Go Ahead : News Across the Group January 2021

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NEWS ACROSS	January 2021	3
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THEGROUP 8

Spotlight on apprentices

Showing support

Always Improving

Batty for Buses

A message from

David Brown

Dear all,

We're now in the swing of 2021. While January can seem like a bleak month at the best of times - after all it has a 'Blue Monday' - it's certainly positive to see how our companies have kept colleagues' and passengers' spirits up.

With colleagues rebranding the day 'Blue Monday' to 'Colourful Monday' or 'Brew Monday' (page 2), we can still do so much to keep communities connected - even if it's from a distance. On page 4 you can read how passengers are praising our bus workers - with the art of rock painting, no less.

In 2021 we're especially keen on seeing how the government delivers on its promise for more than

4,000 zero-emission buses in the UK, especially as we wait for the forthcoming National Bus Strategy.

I recently spoke about these issues as part of an online panel to an audience of bus manufacturing investors based in Canada. They're interested in what's going on in the UK and we're further ahead than North America in our development of electric buses.

We are always aiming to be at the forefront of innovation and new technology. We are bringing in even more electric buses this year, with 70 more to arrive at Go-Ahead London by April. It may well also be the year for hydrogen, as we're still in talks in what has the potential to be Europe's biggest ever order of hydrogen buses. So, watch this space.

However, for now it is essential we keep connected during these times and support our communities. We must all remember that we are one

big Go-Ahead family and there is so much more we can offer than just providing bus and train services.

Good examples of this include Southeastern and GTR using their station car parks to help in the UK vaccination effort (page 4), while Go North East have introduced colourful vaccination shuttle buses to support communities (page 7). I'm proud that many colleagues are also volunteering to support the vaccination effort, helping save lives and bringing us closer to better times.

Until next month,

David Brown,

Group Chief Executive

Carbon cutting champions

We have received our highest- ever accreditation from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), receiving an 'A-' rating

Since 2016 we have achieved a 22% absolute reduction in group-wide carbon emissions, which is particularly impressive when you consider how much we have expanded in this time, including in Germany, Norway, Singapore and Ireland.

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NEWS ACROSS THE GROUP

January 2021

Arrangements for Augsburg

Blue Monday

Why be blue when you can wear the rainbow?

How we're ensuring a smooth mobilisation

We are due to start operating rail services in Bavaria, Germany, from December 2021. This means we need to do a lot of preparation work behind the scenes to ensure a smooth mobilisation.

Siemens Mobility has been busy preparing trains for Go-Ahead Bayern (Bavaria). From December 2022, we will be operating 56 units on the routes around Augsburg, a city in the west of the region.

We also need to ensure that trains are effectively maintained. Go-Ahead Bayern has therefore reached an agreement with Swiss company TMH international to provide train maintenance.

In the interim, TMH International will maintain trains at the existing Augsburg Railway Park.

If all goes to plan, the new maintenance centre will open in Summer 2022, ahead of routes going live in December of that year. This

will also bring in 40 new jobs to the region, especially for managerial and technical roles.

Go-Ahead's Head of Fleet Stephen Head said: "TMHI is a well-established train maintenance company, who have approached the negotiations constructively and with great enthusiasm. We are very pleased to have them as our partner and we are confident that they will do a great job in delivering the construction of the train maintenance facility as well as the maintenance of our trains."

January can be a challenging month, when people often feel flat after the excitement of Christmas, so Go North East colleagues decided to rebrand 'Blue Monday' as 'Colourful Monday'. The company encouraged colleagues to dress as colourfully as possible to lift the spirits of colleagues and customers.

Internally, the company is continuing efforts to support the mental health and wellbeing of colleagues, including highlighting its Employee Assistance Programme, where they can access online and telephone counselling and support on a range of topics, such as stress and anxiety, financial wellbeing and relationship issues.

Martijn Gilbert, managing director at Go North East, said: "We know January can often be a month where people can be at their lowest, so we're encouraging this light-hearted initiative to try and put smiles on people's faces on 'Blue Monday'.

Meanwhile, GTR and the Samaritans spent the day (Monday 18 January) to highlight how taking the time to talk could be lifesaving.

Replacing	Kayode
'Blue Monday'	Awote
Southern
	Station
with 'Brew		Assistant

Monday', GTR

worked with the Samaritans to turn 18 January

on its head and into something positive by encouraging the public and colleagues to get together over a warming virtual cuppa and have a chat.

GTR's colleagues often find themselves on the frontline of helping those most in need. Last year alone, they made more than 400 lifesaving interventions, either through conversations or physically intervening when someone tried to take their own life.

60 GTR colleagues have therefore been given a Samaritans Lifesaver award in recognition of their brave actions. This includes South London Station Assistant Kayode, who has helped four vulnerable people to safety

• two who were close to taking their own lives, and two children running away from home.

GTR Suicide Prevention Manager Laura Campbell said: "Starting a conversation with someone who is trying to hurt themselves or someone who feels they want to end their life isn't easy. That's why it's so important that we recognise those who go out of their way to help.

"It's been a challenging year for many of us and showing some compassion and a willingness to take time to listen could be all that it takes to get

someone the help they need to put them on the road to recovery, which is the essence of Samaritans' Brew Monday campaign too."

Down-to-earth

However, the plan in the long-term is to build a specific, separate maintenance facility.

Agile

Spotlight on apprentices

Our apprenticeships were featured on Channel 4

	Our Group Strategy and Commercial Officer Katy Taylor made
	an appearance on the Channel 4 daytime programme 'Steph's
	Packed Lunch' this month. She discussed our apprenticeship
	scheme and our aim to hire more than 1,000 apprentices
	across bus and rail this year. With National Apprenticeship
	Week a critical part of February, apprenticeships remain a
Agile	focal part of our employment agenda.

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NEWS ACROSS THE GROUP

January 2021

Drive for

cover

Saving lives through station car parks

Station car parks have become unlikely heroes in the fight against Covid-19. Southeastern and GTR colleagues have joined forces with local medics who are delivering life-saving vaccines. Charing, Sevenoaks, Elstree and Harpenden stations have all offered free parking to those involved in the vaccination effort - from drivers giving lifts to the elderly and vulnerable, to the medical staff on the front line.

"We're delighted to be able to provide this practical support to the vaccination effort," said Southeastern's

Sevenoaks Station Manager Elliott Waters "We also took over some coffee vouchers and other freebies for the teams, which received lots of thank-yous!"

Thameslink Managing Director Tom Moran said: "Our teams have been working throughout this pandemic to support our local communities, and

keep services clean, safe and operating. I'm delighted that we can now provide practical support to this crucial mass

vaccination effort."

Agile

Beating the virus

Writing for the region

Go North East has been getting involved in a regional campaign called 'BeatCovidNE'. One of the 10 individuals who has been chosen to front the campaign is driver Jaswinder (Jas) Singh.

He has been selected as the representative for County Durham. As part of the campaign, Jas and five other North East people are writing their own Covid diaries to share their experiences of lockdown life, why it's so important to follow the rules and how months of tough restrictions have affected them and their families.

Jas, commenting on adjustments to working life, said: "It was so strange seeing all the passengers on the bus in masks at first, but it is so normal and part of everyday life now. People are really good about keeping a distance on the buses and we have lots of information on board to remind people about hands, space, face.

"It's really important that the message continues to
be heard, especially on public transport, because this
isn't over yet - I wish it was. The buses are subject to
a strict cleaning regime so they are Covid-secure, but
we've all got to do our bit to stay safe."	Agile

Bus travel rocks

Showing support	The bus will be housed at the company's Conway Street depot
while it is renovated to protect it from vandalism. Colleagues
A converted bus makes the	have also worked with an external company to fit and replace all
the bus windows so it can be ready for use in February.
world of difference	It is the charity's second bus - the other is used as a night shelter
that houses up to 20 people per night. Unfortunately, this has
	not been in operation for the last year due to the pandemic.

A colourful stone is guaranteed to brighten up a rocky day

Local people in Norfolk, Suffolk and North Essex are being encouraged to take part in East Anglia's #bustravelrocks campaign.

Schoolchildren and families are being asked to celebrate bus drivers across the East of England by getting involved in rock painting.

A simple message or picture on a rock left at the bus stop will truly brighten our drivers' days.

Now home schooling is back on the agenda, the company is also offering

free printing service at all our depots. This will allow staff with children of school age to print out any school resources they may require and help support those who may don't have the necessary equipment at home.

Down-to-earth

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus body shop colleagues have	Jim Deans, Head of Sussex Homeless Support
joined forces with local charity Sussex Homeless Support to
said: "With many homeless people now in basic
convert a bus that will help to feed homeless people.
accommodation, the opportunity is there to help
The bus has been adapted to allow for food preparation,
keep them off the streets. The bus will play a big
with a series of serving hatches downstairs - allowing
part in this, while keeping the crew safe."	Collaborative
volunteers to provide more than 100 meals per hour.

Upstairs, there will be a food bank.

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One step

ahead

NEWS ACROSS THE GROUP

January 2021

Safe and

Shuttle bus success

Agile

Always

Improving

aware

Spreading awareness of diabetes

Our colleagues' health, safety and wellbeing are our top priorities. Go-Ahead London's Croydon Bus Garage has been hosting Diabetes Health and Wellness workshops to teach the team how to recognise the signs of type 2 diabetes and how to improve their health to both prevent and manage it.

The sessions are run by Phylex Green, a bus driver at Croydon and a Diabetes UK Champion, and are supported by Kyle Simmons, Assistant Operating

One of the UK's first dedicated vaccination shuttle bus services

Go North East is celebrating the fantastic efforts of the NHS throughout the pandemic through its new 'ConnectorShuttle' bus. Running every 15 minutes, seven days a week, the bus service helps connect communities to the NHS Nightingale Hospital North East in Sunderland.

Martijn Gilbert, managing director at Go North East, said: "We're delighted to be helping the NHS with the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme and have moved fast to ensure that good public transport links are in place."

"In partnership with other North East bus operators and Nexus, we've also recently introduced a dedicated vaccination bus stop in Newcastle outside the Centre for Life vaccination centre."

"We're committed to doing all that we can to work with partners to ensure that public transport plays its part in supporting this national effort with good quality, clean and safe public transport links, which is why we have very quickly mobilised this new special shuttle service."

Southeastern is the star of the show

Southeastern is continuing to provide a better experience for passengers. This month the company took delivery of the first two units in its new Class

707 fleet. The trains are set to replace some older, less reliable Networker trains in the company's Metro area.

Built by Siemens, and very similar to the Thameslink trains operated by GTR - the trains feature modern, spacious and air-conditioned interiors. The new units made their way to the network from South Western Railway and are the first of 30 five-car sets to be joining SE in total.

Meanwhile, work on the £1.25bn South East Upgrade continued at pace over the Christmas period, with progress made on a range of projects to boost infrastructure reliability.

On the Southeastern network, the biggest task by far was the replacement of track, points and the track bed at two key hotspots in the Lewisham area - with nearly two miles of new track laid on 7,500 tonnes of ballast and 1,460 sleepers. Overall, four sets of points and two diamond crossings were replaced at St

Johns and Parks Bridge junctions - with the aim of providing smoother, less disrupted travel for passengers on these congested parts of the network.

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Manager. Phylex's sessions provide a space for all colleagues to ask questions about diabetes. Drivers can visit during their meal reliefs and get a mini assessment about their concerns.

The assessments are 10 minutes long and determine whether the driver is at high or low risk of type 2 diabetes. If they are considered high risk, a form is filled out which a driver can take to their GP for further testing. Phylex also provides the drivers with tailored shakes and regimes that help prevent, manage and control diabetes. This also helps with fatigue and helps drivers feel more prepared for their duties.

One step

ahead

Electric city The future could be electric for Oxford

Oxford Bus Company is working with Oxfordshire County Council and other bus operators to develop a business case that could see Oxford become one of the first in the UK to operate an 'all-electric' bus fleet.

The government has shortlisted Oxford and Coventry after receiving 19 bids from across England to become the first all-electric bus town or city. Subject to the development of a positive business case, each area could be awarded up to £50 million towards replacing its entire fleet of buses with all-electric version and install new infrastructure.

Phil Southall, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company said: "We have always been at the forefront of embracing clean technology and are delighted Oxford has been shortlisted in the all-electric bus town bid.

"The key next step is working with the Department for Transport through Oxfordshire County Council on the rules of engagement, ahead of stress testing the collective business case for delivery. I accept that this is going to be extremely challenging under the current circumstances but we will see if we can develop a business case that is acceptable to all to deliver up to 166 new vehicles for Go Ahead fleets across Oxfordshire"

Last year an electric bus was introduced to the City Sightseeing Oxford fleet as part of a government funded programme that will see a total of five open-top buses retrofitted to electric.

One step

ahead

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