Stagecoach celebrates South West Falcon carrying 150000 passenger

• On 6 January South West Falcon carried its 150,000th passenger
• Milestone reached less than a year after launch of 24/7 coach service
• To celebrate, Stagecoach staff surprised passengers boarding 1400 Plymouth departure with free travel and chocolates
• 150,000th passenger plus partner also given month of unlimited travel and night away at Holiday Inn 

Stagecoach has announced that, on Friday 6 January, the South West Falcon carried its 150,000^th passenger - less than a year since the launch of the 24/7 coach service.

To celebrate this milestone, passengers boarding the 1400 departure at Plymouth Coach Station were surprised by the Stagecoach team and given free travel and chocolates. One lucky passenger, Chris Stafford, was identified as the 150,000^th passenger. He and his partner, Vanda, were both given a month of unlimited travel on Falcon and a night away at the Holiday Inn in either Plymouth or Bristol*.

Bob Dennison, Managing Director of Stagecoach South West, commented: “Reaching this milestone so soon after launch is absolutely fantastic and goes to show how successful Falcon has become in a short space of time. I’d like to thank all of our staff who keep our coaches running 24/7, and all of our customers who choose to travel with us both now and in the future.”

Launched on 14 February 2016 at a cost of £2.5m, the South West Falcon is the first dedicated 24/7 coach service to connect major locations across the South West. The service runs 19 journeys a day, 7 days a week, between Plymouth, Exeter, Taunton, Bristol Airport and Bristol City Centre. All eight coaches feature a distinctive, stylish livery and have free Wi-Fi, power charging, air conditioning and leather seats.

The Falcon timetable runs hourly from early morning until late evening, moving to two-hourly overnight. Since December, passengers can also make local journeys on Falcon, for example between Exeter and Cullompton or Churchill and Bristol Airport, making it an ideal choice for commuters.

The Falcon has quickly established itself as a reliable, affordable and premium connection for the M5 and A38 corridor. Within the first six months of operation it had been shortlisted for ‘Putting Passenger First’ at the prestigious UK Bus Awards.

Customers can view the timetable and plan their journey by Falcon at www.swfalcon.com or by downloading the new Stagecoach Bus app from App and Play stores. For travel updates on the go, customer can follow on twitter @flyswfalcon.

-ENDS-

*Subject to availability, anytime up until 31^st December 2017. The Plymouth Holiday Inn will become a Crowne Plaza in April but the voucher will remain redeemable. The restaurant is due to become a Marco Pierre White steakhouse in March.

The offer at the Bristol Holiday Inn includes a Sunday night stay for two up until 31^st December 2017, subject to availability.