A NEW director will soon be in charge of Stagecoach buses in Oxfordshire.

Stagecoach has announced the appointment of the former Manchester Metrolink managing director Chris Coleman.

He will take on his new role of managing director of Stagecoach in Oxfordshire in September.

Mr Coleman’s appointment follows the retirement of Martin Sutton, who was MD since 2004 and enjoyed a 46-year career in the bus industry.

Mr Coleman said: “This is an exciting new challenge for me and I am really looking forward to working with the team in Oxford.

“It’s a fantastic city with a great bus network and I look forward to building on the work that has already been done, along with our partners, to deliver even better services for our customers.”

Mr Coleman began his career in British Rail in 1987 and progressed from frontline positions through to senior management roles in Virgin Trains. This included the role of regional director on the west coast before being appointed general manager for Stagecoach Group’s light rail interests in 2010.

Stagecoach in Oxfordshire carries about 19million passengers a year on its local bus network and Oxford Tube coach services. The company employs more than 500 people.