Campaign South Western Going green Drivers go the leads to rail franchise in the 'Full Monty' for good timing special Big Apple charity The newspaper of Stagecoach Group Issue 64 Autumn 06 Company Stagecoach wins shortlisted for top award Stagecoach is in the running to be named Britain’s best bus operator – for the second year running. Four Stagecoach companies – West Scotland, Fife, Devon and South Western Cambridge – are in the running for the prestigious title at the 2006 UK Bus Awards. The company won more awards than any other UK bus operator at last year’s awards, collecting five honours. Stagecoach West Scotland, rail franchise which runs around 400 buses from Dumfries to Glasgow, took the headline Belmont International Bus Operator of the Year Award Group to build on past success as innovative bid delivers new contract and the award for the Best Large Fleet in 2005. Now the West Scotland business has been shortlisted for the tagecoach Group has beaten second year running for operating Soff stiff competition from excellence. other transport operators to win Stagecoach has a total of six finalists across four categories in a 10-year contract to run the new this year’s 11th annual awards, South Western rail franchise. which will be presented at a special The Department for Transport (DfT) lunch in London on November 1. announced last month that the Group had The other shortlisted Stagecoach submitted the winning bid for the franchise, entries are: which will run from February 4, 2007. • Stagecoach North West’s South Western combines the existing “Cumbria and the Lakes” South West Trains and Island Line promotion in the Bus in the franchises, both of which are currently Countryside category operated by the Group. • Stagecoach Supertram, which Stagecoach’s innovative bid for the operates the light rail system in franchise, which is worth more than £530 Sheffield, for the Street Transit million in annual revenues, will generate Award. £1,191 million (net present value) in premium payments to the DfT over the Les Warneford, Managing 10-year period. Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, Passengers on the network, who have said: “We are delighted that four seen a step-change in quality of service and of our companies have been punctuality in recent years, will also benefit recognised for their commitment from a multi-million-pound investment On track: Stagecoach Group has been chosen to run the UK's most important rail franchise. to excellence and are in the running programme. for the Best Bus Operator in Britain The Group expects the new franchise be entrusted by the Government with the and expertise of all of our people. to attract new passengers to rail travel and award. to deliver good value for shareholders and contract to run the UK’s most important “We look forward to building on improve services for existing customers, “Stagecoach is leading the way to generate annual operating profit (profit rail franchise. the success we have achieved over the and our exciting ideas for the franchise will in attracting more people to bus before finance income/charges, amortisa- “We submitted a high-quality, innovative past decade by delivering a comprehen- unlock the full potential of the network. travel. All of our shortlisted entries tion of intangible assets and taxation) in the and value-for-money bid, and the new sive package of train, station and security “South Western is the most complex show the dedication of all our early years of the franchise of £15 million franchise is an excellent result for passengers, investment, further improved performance, franchise anywhere on the UK rail network. employees across the country and to £20 million, as well as annual finance taxpayers and our shareholders. increased capacity, state-of-the-art ticketing Stagecoach has an unrivalled mix of the strength of our innovation, income of £3 million to £4 million. “It reflects the significant contribu- options and a range of other customer experience and energy that will ensure we marketing, operational expertise Stagecoach Group Chief Executive tion from local stakeholders and is also benefits. meet today’s challenges better than any and commitment to customers.” Brian Souter said: “We are delighted to recognition of the hard work, commitment “We believe there is a huge opportunity other operator and we are ready to deliver.” Heavenly train journey raises Wi-Fi the way forward charity cash A record-breaking high-speed train journey has raised more than £25,000 for the Heaven’s Angels campaign thanks to for London commuters support from Virgin Trains customers and staff. Readers of The Railway Magazine joined a number of Virgin Trains staff Web and email access free on Europe’s most frequent express service in digging deep into their pockets and buying tickets for the special 401-mile journey from Glasgow to London on ondon commuters can keep in touch on the move now that September 22. Virgin Trains completed the trip in LStagecoach has gone ultra high-tech. less than four hours, setting a new speed Oxford Tube customers will benefit “Many of our passengers on Oxford record for a Glasgow to London journey. from free email and web access thanks to Tube are commuters and students, so having The Virgin team beat a previous record of the company’s three-month trial of Wi-Fi free access to email and the internet will be a four hours and 14 minutes, which was set technology. significant benefit. The technology will also by British Rail’s Advanced Passenger Train The 25-strong fleet, operating 24 hours help us track the progress of vehicles on the in the 1980s. a day, has been equipped with the latest network and advise customers of any issues Heaven’s Angels provides specially wireless technology supplied by Telabria that are likely to affect our services.” adapted motorbikes to deliver healthcare Networks. Jim Baker, Founder and Chief Executive to remote parts of Africa, where tracks The service, which runs up to every 10 Officer of Telabria Networks, said: “Access are impassable for cars. One health worker minutes between Oxford and London, is to a broadband connection is becoming and a motorbike costing £5,000 can help very popular with students and profession- increasingly important for travellers. save 20,000 lives a year. als travelling to work. Telabria’s MobilAPi mobile broadband The trip demonstrated the successful It’s Europe’s most frequent express router delivers Wi-Fi service to passengers, upgrading of the West Coast Main Line service, stopping at Lewknor, Hillingdon, connecting to the internet via the latest and the introduction of Virgin’s state-of- Shepherds Bush, Notting Hill, Marble Arch generation of cellular data networks at the-art fleet of Pendolino tilting trains. and Victoria. broadband speeds. Virgin Trains Chairman Sir Richard The entire fleet was replaced two years “We are delighted that Stagecoach has Branson said: “This is a tremendous result ago at a cost of £8 million – the UK’s chosen our market-leading technology and a real reflection of the generosity and biggest investment in new vehicles on a to deploy across the Oxford Tube fleet, Roger Bowker. support of the staff and readers of The single route – allowing more than 6,000 raising the bar for cutting-edge passenger Railway Magazine who have ensured that passengers a day to travel on the service to services.” tickets have sold like hot cakes. This was London. The results of the trial will be assessed Long-serving director retires a historic journey for over 400 passengers The 81-seat double-decker coaches are and, if successful, the system will be made on board and through their generosity will fully wheelchair accessible with low floors available on a permanent basis. Roger Bowker (65), who has under- through deregulation. provide a lifeline for over 100,000 people and air-conditioning. They have reclining A secure e-commerce website, www. taken a number of senior manage- In 1988, when London Buses a year.” seats, generous legroom, seatbelts, toilets oxfordtube.com, allows customers to book ment roles for Stagecoach Group, divided its operations into 13 and power points for plugging in laptops single, return and period tickets online has retired after a transport career subsidiary companies, Roger managed and mobile phones. For passenger security, as well as access timetable and service spanning more than 40 years. East London and prepared it for pri- Operations they are also fitted with CCTV. information. He was most recently Chief vatisation. Both East London and The Wi-Fi trial will also include the first Oxford Tube also supplies breakfast and Operating Officer of the North Selkent were purchased by Stagecoach major deployment of Telabria’s mTracker newspapers on its early morning commuter East Region of Coach USA and has in 1994 and Roger took responsibility integrated vehicle tracking system. services. previously worked for Stagecoach in for both companies. This will give Stagecoach a real-time the UK, Sweden and Portugal. Roger was Chairman of into UK Bus at-a-glance view of its fleet and precise If you have been involved in a project Following his training in the Stagecoach Portugal when the Group locations of individual vehicles on the road aimed at improving performance then Tilling Group, Roger specialised in had operations in the country from Stagecoach has announced steps to via the web. we’d like to hear about it. schedules, traffic management and the mid to late 1990s. In 1997, he complete the integration of the Yorkshire Brian Souter, Chief Executive of marketing in Greater Manchester managed Swebus until it was sold Your On Stage contact is listed Traction and Lincolnshire Road Car Stagecoach Group, said: “We have made a from 1965 until 1980.