18/04/2006

Stagecoach London Managing Director Barry Arnold is to retire in the summer after a 42-year career in the bus industry.

Nigel Barrett, currently Managing Director of Stagecoach North West, has been appointed Managing Director designate for Stagecoach London and will work closely with Barry over the next three months before taking over on 1 August.

Stagecoach North West Commercial Director Chris Bowles will succeed Nigel Barrett as Managing Director for the regional operating company.

Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “Barry has been a key part of our success in growing our London bus business over the past few years. He has built up excellent relationships with Transport for London and we would like to give him our best wishes for his retirement.

“Stagecoach London is our biggest bus business in the UK and, as part of our succession planning, Nigel will be working closely with Barry over the next few months to ensure there is a smooth transition. Nigel is an excellent public transport professional and I am sure he will further enhance our reputation as one of the best bus operators in the capital.

“Chris has a wealth of experience in the UK bus industry, particularly in the North West, and I am delighted he will be heading up our operation in the area.”

Barry Arnold (60) has worked for Stagecoach for 12 years and has headed up the company’s London business since 1997.

He started his bus industry career in 1964 after leaving school when he became a clerk for London Transport and during the past four decades he also worked in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Nigel Barrett (53), originally from London, has more than 35 years’ experience in bus and rail operations in the UK. A former London Transport bus conductor, he has held a number of senior managerial positions for Stagecoach and also spent time working for the business in Malawi.

He was previously Managing Director for Stagecoach in Teesside and also worked for more than two years as General Manager of Feltham Division of South West Trains, the UK’s biggest commuter rail franchise.

Stagecoach London, which employs around 4,300 staff, operates contracted bus services for Transport for London in East, South East and Central London.

The company’s 1,300 buses carry around 300 million passengers a year, giving it a 16% share of the London bus market.

Chris Bowles (53) has more than 30 years’ experience in the bus industry and joined Stagecoach in 1996 when the company acquired operations in Manchester where he was one of three Area Traffic Managers. Chris Bowles became Operations Director at Stagecoach’s Ribble business in 2000 before becoming Commercial Director for the North West in 2001 when the Ribble and Cumberland operations were merged.

Stagecoach North West operates bus services in Cumbria, Lancashire, the Scottish borders and parts of North Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside. It employs around 1,200 staff, operates nearly 500 vehicles and carries more than 30 million passengers a year.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Steve Stewart, Head of Media and Public Affairs, Stagecoach Group
Tel: 01738 442111 or mobile 07764 774680