On Stagecoach’S Award-Winning Service Deposits in the Engine and Lower Emission-Free Charges Batteries When the Brakes Are Stagecoach’S Commitment to 7 Route in Perth
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Marketing Ferry service boost for plan to cut bus travel congestion The newspaper of Stagecoach Group Issue 56 Autumn 2004 Cutting edge electric bus drives green credentials futuristic hybrid electric Stagecoach leads the way with public transport of the future UK’s first local authority contract to run Abus has gone on trial in a hybrid electric bus for a premier the UK as part of a service in Newcastle. Nine of the forward-looking bid by vehicles are set to run a service Stagecoach to encourage connecting the city centre, the local authorities to Quayside and new developments on the Gateshead side of the River Tyne introduce the environ- from late spring next year. mentally-friendly vehicle Another exciting development is a in their areas. new fuel additive, now subject to The state-of-the-art Designline-man- commercial evaluation by Stagecoach, ufactured vehicle, which has already which has the potential to transform been successfully operated by the environmental and operational Stagecoach in Auckland, New Zealand, performance of buses across the UK. is being showcased around the The Group signed an agreement country. Fitted with 30 seats and with Cerulean International Ltd, the equipped with space for 20 standing Oxford-based subsidiary of the nano- passengers, the vehicle has had slight materials company Oxonica Ltd, last modifications for operational use in the year to trial the next generation product UK. in up to 1,000 Stagecoach vehicles. Electronics on the bus are so sophis- Initial trials of the innovative ticated that an engineer can “dial” into Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Brian Souter with the electric bus which has gone on trial in cities across the UK. nanocatalyst technology in the north the vehicle by laptop from anywhere in west of England have pointed to a five the world – and even send a message technology makes it extremely quiet on hybrid electric bus has real potential to as part of their local transport strategy.” per cent fuel consumption reduction as that will start the bus. the road. Another feature is special improve the quality of life in our towns The bus spent some time operating well as a significant cut in carbon regenerative braking technology which and cities and is further evidence of on Stagecoach’s award-winning service deposits in the engine and lower Emission-free charges batteries when the brakes are Stagecoach’s commitment to 7 route in Perth. Cumbria, Oxford and vehicle emissions. The second stage of applied and also uses a diesel turbine minimising the impact of our Warwickshire are other locations where the trial, covering buses in London, has The £200,000 vehicle can run to charge batteries. operations on the environment. it has run and also proved popular with been extended by three months and emission-free in densely populated Managing Director of Stagecoach “We hope local authorities will see passengers and the media. should be completed by the end of the areas and its battery-powered UK Bus Les Warneford said: “The the benefits of introducing the new bus Stagecoach has already won the year. PM launches fastest train in the West Prime Minister Tony Blair has launched Virgin’s £11m Pendolino trains. Sir Richard Branson said: “I have the UK’s first-ever 125mph tilting train The new timetable will see the waited five years to see Pendolino tilting timetable, which will mean faster and number of West Coast trains run each at 125mph and this is a very emotional more frequent train services on Virgin’s day increase from 175 to 213. The day both for myself and the rail industry routes to London Euston. fastest trains will provide significant that has finally made it happen.” Thirty of the new tilting Pendolino journey time reductions of up to 21 per Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group trains are set to exploit the new 125mph cent. Chief Executive, added: “The West linespeed from London Euston to Virgin Trains – in which Stagecoach Coast route used to be known as the Manchester, Crewe and Birmingham. has a 49 per cent stake – has also Premier Line - today is a major step in This will be increased to 42 in confirmed that further timetable and winning back the pride and delivery December when all the old trains will journey time improvements will be that goes with that accolade.” be taken out of regular service. spread over the next 15 months, A total of 53 Pendolino trains have At the launch, the Lord Mayor of the culminating in the completion of the been built by ALSTOM in Birmingham City of London, Alderman Robert Finch, track engineering work to Glasgow by and each nine-coach train costs around Sir Richard Branson and the Prime Minister are all smiles at the launch of the Pendolino. unveiled the City’s name on one of December 2005. £11m. Drivers hit the heights Coach USA on board Stagecoach has scooped a number of top prizes at the 2004 Bus Driver of the Year competition. Edward Reid, from Stagecoach for blackout task force East Scotland, was runner-up in the event, which attracted more than 100 of the country’s top drivers. He was just pipped to the top spot ew York’s readiness to respond to by First Essex driver Michael Wilson, Na blackout is much higher – thanks who has been a bus driver for only in no small part to Coach USA. three years. Coach USA has been a key member of an But Edward still left the Blackpool Emergency Task Force, set up by New Jersey Transit. event with a clutch of trophies, The task force was established in the aftermath of last including the Alexander Dennis Cup, year’s electricity failure which closed the Lincoln and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Holland road tunnels and underground rail tunnels, Workers’ Union Trophy and the trapping thousands of commuters on the New York Motor Transport Trophy. He also won side of the Hudson River. the Stagecoach trophy for the John Emberson, Southern District General Manager, company’s highest placed driver. represented Coach USA on the Task Force that drew Stagecoach also enjoyed two up a plan for an orderly evacuation in the event of other successes at the event, which is another emergency. held each year in Blackpool. Chris Prince, from Stagecoach East Kent, took away the Bright-Tech Shield for the Youngest National Finalist. Stagecoach North East Driver John Page won the Allen and Douglas Shield for the competitor to appear in most national finals. Les Warneford, Managing Director Measures have included new landing stages to of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “All the cater for the large number of ferries on standby for an Stagecoach drivers who took part in emergency and a temporary bus station to transport the competition, including our commuters to various destinations in New Jersey and winners, are excellent ambassadors Pennsylvania. Special emergency duties and running for the business. It is heartening to boards have also been developed so that drivers can see that our drivers are amongst the Welcoming in the new service are, from left, Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Public Protection and quickly operate to and from Liberty State Park instead best in the industry.” Transport; Paul Lynch, Stagecoach East Midlands Managing Director, and World Cup hero Gordon Banks. of New York. The road to the final started earlier Another innovation has been a guide, ‘Don’t Get in the year when individual bus Stuck in the Dark’, listing travel alternatives in the operators held qualifying heats that event of a major service disruption or emergency. replicated the National Final. The Keeper kicks off new service More than a quarter of a million copies have been regional events were used to select handed out at major transport centres, including the the best drivers from each company The people of Chesterfield welcomed the new Service 51 has been improved through the Port Authority Bus Terminal. to go forward to the final. improved Service 51 at an impressive launch Urban Bus Challenge Kickstart initiative, which “This guide is a practical tool that will help Written tests challenged drivers’ event in September. has enabled the frequency on the Chesterfield- passengers understand their options in the event of a knowledge of the Highway Code and Crowds turned up in the autumnal sunshine to Clay Cross route to be increased to every 10 major service disruption,” said George D. Warrington, Mechanical Principles, while they also see Stagecoach East Midlands Managing Director minutes. Stagecoach East Midlands has also Executive Director of NJ TRANSIT. “It’s something faced a series of practical driving tests Paul Lynch and Derbyshire County Council provided nine new specially branded low-floor every commuter should keep in their briefcase.” on a route that included a mock-up Cabinet Member Walter Burrows officially launch Darts, while Derbyshire County Council has Governor George E. Pataki added: “The major of a bus station. the service. undertaken infrastructure improvements along blackout we experienced last August showed just how Helping to ‘kickstart’ the event was England the route. critical it is for commuters to become aware of the goalkeeping legend Gordon Banks who started Paul Lynch said: “We are delighted that, many transportation options that are available to them On route his professional career in Chesterfield. Also through ‘Kickstart’, we are able to work in in the event of an emergency.” helping proceedings were a live band, the Town partnership with the County Council to help give NJ TRANSIT is the nation’s largest statewide public Crier, and members of Chesterfield Football our customers improved services and facilities. transportation system providing more than 752,600 to be safe Club’s squad.