The newsletter of Stagecoach Group Issue 109 | May 2015 ON STAGE INSIDE Speaking up page 3 | In the best of health page 5 megabus.com launches domestic services in Germany STAGECOach’S inter-city coach brand megabus.com has launched two domestic routes in Germany as part of the company’s on-going expansion in Europe. megabus.com has introduced one new route between Munich, Nuremberg, Leipzig, Berlin, Hanover, Dortmund and Cologne and another between Munich, Nuremberg, Kassel, Gottingen, Hanover, Hamburg, Bremen and Cologne, offering travel from just €1. The new services mean the megabus.com network in Germany now covers 13 locations. megabus.com has also established a new operational base in Munich, creating 23 jobs, with a further 27 employees to be stationed at a crew base in Hanover. A megabus.com Astromega vehicle on show in Munich The operator has forged strong ties with local businesses; Munich-based companies Josef customers, meaning they have more money to spend value and good customer service.” Ettenhuber and AGK Truck and Bus will assist with when they get to their destination. As well as using the domestic network, megabus.com fuelling, cleaning, parking and maintenance of the “We’ve been successfully operating coach services for customers in Germany can also connect to cross- megabus.com vehicles. the past 12 years, with international services to and border routes, helping to open up travel opportunities megabus.com Managing Director Edward Hodgson from Germany since 2013. Over the past three years, to more than 110 destinations on the megabus.com said: “This is an exciting development for public we have been serving a growing number of European network across the UK and mainland Europe. transport in Germany. It will provide more choice for cities and we are looking forward to creating new jobs The number of passengers using megabus.com’s passengers who will benefit from low fares and high and boosting tourism with our new network. growing coach network in Europe increased by more quality travel to some of the most popular places “Our services will complement existing transport than 60% in the past year as the company continues across the country. options for people and our experience in the UK shows to transform travel options for passengers “Our brand new fleet of coaches allows us to carry that coach and rail services can both attract growing megabus.com already carries more than 15 million more passengers and keep costs down for our numbers of passengers by offering customers good passengers a year across Europe and North America. Big step for Waterloo Who will be your THE BIGGEST investment for decades on the UK rail network has now moved a step closer with the champions? appointment of a team of contractors who will be THE DEADLINE to nominate your 2015 Stagecoach responsible for planning and carrying out major Champions has now passed and hundreds of improvement works at London Waterloo. nominations have been submitted over the past An artist’s impression of what the revamped Waterloo An agreement between the South West Trains- Station could look like few months. Network Rail Alliance, Skanska, Colas Rail, AECOM Over the next couple of months, all entries will be and Matt MacDonald is now in place and the services to run on suburban routes for the first reviewed and the judges will be asked to choose consortium will now work with the Alliance to scope time ever. their winners from a shortlist out plans to boost capacity at London Waterloo and Christian Roth, Fleet Director of the South West in each category. other inner London stations. Trains-Network Rail Alliance, said: “A huge amount Then, those shortlisted The agreement aims to develop detailed plans, of work has already been carried out to improve for an award will including: services and increase capacity but we know we be invited to our Reopening the former Waterloo International need do to much more. The unique alliance between 2015 Stagecoach Terminal to be used regularly by commuter South West Trains and Network Rail allows a project Champions Awards services. of this size to be delivered efficiently and it will have ceremony in London Lengthening Platforms 1–4 to allow 10-car a real impact on passengers’ journeys.” later this year. 1 Did you know? megabus.com now operates its first domestic journeys in France, between Paris and Toulouse. ON STAGE What a Top coach industry award StaGECOACH East Scotland was recognised with a Laugh! top honour at the 2015 UK Coach Awards. Posted on Twitter: The company was awarded the Express Operation ‘Moving house on the rush hour tube, of the Year accolade at the 6th annual event after which is about to get totally rammed... impressing judges with its Express City Connect Today I’m “That guy”!’ network which operates across central Scotland. If you have seen or heard something funny – Stagecoach’s Oxford Tube service, which operates online, in the papers, on social media or just between Oxford and London, was runner-up in the while out and about – send your contributions same category. for the ‘What a Laugh’ section in the next edition Stagecoach East Scotland’s Express City Connect to [email protected] network operates high-quality coach services across Fife and into Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Glasgow. Facilities such as leather seats, on-board n Sid record attempt toilets, power sockets, air conditioning and free Engineering Manager Dave Simpson and Operations wifi have helped make the services an attractive Manager Jim Mooney, both from Glenrothes depot, with their trophy at the 2015 Coach Awards megabus.com UK mascot alternative to the car, achieving increased passenger Sid took part in the 10th numbers. “We now carry more than 4.2million passengers annual Mascot Gold Cup Stagecoach East Scotland Managing Director Andrew a year on our Express City Connect network and recently which doubled Jarvis said: “It’s fantastic to win this award, which is by investing in new vehicles, with free wifi, and as a world record attempt testament to the hard work of our employees who delivering excellent customer service, we look for the most mascots in are at the forefront of delivering these services to our forward to attracting even more people on to our a race. customers all year round. greener, smarter coach services in the future.” Sid, who is not known for his speed over the ground, put in a good effort but did not win the title. However, overall the group ‘I make the difference’ awards of mascots are thought to SOUTH WEST TRAINS has recognised employees Awarding the prizes, Arthur Pretorius, the South have done enough to set from across its Customer Services department at the West Trains-Network Rail Alliance Director a brand new world record first ever ‘I Make the Difference Awards’. The winning for Customer Service, said: “I would like to so congratulations to all Sid (left) with a fellow employees were honoured for their outstanding congratulate all of our winners. We had a large involved. mascot at the event contributions to customer service at an awards number of entries and heard some incredible ceremony, sponsored by TPT station retailing and stories. It made the job of selecting the most STM Security, at the Kia Oval in London. worthy very difficult. n Read all about it Awards were given out across 15 categories to “We have a great team of 2,500 employees a variety of employees working as guards, gate working within the Customer Service OVER 600 pupils at a primary school in South line staff, community, environmental, performance department who are crucial to making the Shields are to benefit from a new static library for and safety champions and security personnel. The difference for passengers on our trains and at their school with the donation of a recently retired winners of this year’s Station Pride Awards were our stations day in, day out. Awards like these double decker bus from Stagecoach North East. also announced. can only recognise a small fraction of our The bus will be fixed as a static library in the The winners, who came from across the network, people but they remind us of the fantastic work grounds at Westoe Crown Primary School and received a certificate and a cash prize at the awards that goes on across the business. will receive a make-over – including the removal lunch. All of the train operator’s customer service “We look forward to receiving even more of seats and a new carpet fitted – with pupils, departments were represented with winners from nominations and hearing about the wonderful staff and parents getting involved in decorating to stations including Fratton, Basingstoke, Honiton, work of even more of our employees during transform the old bus into a brand new library. Weybridge and Guildford. next year’s awards.” Brian Sleightholme, Operations Manager for Stagecoach North East’s South Shields depot, said: “Being able to lend a helping hand to community projects like a new library for a school on our doorstep is always important, especially when it VIP treat for David comes to youth learning and development.” FIVE-YEAR-OLD bus enthusiast David Elston, from by a trip through the Hampshire, was given a dream come true VIP tour of bus wash. David was Chichester bus station, thanks to Stagecoach. also presented with a David, who has autism, was invited by Stagecoach number of gifts from after his mother Donna contacted the company Stagecoach including David got into the driving explaining David’s great passion for everything his very own model seat during his visit relating to Stagecoach buses.