Issue 100 | November 2013 Y A R N A N I S V R E E R V S I A N R N Y A onThe newsletter stage of Stagecoach Group CELEBRATING THE 100th EDITION OF STAGECOACH GROUP’S STAFF MAGAZINE Continental Simply the best coaches go further MEGABUS.COM has buses in Britain expanded its network of budget services to Stagecoach earns host of awards at UK Bus event include new European destinations, running STAGECOACH officially runs the best services in Germany buses in Britain. for the first time thanks Stagecoach Manchester won the City Operator of to a new link between the Year Award at the recent 2013 UK Bus Awards, London and Cologne. and was recalled to the winner’s podium when it was In addition, megabus.com named UK Bus Operator of the Year. now also serves Lille, Ghent, Speaking after the ceremony, which brought a Rotterdam and Antwerp for number of awards for Stagecoach teams and individuals, the first time, providing even Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director Robert more choice for customers Montgomery said: “Once again our companies and travelling to Europe. employees have done us proud. megabus.com has also “We are delighted that their efforts in delivering recently introduced a fleet top-class, good-value bus services have been recognised of 10 left-hand-drive 72-seat with these awards.” The Stagecoach Manchester team receiving the City Van Hool coaches to operate Manchester driver John Ward received the Road Operator award. Pictured, from left, are: Operations Director on its network in Europe. Operators’ Safety Council’s 2013 award for safe driving. Matt Davies, Managing Director Christopher Bowles, former Elizabeth Esnouf, Stagecoach London was also among the winners as Marketing Manager Karen Coventry (now Stagecoach Managing Director of its West Ham Depot was named London Bus Garage Oxfordshire) and Engineering Director Peter Sumner. Stagecoach’s UK Coach of the Year. division, said: “These new The Sheffield Bus Partnership, in which Stagecoach Meanwhile, Stagecoach East Scotland was named links are great news for our in Sheffield plays a key role, was hailed by judges as ‘a runner-up in the Top Express Coach Operation; Tom customers. watershed for the industry’ as it won two top awards Waterhouse from Stagecoach South finished runner-up in “With more locations for Making Buses a Better Choice and Local Authority the Young Manager of the Year Award and Stagecoach South added to our European Project of the Year, as well as finishing as runner-up in West was runner-up in the Top Shire Operator category. network, our low-cost, the Innovation Award. Stagecoach Group was also named runner-up in the high-quality coach services Stagecoach in Sheffield was also runner-up in Sustainability category and two Stagecoach employees will allow customers to the Making Buses a Better Choice category for its – Kenneth Monaghan from Stagecoach West Scotland travel even more extensively Supertram Link services, as well as taking second place and Jason Rayner from Stagecoach South – were Highly at very affordable prices, in the Marketing Excellence Award. Commended in the Unsung Heroes Award. helping to make their money go further.” megabus.com has also Franchises recognised at awards launched a Dutch-language website. STAGECOACH Group’s rail franchises The South West Trains – Network Rail Alliance won the have been recognised as being among the awards for Putting Passengers First, Outstanding Teamwork best in the industry at the 2013 National and Maintenance Team of the Year at the prestigious Typhoon appeal Rail Awards. awards ceremony held recently at Grosvenor House Hotel in London. STAGECOACH Stagecoach’s East Midlands Trains franchise also scooped Group is donating the Safety Award for the third consecutive year. £10,000 to the Disasters Tim Shoveller, Managing Director for the South West Emergency Committee Trains – Network Rail Alliance said: “I am delighted that (DEC) to help the in- the superb efforts of our entire team have been recognised ternational response to with these awards. Typhoon Haiyan in the “It is extremely pleasing to receive national recognition Philippines. for our teamwork, our maintenance and for putting our The Group has also agreed passengers first.” to match the fund-raising David Horne, Managing Director of East Midlands efforts of its 35,000 bus and Alliance representatives, including Managing Trains, added: “I am delighted that the efforts of our team rail employees in the UK Director Tim Shoveller (third right), collect and North America up to the Outstanding Teamwork Award. have been recognised in what is such a crucial area of our work.” the value of £40,000. 1 Y A R N A N I S V R E E R V S I A N R History of On Stage N Y on stage A On Stage reaches 100 not out! Magazine set for a new look ON Stage is 100 editions old, and we couldn’t pass this special milestone without an affectionate look back at the magazine’s history – and a look ahead to its future. The Stagecoach Group staff magazine began its life in 1989. Issue number 1 was produced in the autumn of that year and took the form of a 12-page document, giving news and updates from across the company. In a front-page article entitled ‘Buses Mean Business’, Sir Brian Souter said: “We have become the biggest privately owned bus group in Britain. That is why we now have On Stage as a staff magazine and we hope our staff will use it to let us know what is happening in their local areas.” Introducing the magazine to its 2,500 employees at the time, the company added: “This is the very first issue of On Stage, the staff magazine of the growing Stagecoach family. “We want to hear about the things you are doing – at work and in your leisure time. We want to hear your ideas for On Stage. We want you to feel that this is your magazine.” Twenty-four years after that first issue, On Stage has reached edition number 100 – a fantastic achievement. The magazine is as popular as ever and is now distributed online and through printed copies to the Group’s 35,000 employees across the UK and North America. Over the years, On Stage has taken many different forms as you will see from some of the previous issues pictured on this page. But, throughout the past 24 years, it has remained an integral part of the Stagecoach culture and it continues to be thought of fondly by employees from across the business. Group Chief Executive Martin Griffiths said: “We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to On Stage throughout the past 100 issues. “To see the way the company has grown since that first issue was published is remarkable and it is all down to the efforts of our employees. “On Stage has marked many important events in the Group’s history as well as letting us find out more about the people we work with. “We look forward to hearing even more news about our staff through the next 100 issues too!” Have your say Now that we have reached 100 issues, we would like to refresh On Stage by adding some new features and ideas – and we’d like you to help us. If you have any suggestions to about the kind of new Rolling back the years: This selection of On Stages shows how the well-read features or subjects you would like to see in future issues, publication has evolved since its debut in 1989. It’ll be ‘all change’ for the next edition please email your ideas to [email protected] with a fresh new look but, as always, On Stage will be packed full of news and features which matter to our 35,000 colleagues in the UK and North America. 2 Y A R N A N I S V R E E R V S I A N R uk bus N Y on stage A You what?! New UK Bus director Overheard on the Tube A NEW director has been welcomed on board at Stagecoach’s UK Bus division. Tube driver over intercom: Clare Kavanagh (pictured right) began her new role as “Ladies and gentlemen, Service Development Director on November 1 and will be a the beeping noise means member of the UK Bus Board. ‘the doors are closing, For the 12 years previously, Clare was Transport for London’s do not get on’. It does Director of Performance, Surface Transport, responsible for the not mean ‘try to force strategic development of the capital’s bus network. your way onto the One of the key issues for the Group is smart ticketing. The train and get your Group’s strategy and delivery is led by Alistair Smith, Director rucksack stuck’. of Commercial and IT, and his team. Clare will liaise with Please remember Alistair and will work with UK Bus businesses to support this in future.” their efforts in further developing smart ticketing, taking a close involvement in liaising with local councils and transport authorities. She said: “I am delighted to be joining the first class team at Stagecoach and I look forward to contributing to the Top apprentices continuation of the very successful company strategy.” STAGECOACh’S top UK bus and rail apprentices have been recognised at LUXURY coach service the company’s 9th annual Apprentice of MegabusGold.com shone at the recent the Year Awards. Glittering 2013 Route One Operator Excellence Jason Ham from Stagecoach South West Awards. was awarded first place position in the performance The new product won the Innovation third-year apprentice category, sponsored Award, while Stagecoach East – along with by Optare, while Matthew Mallinson from Cambridgeshire County Council and VIX Stagecoach Yorkshire and Ryan Barnes from Technology – took the Partnership Award for Stagecoach London were second and third, the Cambridge Guided Busway project.