait, portraits_____________________ por. Congress-------------------------------------------- Cong. Quarto___________________________________40 Department__________________________Dept. Report_________________________________ rp. Document_____________________________ doc. Saint----------------------------------------------------- st. Facsimile, facsimiles_______________ facsim. Section, sections_______________________ sec. Folio____________________________________fo Senate, Senate bill______________________
    [Show full text]
  • Alternative Routes and Ticket Acceptance During Disruption on Virgin Trains West Coast See Map Page 2
    Alternative routes and ticket acceptance during disruption on Virgin Trains West Coast see map page 2 Virgin route Alternative route Operator Euston - West Midlands Marylebone - West Midlands Chiltern Railways Paddington - Reading / Oxford First Great Western Reading / Oxford - West Midlands CrossCountry Euston - North Wales Birmingham / Crewe / Wrexham - Holyhead Arriva Trains Wales Euston - Manchester St Pancras - Sheffield East Midlands Trains Sheffield - Manchester TransPennine Express / Northern King’s Cross - Leeds - Manchester Virgin Trains East Coast / TransPennine Express / Northern Euston - Liverpool Birmingham - Liverpool London Northwestern Chester - Liverpool Merseyrail Euston - Preston and Scotland King’s Cross - Newcastle / Scotland Virgin Trains East Coast West Midlands - York - Scotland CrossCountry Birmingham - Preston and Scotland West Midlands - York - Scotland CrossCountry Virgin WC alternative routes 6 29/11/17 www.projectmapping.co.uk Dyce Kingussie Spean Aberdeen Glenfinnan Bridge Mallaig Blair Atholl Fort Stonehaven William Rannoch Montrose Pitlochry Arbroath Tyndrum Oban Dalmally Alternative Crianlarichroutes and ticket acceptancePerth Dundee Gleneagles Cupar Dunblane during disruptionArrochar & Tarbet on Virgin Trains West Coast Stirling Dunfermline Kirkcaldy Larbert Alloa Inverkeithing Garelochhead Falkirk Balloch Grahamston EDINBURGH Helensburgh Upper Polmont Waverley Milngavie North Berwick Helensburgh Central Lenzie Falkirk Bathgate Dunbar High Dumbarton Central Maryhill Haymarket Westerton Springburn Cumbernauld
    [Show full text]
  • Midland Main Line Upgrade Programme Economic Case Department for Transport
    Midland Main Line Upgrade Programme Economic Case Department for Transport 30 August 2017 Midland Main Line Upgrade Programme Economic Case Report OFFICIAL SENSITIVE: COMMERCIAL Notice This document and its contents have been prepared and are intended solely for Department for Transport’s information and use in relation to Midland Main Line Upgrade Programme Business Case. Atkins assumes no responsibility to any other party in respect of or arising out of or in connection with this document and/or its contents. This document has 108 pages including the cover. Document history Job number: 5159267 Document ref: v4.0 Revision Purpose description Originated Checked Reviewed Authorised Date Interim draft for client Rev 1.0 - 18/08/2017 comment Revised draft for client Rev 2.0 18/08/2017 comment Revised draft addressing Rev 3.0 - 22/08/2017 client comment Rev 4.0 Final 30/08/2017 Client signoff Client Department for Transport Project Midland Main Line Upgrade Programme Document title Midland Main Line Upgrade Programme: KO1 Final Business Case Job no. 5159267 Copy no. Document reference Atkins Midland Main Line Upgrade Programme | Version 4.0 | 30 August 2017 | 5159267 2 Midland Main Line Upgrade Programme Economic Case Report OFFICIAL SENSITIVE: COMMERCIAL Table of contents Chapter Pages Executive Summary 7 1. Introduction 12 1.1. Background 12 1.2. Report Structure 13 2. Scope of the Appraisal 14 2.1. Introduction 14 2.2. Scenario Development 14 3. Timetable Development 18 3.1. Overview 18 4. Demand & Revenue Forecasting 26 4.1. Introduction 26 4.2. Forecasting methodology 26 4.3. Appraisal of Benefits 29 4.4.
    [Show full text]
  • Firstgroup Vies with Virgin in West Coast Rail Bidding War | Business | Guardian.Co.Uk Page 1 of 2
    FirstGroup vies with Virgin in west coast rail bidding war | Business | guardian.co.uk Page 1 of 2 Printing sponsored by: FirstGroup vies with Virgin in west coast rail bidding war Aberdeen-based group is frontrunner, along with incumbent, in battle to secure 14-year franchise contract Dan Milmo, industrial editor guardian.co.uk, Sunday 15 July 2012 14.13 BST Virgin, the current holders of the west coast franchise, pay an annual premium of £150m to the government. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian FirstGroup has emerged as a frontrunner for the multibillion-pound west coast rail franchise alongside incumbent Virgin Trains, with the contest now a two-horse race between the experienced operators. Aberdeen-based FirstGroup is vying with Virgin despite announcing last year that it is handing back its Great Western rail contract three years ahead of schedule, avoiding more than £800m in payments to the government. The Department for Transport is expected to bank a considerable windfall from the new 14-year west coast contract, with Virgin currently paying an annual premium of about £150m to the state. Both bidders are expected to promise an even bigger number over the life of the new franchise. The winner is expected to be announced next month. It is understood that FirstGroup and Virgin are still in talks with the DfT, but two foreign-owned bidders on the four-strong shortlist are no longer considered likely contenders. They are a joint venture between public transport operator Keolis and SNCF, the French state rail group, and a bid from Abellio, which is controlled by the Dutch national rail operator.
    [Show full text]
  • Midnight Train to Georgemas Report Final 08-12-2017
    Midnight Train to Georgemas 08/12/2017 Reference number 105983 MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGEMAS MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGEMAS MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGEMAS IDENTIFICATION TABLE Client/Project owner HITRANS Project Midnight Train to Georgemas Study Midnight Train to Georgemas Type of document Report Date 08/12/2017 File name Midnight Train to Georgemas Report v5 Reference number 105983 Number of pages 57 APPROVAL Version Name Position Date Modifications Claire Mackay Principal Author 03/07/2017 James Consultant Jackson David Project 1 Connolly, Checked Director 24/07/2017 by Alan Director Beswick Approved David Project 24/07/2017 by Connolly Director James Principal Author 21/11/2017 Jackson Consultant Alan Modifications Director Beswick to service Checked 2 21/11/2017 costs and by Project David demand Director Connolly forecasts Approved David Project 21/11/2017 by Connolly Director James Principal Author 08/12/2017 Jackson Consultant Alan Director Beswick Checked Final client 3 08/12/2017 by Project comments David Director Connolly Approved David Project 08/12/2017 by Connolly Director TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 6 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 6 2.1 EXISTING COACH AND RAIL SERVICES 6 2.2 CALEDONIAN SLEEPER 7 2.3 CAR -BASED TRAVEL TO /FROM THE CAITHNESS /O RKNEY AREA 8 2.4 EXISTING FERRY SERVICES AND POTENTIAL CHANGES TO THESE 9 2.5 AIR SERVICES TO ORKNEY AND WICK 10 2.6 MOBILE PHONE -BASED ESTIMATES OF CURRENT TRAVEL PATTERNS 11 3. STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION 14 4. PROBLEMS/ISSUES 14 4.2 CONSTRAINTS 16 4.3 RISKS : 16 5. OPPORTUNITIES 17 6. SLEEPER OPERATIONS 19 6.1 INTRODUCTION 19 6.2 SERVICE DESCRIPTION & ROUTING OPTIONS 19 6.3 MIXED TRAIN OPERATION 22 6.4 TRACTION & ROLLING STOCK OPTIONS 25 6.5 TIMETABLE PLANNING 32 7.
    [Show full text]
  • Local Plan for Passenger Information During Disruption (PIDD)
    SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Local Plan for Passenger Information During Disruption (PIDD) Document Author: Synopsis & Briefing Note: This document outlines how Virgin Trains East Coast is working to improve information to customers in times of disruption. Service Delivery This document details the response of Virgin Trains East Coast aligned to Project Manager the ATOC Approved Code of Practice (July 2014 version). This document also acts as a status report on Virgin Trains East Coast’s Authorised by: progress against industry recommendations. Implementation Date: 30 September 2015 Head of Service Delivery Published by the Safety & Environment Section. If printed this document is UNCONTROLLED and not subject to update. Issue Number 01 Issue Date September 2015 Contents Page Section Description 1 Document History 2 Purpose 3 Scope 4 References 5 Aims and Objectives 6 Interfaces with Network Rail 7 Compliance 8 Key Requirements 9 Definitions and Glossary Appendices A On Call Checklists B Hub /Satellite Station Information C Virgin Trains East Coast On Call Structure D Virgin Trains East Coast On Call Information Flows E Industry PIDD Action Plan F Virgin Trains East Coast Website / App Screenshot Document Local Plan for Passenger Information During Disruption (PIDD) Issue No. 01 Issue Date September 2015 Page 2 of 31 1 Document History Issue Number Page Numbers Date Amended Details Initial Issue of document aligned to ATOC ACOP 1 All September 2015 format (July 2014 version) Document Local Plan for Passenger Information During Disruption (PIDD) Issue No. 01 Issue Date September 2015 Page 3 of 31 2 Purpose The below item is provided in compliance with PIDD recommendation 41: 2.0.1 Virgin Trains East Coast recognizes the importance of providing good information to customers in order to make informed travel decisions and the needs for this to be coordinated amongst the industry.
    [Show full text]
  • Stakeholder Briefing Document, Intercity West Coast Re-Franchising
    Stakeholder Briefing Document, InterCity West Coast Re-Franchising MAY 2011 1 Consultation Process The Department is grateful to all the organisations and individuals who took the time and effort to respond to this consultation, and to those who attended the consultation events. Their valuable comments and suggestions have been considered and are summarised in this report. The Department has endeavoured, in good faith, to produce a synopsis of each response received. These are tabulated at Appendix B. Any significant omission or incorrect emphasis is entirely unintentional. Bidders for the franchise will have access to all consultation responses submitted. The consultation document for the proposed InterCity West Coast franchise was issued by the Department on the 19th of January 2011, and closed on the 21st of April 2011. The consultation gave details of the proposed specification for the new franchise, and posed a number of questions to consultees. The closed consultation document can be found at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/closed/ 325 local authorities, agencies (such as the Office of Rail Regulation), user groups and rail industry stakeholders (including Passenger Focus) were formally consulted and were sent electronic copies of the consultation document. No formal ‘hard copy’ document was produced for this consultation exercise as part of the Department’s overall drive for efficiency savings. In addition the document was posted on the DfT website and a press notice released. All MPs with one or more stations in their Constituency served by the current franchise were also sent a copy of the consultation document and copies were also placed in the House of Commons library.
    [Show full text]
  • Application Form P
    Form P Application to the Office of Rail Regulation for a passenger track access agreement, or amendment to a passenger track access agreement under sections 17-22A of the Railways Act 1993 1. Introduction Please use this form to apply to the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) for: • directions under section 17 of the Railways Act 1993 for a new track access contract. Section 17 allows companies who want the right to use a railway facility (including Network Rail’s network) to apply to ORR for access if they are not able (for whatever reason) to reach agreement with the facility owner. • approval under section 18 of the Railways Act 1993 for a new track access contract. Section 18 allows companies to apply for approval if they have agreed terms with the facility owner. • approval of a proposed amendment (agreed by both parties) under section 22 of the Railways Act 1993 to an existing track access contract. • directions under section 22A of the Railways Act 1993 for an amendment to an existing track access contract. Section 22A allows anyone seeking an amendment to an existing track access contract which allows the operation of more extensive services to apply for a compulsory amendment if they are not able (for whatever reason) to reach agreement with the facility owner. If it is the facility owner, Network Rail will carry out a pre-application consultation. In this case fill in this form up to section 7.3. You should fill in the rest of the form after the consultation and before applying to ORR.
    [Show full text]
  • United Kingdom-London: Railway Transport Prior Information Notice for a Public Service Contract
    United Kingdom-London: Railway transport Prior information notice for a public service contract Form for notification under Article 7(2) of Regulation 1370/2007, as amended by the Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007 (Public Service Obligations in Transport) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, to be published one year before the launch of the invitation to tender procedure or direct award on the Department’s website. Competent authorities may decide not to publish this information where a public service contract concerns an annual provision of less than 50 000 kilometres of public passenger transport services. Section I: Competent authority I.1 Name and addresses Department for Transport Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road London SW1P 4DR United Kingdom Contact person: E-mail: [email protected] NUTS code: UKI32 Westminster Internet address(es): Main address: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport 2 I.2 Contract award on behalf of other competent authorities I.3 Communication Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address I.4 Type of competent authority Ministry or any other national or federal authority, including their regional or local subdivisions Section II: Object II.1 Scope of the procurement II.1.1 Title Contract for West Coast Partnership Rail Services. Currently operated by First Trenitalia West Coast Rail Limited II.1.2 Main CPV code 60200000 Railway transport services II.1.3 Type of contract Services Areas covered by the public transport services: Rail transport services II.2 Description II.2.2 Additional CPV code(s) 60210000 Public transport services by railways II.2.3 Place of performance NUTS code: UKI LONDON NUTS code: UKD NORTH WEST (ENGLAND) NUTS code: UKG WEST MIDLANDS (ENGLAND) NUTS code: UKM SCOTLAND 3 NUTS code: UKL WALES NUTS code: UK UNITED KINGDOM NUTS code: UKJ SOUTH EAST (ENGLAND) Main site or place of performance: West Coast Partnership rail services link London Euston, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland.
    [Show full text]
  • CASE STUDY: VIRGIN TRAINS How Spherica Helped Virgin Trains Move Its Data Centre Infrastructure to Microsoft Azure in Record Time
    CASE STUDY: VIRGIN TRAINS How Spherica helped Virgin Trains move its data centre infrastructure to Microsoft Azure in record time Virgin Trains is one of the largest train operating companies in the UK and is owned by Virgin Rail Group. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland. And, it connects six of the UK’s largest cities - London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh. With more than 3,500 employees, carrying 34.5 million passengers a year across 23 stations – with its head office located in London Euston and major operations in Birmingham - effective communication and a strong IT infrastructure is key to keep the business running at optimal levels. +44 (0)845 862 1794 | [email protected] | WWW.SPHERICA.CO.UK Case Study: Virgin Trains Data Centre Migration THE CHALLENGE THE SOLUTION In July 2017, Virgin Trains was notified by its data Virgin Trains had two options. It could either move centre provider that it would be closing down its to a new data centre with its current provider, or current centre. use the opportunity to take advantage of new technologies. The data centre had provided the home for Virgin Trains’ entire back end infrastructure since 2013, The IT team could see the opportunity that the which included rail applications that were critical to forced move presented and saw the data centre its business operations. move as a positive, enlisting long term partner Spherica to help migrate its systems to Microsoft In addition, the centre announced it would close Azure.
    [Show full text]
  • OCR a Level H431/02 Business RB June 2018
    Oxford Cambridge and RSA A Level Business H431/02 The UK business environment Resource Booklet Thursday 7 June 2018 – Afternoon *7010745375* Time allowed: 2 hours INSTRUCTIONS • This is a Resource Booklet. • You should refer to it when answering the examination questions in Section B, which are printed in a separate booklet. • The business described in this Resource Booklet is a real business. INFORMATION • This document consists of 8 pages. Any blank pages are indicated. © OCR 2018 [601/4675/8] OCR is an exempt Charity DC (SC/CT) 152842/3 Turn over 2 VIRGIN TRAINS Virgin Rail Group is a UK train operating company which uses the ‘Virgin Trains’ brand name. It is a joint venture between Virgin Group Ltd and Stagecoach plc. Virgin Trains has operated the West Coast route since 1997 and the East Coast route since 2015 (see Fig. 1). Virgin Trains’ routes West Coast routes Inverness East Coast routes Aberdeen Glasgow Edinburgh York Leeds Liverpool Holyhead Manchester Birmingham Peterborough London Euston London King’s Cross Fig. 1 Virgin Trains is one of more than 20 train operating companies in the UK, all of which are private sector businesses. However, the rail infrastructure, including the rail tracks, signalling and 5 stations, are owned by Network Rail which is a public sector organisation. Train operating companies, such as Virgin Trains, are awarded contracts by the UK government’s Department for Transport to operate a geographical route for a specified number of years. Virgin Trains’ West Coast contract runs until 2019 and the East Coast contract runs until 2023. © OCR 2018 H431/02/RB Jun18 3 Extract A – Virgin Trains renews West Coast contract Stagecoach Group plc & Virgin Group Ltd are pleased to confirm that their joint venture has 10 agreed a new West Coast rail contract with the Department for Transport.
    [Show full text]
  • As It Is Only an Hour from London and Located in 'The Midlands' (Literally
    As it is only an hour from London and located in ‘the Midlands’ (literally, the middle of this small country), Leicester is easily accessed from many directions. For long-haul visitors: Leicester is easily reached from all London airports (with direct train links from Luton and Stansted, and only one transfer required from Heathrow, Gatwick, and City airports). Birmingham Airport is equally well-accessible. Manchester is also an option, with train and taxi connections. For European and Northern Irish visitors: In addition to all of the above, Leicester is also serviced by a more continentally-focused airport (East Midlands—EMA). It is only a short bus ride to Leicester’s city centre. Connections from the Eurostar are incredibly convenient, as the Eurostar arrives at the station where trains depart London for Leicester. The Eurostar and East Midlands waiting areas are literally on top of one another, and Eurostar trains can sometimes be seen departing alongside East Midlands trains on parallel tracks. They literally could not be closer! For the adventurous, ferries from Ireland, the Netherlands and France are also an option, as they arrive in the South and East of England, and have train links. From the island of Britain: Leicester is conveniently located in the middle of the country, making it easy to reach for visitors from all regions of Britain. It is a hub for travel across eastern/central Britain, with almost all trains stopping. While many equate British urban life with London, those who live in the UK know that the country is actually home to a huge number of smaller cities.
    [Show full text]