Stagecoach West Scotland picks up two nominations for prestigious transport awards

• Shortlisted in Transport Team/ Partnership of the Year and Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing categories

• Awards celebrate industry achievements across Scotland

Stagecoach West Scotland, part of the UK’s largest bus and coach operator, has made it to the final of the 2025 Scottish Transport Awards, having been nominated for two awards. The awards will take place in the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow on 19 June 2025, hosted by actor, comedian and comedy writer, Sanjeev Kohli.

Now in its 22nd year, the Scottish Transport Awards bring together the transport community to recognise and celebrate industry achievements across Scotland.

Stagecoach has been recognised in two categories: Transport Team/Partnership of the Year and Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing.

The team have been shortlisted for the Transport Team/Partnership of the Year award, highlighting the successful collaboration between Stagecoach and ScotRail at a major sporting event from 14 to 21 July 2024.

The partnership provided a range of user-friendly transport services for fans in Ayrshire, including the GolfLink shuttle service between Troon Train Station and the event venue. The GolfLink service facilitated over 66,466 passenger journeys to and from the event, with an additional 128,000 passenger journeys made using over 50 buses across various routes. This initiative benefited both the business and the local economy.

Not only is Stagecoach West Scotland leading the way in operations, but their marketing team has also been announced as a finalist for the ‘Excellence in Travel Information and Marketing’ category. This recognition is for their innovative ‘Tap the App’ campaign, which promoted the successful launch of single and return tickets on the Stagecoach Bus App. Launched on 15 April 2024, Stagecoach became the first UK operator to introduce this digital ticket scheme, creating a seamless and digitised ticketing experience for both new and regular bus users. This initiative improves operational efficiency and promotes environmental sustainability.

Fiona Doherty, Managing Director at Stagecoach West Scotland, said: “Being recognised for our work and having the opportunity to be finalists at the Scottish Transport Awards is fantastic for our team. Collaborating with ScotRail was a great experience for everyone involved, allowing public transport operators to work closely together and provide customers with efficient and environmentally friendly transport options. I’m thrilled that our marketing campaign has been shortlisted as a finalist, marking us as the first UK operator to offer single and return tickets on a digital app. The team engaged with customers during the rollout, helping them transition from traditional paper tickets to the Stagecoach Bus App, thereby reducing waste and benefiting the planet. We’re looking forward to celebrating our efforts at the awards in June.”

Claire Dickie, ScotRail Commercial Director, said: “We were delighted to partner with Stagecoach to help thousands of golf fans travel during what is one of the biggest sporting events anywhere in Britain. The GolfLink ticket is a fantastic example of the benefits of public transport operators coming together to help people travel, and it is fitting recognition to see it nominated for this prestigious award.”

Supported by the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland, this year’s Scottish Transport Awards ceremony will be held in Glasgow on 19 June 2025.