28/04/2008

• Drive to meet new Euro 5 emissions standards a year ahead of schedule
• Selective catalytic reduction system improves environmental performance
• Operator re-invests profits to improve quality of service to passengers
• First details confirmed of record £71m Stagecoach bus order for 2008-09

Stagecoach Group plc today (28 April 2008) announced that it is to invest in greener bus technology to meet new European emissions standards more than a year ahead of schedule.

The Group confirmed the first part of a £71m investment in a fleet of 584 new vehicles for the UK during 2008-09, the biggest ever order placed by the company.

Stagecoach has initially ordered nearly 500 vehicles with a total value of more than £60 million from manufacturers Alexander Dennis (ADL), Optare, MAN, Plaxton, Scania and Volvo. The remainder of the £71 million orders will be confirmed later this year.

The initial order includes an investment of over £30 million in more than 220 new buses and coaches that meet new tough Euro 5 emissions standards, which are not due to come into force until 1 September 2009.

These vehicles will use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to reduce nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas. The engine is optimised for low emissions of diesel particulates and low fuel consumption and, by adding a reducing agent, the nitrogen oxides produced during combustion are converted into harmless nitrogen and water vapour within a catalytic converter.

Les Warneford, Managing Director of Stagecoach UK Bus, said: “We believe there is huge potential to encourage more people to reduce car use, get back on board the bus and help address the challenge of climate change.

“By re-investing our profits in greener bus technology, we will make our own operations more sustainable and help reduce the carbon footprint of our customers.”

Estimated passenger volumes at Stagecoach’s bus operations have grown year-on-year by around 3%. The growth has been driven by continued fleet investment, industry-leading marketing campaigns, partnerships with local authorities, excellent value fares and additional travel under concessionary fares schemes.

The fleet of new vehicles will be delivered between May 2008 and the end of April 2009. Details of the initial orders are:

All of the new vehicles will run on a blend of 5% biodiesel and 95% mineral diesel, which Stagecoach uses in conjunction with the fuel additive Envirox™ to achieve fuel efficiency savings and emissions reductions of around 5%.

The buses also incorporate low floor access for parents with young children, people with disabilities and elderly passengers, and many feature a special ‘kneeling’ mechanism to help boarding from the pavement.  All coaches are fitted with special lifts to assist boarding for wheelchair users.

Stagecoach operates around 7,000 buses from the Highlands of Scotland to south-west England, covering around 100 towns and cities in the UK. Carrying around 2 million passengers every day, Stagecoach has major city bus operations in Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield and Cambridge.

The company was named UK Bus Operator of the year in 2005 and 2006 and won more awards than any other operator at the 2007 UK Bus Awards.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:
Steve Stewart, Director of Corporate Communications,
Stagecoach Group
Tel: 01738 442111 (office) or 07764 774680 (mobile)
steven.stewart@stagecoachgroup.com