Stagecoach is a major rail operator and has an involvement in running a quarter of the passenger network in the UK.
The Group operates South Western, the UK's biggest commuter rail franchise, which incorporates the South West Trains and Island Line networks. We also run the East Midlands rail franchise, which includes high-speed long distance services to London St. Pancras and regional services between key cities.
Stagecoach is Britain's biggest tram operator, with contracts to operate the Stagecoach Supertram network in Sheffield and Manchester Metrolink (link to www.metrolink.co.uk) system. In addition, our rail business includes our joint venture, Virgin Rail Group, which operates the West Coast inter-city rail franchise.
South West Trains runs the largest commuter rail network in the UK. operates around 1,700 trains a day out of London Waterloo station on a network in southwest England. It serves more than 200 train stations and employs around 4,600 people. The South West Trains network includes routes through Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Devon, Somerset, and Greater London, serving a mixture of commuters and longer-distance travellers. Popular leisure destinations include Brockenhurst, Bournemouth, Exeter, Isle of Wight, London, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Southampton, Weymouth, Winchester and Windsor. Passengers can save up to 75% on 90 advance ticket purchase destinations by booking early. Customers can also buy train tickets on the South West Trains website.
The 10-year South Western franchise runs until 28th February 2017. Highlights of improvement projects include: better performance, significant investment in stations, train refurbishment, investment in train maintenance depots, roll out of smart-card technology, new automated ticket vending machines, integration of information and security systems within a dedicated control centre, significant increase in car parking spaces and the introduction of automated ticket gates at 14 stations, including London Waterloo.
Island Line, the UK’s smallest rail network, operates on the Isle of Wight and has received two Government Charter Marks for excellent customer service.
East Midland Trains operates high speed services from London St Pancras to Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham, as well as regional services in the East Midlands area. Passengers can use the East Midlands Trains Best Fare Finder to buy cheap train tickets for over 300 of the UK’s most popular routes. Customers can also sign up for ticket alerts and also create their own personalised timetables. East Midland Trains has no booking fees, no reservation charges, no delivery fees, no credit card charges and also gives customers an exclusive £1 off Advance Fares on East Midlands Trains services when bought on eastmidlandstrains.co.uk
The East Midlands franchise runs until 31 March 2015, the last year and four months of which will be conditional upon achieving pre-set performance targets. Highlights of improvements include faster journey times, better performance, more seats, train refurbishment, investment in a new train maintenance depot, a centralised information and security centre, more car parking spaces and two new stations.
Stagecoach has a 49% shareholding in Virgin Rail Group, which runs the West Coast inter-city franchise, the backbone of the UK rail network and Europe’s heaviest-used mainline. The franchise, which serves around 40 stations, runs until 2012. Virgin has been at the forefront of making train travel easier, better and faster over the last decade, investing £1 billion in a fleet of new high-speed tilting Pendolino trains.
Stagecoach Supertram, which has been in operation for a decade, was Britain’s first state-of-the-art tramway. It incorporates three tram routes in the city of Sheffield. Stagecoach Metrolink is responsible for the 37km tram network in Manchester. The 10-year contract with Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) involves the operation and maintenance of the Manchester Metrolink (link to www.metrolink.co.uk) system and the associated infrastructure.
| SOUTH WEST TRAINS | www.southwesttrains.com |
| Annual passengers | 193 million |
| Vehicles | 1,400 |
| Employees | 4,600 |
| Network size | 607 miles |
| ISLAND LINE | www.island-line.co.uk |
| Annual passengers | 1.1 million |
| Vehicles | 12 |
| Employees | 40 |
| Network size | 8.5 miles |
| EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS | www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk |
| Annual passengers | 21.6 million |
| Vehicles | 325 |
| Employees | 2,000 |
| Network size | 883 miles |
| VIRGIN TRAINS | www.virgintrains.co.uk |
| Annual passengers | 26 million |
| Vehicles | 642 |
| Employees | 3,100 |
| Network size | 727 miles |
| SHEFFIELD SUPERTRAM | www.supertram.com |
| Annual passengers | 15 million |
| Vehicles | 25 trams |
| Employees | 270 |
| Network size | 18 miles |
| MANCHESTER METROLINK | www.metrolink.co.uk |
| Annual passengers | 20 million |
| Vehicles | 32 trams |
| Employees | 350 |
| Network size | 23 miles |
