Stagecoach Group
Encyclopedia
Stagecoach Group plc is an international transport group operating bus
es, train
s, tram
s, express coach
es and ferries
. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter
, his sister, Ann Gloag
, and her former husband Robin
. The group is based in Perth
, Scotland
, and has operations in the United Kingdom and North America.
With 16% of the bus market and 25% of the rail market, including its 49% stake in Virgin Trains
, and being the largest operator of light rail services, the company is the second largest transport firm in the United Kingdom, close behind First Group. Stagecoach operates around 8,100 vehicles and covers over 90 major towns and cities in Great Britain, carrying around 2.5 million passengers daily. Stagecoach UK Bus employs 18,000 people.
In North America, Stagecoach owns the Coach USA
and Coach Canada
brands, although the Western and South Central units of the company have been sold to a two different private equity firms, now Coach America and American Coach
, with other companies sold to Peter Pan
and being rebranded under that name.
Operations in Kenya
, Malawi
, Portugal, Sweden, Hong Kong and New Zealand have been sold. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange
, where it is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
.
in the British express coach market in the early 1980s, though its roots can be traced back to 1976 when Ann Gloag
and her husband Robin
set up a small motor caravan
and minibus hire business called Gloagtrotter. Ann's accountant brother Brian Souter
joined the firm and expanded the business into bus hire. Robin Gloag
subsequently sold his shareholding in the business and ceased any involvement in 1982 with the collapse of his marriage to Ann. The Transport Act 1980
, which freed express services of 35 miles and over from regulation by the Traffic Commissioner, brought new opportunities for the Perth-based company and services were launched from Dundee
to London using second-hand Neoplan
coaches
. For a while, they offered a very personal service with Brian Souter doing the driving and Ann Gloag making up sandwiches and snacks for the passengers. Successfully competing against the then state-owned National Express
and Scottish Citylink
, the company grew significantly between 1981 and 1985, when Stagecoach entered local bus operation with the acquisition of McLennan Of Spittalfield, near Perth. Its early success allowed Stagecoach to take advantage of the privatisation of the national bus groups. Several firms were purchased from the National Bus Company, Scottish Bus Group
, London Buses
and various city councils. The company consolidated its operations during the 1990s by purchasing management and employee owned
bus companies, often ex-NBC and SBG firms where the owners were keen to make a huge profit on their sale. Stagecoach left the long distance express coach market in 1988 when it sold its operations to National Express.
In 1996 Porterbrook
was sold as in a management-employee buyout and subsequently bought by Stagecoach. Porterbrook is one of the three major Rolling Stock Companies in the United Kingdom which was created in 1994 as part of the privatisation of British Rail
, it owns around a third of passenger railway locomotives, multiple units and coaching stock running on Network Rail
's system which it leases to various train operators. In April 2000 Abbey National
bought Porterbrook from Stagecoach for £773 million.
In 1997, the Stagecoach Group won the franchise to operate the Sheffield Supertram system, from South Yorkshire Supertram Ltd, an arm of the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, who own the system. The Group bought the remaining 27 years of a 30 year franchise, which expires in 2024, and run the operation under the Stagecoach Supertram brand, having responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the tram system. When Stagecoach took over the system, it was struggling, both financially and in terms of attracting passengers, but it now an extremely popular and successful operation.
Stagecoach took another turn in 1998, when it purchased Scotland's Prestwick Airport for £41 million. By the summer of 1999, the company was rumoured to have been offered some £80 million for Prestwick. They sold the airport in January 2001 to concentrate on surface transport.
A Stagecoach London
vehicle operating on London Buses route 30
was destroyed in the 7 July 2005 London bombings
and a second was targeted 21 July 2005 London bombings
, operating on London Buses route 26
. Both buses were bound for Hackney
. In a tribute to those who lost their lives in the attack, Stagecoach London dedicated a new Alexander Dennis Enviro400, "The Spirit Of London", to London Buses route 30, replacing the vehicle destroyed. The bus was unveiled by the Mayor of London
in a ceremony on 3 October 2005.
On 21 November 2005 Stagecoach announced the sale of its New Zealand operations to Infratil
for NZ$
250.5m (£100m; US$171.6m).
On 14 December 2005 Stagecoach purchased Barnsley
-based Traction Group (Yorkshire Traction
) for £26m, and also assume Traction's £11m debt. Traction operated 840 buses in South
and West Yorkshire
(Yorkshire Traction, Barnsley & District, Yorkshire Terrier), Lincolnshire
(RoadCar) and Angus
(Strathtay Scottish
). Traction was the largest remaining privately owned independent bus operator in the UK.
Following the sale of its London bus operations
to Macquarie Bank in 2006, Stagecoach UK Bus concentrated on the bus market outside the UK capital, focusing on organic growth and exploring acquisition options.
In September 2005, following competition with its Megabus
coach operation, Stagecoach launched a joint venture with Scottish Citylink
coaches. After a competition enquiry, in October 2006 Stagecoach was instructed to sell some of the Scottish coach services.
Stagecoach are also active in the rail industry, currently operating the South West Trains
franchise (extended for 10 years from February 2007) and having a 49% stake in Virgin Trains
. In 2007 the group won the right to take over the part of the old Central Trains
franchise and the Midland Mainline
franchise, creating the new East Midlands Trains
operation.
In November 2006, Stagecoach was shortlisted to submit a final bid to operate the Manchester Metrolink
tram network. On 3 April 2007 it was announced that the Group were the preferred bidders for the tram and infrastructure maintenance and operation after Serco ended its service during 2007. On 30 May Stagecoach signed the 10 year contract, which started in July 2007. It is believed that the Group's experience with, and successful operation of, the Sheffield tram system was a factor in the final decision.
In January 2009, Stagecoach bought Preston Bus
, a former rival in the Lancashire
area. Which it later sold to Rotala plc in early 2011, after being order to be the Competition Commission.
In October 2010 Stagecoach expanded further by re-acquiring East London Bus Group, Stagecoach's former London bus operations.
In August 2011, Stagecoach sold its Manchester Metrolink to French state-owned transport group RATP. The company was half way through its ten year contract to operate the network.
, though company Chairman Sir Brian Souter and his sister Ann Gloag are the largest shareholder
s in Stagecoach. Ms Gloag no longer has an executive role in the company.
Souter and Gloag's involvement in bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis
(the former Transbus International), and Souter's previously owned stake in ScotAirways
are not related to the Stagecoach Group.
, Stagecoach Rail briefly operated a modest intercity operation between Aberdeen
and London. Two British Railways Mark 2 passenger carriages were re-branded in Stagecoach colours and attached to a scheduled British Rail
Intercity
service.
. Deciding to focus on organic growth for its UK bus operations, and citing the inflexibility of the London tendering system, the London bus operations were sold to Macquarie Bank on 31 August 2006 for £263.6m. Macquarie continued to use the Stagecoach brand for a limited period under licence, and Stagecoach provided administrative and other support functions for a transitional period of 12 months from the sale. The operations have now been rebranded into their original East London and Selkent identities, albeit updated. In October 2010 Stagecoach reacquired its old London operations from Macquarie.
on a 10-year fixed-term management contract, beating competition from Serco and Govia
, to make it the biggest tram operator in the UK. This system was the first modern tram system in the United Kingdom, opening just before the Sheffield system in 1992. Nearly 18 million people ride on the system a year, compared with five million on National Express Group
's Midland Metro
which has a higher catchment area, serving Birmingham
the second most populated city in England, and stretching as far as Wolverhampton
. Stagecoach sold the Metrolink business to RATP Group on 1 August 2011.
Stagecoach New Zealand
was a wholly owned part of the Stagecoach Group, which provided bus services in Auckland
, Wellington
and the Hutt Valley and nine ferry
routes in Auckland. It was the largest bus company in New Zealand when sold. Stagecoach NZ started operations when the firm acquired Wellington City Transport Ltd, including the Hutt Valley suburban bus operations of the New Zealand Railways Road Services
, branded CityLine, in the 1990s. Following this initial acquisition Stagecoach also purchased Eastbourne Buses, The Yellow Bus Company in Auckland and a controlling interest in Fullers Auckland. Before selling the business Stagecoach operated more than 900 buses and nine ferries in New Zealand and employed more than 2000 people.
In November 2005 Infratil
Limited purchased Stagecoach New Zealand from Stagecoach Group. They are rebranding all the former Stagecoach operations, to be completed by 2010 when the deal to use the Stagecoach name expires.
, the bus-company arm of the Swedish state railway
, for 1.2 billion kronor
($164 million). Mr. Souter called it "the most important deal of the year in terms of our company's long-range development" and promised more. Stagecoach in 1998 announced that it had bid for several rail franchises in Sweden. On 28 October 1999 Stagecoach revealed that it was going to sell Swebus
to Concordia Bus Sweden for £100m, in order to refocus its bus operation on the United States and Asia. This left Arriva
as the only British-based operator of public transport services in Sweden.
, introducing the Express Services and the modern double decker buses back on Kenyan roads.
In October 1998, a consortium of investors led by Mr. Karanja Kabage as Chairman acquired Kenya Bus Services Limited from Stagecoach Holdings which owned 95% of the business.
In 1994, Stagecoach created a bus-operating subsidiary in Hong Kong which operated residential bus services. It ceased operation in April 1996.
In 1999, Stagecoach planned to become the largest bus company in China through joint ventures, equity stakes and partnerships, and confirmed the £181m acquisition of Hong Kong's Citybus
. Stagecoach acquired control of Citybus Group Limited in March 1999 and completed the privatisation of Citybus on 17 July 1999. Citybus is the second largest franchise bus operator in Hong Kong and provides franchised bus services on Hong Kong Island
and to and from Hong Kong International Airport
. It also provided a number of non-franchise services throughout Hong Kong, including express daily coach services between residential developments and city/town centres. In addition, Citybus operates a small number of metropolitan bus services in Mainland China.
In a surprise move, the company was acquired by Chow Tai Fook Enterprises
, the parent company of the major rival operator New World First Bus
, in June 2003, even though it was once touted as the gateway to Stagecoach's expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, although Stagecoach commented that "combination of the uncertainties about the economic climate in Hong Kong, the growing levels of regulation to which the business is becoming subject and the inability to grow profit without very significant investment or critical mass synergies required it to take very seriously the approach and to negotiate terms which were in the best interests of Stagecoach shareholders". Citybus had 1,200 buses across 113 routes on Hong Kong Island and 22 services to the airport at the time of the sale. It made an operating profit before goodwill amortisation of £19m in the year to April on turnover of £133m, the lion's share of the overseas bus division. The sale netted Stagecoach £132m after third-party debt. Stagecoach have since ditched their plans on extending to Asia, and have sold off their operations in mainland China.
Stagecoach Portugal had its origins in the reprivatization of Portuguese bus and coach operation, which had been nationalized after the 1974 Revolution
. In 1990, the nationalized Rodoviária Nacional was split into ten components. In the capital, Lisbon
was the chief operator outside the city itself, where Carris provided city bus and tram services.
The name of Rodoviária de Lisboa survived as part of the Barraqueiro bus company, but another part, serving the area to the west of Lisbon, became Stagecoach Portugal in 1995. A further portion still operates as Vimeca - Viação Mecânica de Carnaxide. In June 2001 Stagecoach announced the sale of their Portuguese operations to ScottURB for £14 million (generating £6 million surplus for Stagecoach), even though turnover and operating profit for the year ended 30 April 2000 had been £6.8 million and £1.1 million respectively. At that time, Stagecoach Portugal operated 135 buses on 60 routes in the area west of Lisbon, carrying 27 million people per annum.
air lines, these services aim to offer cheaper alternatives to the established operators in the bus, coach and rail markets, by reducing costs, and offering extremely low fares for the earliest bookings, rising nearer the journey time. This has caused many other companies, most notably National Express
, to lower their fares.
, who have had to lower their prices to compete with Megabus. In the US, Megabus/Eastern Shuttle's main rival is BoltBus
, which is 50% owned by Stagecoach rival FirstGroup. In the UK, the Megabus network covers most of the island of Great Britain, although some routes offer only one journey per day. Originally operated using high capacity but older coach seated buses, most services are now operated with new modern single or double deck coaches. In the United States, services radiate from Chicago and New York City, but the networks are not connected. In both the UK and the US, to cut costs, most services use on-street bus stops rather than pay for access to coach stations (except in cases where pre-existing routes were converted to Megabus lines). A notable exception to this is the use of London
Victoria Coach Station
.
In the UK and in the US for routes out of Chicago, all journeys must be pre-booked via Megabus.com or the designated phone number, or at certain bus stations; tickets are not available from the driver. In the US for routes out of New York City, Megabus journeys must be pre-booked via Megabus.com or the designated phone number (or at the New York City station).
between London and Southampton
, and London and Portsmouth
, using a dedicated carriage on selected South West Trains
services. It has since been extended to some Virgin Trains
services (since withdrawn) and to selected East Midlands Trains
services.
In 2009, the Megabusplus concept was introduced, under which certain trips are begun on a train and are then completed on a bus. Unlike the original Megatrain concept, this service is available seven days a week.
to East Didsbury (Oxford Road corridor) route in Greater Manchester
, but also in Newcastle upon Tyne and East Scotland (as Magic Mini). In 2008 Stagecoach Merseyside
introduced a Magic Bus service competing with themselves and Arriva on the busy route 14 corridor, Magic Bus 14C runs every 7/8 minutes between City Centre and Broadway.
and Stagecoach subsidiaries Megabus
and Motorvator
. Under the terms of the joint venture, the Stagecoach Group will acquire a 35% stake in Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd, with Citylink assuming certain rights to the Megabus and Motorvator brands in Scotland.
Megabus operations in the rest of the UK are excluded from this agreement. Despite being a minority shareholder, Stageocoach appears to have assumed all but full control. Stagecoach staff have replaced much of the former Citylink management, while Stagecoach subsidiaries have begun operating many of the routes formerly operated by subcontractors, albeit with vehicles in full Scottish Citylink livery. Citylink frequencies and routes have also been sacrificed in favour of Megabus where the two brands overlap.
The Competition Commission
ruled on 23 October 2006 that the joint venture substantially reduced competition and that evidence suggested some routes were already experiencing higher fares as a result. Though no firm conclusion was drawn, regulators are to consult the two companies about what they need to do to comply with competition regulations and they have indicated that this will likely lead to the forced divestment of some services to an independent operator. The ruling was criticised by Stagecoach as leaving vital services in limbo and jeopardising Scotland's intercity coach network, making it unable to compete effectively with rail and private car journeys.
To satisfy the Commission, some Citylink routes were sold to Parks Motor Group
in early 2008.
and faced sharp media criticism over its approach to smaller operators. Bitter bus wars broke out in towns and cities throughout Britain as Stagecoach took on the local competition, often forcing the competitor to abandon traditional markets and sometimes causing the collapse of smaller operators. Practices included aggressive pricing and timing, running services outside of its registered routes, or registering routes to compete with other operators rather than serve the public interest. In its hometown of Perth, Stagecoach successfully forced the dominant operator Strathtay Scottish
to abandon local services in the town. Similarly, Stagecoach subsidiary Bluebird Buses
replaced Highland Scottish
buses on most city services in and around Inverness
, and Ribble Motor Services
replaced the local operator in Lancaster. In 1994 Stagecoach attracted particular criticism for its involvement in the events of the Darlington Bus War
, in which Stagecoach entered the Darlington bus market, leading to the eventual collapse of Darlington Transport. This would lead to an inquiry and subsequent reform in the regulatory framework for bus operation in the UK. Controversy also reappeared in 2005 in the Highlands
when the Magicbus
formulae was applied by Stagecoach East Scotland
to minibuses as Magic Mini, to compete with Scotbus, with alleged aggressive behaviour by Stagecoach drivers, resulting in an arson fire at a Stagecoach East Scotland
garage.
There was also a notorious "bus war" between Stagecoach Manchester and a smaller operator, UK North, over the lucrative 192 bus route between Stockport and Manchester in 2006.
This saw aggressive and borderline-dangerous driving employed by drivers of both companies to get to the stop and the passengers first, resulting in several near-misses with pedestrians and other road users. In a similar "bus war" on the university route in Manchester, a passenger was in fact severely injured by a negligient bus driver, after which Greater Manchester Police severely warned all operators as to their conduct.
The company was engaged in a similar bus war with Preston bus
, however this ended with the purchase of Preston bus
in January 2009.
, regarding certain public statements and his funding of a campaign to block the repeal the Section 28
law. In 2000, OutRage!
spokesman Peter Tatchell, called for a boycott
of the bus and rail group.
and gay rights activists, calling on Stagecoach to apologise. For its part, Stagecoach has defended the actions of its driver.
The allocated number is for the life of the bus whilst in the Stagecoach Group until it is sold.
If it were to be re-acquired through take-overs of other bus companies then the next available free number would be given to that vehicle dependent on the type.
As a result of the recent re-aquasition of ELBG whose fleetnumbers duplicate some current buses in various group subsidiaries, fleetnumbers can be re-used, but only after that fleetnumber has been un-used for 3 years.
Preserved vehicles take up numbers at the end of each series but do not carry the allocated numbers instead they carry the original fleet number given when new by the original company that owned it when new an example of this being the Routemasters in London.
. Guide wheels on the side of the bus, combined with a specially built track mean that hands free driving is possible.
The main advantages of a guided busway, versus a normal road are: higher speeds, meaning increased capacity; increased safety as traffic of differing directions is physically separated.
Depending how this trial goes, there may eventually be many more in cities across the UK.
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es, train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s, tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s, express coach
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
es and ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
. The group was founded in 1980 by the current chairman, Sir Brian Souter
Brian Souter
Sir Brian Souter , is a Scottish businessman. He is the co-founder of the Stagecoach Group, along with his sister, Ann Gloag. He is also widely known for his controversial public statements and for his attempt to keep Section 28 in law, which led to widespread accusations of homophobia...
, his sister, Ann Gloag
Ann Gloag
Ann Gloag, OBE , is a Scottish business woman and charity campaigner.-Biography:Educated at Caledonian Road Primary School and Perth High School, she qualified as a nurse and during a 20 year career worked as a burns unit sister.-Stagecoach:Gloag founded bus company "Gloagtrotter" in October 1980...
, and her former husband Robin
Robin Gloag
Robin Nicol Gloag was one of the founders, with Brian Souter and Ann Gloag, of Stagecoach Group, one of the United Kingdom's largest transport businesses.-Career:...
. The group is based in Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and has operations in the United Kingdom and North America.
With 16% of the bus market and 25% of the rail market, including its 49% stake in Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
, and being the largest operator of light rail services, the company is the second largest transport firm in the United Kingdom, close behind First Group. Stagecoach operates around 8,100 vehicles and covers over 90 major towns and cities in Great Britain, carrying around 2.5 million passengers daily. Stagecoach UK Bus employs 18,000 people.
In North America, Stagecoach owns the Coach USA
Coach USA
Coach USA LLC is a holding company for various American transportation service providers providing scheduled intercity bus service, local and commuter bus transit, city sightseeing, tour, yellow school bus, and charter bus service...
and Coach Canada
Coach Canada
Coach Canada is the Canadian affiliate of Coach USA, and part of the North American operations of Stagecoach, the international transport group, with its headquarters in Perth, Scotland, UK....
brands, although the Western and South Central units of the company have been sold to a two different private equity firms, now Coach America and American Coach
Coach America
Coach America, also doing business as American Coach Lines, is a holding company for American bus services owned by New York-based private equity firm Fenway Partners operating under the Coach America, American Coach Lines, and Gray Line names...
, with other companies sold to Peter Pan
Peter Pan Bus Lines
Peter Pan Bus Lines is a long-distance bus carrier headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. It operates in the northeastern United States. Over four million passengers per year travel on Peter Pan's bus routes....
and being rebranded under that name.
Operations in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, Portugal, Sweden, Hong Kong and New Zealand have been sold. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
, where it is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index
FTSE 250 Index
The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...
.
History
Stagecoach was born of deregulationDeregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
in the British express coach market in the early 1980s, though its roots can be traced back to 1976 when Ann Gloag
Ann Gloag
Ann Gloag, OBE , is a Scottish business woman and charity campaigner.-Biography:Educated at Caledonian Road Primary School and Perth High School, she qualified as a nurse and during a 20 year career worked as a burns unit sister.-Stagecoach:Gloag founded bus company "Gloagtrotter" in October 1980...
and her husband Robin
Robin Gloag
Robin Nicol Gloag was one of the founders, with Brian Souter and Ann Gloag, of Stagecoach Group, one of the United Kingdom's largest transport businesses.-Career:...
set up a small motor caravan
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
and minibus hire business called Gloagtrotter. Ann's accountant brother Brian Souter
Brian Souter
Sir Brian Souter , is a Scottish businessman. He is the co-founder of the Stagecoach Group, along with his sister, Ann Gloag. He is also widely known for his controversial public statements and for his attempt to keep Section 28 in law, which led to widespread accusations of homophobia...
joined the firm and expanded the business into bus hire. Robin Gloag
Robin Gloag
Robin Nicol Gloag was one of the founders, with Brian Souter and Ann Gloag, of Stagecoach Group, one of the United Kingdom's largest transport businesses.-Career:...
subsequently sold his shareholding in the business and ceased any involvement in 1982 with the collapse of his marriage to Ann. The Transport Act 1980
Transport Act 1980
The Transport Act 1980 was a Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It introduced deregulation of coach services in the United Kingdom and allow authorities to deregulate bus services on a trial basis. It was introduced by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher. The later Transport Act...
, which freed express services of 35 miles and over from regulation by the Traffic Commissioner, brought new opportunities for the Perth-based company and services were launched from Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
to London using second-hand Neoplan
Neoplan
NEOPLAN Bus GmbH is a German automotive company that manufactures buses, trolleybuses and coaches. NEOPLAN is now a subsidiary of NEOMAN Bus GmbH, which itself is a part of MAN SE.-Foundations:...
coaches
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
. For a while, they offered a very personal service with Brian Souter doing the driving and Ann Gloag making up sandwiches and snacks for the passengers. Successfully competing against the then state-owned National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
and Scottish Citylink
Scottish Citylink
Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd is a long distance express coach operator in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland . The company was formed as a subsidiary of Scottish Transport Group in June 1985...
, the company grew significantly between 1981 and 1985, when Stagecoach entered local bus operation with the acquisition of McLennan Of Spittalfield, near Perth. Its early success allowed Stagecoach to take advantage of the privatisation of the national bus groups. Several firms were purchased from the National Bus Company, Scottish Bus Group
Scottish Bus Group
The Scottish Bus Group was a state-owned Scottish holding company that included a number of bus operators covering the whole of Scotland. The group was formed in 1961 as Scottish Omnibuses Group Ltd, to take control of the British Transport Commission's bus operating subsidiaries in Scotland...
, London Buses
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
and various city councils. The company consolidated its operations during the 1990s by purchasing management and employee owned
Employee-owned corporation
An employee share ownership plan is the practice of companies giving staff members shares in their company as part of their salary....
bus companies, often ex-NBC and SBG firms where the owners were keen to make a huge profit on their sale. Stagecoach left the long distance express coach market in 1988 when it sold its operations to National Express.
In 1996 Porterbrook
Porterbrook
Porterbrook is one of the three major ROSCOs in the United Kingdom...
was sold as in a management-employee buyout and subsequently bought by Stagecoach. Porterbrook is one of the three major Rolling Stock Companies in the United Kingdom which was created in 1994 as part of the privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
, it owns around a third of passenger railway locomotives, multiple units and coaching stock running on Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
's system which it leases to various train operators. In April 2000 Abbey National
Abbey (bank)
Abbey National plc was a UK-based bank and former building society, which latterly traded under the Abbey brand name. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo Santander of Spain in 2004, and was rebranded as Santander in January 2010, forming Santander UK along with the savings business of the...
bought Porterbrook from Stagecoach for £773 million.
In 1997, the Stagecoach Group won the franchise to operate the Sheffield Supertram system, from South Yorkshire Supertram Ltd, an arm of the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, who own the system. The Group bought the remaining 27 years of a 30 year franchise, which expires in 2024, and run the operation under the Stagecoach Supertram brand, having responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the tram system. When Stagecoach took over the system, it was struggling, both financially and in terms of attracting passengers, but it now an extremely popular and successful operation.
Stagecoach took another turn in 1998, when it purchased Scotland's Prestwick Airport for £41 million. By the summer of 1999, the company was rumoured to have been offered some £80 million for Prestwick. They sold the airport in January 2001 to concentrate on surface transport.
A Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London , is a bus company which principally operates services in the UK capital city of London, under contract to the London Buses arm of Transport for London. It was formed in 1989 as a subsidiary of London Buses. The company privatised in 1994 and acquired by the Stagecoach Group, but...
vehicle operating on London Buses route 30
London Buses route 30
London Buses route 30 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Capital.-History:Route 30 commenced operation on 8 May 1911 between Kings Cross and Fulham Cross...
was destroyed in the 7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
and a second was targeted 21 July 2005 London bombings
21 July 2005 London bombings
On 21 July 2005, four attempted bomb attacks disrupted part of London's public transport system two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The explosions occurred around midday at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval stations on London Underground, and on a bus in Shoreditch...
, operating on London Buses route 26
London Buses route 26
London Buses route 26 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to First Capital.-History:...
. Both buses were bound for Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
. In a tribute to those who lost their lives in the attack, Stagecoach London dedicated a new Alexander Dennis Enviro400, "The Spirit Of London", to London Buses route 30, replacing the vehicle destroyed. The bus was unveiled by the Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
in a ceremony on 3 October 2005.
On 21 November 2005 Stagecoach announced the sale of its New Zealand operations to Infratil
Infratil
Infratil Limited is a New Zealand-based infrastructure investment company. It owns several airports, electricity generators and retailers, and a public transport business, with operations in New Zealand, Australia and Europe. Infratil was founded by Lloyd Morrison, a Wellington-based merchant...
for NZ$
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
250.5m (£100m; US$171.6m).
On 14 December 2005 Stagecoach purchased Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
-based Traction Group (Yorkshire Traction
Yorkshire Traction
Yorkshire Traction was a bus operator in South Yorkshire. Between 1986 and 2005 it was a key part of the Traction Group. In December 2005 it was sold to the Stagecoach Group.-History:...
) for £26m, and also assume Traction's £11m debt. Traction operated 840 buses in South
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
and West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
(Yorkshire Traction, Barnsley & District, Yorkshire Terrier), Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
(RoadCar) and Angus
Angus
Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...
(Strathtay Scottish
Strathtay Scottish
Stagecoach Strathtay is a Scottish bus operating company which covers the Dundee and Angus areas, and parts of Grampian. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, which bought Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd from Traction Group in 2005...
). Traction was the largest remaining privately owned independent bus operator in the UK.
Following the sale of its London bus operations
Stagecoach London
Stagecoach London , is a bus company which principally operates services in the UK capital city of London, under contract to the London Buses arm of Transport for London. It was formed in 1989 as a subsidiary of London Buses. The company privatised in 1994 and acquired by the Stagecoach Group, but...
to Macquarie Bank in 2006, Stagecoach UK Bus concentrated on the bus market outside the UK capital, focusing on organic growth and exploring acquisition options.
In September 2005, following competition with its Megabus
Megabus (United Kingdom)
Megabus is a UK coach service operated by Stagecoach Group. It started in 2003 and as of February 2010 operated 19 UK coach routes serving 41 destinations in England, Scotland and Wales. Some services link with Megatrain services which are also operated by Stagecoach...
coach operation, Stagecoach launched a joint venture with Scottish Citylink
Scottish Citylink
Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd is a long distance express coach operator in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland . The company was formed as a subsidiary of Scottish Transport Group in June 1985...
coaches. After a competition enquiry, in October 2006 Stagecoach was instructed to sell some of the Scottish coach services.
Stagecoach are also active in the rail industry, currently operating the South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
franchise (extended for 10 years from February 2007) and having a 49% stake in Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
. In 2007 the group won the right to take over the part of the old Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
franchise and the Midland Mainline
Midland Mainline
Midland Mainline was a British train operating company owned by the National Express Group and based in Derby. It was created after the privatisation of British Rail. Midland Mainline services operated from April 1996 to November 2007....
franchise, creating the new East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
operation.
In November 2006, Stagecoach was shortlisted to submit a final bid to operate the Manchester Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
tram network. On 3 April 2007 it was announced that the Group were the preferred bidders for the tram and infrastructure maintenance and operation after Serco ended its service during 2007. On 30 May Stagecoach signed the 10 year contract, which started in July 2007. It is believed that the Group's experience with, and successful operation of, the Sheffield tram system was a factor in the final decision.
In January 2009, Stagecoach bought Preston Bus
Preston Bus
Preston Bus is a bus operator running within the city of Preston, England and into the surrounding area. In 2009, it was acquired by the Stagecoach Group and was rebranded Stagecoach in Preston, before they were subsequently ordered to sell the company as a result of competition concerns...
, a former rival in the Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
area. Which it later sold to Rotala plc in early 2011, after being order to be the Competition Commission.
In October 2010 Stagecoach expanded further by re-acquiring East London Bus Group, Stagecoach's former London bus operations.
In August 2011, Stagecoach sold its Manchester Metrolink to French state-owned transport group RATP. The company was half way through its ten year contract to operate the network.
Key people
Stagecoach Group plc is listed on the London Stock ExchangeLondon Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
, though company Chairman Sir Brian Souter and his sister Ann Gloag are the largest shareholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
s in Stagecoach. Ms Gloag no longer has an executive role in the company.
Souter and Gloag's involvement in bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis Limited is the largest bus builder in the United Kingdom. It incorporated the three last surviving bus manufacturers which started bus production before World War II: Dennis, Alexander and Plaxton.- History :Alexander Dennis was formed as TransBus on 1 January 2001, after the...
(the former Transbus International), and Souter's previously owned stake in ScotAirways
ScotAirways
Suckling Airways is an airline that focuses on ACMI work and ad hoc corporate charters for business and sporting organisations...
are not related to the Stagecoach Group.
Senior management
- Sir George Mathewson - Non-executive Chairman
- Sir Brian SouterBrian SouterSir Brian Souter , is a Scottish businessman. He is the co-founder of the Stagecoach Group, along with his sister, Ann Gloag. He is also widely known for his controversial public statements and for his attempt to keep Section 28 in law, which led to widespread accusations of homophobia...
- Chief Executive - Martin Griffiths - Finance Director
- Ewan Brown - Non Executive Director
- Ann GloagAnn GloagAnn Gloag, OBE , is a Scottish business woman and charity campaigner.-Biography:Educated at Caledonian Road Primary School and Perth High School, she qualified as a nurse and during a 20 year career worked as a burns unit sister.-Stagecoach:Gloag founded bus company "Gloagtrotter" in October 1980...
- Non Executive Director - Phil WhitePhil WhitePhilip John "Phil" White was an Australian politician. He was the Liberal member for Earlwood in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1988 to 1991....
- Non Executive Director - Helen Mahy - Non Executive Director
- Garry Watts - Non Executive Director
Structure
Group Structure (from 1 September 2011).UK operating companies
The following is a breakdown of the Stagecoach operating divisions. The centre of each operating region is shown in parentheses. Legal company names are listed alongside the trading names for that company.Bus division
- Stagecoach DevonStagecoach DevonStagecoach Devon Ltd, part of the Stagecoach Group, is a bus operator serving the East Devon, Exeter and Torbay, and more recently Tiverton and Barnstaple, areas of South West England. It was formed in 1995 with the purchase of Devon General and Bayline. Its headquarters is in Exeter...
- Stagecoach controls operations in Devon through Stagecoach Devon, consisting of (as of May 2003) Stagecoach Devon Limited. The trading name of these operations is Stagecoach in Devon. The headquarters are in ExeterExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
.
- Stagecoach EastStagecoach EastStagecoach East is the divisional name for the bus operations of the Stagecoach Group in eastern England.From 1999 until August 2010 the division had two trading names:*Stagecoach in Bedford which covers Stagecoach services in Bedford & Bedfordshire...
- Stagecoach controls operations in the East through Stagecoach East. Comprising United Counties Omnibus Company LtdUnited Counties OmnibusUnited Counties Omnibus is an English bus company, operating in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and parts of surrounding counties. It was established in 1921 as the United Counties Omnibus & Road Transport Co Ltd, and from 1933 has been named the United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd...
- Bedford depot, trading as Stagecoach in Bedford. And Cambus Ltd and the Viscount Bus & Coach Company Ltd (demerged as a subsidiary of Cambus Holdings in 1989), trading as Stagecoach CambridgeshireStagecoach CambridgeshireStagecoach Cambridgeshire is a bus company in England, which is part of the Stagecoach Group.Its headquarters are in Cambridge, and it operates services under the following brand names:—...
. Trading names are Stagecoach in CambridgeStagecoach in CambridgeStagecoach in Cambridge is a bus company, which runs services throughout Cambridgeshire and the surrounding areas. It is part of Stagecoach East....
and Stagecoach in Huntingdonshire and Stagecoach in PeterboroughStagecoach in PeterboroughStagecoach in Peterborough is a bus company, which runs services throughout Peterborough and the surrounding areas. It is part of Stagecoach Cambridgeshire, itself a subsidiary of the larger Stagecoach Group....
and Stagecoach in BedfordStagecoach in BedfordStagecoach in Bedford is the sector of the Stagecoach Group that operates buses in Bedford, Bedfordshire and is currently a trading name of the United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd-Background:...
. The headquarters are in Cambridge. (As of September 2010 Stagecoach in NorthantsStagecoach in NorthantsStagecoach Northants is the name for most bus routes operated by Stagecoach Midlands in Northamptonshire. The legal name for the company is United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd...
transferred to a new Midland division.)
- Stagecoach East MidlandsStagecoach East MidlandsStagecoach East Midlands is a bus company, part of the Stagecoach Group.Its headquarters are in Lincoln, England, and it operates services under the following brand names:*Stagecoach in Bassetlaw*Stagecoach in Mansfield*Stagecoach Grimsby-Cleethorpes...
- Stagecoach controls operations in the East Midlands area through Stagecoach East Midlands. Comprising Lincolnshire Road Car Co Ltd, Grimsby-Cleethorpes Transport Ltd, Cleveland Transit Ltd(Hull depot) and East Midland Motor Services Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach in Bassetlaw, Stagecoach in Mansfield, Stagecoach in South Yorkshire, Stagecoach Grimsby-Cleethorpes, Stagecoach in Hull and Stagecoach in Lincolnshire. The headquarters are in LincolnLincoln, LincolnshireLincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
.
- Stagecoach East ScotlandStagecoach East ScotlandStagecoach East Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, with its regional base in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland and including the legal companies Bluebird Buses Ltd, Fife Scottish Buses Ltd,Stagecoach Ltd, Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd, JW Coaches Ltd and Rennie's of Dunfermline Ltd.-...
- Stagecoach controls operations in the east of Scotland through Stagecoach East Scotland, comprising Fife Scottish Omnibuses Ltd, AA Buses Ltd, Bluebird Buses Ltd, JW Coaches Ltd, Rennie's of Dunfermline Ltd, Stagecoach Scotland Ltd and Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach in Perth, Stagecoach Bluebird, Stagecoach in Fife and Strathtay. It also operated the new Forth Fast hovercraft service from Kirkcaldy to Portobello. The headquarters are in Kirkaldy .
- Stagecoach HighlandsStagecoach HighlandsStagecoach Highlands is the division of the Stagecoach Group which covers most of the former Rapson Group operations after the take-over by Stagecoach in May 2008.-History:...
- Stagecoach controls operations in the Scottish Highlands after the takeover of The Rapsons Group (Orkney Coaches/Highland Country Buses) in 2008, adding to the network already operated in the City of Inverness by Stagecoach, consisting of Highland Country Buses Limited. It trades as Stagecoach in Orkney (Kirkwall depot & outstations), Stagecoach in Lochaber (Fort William depot), Stagecoach in Skye (Portree depot & outstation), Stagecoach in Inverness (Aviemore, Inverness and Tain depots) and Stagecoach in Caithness (Thurso depot & outstations). The headquarters are in InvernessInvernessInverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
.
- Stagecoach North EastStagecoach North EastStagecoach North East is a major operator of bus services in North East England. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group. The company is made up of two formerly municipal operations; Busways and Transit...
- Stagecoach controls operations in the north east of England through Stagecoach North East, comprising Busways Travel Services Ltd and Cleveland Transit Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach on Teesside, Stagecoach in Hartlepool, Stagecoach in NewcastleStagecoach in NewcastleStagecoach in Newcastle is a bus company and division of Stagecoach North East. Stagecoach in Newcastle is the biggest Stagecoach division in the North East and is one of the 3 major bus operators in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne alongside Arriva North East and Go North East, largely providing...
, Stagecoach in South Shields and Stagecoach in Sunderland. The headquarters are in Sunderland.
- Stagecoach North WestStagecoach North WestStagecoach North West is a major operator of bus services in North West England. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, and has its origins in the purchase of Cumberland in 1987 and Ribble in 1988 from the National Bus Company. The head office of Stagecoach North West is in Carlisle...
- Stagecoach controls most operations in the north west of England through Stagecoach North West, comprising Cumberland Motor Services Ltd and Ribble Motor Services Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach in Cumbria, Stagecoach in Lancaster and Stagecoach in LancashireLancashireLancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. The headquarters are in Carlisle.
- Stagecoach Manchester - Stagecoach controls operations in Greater Manchester through Stagecoach Manchester, comprising Greater Manchester Buses (South) Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach in Manchester and Magic Bus. The headquarters are in ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
- Stagecoach MerseysideStagecoach MerseysideStagecoach Merseyside is a major operator of bus services in the English city of Liverpool and in the surrounding area of Merseyside. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group...
- Stagecoach controls operations in the Merseyside and Liverpool areas through Stagecoach Merseyside. The legal names of the group is Glenvale Transport Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach in Merseyside and Magic Bus. The headquarters are in LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
- Stagecoach SheffieldStagecoach SheffieldStagecoach Sheffield is a bus operator based in Sheffield, England, a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group. It was formed from the Sheffield based operations of the Yorkshire Traction Group, purchased by Stagecoach in 2005...
- Stagecoach controls bus and tram operations in the Sheffield area of England through Stagecoach Sheffield, comprising Yorkshire Terrier, South Yorkshire Supertram Ltd and Andrews (Sheffield) Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach in Sheffield and Stagecoach Supertram. The headquarters are in SheffieldSheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
- Stagecoach SouthStagecoach SouthStagecoach South is an operating division of the Stagecoach UK Bus. The headquarters of the division are situated in Chichester, England.It is branded as three sub-divisions; namely, Stagecoach in Hampshire, Stagecoach Hants & Surrey, and Stagecoach in the South Downs. The legal titles are;...
- Stagecoach controls operations in the South of England through Stagecoach South, comprising Southdown Motor Services Ltd, Hampshire Bus Company Ltd and Stagecoach (South) Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach in Hants & SurreyStagecoach in Hants & SurreyStagecoach in Hants & Surrey is an operating sub-division Stagecoach South, which itself is part of the Stagecoach Group.Together, Stagecoach South carries 29.5 million passengers a year with a fleet of 460 buses and 950 staff.-Services:...
, Stagecoach in HampshireStagecoach in HampshireHampshire Bus Company Ltd. trading as Stagecoach in Hampshire is an operating sub-division of Stagecoach South, part of the Stagecoach Group.Its main bases of operation are Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester.-Local:...
, Stagecoach in Portsmouth and Stagecoach in the South Downs. The headquarters are in ChichesterChichesterChichester is a cathedral city in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, South-East England. It has a long history as a settlement; its Roman past and its subsequent importance in Anglo-Saxon times are only its beginnings...
.
- Stagecoach East Kent & East Sussex - Stagecoach controls operations in East Kent and East Sussex through Stagecoach East Kent & East Sussex, comprising the East Kent Road Car Company Limited, Hastings & District Transport Ltd, Eastbourne Buses Ltd and Cavendish Motor Services Ltd. Fleetnames include Stagecoach in EastbourneStagecoach in EastbourneStagecoach in Eastbourne is the name of the bus operator of bus services in the Eastbourne area after taking over Eastbourne Buses and Cavendish Motor Services.-History:...
, Stagecoach in Hastings and Stagecoach in East Kent. The additional Stagecoach in East SussexStagecoach in East SussexStagecoach in East Sussex are the brand that Stagecoach in Eastbourne and Stagecoach in Hastings operate under.-Routes:Routes in the East Sussex division include:*7: Circular service in Hastings via town centre and Baldslow Road...
name is used on joint Eastbourne & Hastings publicity but is not carried on vehicles. The headquarters are in CanterburyCanterburyCanterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
.
- Stagecoach Oxfordshire - Stagecoach controls operations in Oxfordshire area through Stagecoach in Oxfordshire, comprising Thames Transit Ltd and Midland Red (South) Ltd (Banbury depot). Trading names include Stagecoach in Oxfordshire and Oxford Tube. The headquarters are in OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
.
- Stagecoach WalesStagecoach WalesStagecoach in South Wales is the trading name for Stagecoach in the south east Wales region. The operations centre around the South Wales Valleys, Cardiff and Newport.The head office is in Cwmbran...
or Stagecoach de Cymru / South Wales - Stagecoach controls operations in Wales through Stagecoach Wales, comprising Red & White Services Ltd, The Valleys Bus Co Ltd, Aberdare Bus Co Ltd, Rhondda Buses Ltd, Parfitts Motor Services Ltd, Islwyn Borough Transport Ltd and Crosskeys Coach Hire Ltd. The trading name for these operations is Stagecoach in South Wales and Stagecoach de Cymru. The headquarters are in CwmbranCwmbranCwmbrân is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbrân was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbrân means Crow...
.
- Stagecoach MidlandsStagecoach MidlandsStagecoach Midlands is the name for most bus routes in Northamptonshire and Warwickshire. The legal name for the company is United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd in Northamptonshire and Midland Red Ltd in Warwickshire....
- Stagecoach Midlands controls operations in Warwickshire area through Stagecoach in WarwickshireStagecoach in WarwickshireStagecoach in Warwickshire is the Stagecoach Group bus operator in and around the county of Warwickshire, England. While Stagecoach in Warwickshire is the brand image of the company, its legal name is Midland Red Ltd...
, comprising Midland Red (South) Ltd and in Northamptonshire through Stagecoach in NorthantsStagecoach in NorthantsStagecoach Northants is the name for most bus routes operated by Stagecoach Midlands in Northamptonshire. The legal name for the company is United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd...
, comprising United Counties Omnibus Company LtdUnited Counties OmnibusUnited Counties Omnibus is an English bus company, operating in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, and parts of surrounding counties. It was established in 1921 as the United Counties Omnibus & Road Transport Co Ltd, and from 1933 has been named the United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd...
(except Bedford depot) . Trading names include Stagecoach in Warwickshire, Stagecoach in Northamptonshire and Goldine. The headquarters are in RugbyRugby, WarwickshireRugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
.
- Stagecoach WestStagecoach WestStagecoach West is an operating division of the Stagecoach Group. Based in Gloucester, it operates bus services in Cheltenham , Gloucester , the Cotswolds , the Wye Valley, the Forest of Dean and Swindon .- History :Stagecoach West...
- Stagecoach controls operations in the West of England through Stagecoach West, comprising Cheltenham District Traction Company Ltd, Swindon & District Bus Company Ltd and Cheltenham & Gloucester Omnibus Company Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach in Cheltenham, Stagecoach in Swindon, Stagecoach in Gloucester, Stagecoach in the Cotswolds, Stagecoach in the Wye and Dean. The headquarters are in GloucesterGloucesterGloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
.
- Stagecoach West ScotlandStagecoach West ScotlandStagecoach West Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, comprising Western Buses Ltd and Stagecoach Glasgow Ltd, based in Ayr, Scotland.-Operation:...
- Stagecoach controls operations in the west of Scotland through Stagecoach West Scotland, comprising Western Buses Ltd and Stagecoach Glasgow Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach Western, Stagecoach A1 Service, Stagecoach in Glasgow. The headquarters are in AyrAyrAyr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
.
- Stagecoach YorkshireStagecoach YorkshireStagecoach Yorkshire is an operating division of Stagecoach UK Bus.It was formed in 2005 to take over the former Traction Group fleets in Yorkshire by Stagecoach Group, which took over Traction from Frank Carter on 14 December 2005; Yorkshire Traction, Yorkshire Terrier and Barnsley & District....
- Stagecoach controls operations in the Yorkshire area through Stagecoach Yorkshire, comprising Yorkshire Traction Co Ltd, Chesterfield Transport Ltd and Barnsley & District Traction Co Ltd. Trading names include Stagecoach in Yorkshire and Stagecoach in Chesterfield. The headquarters are in BarnsleyBarnsleyBarnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
.
Brands
Apart from the ordinary bus operations and no-frills services, the UK bus division has the following brands that extend across operating divisions.- Stagecoach ExpressStagecoach ExpressStagecoach Express is the brand name of a range of express coach services offered in the UK by Stagecoach, one of the UK's largest bus and rail operators. Stagecoach Express primarily operates services within or between areas where Stagecoach operates the local bus services...
- an express coach service that operates mainly between towns and cities where Stagecoach operate (e.g. SheffieldSheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
to ChesterfieldChesterfieldChesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Its population is 70,260 , making it Derbyshire's largest town...
) It tends not to compete with National Express like Megabus, and in some cases tickets are available through the National Express website. - Oxford Tube - an express coach service offering high frequency 24-hour services to London, operated by Stagecoach Oxfordshire in competition with Oxford Bus CompanyOxford Bus CompanyOxford Bus Company is a bus operator serving the city and surrounding area of Oxford, England and is the trading name of City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd. It is now a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group...
's Espress service. - Citi - some urban networks have received Citi branding, such as Cambridge, Preston and Gloucester.
- GoldlineStagecoach GoldlineStagecoach Gold, previously, Goldline is an experimental brand used by various Stagecoach Group bus subsidiaries in the United Kingdom. It was started in Perth and Warwick in November 2007. It was extended to Aldershot from February 2009, and in September 2009 Stagecoach West started a new...
- a luxury bus service brand designed to attract middle class motorists.
Rail Division
- South West TrainsSouth West TrainsSouth West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
- Stagecoach has run this franchise since the privatisation of British RailBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, and have faced tough competing bids from First Group, National Express GroupNational Express GroupNational Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
and Arriva plc but have managed to keep it for another 10 years until 2017.
- Island Line Trains - Island LineIsland Line, Isle of WightThe Island Line is a railway line on the Isle of Wight, running some from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin down the eastern side of the island. The line was electrified in 1967. Trains connect with passenger ferries to Portsmouth Harbour at Ryde Pier Head, and these ferries in turn connect with the...
, the rail system for the Isle of WightIsle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, has also been operated by Stagecoach since privatisation and was merged into the South West franchise in 2007. By 2016, when the South West franchise is due to end, the rolling stock will be over 80 years old.
- East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
- Stagecoach won a new franchise in the East Midlands on 11 November 2007, naming it East Midlands Trains, due to a reshuffle which affected three new franchises including CrossCountryCrossCountryCrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
, now operated by ArrivaArrivaArriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
, and West Midlands, now operated by GoviaGoviaGovia is a transport company based in the United Kingdom. A joint venture between Go-Ahead and Keolis SA it is a key operator of commuter services in London, the South East and on the West Coast Main Line...
as London MidlandLondon MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
. The East Midlands franchise takes over all of Midland MainlineMidland MainlineMidland Mainline was a British train operating company owned by the National Express Group and based in Derby. It was created after the privatisation of British Rail. Midland Mainline services operated from April 1996 to November 2007....
's and some of Central TrainsCentral TrainsCentral Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
services, both of which were formerly owned by National Express GroupNational Express GroupNational Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
. The new franchise operates services between London and LeicesterLeicesterLeicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, London and SheffieldSheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
and more.
- Virgin TrainsVirgin TrainsVirgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
- the group has a 49% stake in Virgin Trains, which operates the West Coast Main Line franchise, and formerly owned the Cross Country franchise, but due to the recent Midlands reshuffle the Cross Country franchise was lost to ArrivaArrivaArriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
. The West Coast franchise is due to end by 2012.
Light Rail Division
- Stagecoach SupertramSheffield SupertramThe Supertram, officially called the Stagecoach Supertram, is a light rail tram system in the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England...
- Stagecoach has operated the Sheffield Supertram under a concession from the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport ExecutiveSouth Yorkshire Passenger Transport ExecutiveThe South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive for South Yorkshire in England. It is supervised by the South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority, which consists of representatives from the metropolitan boroughs of Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, and...
since 1997. Its average daily ridership is 33,700, equalling more than 12 million per year, well above expectations. There are currently three lines, and future plans include schemes to RotherhamRotherhamRotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
, DoreDoreDore is a village in South Yorkshire, England. The village lies on a hill above the River Sheaf, and until 1934 was part of Derbyshire, but it is now a suburb of Sheffield. It is served by Dore and Totley railway station on the Hope Valley Line...
, Fulwood and MaltbyMaltby, South YorkshireMaltby is a town and civil parish of 17,247 inhabitants in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, situated in a rural area about 7 miles east of Rotherham and 12 miles north-east of Sheffield...
. However, following consultations, a reduced scheme with extensions to Rotherham and BroomhillBroomhill, Sheffield, South YorkshireBroomhill ward—which includes the districts of Broomhill, Crookesmoor, Endcliffe, and Tapton—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the western part of the city and covers an area of 2.7 km2. The population of this ward in 2001 was 16,800...
is being consideredhttp://www.southyorks.org.uk/pta/ltp/pdf/SY%20LTP%20Annual%20Report%20Map%20of%20Major%20Schemes.pdf.
North American operating companies
Stagecoach employs 4,400 people and operates a fleet of 2,800 coaches in the northeastern and midwestern United States and in eastern Canada. Businesses are focused on commuter services, and include tour and charter, sightseeing, local, and school bus operations. Operations in North America are exclusively bus operations.- Coach USACoach USACoach USA LLC is a holding company for various American transportation service providers providing scheduled intercity bus service, local and commuter bus transit, city sightseeing, tour, yellow school bus, and charter bus service...
- operating primarily in the northeastern United States providing subsidized transit services (primarily in Greater New YorkNew York metropolitan areaThe New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
), sightseeing, and charter services, and in the midwestern United States with primarily charter and sightseeing services. Yellow school bus services are also provided by Coach USA in the state of WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. - MegabusMegabus (United States)Megabus, branded on buses as megabus.com, is an intercity bus service of Coach USA/Coach Canada and DATTCO providing discount travel services since 2006, operating throughout the Northeast, parts of the Southeast, and Midwestern United States, and in southern Canada...
- discount express bus services radiating from Chicago and New York City. Like Megabus in the United Kingdom, most stops are made at street locations. Details are listed in the Megabus section below. - Coach CanadaCoach CanadaCoach Canada is the Canadian affiliate of Coach USA, and part of the North American operations of Stagecoach, the international transport group, with its headquarters in Perth, Scotland, UK....
- serving primarily Ontario and Quebec, where it operates interurban and chartered bus services, contract bus services in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada, yellow school bus service in Durham Region and Peterborough CountyPeterborough County, OntarioPeterborough County is located in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is projected to reach a population of 159,840 by 2031, according to the Ontario Ministry of Finance's Ontario Population Projections Update...
in Ontario, and sightseeing services in MontrealGray Line MontrealGray Line Montreal, although a member of the Coach Canada family, is an independently managed operation, that also formerly carried the brand of Stagecoach Montréal. They run a fleet of tourtrams, coaches and double-decker buses in and around Montreal, Canada, under the banner of Gray Line...
.
Stagecoach Rail
In 1992, shortly before the privatisation of British RailBritish Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, Stagecoach Rail briefly operated a modest intercity operation between Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and London. Two British Railways Mark 2 passenger carriages were re-branded in Stagecoach colours and attached to a scheduled British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
Intercity
InterCity (British Rail)
InterCity was introduced by British Rail in 1966 as a brand-name for its long-haul express passenger services ....
service.
London
Stagecoach purchased the East London and Selkent divisions of London Buses, which operated tendered services for London TransportLondon Regional Transport
London Regional Transport was the organisation responsible for the public transport network in Greater London, UK from 1984-2000. In common with all London transport authorities from 1933 to 2000, the public name and operational brand of the organisation was London Transport.The organisation was...
. Deciding to focus on organic growth for its UK bus operations, and citing the inflexibility of the London tendering system, the London bus operations were sold to Macquarie Bank on 31 August 2006 for £263.6m. Macquarie continued to use the Stagecoach brand for a limited period under licence, and Stagecoach provided administrative and other support functions for a transitional period of 12 months from the sale. The operations have now been rebranded into their original East London and Selkent identities, albeit updated. In October 2010 Stagecoach reacquired its old London operations from Macquarie.
Manchester
In July 2007 Stagecoach took over the operation of Manchester MetrolinkManchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
on a 10-year fixed-term management contract, beating competition from Serco and Govia
Govia
Govia is a transport company based in the United Kingdom. A joint venture between Go-Ahead and Keolis SA it is a key operator of commuter services in London, the South East and on the West Coast Main Line...
, to make it the biggest tram operator in the UK. This system was the first modern tram system in the United Kingdom, opening just before the Sheffield system in 1992. Nearly 18 million people ride on the system a year, compared with five million on National Express Group
National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
's Midland Metro
Midland Metro
The Midland Metro is a light-rail or tram line in the West Midlands of England between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via West Bromwich and Wednesbury. It is owned and promoted by Centro, and operated by West Midlands Travel Limited, a subsidiary of the National Express Group , under...
which has a higher catchment area, serving Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
the second most populated city in England, and stretching as far as Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
. Stagecoach sold the Metrolink business to RATP Group on 1 August 2011.
New Zealand
Stagecoach New Zealand
NZ Bus, formerly Stagecoach New Zealand, is New Zealand's largest bus company, operating in Auckland, Wellington and Whangarei, with a fleet of around 1,000 vehicles. It owned 96% of Fullers Ferries in Auckland but has sold this shareholding...
was a wholly owned part of the Stagecoach Group, which provided bus services in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and the Hutt Valley and nine ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
routes in Auckland. It was the largest bus company in New Zealand when sold. Stagecoach NZ started operations when the firm acquired Wellington City Transport Ltd, including the Hutt Valley suburban bus operations of the New Zealand Railways Road Services
New Zealand Railways Road Services
The New Zealand Railways Road Services was a branch of the New Zealand Railways Department and later the New Zealand Railways Corporation. It operated long-distance, tourist and suburban bus services and freight trucking and parcel services.-History:...
, branded CityLine, in the 1990s. Following this initial acquisition Stagecoach also purchased Eastbourne Buses, The Yellow Bus Company in Auckland and a controlling interest in Fullers Auckland. Before selling the business Stagecoach operated more than 900 buses and nine ferries in New Zealand and employed more than 2000 people.
In November 2005 Infratil
Infratil
Infratil Limited is a New Zealand-based infrastructure investment company. It owns several airports, electricity generators and retailers, and a public transport business, with operations in New Zealand, Australia and Europe. Infratil was founded by Lloyd Morrison, a Wellington-based merchant...
Limited purchased Stagecoach New Zealand from Stagecoach Group. They are rebranding all the former Stagecoach operations, to be completed by 2010 when the deal to use the Stagecoach name expires.
Sweden
In 1993, during Stagecoach's International buying spree, it made its most important international acquisition at the time, buying SwebusSwebus
Nobina Sverige , part of Nobina Ltd, is the leading Swedish bus company, with 8,700 employees, 3,000 buses, and net sales of 327 million euro...
, the bus-company arm of the Swedish state railway
SJ AB
SJ is a government-owned passenger train operator in Sweden. SJ was created in 2000, out of the public transport division of Statens Järnvägar, when the former government agency was divided into six separate government-owned limited companies.-Overview:SJ's operations fall broadly into subsidised...
, for 1.2 billion kronor
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
($164 million). Mr. Souter called it "the most important deal of the year in terms of our company's long-range development" and promised more. Stagecoach in 1998 announced that it had bid for several rail franchises in Sweden. On 28 October 1999 Stagecoach revealed that it was going to sell Swebus
Swebus
Nobina Sverige , part of Nobina Ltd, is the leading Swedish bus company, with 8,700 employees, 3,000 buses, and net sales of 327 million euro...
to Concordia Bus Sweden for £100m, in order to refocus its bus operation on the United States and Asia. This left Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
as the only British-based operator of public transport services in Sweden.
Kenya
In November 1991, Stagecoach Holdings Limited (as it was named then) bought United Transport’s share holding in Kenya Bus Services Limited. During its tenure, Stagecoach rapidly expanded the fleetFleet vehicles
Fleet vehicles are groups of motor vehicles owned or leased by a business or government agency, rather than by an individual or family. Typical examples are vehicles operated by car rental companies, taxicab companies, public utilities, public bus companies, and police departments...
, introducing the Express Services and the modern double decker buses back on Kenyan roads.
In October 1998, a consortium of investors led by Mr. Karanja Kabage as Chairman acquired Kenya Bus Services Limited from Stagecoach Holdings which owned 95% of the business.
Hong Kong
In 1999, Stagecoach planned to become the largest bus company in China through joint ventures, equity stakes and partnerships, and confirmed the £181m acquisition of Hong Kong's Citybus
Citybus (Hong Kong)
Citybus Limited is one of the three major bus operators in Hong Kong. It provides both franchised and non-franchised bus service. The franchised route network serves mainly Hong Kong Island, cross-harbour routes , Ocean Park, North Lantau and Hong Kong International Airport...
. Stagecoach acquired control of Citybus Group Limited in March 1999 and completed the privatisation of Citybus on 17 July 1999. Citybus is the second largest franchise bus operator in Hong Kong and provides franchised bus services on Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
and to and from Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
. It also provided a number of non-franchise services throughout Hong Kong, including express daily coach services between residential developments and city/town centres. In addition, Citybus operates a small number of metropolitan bus services in Mainland China.
In a surprise move, the company was acquired by Chow Tai Fook Enterprises
Chow Tai Fook Enterprises
Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Ltd. is a diversified, Hong Kong-based company engaged in the property development, hotel, casino, transportation, jewelry, port and telecommunications businesses....
, the parent company of the major rival operator New World First Bus
New World First Bus
New World First Bus Services Limited , abbreviated as First Bus and "NWFB", is the third largest public bus operator in Hong Kong.NWFB was established in 1998, taking over China Motor Bus's franchise on 1 September 1998 to provide bus services on Hong Kong Island together with Citybus...
, in June 2003, even though it was once touted as the gateway to Stagecoach's expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, although Stagecoach commented that "combination of the uncertainties about the economic climate in Hong Kong, the growing levels of regulation to which the business is becoming subject and the inability to grow profit without very significant investment or critical mass synergies required it to take very seriously the approach and to negotiate terms which were in the best interests of Stagecoach shareholders". Citybus had 1,200 buses across 113 routes on Hong Kong Island and 22 services to the airport at the time of the sale. It made an operating profit before goodwill amortisation of £19m in the year to April on turnover of £133m, the lion's share of the overseas bus division. The sale netted Stagecoach £132m after third-party debt. Stagecoach have since ditched their plans on extending to Asia, and have sold off their operations in mainland China.
Portugal
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
. In 1990, the nationalized Rodoviária Nacional was split into ten components. In the capital, Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
was the chief operator outside the city itself, where Carris provided city bus and tram services.
The name of Rodoviária de Lisboa survived as part of the Barraqueiro bus company, but another part, serving the area to the west of Lisbon, became Stagecoach Portugal in 1995. A further portion still operates as Vimeca - Viação Mecânica de Carnaxide. In June 2001 Stagecoach announced the sale of their Portuguese operations to ScottURB for £14 million (generating £6 million surplus for Stagecoach), even though turnover and operating profit for the year ended 30 April 2000 had been £6.8 million and £1.1 million respectively. At that time, Stagecoach Portugal operated 135 buses on 60 routes in the area west of Lisbon, carrying 27 million people per annum.
No-frills brands
Stagecoach operate a number of so-called "no-frills" services across the United Kingdom and the United States. Applying the business model of the low-cost carrierLow-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
air lines, these services aim to offer cheaper alternatives to the established operators in the bus, coach and rail markets, by reducing costs, and offering extremely low fares for the earliest bookings, rising nearer the journey time. This has caused many other companies, most notably National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
, to lower their fares.
Megabus
Megabus is a low cost, "no-frills" intercity bus service launched in the United Kingdom by Stagecoach in 2003, on 10 April 2006 in the United States, and in 2009 within Canada. Its main rival in the UK is National ExpressNational Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
, who have had to lower their prices to compete with Megabus. In the US, Megabus/Eastern Shuttle's main rival is BoltBus
BoltBus
BoltBus is a bus line operating in the northeastern United States. It is a 50/50 venture between Greyhound Lines and Peter Pan Bus Lines providing service between New York City and other cities in the northeastern United States, utilizing the existing operating authority of Greyhound Lines...
, which is 50% owned by Stagecoach rival FirstGroup. In the UK, the Megabus network covers most of the island of Great Britain, although some routes offer only one journey per day. Originally operated using high capacity but older coach seated buses, most services are now operated with new modern single or double deck coaches. In the United States, services radiate from Chicago and New York City, but the networks are not connected. In both the UK and the US, to cut costs, most services use on-street bus stops rather than pay for access to coach stations (except in cases where pre-existing routes were converted to Megabus lines). A notable exception to this is the use of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Victoria Coach Station
Victoria Coach Station
Victoria Coach Station is the largest and most significant coach station in London. It serves long distance coach services and is also the departure point for many countryside coach tours originating from London. It should not be confused with the nearby Green Line Coach Station serving Green Line...
.
In the UK and in the US for routes out of Chicago, all journeys must be pre-booked via Megabus.com or the designated phone number, or at certain bus stations; tickets are not available from the driver. In the US for routes out of New York City, Megabus journeys must be pre-booked via Megabus.com or the designated phone number (or at the New York City station).
Megatrain
On 14 November 2005, the Megabus concept was extended to certain rail services, with the introduction of MegatrainMegatrain
Megatrain offers low cost intercity train travel via the megabus.com website, using yield management pricing, on East Midlands Trains and South West Trains which are rail franchises in the United Kingdom operated by Scottish-based Stagecoach Group...
between London and Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, and London and Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, using a dedicated carriage on selected South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
services. It has since been extended to some Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
services (since withdrawn) and to selected East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
services.
In 2009, the Megabusplus concept was introduced, under which certain trips are begun on a train and are then completed on a bus. Unlike the original Megatrain concept, this service is available seven days a week.
Magic Bus
Magic Bus was the first no-frills brand of Stagecoach. It was first used in red lettering on ex London Routemasters, otherwise painted in Stagecoach stripes, in competition in Glasgow. Later, an allover blue with yellow lettering was adopted, on older service buses with simple fares and no travel passes, usually operated on routes with strong competition from other operators, most notably on the Manchester PiccadillyPiccadilly Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens is a green space in Manchester city centre, England, situated at one end of Market Street and on the edge of the Northern Quarter...
to East Didsbury (Oxford Road corridor) route in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, but also in Newcastle upon Tyne and East Scotland (as Magic Mini). In 2008 Stagecoach Merseyside
Stagecoach Merseyside
Stagecoach Merseyside is a major operator of bus services in the English city of Liverpool and in the surrounding area of Merseyside. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group...
introduced a Magic Bus service competing with themselves and Arriva on the busy route 14 corridor, Magic Bus 14C runs every 7/8 minutes between City Centre and Broadway.
Scottish Citylink
On 13 September 2005 Stagecoach and ComfortDelGro announced a joint venture in the provision of express coach services in Scotland, ending intense competition between ComfortDelGro's subsidiary Scottish CitylinkScottish Citylink
Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd is a long distance express coach operator in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland . The company was formed as a subsidiary of Scottish Transport Group in June 1985...
and Stagecoach subsidiaries Megabus
Megabus (United Kingdom)
Megabus is a UK coach service operated by Stagecoach Group. It started in 2003 and as of February 2010 operated 19 UK coach routes serving 41 destinations in England, Scotland and Wales. Some services link with Megatrain services which are also operated by Stagecoach...
and Motorvator
Stagecoach West Scotland
Stagecoach West Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, comprising Western Buses Ltd and Stagecoach Glasgow Ltd, based in Ayr, Scotland.-Operation:...
. Under the terms of the joint venture, the Stagecoach Group will acquire a 35% stake in Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd, with Citylink assuming certain rights to the Megabus and Motorvator brands in Scotland.
Megabus operations in the rest of the UK are excluded from this agreement. Despite being a minority shareholder, Stageocoach appears to have assumed all but full control. Stagecoach staff have replaced much of the former Citylink management, while Stagecoach subsidiaries have begun operating many of the routes formerly operated by subcontractors, albeit with vehicles in full Scottish Citylink livery. Citylink frequencies and routes have also been sacrificed in favour of Megabus where the two brands overlap.
The Competition Commission
Competition Commission
The Competition Commission is a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom...
ruled on 23 October 2006 that the joint venture substantially reduced competition and that evidence suggested some routes were already experiencing higher fares as a result. Though no firm conclusion was drawn, regulators are to consult the two companies about what they need to do to comply with competition regulations and they have indicated that this will likely lead to the forced divestment of some services to an independent operator. The ruling was criticised by Stagecoach as leaving vital services in limbo and jeopardising Scotland's intercity coach network, making it unable to compete effectively with rail and private car journeys.
To satisfy the Commission, some Citylink routes were sold to Parks Motor Group
Parks Motor Group
Park's Motor Group is a large company based in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire in Central Scotland. It is one of the most well-known and recognisable brands in Scotland. The company is wholly owned by Douglas Park who founded the business in 1971 as a coach and bus operation with three vehicles...
in early 2008.
Competitive strategy
Controversy was never far from Stagecoach as it expanded its bus operations after deregulation. The company often found itself on the wrong side of the Competition CommissionCompetition Commission
The Competition Commission is a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under competition law in the United Kingdom...
and faced sharp media criticism over its approach to smaller operators. Bitter bus wars broke out in towns and cities throughout Britain as Stagecoach took on the local competition, often forcing the competitor to abandon traditional markets and sometimes causing the collapse of smaller operators. Practices included aggressive pricing and timing, running services outside of its registered routes, or registering routes to compete with other operators rather than serve the public interest. In its hometown of Perth, Stagecoach successfully forced the dominant operator Strathtay Scottish
Strathtay Scottish
Stagecoach Strathtay is a Scottish bus operating company which covers the Dundee and Angus areas, and parts of Grampian. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, which bought Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd from Traction Group in 2005...
to abandon local services in the town. Similarly, Stagecoach subsidiary Bluebird Buses
Stagecoach East Scotland
Stagecoach East Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, with its regional base in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland and including the legal companies Bluebird Buses Ltd, Fife Scottish Buses Ltd,Stagecoach Ltd, Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd, JW Coaches Ltd and Rennie's of Dunfermline Ltd.-...
replaced Highland Scottish
Highland Scottish
Highland Scottish Omnibuses Ltd was formed as a bus operating subsidiary of the Scottish Transport Group in June 1985 from Highland Omnibuses Ltd, and operated until October 1995 when the company was split into two - Highland Bus & Coach and Highland Country Buses...
buses on most city services in and around Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, and Ribble Motor Services
Ribble Motor Services
Ribble Motor Services was a large regional bus operator in the North West of England, based in Preston. The company was started in 1919, and grew to be the largest operator in the region, with a territory stretching from Carlisle to south Lancashire...
replaced the local operator in Lancaster. In 1994 Stagecoach attracted particular criticism for its involvement in the events of the Darlington Bus War
Darlington Bus War
The Darlington Bus War refers to a series of events between 1986 and 1995 in the UK bus industry in the town of Darlington, northern England, culminating in the wholesale entry of Stagecoach Group onto the Darlington bus scene, and the collapse of Darlington Corporation Transport.In November 1994,...
, in which Stagecoach entered the Darlington bus market, leading to the eventual collapse of Darlington Transport. This would lead to an inquiry and subsequent reform in the regulatory framework for bus operation in the UK. Controversy also reappeared in 2005 in the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
when the Magicbus
Magicbus
Magic Bus is the brand Stagecoach applies to local "no-frills" bus operations in the UK, usually operated on routes with strong competition from other operators.-History:...
formulae was applied by Stagecoach East Scotland
Stagecoach East Scotland
Stagecoach East Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, with its regional base in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland and including the legal companies Bluebird Buses Ltd, Fife Scottish Buses Ltd,Stagecoach Ltd, Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd, JW Coaches Ltd and Rennie's of Dunfermline Ltd.-...
to minibuses as Magic Mini, to compete with Scotbus, with alleged aggressive behaviour by Stagecoach drivers, resulting in an arson fire at a Stagecoach East Scotland
Stagecoach East Scotland
Stagecoach East Scotland is an operating region of Stagecoach UK Bus, with its regional base in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland and including the legal companies Bluebird Buses Ltd, Fife Scottish Buses Ltd,Stagecoach Ltd, Strathtay Scottish Omnibuses Ltd, JW Coaches Ltd and Rennie's of Dunfermline Ltd.-...
garage.
There was also a notorious "bus war" between Stagecoach Manchester and a smaller operator, UK North, over the lucrative 192 bus route between Stockport and Manchester in 2006.
This saw aggressive and borderline-dangerous driving employed by drivers of both companies to get to the stop and the passengers first, resulting in several near-misses with pedestrians and other road users. In a similar "bus war" on the university route in Manchester, a passenger was in fact severely injured by a negligient bus driver, after which Greater Manchester Police severely warned all operators as to their conduct.
The company was engaged in a similar bus war with Preston bus
Preston Bus
Preston Bus is a bus operator running within the city of Preston, England and into the surrounding area. In 2009, it was acquired by the Stagecoach Group and was rebranded Stagecoach in Preston, before they were subsequently ordered to sell the company as a result of competition concerns...
, however this ended with the purchase of Preston bus
Preston Bus
Preston Bus is a bus operator running within the city of Preston, England and into the surrounding area. In 2009, it was acquired by the Stagecoach Group and was rebranded Stagecoach in Preston, before they were subsequently ordered to sell the company as a result of competition concerns...
in January 2009.
Controversial chairman
The Stagecoach Group has also indirectly attracted criticism through controversial statements and actions made by its chairman and co-founder, Brian SouterBrian Souter
Sir Brian Souter , is a Scottish businessman. He is the co-founder of the Stagecoach Group, along with his sister, Ann Gloag. He is also widely known for his controversial public statements and for his attempt to keep Section 28 in law, which led to widespread accusations of homophobia...
, regarding certain public statements and his funding of a campaign to block the repeal the Section 28
Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 caused the controversial addition of Section 2A to the Local Government Act 1986 , enacted on 24 May 1988 and repealed on 21 June 2000 in Scotland, and on 18 November 2003 in the rest of Great Britain by section 122 of the Local Government Act 2003...
law. In 2000, OutRage!
OutRage!
OutRage! is a British LGBT rights group that was formed to fight for equal rights of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in comparison to heterosexual people. It is a group which has at times been criticised for outing individuals who wanted to keep their homosexuality secret and for being...
spokesman Peter Tatchell, called for a boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
of the bus and rail group.
Passenger discrimination
In 2007 two gay teenagers in Aberdeenshire were threatened with being removed from the bus because one had his arm round the shoulders of the second; 'hug-in' protests around Scotland then followed from members of the Scottish Socialist PartyScottish Socialist Party
The Scottish Socialist Party is a left-wing Scottish political party. Positioning itself significantly to the left of Scotland's centre-left parties, the SSP campaigns on a socialist economic platform and for Scottish independence....
and gay rights activists, calling on Stagecoach to apologise. For its part, Stagecoach has defended the actions of its driver.
Fleet Numbers
The Stagecoach Group number their buses as follows:-- 10001 - 19999 Double Deck Buses
- 20001 - 29999 Single Deck Buses
- 30001 - 39999 Midibuses
- 40001 - 49999 Minibuses
- 50001 - 59999 Coaches
The allocated number is for the life of the bus whilst in the Stagecoach Group until it is sold.
If it were to be re-acquired through take-overs of other bus companies then the next available free number would be given to that vehicle dependent on the type.
As a result of the recent re-aquasition of ELBG whose fleetnumbers duplicate some current buses in various group subsidiaries, fleetnumbers can be re-used, but only after that fleetnumber has been un-used for 3 years.
Preserved vehicles take up numbers at the end of each series but do not carry the allocated numbers instead they carry the original fleet number given when new by the original company that owned it when new an example of this being the Routemasters in London.
Guided Busway
Stagecoach operate buses along the Cambridgeshire Guided BuswayCambridgeshire Guided Busway
The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway , branded the busway , is a public transport scheme connecting the population centres of Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives in the English county of Cambridgeshire...
. Guide wheels on the side of the bus, combined with a specially built track mean that hands free driving is possible.
The main advantages of a guided busway, versus a normal road are: higher speeds, meaning increased capacity; increased safety as traffic of differing directions is physically separated.
Depending how this trial goes, there may eventually be many more in cities across the UK.