29/04/2010

• 10 shortlisted nominations for Perth-based transport giant
• Stagecoach Manchester in the running for Bus Operator of the Year
• Two nominations each for West Scotland and North East bus companies
• Double shortlist success for South West Trains

Stagecoach Group’s UK bus and rail companies will compete for a host of top transport honours after receiving 10 shortlisted nominations for the 2010 National Transport Awards.

Stagecoach Manchester has been shortlisted for the prestigious Chris Moyes Award for Bus Operator of the Year. Express coach operator Scottish Citylink, a joint venture between Stagecoach and international transport group ComfortDelGro, is also in the running for the same award.

Both companies will compete for the title at the 10th annual awards ceremony on 15 July at Manchester’s Palace Hotel.

Stagecoach West Scotland’s innovative Bio-bus project, which involves running vehicles on 100% recycled bio-fuel, has been shortlisted for the Contribution to Sustainable Transport Award. Also in the same category are shortlisted entries for Stagecoach North East’s Ready Steady Green staff environmental project and South West Trains’ innovative Brompton Bikes scheme which allows commuters to hire folding bikes for as little as £2 a week.

Stagecoach West Scotland and Scottish Citylink are also shortlisted for the Transport Team/Partnership of the Year Awards while South West Trains has received a second nomination in the Travel Information and Marketing category for its Real Time Rail Information scheme.

Recently retired Stagecoach North East driver David Hands MBE is in the running for Frontline Employee of the Year at the awards, along with Stagecoach South West driver Steve Coombes who has been a bus driver for more than 30 years.

Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Brian Souter said: “For so many of our bus and rail companies to be shortlisted for such a range of high-profile awards is a tribute to the hard work of our employees. First-class public transport is all about people. We have great teams who make sure we deliver safe, high-quality, good-value travel to around 2 million people in the UK every day. New ideas, more sustainable ways of doing business and even better customer service are at the heart of our drive to attract more people to greener, smarter bus and rail travel.”

The National Transport Awards recognise excellence across the transport industry in the UK and Ireland and are organised in association with Transport Times. A total of 20 awards will be presented across a range of categories at the 2010 awards ceremony.

Stagecoach has won a clutch of awards within the past year. At the 2009 National Transport Awards, Stagecoach Bluebird was named Public Transport Operator of the Year in the bus operator category and Stagecoach again led the way at the 2009 UK Bus Awards, winning three awards and claiming two runners-up spots.

Stagecoach rail franchises South West Trains and East Midlands Trains were also recognised at the 2009 National Rail Awards while Stagecoach was named Best Green Transport Provider at the Scottish Green Awards.

For further information on Stagecoach Group visit www.stagecoach.com

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact: Stagecoach Group Communications on 01738 442111 or email media@stagecoachgroup.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.

• Stagecoach Manchester operates around 660 buses in South Manchester and carries more than 95million passengers a year.
• Coach operator Scottish Citylink provides inter-city services to more than 200 destinations across the country and carries more than 3million passengers each year.

SHORTLISTED NOMINATIONS

• Stagecoach Manchester – Chris Moyes Bus Operator of the Year
  
  
• Scottish Citylink - Chris Moyes Bus Operator of the Year
  
  
• Stagecoach West Scotland – Contribution to Sustainable Transport
  
  
• Stagecoach North East – Contribution to Sustainable Transport
  
  
• South West Trains – Contribution to Sustainable Transport
  
  
• Stagecoach West Scotland – Transport Team / Partnership of the Year
  
  
• Scottish Citylink – Transport Team / Partnership of the Year
  
  
• South West Trains – Travel Information and Marketing
  
  
• Stagecoach North East (David Hands) – Frontline Employee of the Year
  
  
• Stagecoach South West (Steve Coombes) – Frontline Employee of the Year