Stagecoach Gold

Stagecoach Gold is a sub-brand used by various Stagecoach bus subsidiaries in the United Kingdom.

Stagecoach Gold (originally Goldline) was launched in 2007 and was designed to attract more middle-class passengers to choose bus travel as a method of transport as well as to reward passengers on some busy and popular routes.

Stagecoach in Oxfordshire currently runs the most Stagecoach Gold routes with a total of six as of August 2015. Stagecoach in Oxfordshire also owns the largest number of Stagecoach Gold branded vehicles with 50 in its fleet as of August 2015.

History
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 received kick-start funding from the government to help establish the routes. Stagecoach East Scotland invested £300,000 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.

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.

Gold - Torquay to Plymouth
The Stagecoach South West service began on 30 September 2013. It runs every 30 minutes between Torquay and Plymouth on Monday to Sunday throughout the day. Stagecoach X64 has now taken the Dartmouth to Totnes part of the route. This runs every two hours during the day, which runs from Dartmouth to Exeter via Totnes and Newton Abbot. 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
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 runs every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and every 15 minutes on evenings and Sundays.
 * via Farnbourgh, Frimley and Camberley


 * Operator - Stagecoach South
 * Fleet Size - 17

1 & 2 - Liverpool to Chester
Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire's routes 1 and 2 became Stagecoach Gold routes on 30 October 2015 with 18 Alexander Dennis Enviro 300 single deck vehicles entering service.
 * via Ellesmere Port and Cheshire Oaks


 * Operator - Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire
 * Fleet Size - 18

7 - Scone to Hillend
The service in Perth began on 5 November 2007, and is operated by Stagecoach East Scotland.
 * via Perth

It uses a fleet of eight 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 converted to hybrid buses using nine Alexander Dennis Enviro350Hs.


 * Operator - Stagecoach East Scotland
 * Fleet Size - 9

10 - Lower Tuffley to Cheltenham
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.
 * via Gloucester and Brockworth

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 11 new Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied 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

16 - Hythe to Canterbury
Stagecoach East Kent service 16 between Canterbury and Hythe received Stagecoach Gold status on 2 November 2014. Ten Stagecoach Gold branded vehicles are currently in service on the route.
 * via Folkestone and Hawkinge


 * Operator - Stagecoach East Kent
 * Fleet Size - 10

51 - Selsey to Chichester
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.
 * via Sidlesham and Hunston


 * Operator - Stagecoach South
 * Fleet Size - 7

57 - Exeter to Exmouth
Stagecoach Southwest route 57 between Exeter and Exmouth (including Brixington) became a gold service on Monday 23 November 2015. They use 10 Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Scania N230UD.
 * via Topsham & Lympstone


 * Operator - Stagecoach South West
 * Fleet Size - 10



66 - Swindon to Oxford
Route 66 between Swindon and Oxford was upgraded to Gold status starting on 22 January 2012. The service runs up to every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday and half hourly on Sundays.
 * via Shrivenham and Faringdon


 * Operator - Stagecoach West
 * Fleet Size - 9



94 - Cheltenham to Gloucester
Stagecoach Gold began running on Stagecoach West 94 route between Cheltenham, Churchdown and Gloucester on 12 September 2009. The new service and buses were launched at Cheltenham Racecourse.
 * via Churchdown

The service uses a fleet of Alexander Dennis Enviro400s. The service is run by Stagecoach West.

The route runs every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and 30 minutes in the evening. Services run up to every 15 minutes on Sundays.


 * Operator - Stagecoach West
 * Fleet Size - 12



125 - Preston to Bolton
Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire's route 125 between Preston and Bolton became Stagecoach Gold routes on 16 November 2015 with 24 Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Scania N230UDs entering service.
 * via Clayton Brook, Bamber Bridge, Chorley and Horwich


 * Operator - Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire
 * Fleet Size - 24

300 - Carlisle to Whitehaven

 * via Workington, Maryport and Wigton

The route runs every hour Monday to Saturday daytime, and every two hours Sunday daytime. It became a Stagecoach Gold service on 5 August 2013.

The service uses a fleet of four Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Scania N230UDs. The service is run by Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire's Workington depot.


 * 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 runs every 8–10 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and every half hour on evenings and Sundays.

Route G1 received 14 brand new Stagecoach Gold branded Optare Solo SRs which entered service on 3 October 2015. These new vehicles have replaced the 15 Goldline branded Optare Solos that entered service in 2007. At present, route G1 is the only Stagecoach Gold service to use vehicles manufactured by Optare.
 * Operator - Stagecoach Midlands
 * Fleet Size - 14

S1, S2, S7, NS1 & NS2 - Carterton to Oxford
In 2010, Stagecoach Oxfordshire introduced the Stagecoach Gold brand on its S1 and S2 services running from Carterton Witney to 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.
 * via Brize Norton and Curbridge (S1 and NS1) Minster Lovell (S7), Witney (S1, S2, S7 and NS1), Eynsham (S1 and NS1) and Headington (S7)

Night bus NS1 runs 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 runs in the opposite 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 it would run a 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. On 27 July 2014, the S2 service stopped serving Minster Lovell with the new S7 service taking its place.


 * Operator - Stagecoach Oxfordshire
 * Fleet Size - 17

S3 - Chipping Norton / Charlbury to Oxford
Route S3 became a Stagecoach Gold route in September 2012, with eight Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Scania N230UDs.
 * via Blenheim Palace and Woodstock

The route runs from Oxford up to every 30 minutes during the daytime (Monday-Friday) with one 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, but all services terminate in Chipping Norton with Charlbury not being served at all. This gives Chipping Norton a more frequent Sunday service (up to every 30 minutes) than weekday service (up to every 60 minutes).

Route S3 does not have a night service. The last bus leaves Oxford at 23:45 (weekdays).


 * Operator - Stagecoach Oxfordshire
 * Fleet Size - 8

S4 - Banbury to Oxford
Stagecoach in Oxfordshire confirmed in May that route S4 between Banbury and Oxford was to receive new single deck Stagecoach Gold buses as part of major improvements to the service. Route S4 was upgraded to Gold status in August 2015. On weekdays and Saturdays the service runs up to every 30 minutes between Banbury and Deddington with one of these services continuing to Oxford. There is also a service between Oxford city centre and Oxford Airport in Kidlington which runs up to every 60 minutes. On Sundays there are four buses in each direction between Banbury and Oxford.
 * via Adderbury, Deddington and Kidlington

Whilst the Stagecoach Gold vehicles entered service in August 2015, the gold service was officially launched in Banbury on 16 September 2015.


 * Operator - Stagecoach Oxfordshire
 * Fleet Size - 5

S5 & NS5 - Bicester to Oxford
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 N230UDs 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.
 * via Bicester Village and Gosford


 * Operator - Stagecoach Oxfordshire
 * Fleet Size - 10

X4 - Peterborough to Milton Keynes
In November 2011 Stagecoach Gold expanded to the X4 route from Peterborough to Milton Keynes via Oundle, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and Northampton.
 * via Oundle, Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough


 * Operator - Stagecoach Midlands
 * Fleet Size - 13

X4 & X5 - Workington to Penrith
Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire's X4 and X5 services received Stagecoach Gold status in October 2015 with a fleet of seven new Stagecoach Gold branded vehicles including five Alexander Dennis Enviro 400 bodied Scania N230UDs and two Alexander Dennis Enviro 300 bodied Scania entering service. This makes routes X4 and X5 the first and currently only Stagecoach Gold services to use a mixture of both single deck and double deck vehicles.
 * via Cockermouth and Keswick


 * Operator - Stagecoach Cumbria & North Lancashire
 * Fleet Size - 7

X17 - Sheffield to Matlock
Stagecoach Gold launched on route X17 on 10 November 2014 with six new Stagecoach Gold vehicles operating the route.
 * via Chesterfield


 * Operator - Stagecoach Chesterfield
 * Fleet Size - 6

X24 - Blaenavon to Newport
Stagecoach South Wales route X24 became a gold service on Saturday 28 November 2015. They are using 15 65 plate Alexander Dennis Enviro 300 single deckers numbered 27273-27287.
 * via Pontypool and Cwmbran
 * Operator - Stagecoach South Wales
 * Fleet Size - 15

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

Future
All Stagecoach Gold branded vehicles in Stagecoach's 2015/2016 order have now been delivered and are all in service on their respective route's however Stagecoach are expected to further expand the Stagecoach Gold brand in 2016/2017 with the vehicle order due to be announced in March 2016.

G9 & G10 - Scottish Citylink
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.

SW1 - Carterton to London
Stagecoach Oxfordshire began operating route SW1 began on 8 November 2014 as a weekend and bank holiday service linking Carterton and Witney directly with London using spare buses from its other Gold routes. On 17 April 2015 Stagecoach Oxfordshire confirmed that the SW1 service would cease due to low passenger numbers.
 * via Witney


 * Operator - Stagecoach Oxfordshire
 * Fleet Size - 3