35 years on the buses – Stagecoach’s Andy Gilmour celebrates

This year marks a major milestone for Stagecoach Commercial Officer, Andy Gilmour, who celebrates 35 years of service in the bus industry. Turning 60 this year, Andy has spent more than half his life working in buses – a career that began with weekend shifts in Winchester and grew into a lifelong passion.

Trained as a quantity surveyor, Andy qualified in 1992 but chose to follow his enthusiasm for buses full time. By then, he had already passed his bus test in December 1990 and had become the youngest driver in Winchester at just 26.

“Buses have always been about people, whether it’s the colleagues you work with or the passengers you carry” – Andy Gilmour

“I started out as a bus enthusiast,” Andy recalls, “but it became much more than that. I still love driving as much as I did on day one. If you enjoy it and you’re happy doing it, it’s an incredibly satisfying job.”

Andy has worn many hats in his career. He helped Stagecoach deliver major operational challenges, such as scheduling 130 buses for a railway replacement in 1996. He has worked across Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex, eventually settling at Chichester in 2011.

Even after moving into the commercial team, Andy has always been happy to step back behind the wheel when needed: “I still enjoy helping out on the road. Driving has always been at the heart of why I love this job.”

After 35 years, Andy has no plans to slow down. His career reflects both personal dedication and the evolution of the UK bus industry, from step-entry buses and paper schedules to accessible vehicles, real-time tracking, and passenger-focused technology.

He said: “Buses have always been about people, whether it’s the colleagues you work with or the passengers you carry. That hasn’t changed, and it’s what makes this job so rewarding.”