It’s going to be an interesting 2009 for Tom Wileman. The New Year saw his return from south of the border to take up the full time post of Managing Director of Citylink, based out of their Buchanan Bus Station headquarters in Glasgow.

Tom made the move to England in May 2006 to take up the position of Regional Director North West with Stagecoach Group. With specific responsibility for Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside operations Tom was responsible for changing the perception of

Stagecoach, throughout the region, by working closely with iconic

brands such as Liverpool FC, Everton FC, Aardman Animations (producers

of Wallace and Gromit) and the estate of Eric Morecambe.

“I wanted our vehicles to interact and engage with the public. In order to do this we instigated a series of beautifully designed, fully wrapped buses, which included informative stories and timelines on the livery. This not only improved awareness of the Stagecoach brand but also enticed new passengers onto our buses that otherwise may not have used our services.”

Tom’s return to his beloved Glasgow will no doubt see him introducing similarly inspired initiatives to attract new passengers onto Citylink coaches in Scotland.

SPORTS

Tom said: “With T In The Park, Homecoming Scotland and the possible increase in British tourism in 2009, there is huge potential for increasing passenger numbers this year.”

issue twelve • Spring 2009

Citylink are delighted to launch a new look website that introduces fresh, vibrant and clean design elements to their brand.

The informative, time sensitive site will also bring visitors regular news features on everything Citylink, whilst the new Businesslink, Leisurelink and Eventslink sections will help passengers understand fully the benefits of travelling by coach.

Citylink launch new website!

Available to Scottish Rugby members and match-day ticket holders, it could save you pounds on petrol and parking, and save you the time and the headache of driving to and from Murrayfield, the home of Scottish Rugby.

Traffic can be heavy in and around Edinburgh, especially on match days. While others are wasting time stuck in traffic jams or trying to find that elusive parking place, you could be

passing them by on the Sportslink. Quick and easy, Sportslink takes you direct to Corstophine Road, Murrayfield. And because you’re not driving home after the game, you can enjoy a half-time drink!

What’s more, by using Sportslink, you’ll be doing your bit for the environment by helping to reduce congestion and pollution on our roads. More inside...

Great news for Scotland’s rugby fans. Scottish Citylink and Stagecoach have teamed up with Scottish Rugby to bring fans throughout Scotland a great new way of getting to and from Murrayfield on match days.

It’s called Sportslink.

Citylink teams up with Scotland

Return of the Prodigal Son as Tom Wileman Returns to Citylink

newslinkCitylink services continue to be a popular choice with the Scottish public thanks to there reliability, comfort and the helpful attitude of their customer-focused staff.

A recent survey has identified that many

of their passengers are extremely happy

with the punctuality of the state of the

art coaches and also believe that the

affordability of their services is a key factor

in the success of Citylink.

Stephanie Docherty, Operations Manager

for Citylink said: “I’m delighted that the

vast majority of those who responded to

the self completed questionnaires were

incredibly positive about almost every side

of the business. Many respondents found

our staff to be courteous and helpful, whilst

many commuters enjoyed the FREE wi-fi

service that allowed them to access the

Internet and send and receive emails.”

Another key benefit highlighted by

passengers was the guarantee of a seat for

the journey, something that they couldn’t

be sure of when travelling by train.

One passenger, Mr Grant Turnbull, was

so pleased with Citylink that he has

allowed some of the information from his

questionnaire to be used in the company’s

marketing material.

Mr Turnbull, a Civil Servant at Jobcentre

Plus said: “I’m delighted with what I get

for my money. I don’t have the pressure of

parking in the city centre and I save myself

pounds on a monthly rail pass or petrol.

And if that wasn’t good enough I can sleep

at night safe in the knowledge that I’m

helping the environment.”

Citylink Get Thumbs Up From Passengers

Scottish Citylink introduces free weekend travel for kidsScottish Citylink is helping families in Scotland beat the credit crunch by offering free weekend travel for children.

The new Family Day Ticket will mean that children

accompanied by a fare-paying adult will travel for

free on Saturdays and Sundays.

The ticket applies to children up to the age of 15

and is valid on all Citylink services across Scotland.

The number of families choosing to travel by coach

has increased in the past year with the number of

children travelling on Citylink’s services up 8% on

last year’s figures.

The new Family Day Ticket is subject to a limit

of two children per fee-paying adult. Two adults

travelling with four children from Glasgow to

Edinburgh could pay as little as £16.80 for six seats.

Tickets must be booked in advance from Citylink’s

website, ticket office or call centre and are valid

only for same-day return journeys.

VisitScotland has adapted its marketing tactics

in light of the current economic situation, to

encourage more UK visitors to holiday at home.

Philip Riddle, Chief Executive of the national

tourism organization said: “It is great to see Scottish

Citylink encouraging families to get out and explore

Scotland this summer. The current economic

situation means that more Scots will be thinking of

holidaying at home this year, and they are certain

to have a great time whether they fancy the buzz

of our big cities, or the beauty and tranquility of

Scotland’s countryside.”

The Family Day Ticket is one of a number of

tickets offers currently available from Scottish

Citylink. Other popular offers include the Super

Singles ticket, which offers journeys from Glasgow

to Edinburgh for as little as £1, and the Explorer

Pass, which allows coach travel all over Scotland

for a flat rate.

Citylink is Scotland’s leading coach company with a

comprehensive network linking over 200 towns and

cities and offering more than 400 services every day

on comfortable, modern coaches.

Scottish Citylink Coaches Limited

Buchanan Bus Station, Killermont Street, Glasgow G2 3NW

tel 0141 332 9644 fax 0141 332 4488 email info@citylink.co.uk

“Nice warm coach, very

comfortable. Friendly driver, good journey and on time.

Keep it up.”

Citylink and 7 times World Snooker Champion Stephen Hendry recently came together to launch a campaign to help raise funds for Macmillan Care, the leading charity in helping improve the lives of those living with cancer.

The Scottish snooker legend put his weight behind

the campaign to raise much-needed funds for the

charity, which relies on voluntary donations for

99% of its income.

Tom Wileman, Managing Director of Citylink

said: “2008 was tough for many people and as a

result many good causes may suffer in 2009. I think

Macmillan Care do an incredible job and in order to

raise enough money as we can for them, we wanted

a true Scottish sporting superstar to increase the

profile of the charity campaign that we launched

just before Christmas. In Stephen Hendry we had

that superstar.”

And to launch the campaign Hendry took part

in a ‘Charity Snooker Frame Challenge’ with

Citylink’s Marketing Executive, Nicola Campbell,

in the vestibule of the Buchanan Bus Station, on

Killermont Street, in Glasgow.

Hendry was faced with the challenge of restricting

his opponent to winning less than 5 points, in the

one off frame, with Citylink promising to boost the

sum collected should he succeed.

On the day Hendry was quietly

confident: “My highest break is

147 so I hope to restrict Nicola’s

visits to the table. However I can’t

be complacent as one slip could

lose Macmillan Care much needed

cash and humiliate me in front of

the good people of Glasgow.”

Hendry made a promising start

before taking pity on Nicola

and positioning a number of

balls over pockets for her to

sink, enabling her to rack up a

reasonable score and fulfil a

lifetime’s ambition.

Nicola said: “I’m a massive snooker fan and

Stephen is a living legend. I just couldn’t believe

that I was actually playing him and to pot a few was

phenomenal, even if he did help me out a bit.”

Despite Nicola’s impressive

performance Citylink has

promised to add to the

funds raised at the

end of the campaign.

Stephanie Docherty,

Operations Manager at

Citylink believes that

passengers on their

services can play their part

throughout 2009: “Collection teams will visit all our

main coach stations throughout the year and I want

as many people as possible to make a contribution -

A penny or a pound it all counts.”

Scottish Citylink are delighted to announce a partnership with The Gathering 2009, to provide transport for the many thousands of visitors who will enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime event in Edinburgh, on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July.

The weekend is set to be the greatest

international clan gathering in history with

an expected attendance of over 40,000.

And Scottish Citylink will provide a reliable,

affordable and accessible service into Edinburgh

for the two day Scottish festival, featuring

the best of Scotland past and present.

Visitors will get the chance to witness a host

of spectacular and fascinating events including

performances by Scottish and international

musicians, readings from international best-selling

authors and a Highland dance championship for all

levels. If that’s not enough The Highland Games,

featuring 12 of the leading international athletes,

will surely leave spectators gasping

in awe at the strength and dexterity

needed to compete at the highest level.

Over 120 clans will be in attendance,

with the centrepiece of the weekend

being the fantastic Clan Parade, when

up to 8,000 people and pipe bands will

march along the famous Royal Mile

before an Historic Pageant at

Edinburgh Castle.

Of course Citylink will be there every

step of the way to assist the public in

what is undoubtedly one of the greatest

weekends in Scottish history.

And to mark the occasion Scotland’s

premier coach operator will be

giving a 30% discount, on all standard fares, to

Gathering 2009 ticket holders, who travel to

and from Edinburgh between 20th-31st July.

Ticket holders will receive a Citylink promotional

code, entitling them to their discount, on

receipt of their Gathering 2009 tickets.

Tom Wileman, Managing Director of Citylink said:

“The Gathering is the signature event of Homecoming

Scotland 2009, and we are delighted to support a

defining moment in Scotland’s social history. And

we’re convinced that our services will make it as

easy as possible for people to be a part of it.”

It’s hoped that the ‘Sportslink’ ticket initiative will

encourage supporters to enjoy a great day out,

without the expense of petrol and parking, whilst

saving them the time and

hassle of driving too and

from the ground.

With stadium parking space

at a premium it’s also hoped

that the ‘Sportslink’ ticket

will have an impact on

excessive congestion around

the stadium.

Tom Wileman, CEO of

Scottish Citylink said: “Many

adults are used to driving

to games in their own cars,

despite the cost of parking and the inconvenience

of heavy traffic before and after the match. We

believe that if we can show supporters that public

transport is a credible alternative, and a benefit to

the community, then perhaps supporters will begin

to change their habits and consider alternative

match-day transportation.”

Many of Citylink’s state-of-the-art vehicles are

fitted with air-conditioning, toilets and have

special lifts for wheelchair passengers, making

travel not only affordable, reliable and clean,

but fully accessible.

Supporters on the 900 service between Glasgow

and Edinburgh can alight at the Murrayfield stop

on Corstorphine Road. Supporters arriving from

other destinations, to Edinburgh,

will then be able to catch shuttle

bus/coach services too and from

the stadium’s Corstorphine

Road stop.

Gordon McKie, CEO of Scottish

Rugby said: “Scottish Rugby is

committed to improving the

match-day experience for

supporters wherever possible, and

the ‘Sportslink’ ticket fits perfectly

with our objectives.”

Stephanie Docherty, Operations

Manager at Citylink said: “In these difficult financial

times supporters will find the coaches convenient

and good value for money.”

As part of the launch of the ‘Sportslink’ ticket

scheme Hugo Southwell and Ross Ford, from

Scotland’s RBS 6 Nations squad, were on hand to

welcome one of Citylink’s 15-metre long vehicles

(currently the largest coaches in the UK) to

Murrayfield, on Tuesday 17th February.

The players were fearless in their attempt to hoist

the coach aloft in celebration of a perfect

sporting partnership.

Scotland hero Southwell said: “The Sportslink deal

provides an easy and affordable way for supporters

to play their part.”

To receive their 20% discount on matchday

services supporters simply quoted a matchday

promotional code (emailed to them/advertised on

the Citylink & Scottish Rugby websites) through

normal booking routes or simply showed their

matchday ticket at Citylink sales shops.

The Perfect Match - Scottish Citylink and Scottish Rugby

Citylink, Macmillan Cancer Care and Stephen Hendry Launch Charity PartnershipScottish Citylink, Scotland’s premier coach company, has teamed up with Scottish Rugby, the driving force behind the sport in Scotland, to introduce a reduced priced match-day travel ticket

for all supporters visiting Murrayfield Stadium.

Scotland hero Southwell said:

“The Sportslink deal provides an easy and

affordable way for supporters to play

their part.”

Gift for

Scottish Citylink Partner with The Gathering 2009