Stagecoach Yorkshire shares team stories to celebrate 20 years

Major local bus operator Stagecoach Yorkshire is sharing some of the heart-warming stories from its team, as it celebrates 20 years of serving South Yorkshire.

Stagecoach Yorkshire is renowned as a modern and sophisticated operator on the local bus network – last month, it won national recognition for the innovation of an electrification project, outstanding quality of its Rawmarsh depot, and generosity and dedication of a key member of its team. However, it is also taking time to share stories of how it is an established and integral part of the local community.

Stories are being shared regularly by the team on the operator’s internal social media channel. They include one Driver who said: “I was really proud to be part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, as my job was to shuttle the worlds-class athletes from the airport to their hotels, then take them from the hotel to training and onto the Games, and Closing Ceremony.”

Another spoke of the personal nature of the team, when she said: “I had not been at Stagecoach very long and my son was coming home off a deployment, and I had not seen him for months. It was short notice, but I asked if I could either swap or have a day’s holiday. My Operations Manager realised that it was something really important for me and he gave me the day off. I was so pleased with him!”

Still another spoke of how teamwork had overcome some of the most difficult circumstances. He said: “The events that remain most vivid in my mind are the South Yorkshire floods of 2007 and 2019. On both occasions, Ecclesfield Depot was hit hardest due to the river running behind it. The team there had to manage stranded passengers, road closures, abandoned vehicles, and staffing challenges—while also dealing with floodwater entering the depot. Emergency plans were drawn up to evacuate all buses and vehicles to the local Morrisons car park.”

Matt Kitchin, Managing Director of Stagecoach Yorkshire, said: “I am so proud of our team: they work hard, day in and day out, for the people of our region, because we are an integral part of the community, and stories like these just show what that means.

“We may be a modern operation, using advance technology to deliver the best bus network for our dynamic region, but we never forget that we rely on the experience and passion of the individual members of our team.”

Meanwhile, to celebrate the 20^th Anniversary, Stagecoach has launched a competition for its younger audience, where one lucky winner will have the chance to see behind the scenes of one of its South Yorkshire depots, taking a personal guided tour, receiving some special Stagecoach goodies, and getting a free month’s travel on any Stagecoach bus in South Yorkshire. They will get an insight into the industry-leading technology, hi-tech facilities, and dedicated team that are needed to run a successful bus network. Entrants must be 18 or under and live in South Yorkshire.

Rules and conditions on how to enter this competition are available at: https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/yorkshire/stagecoach-superfan

-- To find out more about local bus routes and services, to buy before you board, and to track your local bus, you can download the Stagecoach Bus App from https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/stagecoachbusapp.