SOUTH WEST TRAINS SHORTLISTED FOR TWO NATIONAL TRANSPORT AWARDS
South West Trains will compete for two top transport honours after being shortlisted for the 2010 National Transport Awards.
The company’s innovative Brompton Bikes cycle hire project is in the running for the Contribution to Sustainable Transport Award while its Real Time Rail Information scheme has been shortlisted in the Travel Information and Marketing category.
The Stagecoach Group rail franchise will compete for both titles at the 10th annual awards ceremony on 15 July at Manchester’s Palace Hotel.
South West Trains Managing Director Andy Pitt said: “We’re delighted to be shortlisted for these high-profile awards and to be recognised for two such innovative schemes is especially pleasing. We are committed to attracting more people on to our high-quality train services and will continue to implement new ideas wherever possible to further enhance the travel experience for our customers.”
The Brompton Bikes scheme was launched in 2009 and was the first of its kind in the UK, offering South West Trains customers the chance to hire a folding Brompton Bicycle for as little as £2 a week from Waterloo Train Station. Helping to promote cycle-rail integration, the bikes can be used on all South West Trains services across the network. All 51 bikes on offer are now in use and there are plans to extend the project to other South West Trains stations.
Last year South West Trains also introduced the UK’s first Real Time Rail Information scheme in partnership with National Rail Enquiries Service, providing rail information screens at a number of transport hubs which feed into train stations, including Southampton Airport and several ferry terminals on the South West Trains network. The real-time information provides passengers with up-to-the-minute information on train services, allowing them to determine the most appropriate transport option for their onward journey.
South West Trains has won several awards over the past year. Brockenhurst Station was named Best Medium Sized Station at the 2009 National Rail Awards while the company also won one golden and two silver awards at the Golden Spanner Awards last year.
Most recently, South West Trains picked up two National Cycle Awards, one for its Brompton Bikes scheme which was highly commended for Most Innovative Approach to Cycle Rail Integration, with Brockenhurst Station also winning the Customer Service Excellence Award.
For further information on South West Trains visit www.southwesttrains.co.uk
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact: Stagecoach Group Communications on 01738 442111 or email media@stagecoachgroup.com
Notes to Editors
1) Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
2) South West Trains
South West Trains is one of the busiest rail networks in the UK, running almost 1700 trains a day in the south-west of England out of London Waterloo.
3) South West Trains is one of the UK's most punctual train operators, with 93% of its trains running on time (figures based on Public Performance Monitor [PPM] Moving Annual Average).