12/04/2006

Stagecoach Group’s corporate website has been shortlisted for a major investor relations award.

The Group site, www.stagecoachgroup.com, is one of four shortlisted in the Best Website FTSE250 category of the 2006 Investor Relations Best Practice Awards.

The awards, which are organised by the Investor Relations Society, honour companies that lead the way in best practice investor communication and provide clear, timely and transparent information.

Developed by online corporate communications specialists Investis, Stagecoach Group’s website was completely redesigned last year with more comprehensive information and additional functions.

It includes:

• Clearer design and navigation for users
• Better accessibility for users with sight difficulties
• New and updated content, including a summary of the company's history, and more detail on Group policies and performance
• More comprehensive information for investors, such as a fully searchable archive of Stagecoach Group Regulatory News Service announcements dating back to 2001
• Worldwide Contacts tool, making it easier for customers to contact Stagecoach companies around the globe
• A Media Image Library, with a selection of high-resolution photography from the Group’s operations as well as company logos and pictures of Directors
• Online access to the Stagecoach Group internal newspaper On Stage
• More comprehensive links to Stagecoach consumer websites and other external sites

Steven Stewart, Stagecoach Group Head of Media and Public Affairs, said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for such a prestigious award that is a benchmark for investor relations communications. The new website is part of our ongoing commitment to effective communications with our investors, customers and other key stakeholders.”

Lynda Ashton, Chairman of the Investor Relations Society, said: “Standards in investor communications continue to improve, and the quality of entries to the 2006 IRBP Awards has been exceptional. We received a staggering 750 nominations for the on-line and new off-line categories. I would like to congratulate all the companies who have reached this stage of the competition for their truly outstanding achievement.”

The shortlisted companies in the Best Website FTSE250 category, sponsored by Global IR, are: Stagecoach Group, National Express Group, Halfords Group and Tullow Oil. The awards, covering 13 categories, will be presented at a dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 4 May.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Steve Stewart, Head of Media and Public Affairs, Stagecoach Group
Tel: 01738 442111 or mobile 07764 774680
Email: steven.stewart@stagecoachgroup.com

NOTE TO EDITORS

• Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transportation group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs around 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
• The Investor Relations Society is the UK's professional body for Investor Relations practitioners. The IRS’s membership base comprises over 600 individuals working both for listed companies and their advisers, and includes the majority of FTSE 100 and FTSE 250, as well as a growing number of smaller listed companies, and some located outside the UK.