The newsletter of Stagecoach Group Issue 117 | September 2016 STAGE ON page 2 page 5 INSIDE MDs on the move | Sam is chuffed to bits in Salisbury Try our UK Bus app! Manchester boss STAGECOACH has launched a new app which will Stagecoach UK Bus Managing Director Robert set to retire make travelling by bus even easier... and you can be Montgomery said: “In today’s fast-paced world, time part of making sure it’s a success. is really precious. Our new app will make bus travel CHRIS Bowles, Managing The new Stagecoach Bus app is available free of easier and give people more time to focus on the other Director of the Stagecoach charge for Apple and Android mobile phones. important things in their lives. Bus travel is changing Manchester business, is The company’s staff can contribute to the success rapidly. We’ve invested more than £1 billion in new set to step down after more of the new tool by downloading the app to their greener and more accessible buses over the past 10 than 42 years in the UK bus smartphones. The higher number of downloads of the years, many with free wifi. Smart ticketing and the industry. app achieved, means it will feature more prominently lowest bus fares in Britain also mean there are big Chris, who took up his in searches... good customer reviews will also increase reasons to choose the bus.” current post in 2010 and has worked with its popularity. To help make our new app a success, we’re Stagecoach for 20 years, will formally hand over Through the app, Stagecoach will offer mobile ticketing encouraging staff to tell their family and friends about the role to his successor, current Stagecoach on its local bus services for the first time, allowing it, give it a try, rate the app in the app store and report Merseyside and South Lancashire Managing customers to instantly buy and download tickets any feedback to us via our intranet, The Loop. Director, Elisabeth Tasker on 1 November. straight to their smartphone. So, feel free to pay a visit to the app store, try it out Chris will remain with Stagecoach for up to 12 Mobile ticketing, offering Dayrider tickets, is now and give your feedback! months, reporting directly to Stagecoach UK Bus live across the company’s Manchester and Wigan Managing Director Robert Montgomery, to help business, and is expected to be rolled out across all develop the future strategy for the company’s of Stagecoach’s regional companies in the coming bus network in Greater Manchester, before months. Payments via the app can be made by PayPal, retiring in 2017. or via debit or credit card. Stagecoach Manchester and Wigan has a team The new app offers a simple journey planning tool of 2,350 employees, including 1,800 drivers, which uses interactive maps and the smartphone GPS running 800 buses out of six depots on 600 system to help customers identify their nearest bus routes across the region. stop and the most suitable bus service for their journey Chris joined Stagecoach in 1996 and became requirements. They can also find out information on Operations Director in Manchester in 1998, journey length and available fare options. moving to Stagecoach’s Ribble business in 2000, Passengers can also access live running times via their before being promoted to Commercial Director smartphone to check the status of their journey before for the North West in 2001 when the Ribble and catching the bus – giving them more time to finish Cumberland operations were merged. He was what they are doing before leaving for the bus stop. Managing Director of Stagecoach North West In addition, the app enables customers to pinpoint their from 2006 to 2010. location during their journey, helping them determine Chris said: “Public transport has been where they are on the route at any one time, how far transformed during my lifetime and I’ve been they are from their destination and when to get off the very fortunate to have worked with many superb bus. This will be of particular benefit to those who are people and partners.” not regular bus users or people who may be visiting a Elisabeth Tasker has 30 years’ experience in new location and are unsure of the route the bus will take. Continued on page 3 East Midlands Trains comes out on top EAST Midlands Trains has once again been named Trains was rated as the highest performing train of our own employees in continuing to deliver the best train operator in the most recent UK Customer operator with 77.7% satisfaction, 3.3% higher above best service they can for our customers. Satisfaction Index. the transport industry average. “It’s always great to be rated highly against other Carried out by the Institute of Customer Service twice Andrew Conroy, Customer Experience Director for train operators but our real focus is on becoming a year, the UK Customer Satisfaction Index looks at East Midlands Trains, said: “We have put a real one of the best customer service organisations in the satisfaction across a range of companies spanning focus on improving the experience our customers UK and we are pleased that the latest satisfaction 13 different industries. receive at our stations and on our trains, and this is scores are showing that we are moving in the right In the latest survey released in July, East Midlands testament to these improvements and the hard work direction.” 1 Did you know? Virgin Trains employee Karen Duffy won a Virgin Group raffle and had lunch with Sir Richard Branson! ON STAGE What a New Managing Laugh! Directors confirmed OVERHEARD – A Metro driver over the tannoy saying: “This is Byker, there’s Metro STAGECOACH has confirmed a number of Managing inspectors here so please have your tickets, Director appointments across its UK Bus business. passes or best running shoes at the ready Steve Walker, current Stagecoach North Scotland please.” Managing Director, has been appointed as the new If you have seen or heard something funny Managing Director of Stagecoach North East. – online, in the papers, on social media or just He took on the role from 12 September after while out and about – send your contributions for the company previously announced that former the ‘What a Laugh’ section in the next edition to Stagecoach North East Managing Director Phil [email protected] Medlicott had decided to leave the company. Mark Whitelocks current Operations Director, Stagecoach East Scotland, has been appointed n Managing Director, Stagecoach North Scotland, Tribute to local hero effective from 1 October. STAGECOACH East Midlands re-designed one of In addition, Edward Hodgson, currently Managing New Stagecoach North East Managing Director Steve its buses to honour the memory of local hero Amy Director of megabus.com Europe, will also take on Walker. Johnson, marking 75 years since her death. the position of Managing Director, Stagecoach South, Bus passengers in Hull can ride on the bus which from 1 October 2016. This follows the promotion of Europe to international company FlixBus. is dedicated to pilot Amy Johnson CBE, who previous Stagecoach South Managing Director Mike megabus.com continues to operate a number of was the first woman to fly solo from England to Watson to the position of Regional Director South. European services on behalf of FlixBus. Australia. Steve Walker worked in the bus industry in As such, Edward Hodgson will now carry out a dual Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director for Manchester before joining Stagecoach East Scotland role, as both Managing Director of Stagecoach South Stagecoach East Midlands, said: “We wanted to in 2001. He took on the role of Managing Director, and Managing Director of megabus.com’s retail show recognition for one of Hull’s most famous Stagecoach Highlands in June 2010 and was business in the UK, as well as overseeing the on- women and, by dedicating this bus to her, we can appointed Managing Director of Stagecoach North going operations in mainland Europe. ensure that her memory lives on.” Scotland in May 2013. Mark Whitelocks is a product of the highly successful Edward Hodgson was previously Commercial Stagecoach UK Bus Graduate Development Director at Stagecoach South before spending three Programme which takes graduate trainees through a years in the US in the role of Director of Senior Management Scheme to help them become megabus.com. He returned to the UK in 2011 after the managers of the future. Mark has previously being appointed Managing Director of Stagecoach held managerial positions at Stagecoach West West Scotland and in July 2014 also took on the and Stagecoach South West. He was also Highly role of Managing Director of Scottish Citylink. In Commended in the Young Manager of the Year Jon Donnelly, Stagecoach East Midlands Commercial October 2014, he moved from West Scotland to take category at the 2010 UK Bus Awards. In September Manager, and Rick Welton, Director of the Amy on responsibility for megabus.com Europe and, as 2013 he took on the role of Operations Director at Johnson Festival, with the Amy Johnson bus. Managing Director, led the rapid expansion of the Stagecoach East Scotland. megabus.com network within mainland Europe over Robert Montgomery, Stagecoach UK Bus Managing the past two years. Director, said: “I would like to congratulate Steve, n Stagecoach confirmed earlier this year the sale of the Edward and Mark on their appointments and look On the pull retail part of the megabus.com business in mainland forward to working with them in their new roles.” MEGABUS.COM US sponsored a team for this year’s Tank Pull Challenge which benefits the Gary Sinise foundation, better known as Lt.