Stagecoach Gold is a sub-brand used by various Stagecoach bus subsidiaries in the United Kingdom.
The Goldline brand was introduced to try and win more middle class motorists to bus services. It was initially trialled in two areas, Perth and Warwick from November 2007, both on routes which has received kick-start funding from the government to help establish the routes. Perth's route 7 used £300,000 of its own money to demonstrate the idea to politicians.
Goldline routes have a luxury specification. Buses have hand stitched leather seats, metallic paint, special flooring and free WiFi. Drivers wear special uniform and there is a Goldline customer charter.[1]
In February 2009 the service was expanded to Aldershot and in September 2009 to Cheltenham and Gloucester on route 94. At this stage the brand name changed from Goldline to Stagecoach Gold, as well as the introduction of a new livery with brighter swoops added, as opposed to the previous gold and blue only livery. The reason behind the name change was that Translink had the rights to the Goldline name, using it on their Ulsterbus coach services, and Stagecoach had to pay Translink a royalty.
In 2010, the Stagecoach Gold brand was extended to services run by Scottish Citylink, where Stagecoach have a 35% shareholding, where the Glasgow to Aberdeen and Glasgow to Inverness services were designated as Citylink Gold.
Services
GOLD - Torquay to Dartmouth / Plymouth
The Stagecoach South West service commenced on 30 September 2013. It runs every 30 minutes between Torquay and Plymouth on Monday to Saturday daytimes, connecting with alternate journeys to Dartmouth from Totnes. On Sunday daytimes it runs every two hours between Torquay and Plymouth.This service replaced First Devon & Cornwall's routes X80 and X81 on 27 October 2013.
- Operator - Stagecoach South West
- Fleet Size - 12
1 - Aldershot to Old Dean
- via Farnbourgh, Frimley and Camberley
The Aldershot service in the Blackwater Valley between Aldershot, Farnborough and Camberley was upgraded to Goldline status on 8 February 2009. It is on Stagecoach in Hants & Surrey's route 1 which operates every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and every 30 minutes on evenings and Sundays.
- Operator - Stagecoach South
- Fleet Size - 17
7 - Scone to Hillend
- via Perth
It uses a fleet of eight Alexander Dennis Enviro300 bodied Alexander Dennis Enviro350Hs, which were the first examples to be built to the new style. The scheme operates on Perth city route 7, which was in its sixth year of growth following the kick-start funding, with growth continuing at 2% a year.
Route 7 runs between Hillend, Perth city centre and Scone, and runs every 10 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytime, and up to every 30 minutes in the evening and Sundays.
In mid-2012 Route 7 was conveted to Hybrid buses using eight Alexander Dennis Enviro300 bodied Alexander Dennis Enviro350Hs.
- Operator - Stagecoach East Scotland
- Fleet Size - 9
10 - Lower Tuffley to Cheltenham
- via Gloucester and Brockworth
This service began in December 2012. Stagecoach West have a fleet of 19 Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Scania N230UDs. Buses run every 10 minutes between Lower Tuffley and Cheltenham, Monday to Saturday and on Sundays, buses are every 20 minutes to Cheltenham.
Stagecoach had at one point threatened to remove the Stagecoach Gold brand from route 10 after three buses were severely vandalised within two weeks of the bus' launch.
- Operator - Stagecoach West
- Fleet Size - 19
13 - Haverhill to Cambridge
- via Linton
Stagecoach East service 13 became a Stagecoach Gold route on 1 June 2014 with eleven new Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Scania N-series Scania N230UDs entering service to operate the route. The service runs every 30 minutes on Weekday and Saturday daytimes and hourly on Sunday daytimes and Weekday evenings.
- Operator - Stagecoach East
- Fleet Size - 11
51 - Selsey to Chichester
- via Sidlesham and Hunston
Route 51 from Chichester to Selsey became a Stagecoach Gold service with effect from 24 February 2013. The service runs every 10–15 minutes in the daytime on Mondays to Saturdays, every 70 minutes on Monday to Saturday evenings, and half-hourly on Sunday daytimes.
- Operator - Stagecoach South
- Fleet Size - 7
66 - Swindon to Oxford
- via Shrivenham and Faringdon
Route 66 between Swindon and Oxford was upgraded to Gold status starting on 22 January 2012. The service runs up to every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays.
- Operator - Stagecoach West
- Fleet Size - 9
94 - Cheltenham to Gloucester
- via Churchdown
Stagecoach Gold commenced operating on Stagecoach West 94 route between Cheltenham, Churchdown and Gloucester on 12 September 2009. The new service and buses were launched at Cheltenham Racecourse.
The service uses a fleet of Alexander Dennis Enviro400s. The service is run by Stagecoach in Cheltenham.
The route operates every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and 30 minutes in the evening. Services operate every 20 minutes on Sundays.
- Operator - Stagecoach West
- Fleet Size - 12
300 - Carlisle to Whitehaven
- via Workington, Maryport and Wigton
The route operates every hour Monday to Saturday daytime, and every two hours Sunday daytime. It became a Stagecoach Gold service on 5 August 2013
- Operator - Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire
- Fleet Size - 4
G1 - Warwick to South Farm
- via Woodloes, Percy Estate, Leamington Spa and Whitnash
In Warwick, the service started on 12 November 2007.
The service uses a fleet of 11 Optare Solos on route 66 which was renumbered G1. The service is run by Stagecoach in Warwickshire.
The route operates at a frequency of 8–10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and every half hour on evenings and Sundays.
- Operator - Stagecoach Midlands
- Fleet Size - 15
S1, S2, S7, NS1 & NS2 - Carterton to Oxford
- via Brize Norton and Curbridge (S1 and NS1) Minster Lovell (S7), Witney (S1, S2, S7 and NS1), Eynsham (S1 and NS1)and Headington (S7)
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In 2010, Stagecoach Oxfordshire introduced the Stagecoach Gold brand on its S1 and S2 services running from Carterton Witney to Central Oxford. Route S1 runs up to every 10 minutes in Monday to Saturday daytimes, every 20 minutes Sunday daytimes, every half-hour Monday to Saturday evenings and every hour on Sunday evenings. Route S2 runs every half-hour on Mondays to Saturday daytimes, and there are a number of express journeys in the rush hours on Monday to Fridays.
Night bus NS1 operates from Oxford to Carterton via Witney and Eynsham. There are eight journeys on this route on Friday/Saturday and Saturday/Sunday nights, and one journey on all other nights. Night bus NS2 operates in the reverse direction, as an express bus from Carterton to Oxford without serving Witney. There are six journeys on this route on Friday/Saturday and Saturday/Sunday nights only.
On 3 July 2014 Stagecoach in Oxfordshire confirmed that they will be running a brand new service connecting West Oxfordshire with the Headington Hospitals in Oxford. Route S7 launched on 27 July 2014 and currently only runs hourly on weekdays until the service is proven successful.[16] Also from 27 July, the S2 service stopped serving Minster Lovell with the new S7 service taking its place.
- Operator - Stagecoach Oxfordshire
- Fleet Size - 20
S3 - Chipping Norton / Charlbury to Oxford
- via Blenheim Palace and Woodstock
Route S3 became a Stagecoach Gold route in September 2012, with 8 Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Scania N230UDs.
The route operates from Oxford up to every 30 minutes during the daytime (Monday-Friday) with 1 service per hour terminating in Chipping Norton and the other terminating in Charlbury. All services run via Woodstock and Blenheim Palace making the S3 one of Oxfordshire's busiest tourist route. The service runs hourly during the day from Chipping Norton and Charlbury with the estimated journey time of 71 minutes (from Chipping Norton) and 65 minutes (from Charlbury).
The S3 Sunday service also runs up to every 30 minutes from Oxford however all services terminate in Chipping Norton with Charlbury not being served at all. This results in Chipping Norton having a more frequent Sunday service (up to every 30 minutes) than its normal weekday service (up to every 60 minutes).
Route S3 does not have a night service with the last bus leaving Oxford at 23:45 (weekdays).
- Operator - Stagecoach Oxfordshire
- Fleet Size - 8
S5 & NS5 - Bicester to Oxford
- via Bicester Village and Gosford
At the very end of 2011, and into the start of 2012, the S5 and NS5 service between Bicester and Oxford also received new Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Scania N230UD as well as an improved frequency throughout. Route S5 runs up to every 15 minutes on Monday to Saturday daytimes, hourly on Monday to Saturday evenings, half-hourly on Sunday daytimes and every 90 minutes on Sunday evenings. Route NS5 runs as four journeys from Oxford to Bicester and three journeys from Bicester to Oxford on Friday/Saturday and Saturday/Sunday nights, with two journeys from Bicester to Oxford on Friday/Saturday and Saturday/Sunday nights only. On Monday/Tuesday to Thursday/Friday nights the route provides one journey from Oxford to Bicester.[17]
- Operator - Stagecoach Oxfordshire
- Fleet Size - 10
X4 - Peterborough to Milton Keynes
- via Oundle, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough
In November 2011 Stagecoach Gold expanded to the X4 route from Peterborough to Milton Keynes via Oundle, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and Northampton.
- Operator - Stagecoach Midlands
- Fleet Size - 13
X46 & X47 - Northampton to Thrapston
- via Weston Favell, Earls Barton, Wellingborough, Rushden and Higham Ferrers.
Each route runs hourly via slightly different routes, on Mondays to Saturdays except evenings.
X46 and X47 became Stagecoach Gold routes in November 2013.
- Operator - Stagecoach Midlands
- Fleet Size - 9
G9 & G10 - Scottish Citylink
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The Citylink Gold brand is used for two Scottish Citylink services, the G9 between Glasgow and Aberdeen and the G10 between Glasgow and Inverness. Service specifications are similar to that of the bus services branded as Stagecoach Gold, but with free tea and coffee served all day.
Future
In March 2014, Stagecoach Group announced 38 new buses had been ordered to Stagecoach Gold specification with the first three entering service in May.
16 - Canterbury to Hythe
Ten new Stagecoach Gold spec buses have just been delivered to Stagecoach East Kent for service on route 16 between Canterbury and Hythe. Stagecoach Gold is due to launch on the service on 2 November 2014.
- Operator - Stagecoach East Kent
- Fleet Size - 10
X17 - Sheffield to Matlock
Seven brand new Stagecoach Gold vehicles are due to be delivered to Stagecoach Yorkshire for service on route X17 from November 2014.
- Operator - Stagecoach Chesterfield
- Fleet Size - 7