Lowe Bell is understood to have retained its financial PR account
with Stagecoach. It has also been handed an extra slice of the bus and
train company’s communications work, incorporating political, corporate,
consumer and trade relations.
Stagecoach refused to confirm the appointment, but Lowe Bell is believed
to have been picked from a shortlist of three which also included Dewe
Rogerson and Grandfield.
Lowe Bell will help Stagecoach fight Government threats to increase
regulation of the rail industry. Stagecoach owns one of the country’s
four train leasing companies, Porterbrook. The leasing companies have
been very profitable and now the Government is considering regulating
them. The agency will also try to improve the image of the train
operating companies including Stagecoach’s rail franchise South West
Trains.
Lowe Bell handled the announcement of Stagecoach’s interim results on
Tuesday. Despite impressive profits, its shares rose by just one pence,
to 764p. Stagecoach made pre-tax profits of pounds 70.5 million in the
six months to October 1997, a 50 per cent increase on the same period
last year.
