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Joining up people and places… 1 A major contributor to communities 2 Joining up people and places 4 Making travel easy and simple 6 Working together 8 Taking the lead 10 An open and honest approach 12 Today, tomorrow and into the future

A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO COMMUNITIES

“JOINING UP PEOPLE AND PLACES ACROSS THE UK AND FROM TEXAS TO TORONTO.”

People commute, shop, visit friends and go on holiday with us.They travel distances from a hundred yards to hundreds of miles with us. And they rely on us to make their journeys reliable, accessible, affordable, enjoyable and above all safe.

So who are Group?

You’ll be amazed how many different companies make up the Group.We operate many well-known transport brands such as , MML, County, , , ,‘one’,Travel and Travel in the UK. Overseas in North America our school bus operations are Stock Transportation and and in Europe, our private Spanish coach and bus operator Alsa… all these and many, many more local companies come together to make the National Express Group, one of the largest global public transport providers.

We take a long term view of each of our businesses and believe in investing in them for their future growth and development.

In the UK rail sector, we provide inter-city, commuter, rural and airport services. And we’re also the team behind the huge fleet of coaches which carry the National Express name up and down the UK’s motorways. In the West Midlands, we also operate one of the largest regional bus networks in the UK and have other bus operations in , and London. Overseas, we operate yellow school buses in the United States and Canada and are the leading private coach and bus operator in Spain.

We operate as a devolved family of companies, with each local company – rail, coach or bus – responsible for its own operation. Each company has its own brand and works directly with local customers and partners to do what it does best – delivering services that customers want to use. And we succeed by making things easy and simple, by working in partnership, by taking the initiative and by being open and honest as best we can. The holding company operates behind the scenes, shaping overall strategy, providing investment and sharing best practice across the Group.

1 JOINING UP PEOPLE AND PLACES

2 “ALTHOUGH EACH COMPANY OPERATES INDEPENDENTLY, ACROSS THE GROUP WE ALL SHARE THE SAME GOAL AND THE SAME SET OF PRINCIPLES. WE ENSURE BEST PRACTICE IS ROLLED OUT ACROSS ALL OUR COMPANIES.”

Our vision is Joining up People and Places. Key facts; Everywhere we operate, from the smallest rural • Every year, National Express coaches carry community to the largest capital city, our rail, bus around 16 million customers. and coach services aim to take the ‘distance’ out of travel – that is making travel easier and more • Travel West Midlands carries one million enjoyable. passengers every working day. • Approximately a third of London commuters Our brands are local businesses which meet local travel to work on one of our train services needs. They all benefit from being part of a larger everyday. organisation which can provide strategic regional direction and investment whilst ensuring best • We operate over 11,000 yellow school buses practice is shared and rolled out. in North America.

We seek to understand the needs of our customers. We know that customers travelling on a rural line in Norfolk are different to commuters travelling from into Street. Leisure customers want an experience that reflects their needs. So our management teams are encouraged to DID YOU KNOW? work closely with local customers and partners • Since 1995 we have invested £140 million to retain a local focus and personality throughout in our Travel West Midlands operation their operations. with over 1,000 new buses introduced into the fleet. • We have invested over half a billion pounds in new trains since entering the UK rail industry. • National Express has invested £10 million over two years in new state-of-the-art coach facilities.

3 MAKING TRAVEL EASY AND SIMPLE

“WE WORK HARD TO MAKE THE CUSTOMER’S JOURNEY AS EASY AND AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.”

That doesn’t just mean we provide clean seats and When a customer is on board one of our services a reliable service.We consider the total journey, or waiting at one of our train or coach stations, from the moment our customers book their travel we try to make the journey itself – and any waiting or leave their homes or offices.We aim to make time – as comfortable as possible by providing preparation for a journey easy and to create the quality facilities. Examples include and best possible connections.We form partnerships Newcastle coach stations and new first class to help us deliver ‘joined up and stress free travel’. waiting rooms in Leicester and rail stations, as well as modal interchanges such as at We also make our fares simpler and easier to Wolverhampton bus and coach station. All these buy through promoting a wide range of booking add value to the customer’s travelling experience. channels giving customers greater choice. All our rail franchises encourage on-line ticket booking and We believe that all customers should have easy our coaches provide extra discounts for booking access to all our services.We work closely with on the internet.We have developed and piloted key stakeholders including local councils and new hand-held ticketing machines on our rail passenger transport bodies. For example, to operations.These have been adopted as an comply with the Disability Discrimination Act industry product by other rail operators enabling (DDA), all new or refurbished facilities are customers to buy tickets, more quickly and easily. designed to meet the Act’s requirements in full. We have made great progress in re-modelling the Accurate information, particularly when delays layout of railway stations by introducing facilities occur, plays a key part in winning the hearts such as lifts and low level ticket counters for and minds of our customers. wheelchair customers. Following three years of customers are able to use the internet or our research and development, we launched our first SMS text service for real-time information on how fully integrated, accessible coach – the Levante. their trains are running.Through new technology In addition, the redevelopment of our coach we will shortly be able to provide our coach station at Manchester included new automatic customers via the website with real time arrival doors, disabled toilets as well as CCTV installed information. throughout. We also operate over 1,000 easy access low-floor buses.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Travel Dundee’s bus fleet is 100% low floor easy access – eight years ahead of the Government target. • All our train operating companies provide on-line booking and real time information services. • To cater for flexitime working, c2c offers discounted to regular commuters who avoid the morning rush hour.

4 1 THREE GOES INTO ‘ONE’

Following the launch of Londonlines, the umbrella brand for our commuter services; c2c and Silverlink we successfully launched the ‘one’ franchise in April 2004.‘One’ is responsible for all passenger trains to and from London’s . It serves communities as diverse as Cambridge and Great Yarmouth, Southend and Stratford and includes commuter, and rural as well as airport services. Improved performance and efficiencies have been achieved through the integration of these services.

2 SMART MOVE

Senior citizens in Coventry can now travel on buses without having to find loose change.The high-tech Travel Coventry Smartcard bus pass is being piloted by the Group, offering cashless travel and making life easier and safer for our customers.

3 E-FFICIENT, EASY, E-TICKETS

Customers who book a National Express coach journey online can now print tickets directly from their computer or have them texted to their mobile phones. E-tickets and M-tickets are easy, efficient and an example of how we go that extra mile to make travel as simple as possible. Not surprisingly, an increasing number of customers are now choosing these options when purchasing tickets.

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WORKING TOGETHER

“COMMUTERS ARRIVING INTO LIVERPOOL STREET STATION… HOLIDAYMAKERS ON THE FAST LINK TO THE AIRPORT… STUDENTS GOING TO SCHOOL IN TEXAS… SHOPPERS COMING INTO LONDON… WE PLAY A PART IN EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES.”

6 4 INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE DID YOU KNOW?

Our people are important in our business and they deserve our • Employee development full support. is an area of focus and incorporates elements such We invest energy, expertise and money to develop our people. as regular employee surveys, management development and succession planning as well as our established 5 GETTING IT RIGHT graduate training scheme.

The £1.5 million Midland Mainline Customer Service Academy was the first of its kind in the rail industry.The Academy trains • Our bus operations in employees how to communicate with customers and is helping the West Midlands and Midland Mainline employees meet and exceed customers Dundee have formed joint expectations. partnership arrangements called Concordats with We have rolled out the Academy concept in our Central Trains Coventry and Dundee City operation and recently opened a third Academy at Stratford, Councils.These aim to East London. encourage increased travel by bus in these cities.

6 THE SMARTER WAY TO GET • Working alongside the Carbon Trust, a Government FROM A TO B funded not for profit company, we have been The PLUSBUS initiative is a great example of joined-up thinking working on energy saving between railways and buses. It illustrates how collaborative initiatives across our working can make a real difference to our customers.The operations. ticketing initiative provides unlimited travel on most buses at either or both ends of a rail journey, saving time and providing vital connections for customers.

We don’t operate in a vacuum.We can only succeed People talk to us – and we listen.We consult widely by working closely with all our stakeholders – not and regularly to ensure that we continue to meet our only our customers, but also our employees and the customers’ changing needs. Consultation takes place local agencies and businesses with whom we partner. through formal and less formal channels providing the opportunity to provide regular reports on business Of course, we couldn’t operate our services without performance whilst also gathering key stakeholder the help of our people. Our people operate at the views. As our management teams are locally-based, front line of our businesses and make a huge they are already in touch with their communities and contribution to the quality of our services.We are able to tailor services accordingly.We aim to build committed to making National Express Group a safe strong relationships and develop a partnership and rewarding environment in which to work. approach.

Following the launch of our first Customer Service Our companies have regular dialogue with user Academy in April 2002, we have continued to roll out groups including national organisations such as the our Customer Service Academy concept across our Association of Community Rail Partnerships and the operations.We now have a second Customer Service National Federation of Bus Users. We interact on a Academy at our Central Trains operation and a third regular basis with Government and work closely with at ‘one’ in Stratford, East London opened in April trade and transport organisations. 2006.We believe that such investment in our employees, delivers improved standards of working and better levels of customer service. We are also focused on developing our management teams for tomorrow through development programmes and succession planning forums.

7 TAKING THE LEAD

“ALTHOUGH WE’RE UNDERSTANDABLY PROUD OF OUR REPUTATION FOR INNOVATION AND CUSTOMER SERVICE, WE’RE NEVER COMPLACENT. WE KNOW THAT OUR BUSINESSES CAN ONLY RETAIN THE LOYALTY OF CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES IF WE CONTINUE TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES.”

Sometimes that means asking the big ‘What If ?’ Personal security is a key concern of our customers, questions and drawing on all the creativity of our so we’ve invested significant sums in improving our people to come up with the answers. focus in this area.

We’ve invested in more new trains than any other All our new buses in the West Midlands are fitted company in the UK to make our customers’ with CCTV and on board plasma TVs called journeys safer, more comfortable and more crystaleyes which record real time on board enjoyable. In recent years we’ve introduced new footage. Operation Safer Travel is a unique trains into our Central Trains, , partnership between our bus division, the West and c2c franchises, among others as well as new Midlands Police and other agencies. It aims to Meridian nine car trains in our Midland Mainline deter and detect crime, vandalism and graffiti fleet. In addition, we have invested in our coach on our buses. fleet and have recently seen the introduction of state-of-the-art coaches incorporating climate Greater security on board our trains and at stations control, leather seating and on-board television is an area under constant scrutiny and we have entertainment. been instrumental in the roll out of extensive CCTV projects in partnership with local stakeholders in We were the driving force behind the ,Wales and . Additional establishment of the rail industry regional Joint safety features include cameras and help points. Boards.Through these forums, involving all We also ensure that where crime, particularly operations and Rail, engineering work vandalism, is an issue, we take action, in conjunction is prioritised to ensure a joined up approach to with the . improve train performance and minimise disruption to passengers.Through Joint Boards, we are able to Improved driver training, including the use of promote the performance improvements that our simulators, helps to improve training standards. customers demand and deserve. All our trains are fitted with leading train industry technology to halt a train if it passes a red signal.

8 7 REWARDING SUCCESS

We regularly receive awards for our contribution in the areas of operational performance, environment and customer service from leading industry bodies.We were delighted that c2c won ‘Best Suburban London Operator’ and ‘Maintenance Team for the ’ at the 2005 Awards.

8 WELCOME TO THE FUTURE

In addition to new trains, we’ve invested in state-of-the-art buses – including articulated bendi-buses – and coaches with air conditioning, CCTV and entertainment facilities.Through our “Future Coach” project, we are working with manufacturers to bring innovations that will take coach travel firmly into the 21st Century.

9 OPERATION SAFER TRAVEL

In the West Midlands, our Travel West Midlands business has played a leading role in ensuring safer travel for all.Working in partnership with the police and other local agencies,TWM staff visit schools to warn youngsters of the dangers of vandalism and crime on buses. In addition we are members of the “STOP” Panel which focuses on reducing crime.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Each year, our train fleet travels over 287 million miles. • We believe innovative marketing promotions can encourage greater use of public transport.We regularly promote new campaigns to attract passengers. • Expectant women who hold standard class season tickets can reduce the stress of crowded commuting by getting free upgrades to first class.

9 AN OPEN AND HONEST APPROACH

“FROM EAST ANGLIA TO THE MID-WEST, OUR PEOPLE REPRESENT US ON THE FRONT LINE. WE AIM TO BE OPEN AND HONEST TO DO BUSINESS.”

We aim to be straight forward in our We aim for long-term partnerships with key communications and we encourage all our stakeholders.We understand that problems need employees to be approachable at all times. working through to find a solution that makes We welcome our employees’ views – both good things possible. Our external communications and bad through regular employee surveys. strive to be open and accessible. Every year we publish a comprehensive Corporate Responsibility We aim high, but we’re always realistic about what Report (“CR”) alongside our Annual Report and we can achieve. So we don’t over-claim and we Accounts.The CR Report provides details of how don’t make promises we may have difficulty we are fulfilling our obligations from an meeting later. We recognise that new ideas are environmental and community standpoint. Details best generated through a collaborative approach. are available via www.nationalexpressgroup.com

Understandably, some factors are beyond our control and a change of events can turn an everyday journey into a difficult one. In these cases, we know the importance of keeping customers informed, explaining reasons and providing options and advice where practical.

10 10 SERVICE FIRST

All our UK companies are members of the Institute of Customer Service which promotes a strong customer service ethos.Through this forum we share good practice by networking with other companies to raise performance and the status of staff by committing to their formal development.

11 THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Every year we undertake an employee survey.This tells us what our people think.The survey highlights areas where we’re doing well, but, just as significantly, also shows us where we need to improve. Every year, we work hard to address the key concerns raised by the survey and report our progress back to employees on a regular basis.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Every week, the number of miles travelled by Travel West Midlands buses is equivalent to more than 60 times around the world. • National Express runs a non-stop shuttle service between London and 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. • We invest in employee training and development through our dedicated Customer Service Academies at Midland Mainline, Central Trains and ‘one’.

11 TODAY, TOMORROW AND INTO THE FUTURE

“THE HISTORY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT IS A STORY OF CHANGE AND INNOVATION. OURS IS AN EVER-CHANGING INDUSTRY.”

New customer demands, new technologies the proven expertise in order to make a difference and new modes of transport, all of these impact to customers in all the areas where we operate. on the world in general and on our businesses Whether they travel by bus, by coach or by rail, in particular. At the same time, changes in our customers can be sure we are committed to Government policy and legislation and changes in joining up people and places.We are constantly the social make-up of our communities also place striving to improve their experience in every way radically different and challenging demands on we can. public transport. Through the future development of our business, Whilst we are unable to predict the future, one we’ll continue to bring significant benefits that thing is clear: at National Express Group we’ll underpin the social and economic well-being continue to harness the people, the passion and of the communities we serve.

For more information on the National Express Group, or any of our companies, please visit our website at www.nationalexpressgroup.com or contact us at the address below.

National Express Group PLC 75 Davies Street London W1K 5HT

Telephone +44 (0) 20 7529 2000 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7529 2100 E-mail: [email protected]

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Autumn 2004 Designed and produced by MAGEE Printed by the colourhouse

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