The newsletter of Stagecoach Group Issue 114 | March 2016 STAGE ON page 3 page 3 INSIDE Author’s on the write road | Campaign to drive change I’m a celebrity... let me drive buses! TV personality Ferne McCann has backed work goes into running Stagecoach’s drive to encourage more women buses. I take my hat off to consider a career in the bus industry. to the drivers I’ve met The star – currently a presenter on This Morning and I really hope my – has trained with Stagecoach to become a involvement has made qualified bus driver. more women think Ferne, who has appeared on The Only Way is Essex about bus driving as a and I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, undertook career option.” training for her PCV (Passenger Carrying Vehicle) Stagecoach Director licence with Stagecoach London driving instructor Clare Kavanagh added: Yvonne Wallin at the company’s West Ham depot “We have a lot of Ferne McCann in the driving seat for her PCV licence in London. fantastic female drivers, Ferne McCann said: “I’m so proud of myself – I and other staff, across the UK but the bus industry and indirectly, through the UK bus industry so there never thought in a million years that I would have as a whole still employs significantly more men than are many opportunities out there for both men and the chance to even drive a bus and now I can women. Many of the reasons for that are historic but women to have a successful and rewarding career say I’ve actually officially gained my bus driving times have changed and we want to make women in the transport sector.” licence. It’s been a fantastic experience and I’ve more aware of what a career at Stagecoach can “We hope Ferne’s involvement will help shine a light had a brilliant time getting to know Yvonne and offer them. on the bus industry as a potential job opportunity for the team at Stagecoach. I had no idea how much “More than 250,000 jobs are supported, directly women across the UK.” Virgin unveils the Azuma Nominate your VIRGIN Trains has unveiled the first of its new fleet of capacity into King’s Cross by 28 per cent during peak champions now trains in a ceremony at King’s Cross attended by Sir time. Richard Branson. Whilst the trains will initially reach speeds of up to THERE’S still time to nominate your Stagecoach Set to revolutionise travel on the East Coast from 125mph, Virgin Trains has announced the creation of Champions of 2016. 2018, the Virgin Azuma will be one of the most a cross-industry working group, including Network This year’s awards will again recognise success advanced trains on the UK’s rail network, and will Rail, to investigate the potential for the East Coast in the categories of Safety, Environment, embody the customer-centric approach which Virgin route to enable their operation at 140mph. Community, Health, Customer Service and Trains is famous for. Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, Innovation. Employees from across the Group’s Literally translated as “East” in Japanese, the Virgin said: “This is a hugely important moment for bus and rail businesses in the UK and North Azuma pays homage to the new train’s lineage and passengers on the East Coast. A line which has America are invited to nominate colleagues who to the East Coast route. With 65 trains providing witnessed the historic Flying Scotsman and Mallard are making a real difference in any of these areas. an extra 12,200 seats for a new and expanded will now see passenger services transformed with The deadline for nominations is Friday 27 May. timetable, the fleet of Virgin Azumas will increase the UK’s most advanced long-distance trains. Our Simply download a nomination form from the customers on the West FAQ section, under ‘Media’, at Virgin Trains Coast have already www.stagecoach.com. Managing Director on seen what Virgin can Then email the completed form to: the East bring to train travel and [email protected] or send Coast David how the Pendolinos it by post to: Lindsay Reid, Corporate Horne, have made a huge Communications Stagecoach Chairman, difference to speed and Manager, Stagecoach Sir Brian comfort. Our new fleet Group, 10 Dunkeld Souter and of Azumas will bring a Road, Perth PH1 Virgin Group similar transformation 5TW. You can founder to the East Coast, and nominate yourself Sir Richard Branson propel one of the UK’s or one of your launched the most prestigious lines colleagues. new train into the 21st century.” 1 Did you know? A Stagecoach survey has found that commuting by bus can save around £1,000 per year than taking the car. ON STAGE What a Oxford tube launches Laugh! Overheard on a train... new mobile phone app Customer: “I wouldn’t call myself selfish, OXFORD Tube has launched a new mobile phone “This is great news but what’s mine, is mine”. app which will let customers buy tickets for travel for our customers who If you have seen or heard something funny direct from their smartphone. now have a smart, – online, in the papers, on social media or just The new app – called ‘Oxford Tube mobile tickets’ secure and simple way while out and about – send your contributions – makes travel easier by offering passengers of purchasing, storing for the ‘What a Laugh’ section in the next edition mobile ticketing for the first time. and using their coach to [email protected] Passengers can purchase their travel securely tickets. Our new app, through Apple Pay, PayPal and credit or debit card. combined with our n They can then activate their ticket before travel and excellent customer TV stars at East simply show it on their mobile phone to the driver. service, affordable fares Midlands Trains A range of Oxford Tube tickets are available and state-of-the-art through the new app which is available on Apple vehicles, provides even A screenshot of the TWO members of East Midlands Trains’ frontline and Android devices and can be downloaded free more reasons for people new app customer experience staff are enjoying their 15 of charge via the App Store and Google Play. to get on board our minutes of fame after the train operator unveiled Oxford Tube Managing Director Martin Sutton said: greener, smarter coach services in the future.” a new TV advertising campaign. Gemma, from Customer Relations in Derby, and Shaun, from Sheffield station, will both appear in new TV ads, which are based on heart-warming Social media guidelines – a reminder true stories demonstrating how East Midlands Trains staff go above and beyond to help their STAGECOACH employees are reminded of the Stagecoach. For example, this could be through customers. guidelines on social media and other online issues in stating in a social media profile or online discussion The first ad, featuring Gemma, tells the real-life the Group’s Code of Conduct. that they work for the company. story of a small boy who was very upset when he The guide helps staff make sure that their use of Some of the specific things which employees must left his teddy on a train while on a visit to see his digital media, including outside work, does not not do include: grandparents. Despite her best efforts, Gemma was break the law or conflict with their obligations as an posting any non-public information which could unable to track down the missing teddy but had a employee. affect the share price of Stagecoach Group brainwave – her own child had the same teddy at It covers use of social networking sites such as conducting themselves in such a way that is home which she knew wouldn’t be missed. Facebook and Twitter, as well as personal websites detrimental to the company She posted the replacement toy to the youngster and blogs. All employees are urged to read the new engaging in activities on the internet that might with a postcard saying how much teddy had information and guidelines. bring the company into disrepute enjoyed his holidays! Stagecoach Group Director of Communications posting defamatory, offensive or discriminatory The second ad involves a partially sighted Steve Stewart said: “Social media and the web remarks on the internet about the company, woman getting extra special treatment from East have transformed everyone’s lives and have lots customers, business partners, suppliers, Midlands Trains employee Shaun, who is himself of positives for individuals and for businesses. We shareholders or other stakeholders partially sighted. also all have the right to a private life outside the using the internet to bully, attack or abuse the workplace. Nothing in the guidelines is designed to company, colleagues, customers or suppliers stop that. disclosing confidential company information n “But we will all have read about cases where social posting images of or information about colleagues In the pink for charity media and the web have been misused. The last without their permission MEGABUS.COM US recently announced a thing we want is for our employees unwittingly to get posting material on social networking sites, partnership with the Breast Cancer Research into difficulties or break the law. personal websites, blogs or microblogs in Foundation (BCRF). To mark the event, the “That’s why the new section of the Code of Conduct work time. company donated $1 for every ticket sold on sets out some key principles to follow when using The Code of Conduct document as a whole outlines 19 January to support breast cancer research.