SKM/ScE 2019/003
 
Issued: 2nd September 2019
 
 
 News Release
 
 
Stagecoach boosts its management team in Bedford
 
 Stagecoach East has made two key appointments to take its bus and coach operations in Bedford to the next level.
 
Josh Martin has joined the team as Operations Manager with responsibility for 203 Drivers and four Controllers whilst Neil Wilmin took charge in July as the new Engineering Manager with an engineering staff, including storekeeper, cleaners, depot shunters and apprentices of 41 and 86 buses and coaches. 
 
After graduating from University in 2013 Josh spent two years in a customer-facing role with a car rental company in South Wales. He then joined the Stagecoach on its’ graduate scheme. His training programme took place at Stagecoach’s Merseyside business where he spent time working in operations, commercial and engineering disciplines. 
 
Josh’s first management role was as Assistant Operations Manager at Stagecoach South East’s Ashford depot. There he was responsible for the delivery and operation of the ‘Little & Often’ project which saw a frequent ‘turn up an go’ service using smaller buses trialled on some Ashford town routes.
 
Moving to Stagecoach London in 2017 as Assistant Operations Manager at Leyton depot he quickly progressed to Operations Manager there. He took up his appointment in Bedford in August 2019.
 
Josh Martin said: “I am relishing the exciting and unique challenges that my new role offers. I want to develop the relationship with the drivers and the operations team. I also want to encourage discussion around wellbeing and mental health issue that are so important in today’s bus industry, and which are being championed throughout Stagecoach UK Bus.
 
“I also intend to get out and about to better understand from both our customers and stakeholders what is important to them and what we can do to increase bus use not just in Bedford but also on the key Cambridge-Bedford-Milton Keynes-Oxford corridor.”
 
Neil Wilmin joins the Bedford team from Stagecoach Midlands where he spent the last three years as Engineering Manager at Kettering depot. 
 
Neil started his career as an apprentice with United Counties which was then bought by Stagecoach. He has subsequently worked for a number of major bus operators and also spent time as an MOT examiner in the bus and coach sector.
 
Neil Wilmin said: “The Bedford operation has a number of unique challenges. The engineering and operations (drivers) functions are located across two sites more than a mile apart. It is important that we maintain good communications between the engineering and operations functions. We also maintain a mixed fleet of vehicles which includes buses and long-distance coaches.”
 
“My immediate focus is to recruit additional staff to support the engineering operation, whilst also ensuring that we provide our customers with the safe, clean, presentable and reliable bus and coach services that they expect from us.”
 
Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director Stagecoach East said: “Both Josh and Neil have a proven track record within Stagecoach which is extremely impressive. Neil also brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience from the wider bus industry. I am confident that they are well placed to focus clearly on what is important to our customers and ensure we deliver a top class service.
 
“By providing our customers with the best bus service we can, we can play our part in reducing the number of cars on the roads in Bedford and on the Oxford-Cambridge corridor. We can also play a part in reducing road congestion and emissions. Josh and Neil are well placed to make that vision a reality.”
 
                                                                                                
                                                                                          Ends
 
 
                                                                Issued on behalf of Stagecoach East by Steven Knight Media
 
 
 
 
Images:
 
Josh Martin
 
Neil Wilmin
 
Stagecoach Bedford  bus
 
Stagecoach X5 coach
 
Stagecoach - the easy way to travel in Bedford
 
 
 
​About Stagecoach East
 
Stagecoach East provides local bus services throughout Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire including in Bedford and the cities of Cambridge and Peterborough as well as surrounding areas. 
 
We operate from five main depots; Bedford, Cambridge, Fenstanton, Long Sutton and Peterborough. In addition buses run from a number of smaller outstations in the market towns surrounding these locations. 
 
Our Head Office, which is based in Cambridge, provides necessary support to the operational depots, including our Commercial and marketing departments.
 
We offer a range of tickets including recurring monthly payment options for regular customers, through the Stagecoach Smartcard. Now the majority of weekly tickets are purchased on our Smartcards and the increasing use of contactless payments is speeding up the boarding of our buses.
 
Across Stagecoach East we carry around 40 million passengers a year with our buses operating some 21 million miles a year.
 
We operate our fleet on a bio-diesel mix, manufactured in part from recycled waste products. All our fleet run on Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel, with the additive Envirox which reduces pollution and improves fuel consumption. 

Ref: SKM/ScE 2019/002
 
Release Date: August 30th 2019
 
 
News Release
 
          Stagecoach strengthens its management team in Peterborough

Stagecoach East has made two key appointments to strengthen the management team at its' busy depot in Peterborough.
 
Stu Wright joins the team as Operations Manager with responsibility for 176 Drivers and 5 Controllers whilst Peter Green is the new Engineering Manager with an engineering staff, including storekeeper, cleaners, depot shunters and apprentices of 30 and 89 buses. 
 
Following a 22-year career in the British Army, during which he spent ten years as a Sergeant Major, Stu Wright joined Stagecoach in 2012 as a driver at Walkergate depot in Newcastle, rapidly rising to Controller. Two years later he was accepted onto the Stagecoach Staff Development Programme which saw him work at a number of Stagecoach depots in Yorkshire and the North East.
 
As part of the final stage of his development programme Stu was selected to work on the national Stagecoach roll out of contactless payments before he was offered the position of Assistant Operations Managers at Lincoln depot in September 2017.  He was at Lincoln - apart from a three month secondment in Aberdeen - until February this year when he joined Stagecoach East at its’ Cambridge depot as Assistant Operations Manager. 
 
Appointed Operations Manager at Peterborough in early July this year, Stu hit the ground running to find out the challenges facing his drivers when he did a busy Saturday driving duty just two weeks into the job.
 
Stu will now be responsible for developing the Peterborough depot - a key hub for Stagecoach in the region - by focusing on both strategic growth and also strengthening relationships with stakeholders and the wider community.
 
Stu Wright said: “Having worked in various positions and a number of depots within Stagecoach it has allowed me to develop my own style and adopt and implement best practice processes.
 
“I want to look at, and learn from, the lessons from the depot’s past and re-energise our services with a greater focus on our passengers. It is also important to identify the challenges that a vibrant and developing city like Peterborough has, whilst also ensuring that we provide a bus service that is robust and fit for purpose.”
 
Peter Green joins the Peterborough team having held a similar position at Stagecoach East’s Bedford depot for the last 12 months. Whilst at Bedford he improved the engineering operation and now plans to do the same at Peterborough.
 
Peter started his career with London Transport in 1984 and has held a number of positions in heavy engineering across bus, maritime and aircraft disciplines as well as with commercial engine and bus manufacturers.
 
Before joining Stagecoach East last year he was part of the team at Stagecoach London’s Leyton depot that saw the depot gain recognition as the best Transport for London depot at the UK Bus Awards.
 
Peter Green said: “My key focus is to ensure that we provide all our customers with safe, clean, welcoming and reliable vehicles.
 
“I also intend to work closely with Stu to break down barriers and create a depot where engineers understand the requirements of the drivers and drivers recognise the engineering issues that concern them and also what we are doing to solve them.”
 
Michelle Hargreaves, Managing Director Stagecoach East said: “The track record of both Stu and Peter within Stagecoach is extremely impressive. I am confident that with their experience they will be able to focus clearly on what is important to our customers and ensure we deliver a top class service.
 
“By providing our customers with the best bus service we can, we can play our part in reducing the number of cars on the roads in Peterborough as well as reducing road congestion and emissions. Stu and Peter are well placed to make that a reality.”
 
                                                                                                
                                                                                          Ends
 
                                                                  Issued on behalf of Stagecoach East by Steven Knight Media
 
 
About Stagecoach East
 
Stagecoach East provides local bus services throughout Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire including the cities of Cambridge and Peterborough as well as surrounding areas. 
 
We operate from five main depots; Bedford, Cambridge, Fenstanton, Long Sutton and Peterborough. In addition buses run from a number of smaller outstations in the market towns surrounding these locations. Peterborough depot also manages the depot at Long Sutton.
 
Our Head Office, which is based in Cambridge, provides necessary support to the operational depots, including our Commercial and marketing departments.
 
We offer a range of tickets including recurring monthly payment options for regular customers, through the Stagecoach Smartcard. Now the majority of weekly tickets are purchased on our Smartcards and the increasing use of contactless payments is speeding up the boarding of our buses.
 
Across Stagecoach East we carry around 40 million passengers a year with our buses operating some 21 million miles a year.
 
We operate our fleet on a bio-diesel mix, manufactured in part from recycled waste products. All our fleet run on Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel, with the additive Envirox which reduces pollution and improves fuel consumption. 
 
In Peterborough, 16 of our double deck buses are under two years old and comply with the very latest Euro 6 emissions standards. To further reduce emissions they also have stop/start technology.

Ref: SKM/ScE/Bed01
 
Release Date: August 19th 2019
 
 
News Release
 
Bedford Depot Open Day raises £1,500 for charity
 
 
Stagecoach East has helped raise £1,500 for Cancer Research UK after it opened the doors of its Bedford depot on Saturday August 10th.
 
A selection of modern and heritage vehicles operated by several Stagecoach companies were on display along with a number of privately-owned buses.
 
The event was held at the suggestion of the Herts & Beds Group of the Omnibus Society, who also co-ordinated the event, to celebrate 100 years of the building's continuous use as a bus depot.
 
It is estimated that there were over 1,500 visitors to the depot on the day with rides through the bus wash and the opportunity for visitors to see their name on the destination display of a bus proving extremely popular.
 
The event was officially opened by the Stagecoach East’s Engineering Director Darren Roe, the Mayor of Bedford Dave Hodgson and Richard Askew from Bedford depot who retired the day before - the official centenary date of the opening of the depot - after 57 years’ service.
 
The event raised £1,155 on the day and this has been boosted with a £300 donation from Stagecoach East and a further £45 from transport PR and media company Steven Knight Media.
 
Stagecoach East Managing Director Michelle Hargreaves said: “Opening the doors of Bedford depot was a great way of showing the local community behind the scenes of our operation. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of families with young children who visited with young children who were genuinely interested in buses. There is hope for the future.”
 
Richard Morgan of the Omnibus Society said: “The number of visitors to the depot, both enthusiasts and local families demonstrates the interest that there is in buses. Many of the young visitors are the bus passengers of tomorrow. I would also thank the management team at Stagecoach East who agreed to open the doors of the depot to the public to celebrate this important milestone.”
 
Gemma Turpin, Senior Area Events Manager (East) Cancer Research UK said: “We’re very grateful to Stagecoach for making us a part of the day and to have received support for our vital work. Money raised from events like these will help Cancer Research UK to fund pioneering research to improve the lives of those affected by cancer.”
 
Nigel Eggleton, Omnibus Society Chairman said: “It is great that such a healthy total has been raised for the charity.”
​
 
                   Issued on behalf of Stagecoach East and the Omnibus Society Herts & Beds Group by Steven Knight Media.
 
 
Images:
 
Officially opening the event. Darren Roe (Engineering Director Stagecoach East), Richard Askew (Retiring Stagecoach employee) and Dave Hodgson (Mayor of Bedford).
 
Cutting the celebration cake. Michelle Hargreaves (Managing Director Stagecoach East) and Dave Hodgson (Mayor of Bedford).
 
Buses on display
 
Trips through the bus wash
 
Pretty in pink - Open Day at Stagecoach’s Bedford depot raised £1,500 for Cancer Research UK whose Stagecoach ‘Race for Life;’ promotional bus was in use on the depot shuttle services on the day.