Stagecoach West's boss, Rachel Geliamassi, has announced that she's leaving for a new adventure on the railway.

Rachel, who is also an advisory board member for the Kent-based publication Intelligent Transport, made the announcement to Gloucestershire's business community on Tuesday, signalling a new challenge as GWR's Customer Service Director.

Ms Geliamassi said: "My bus journey comes to a fabulous end. Buses have officially been a part of my life for 16 years. Unofficially, for 42 years, because my Dad was a Stagecoach bus driver and my Mum a conductress, turned 'engineering trimmer'. So everything has been about buses, forever!"

Acknowledging 16 years packed with "proud moments", she added she was proud to have completed a graduate management program, learnt to drive a bus and worked all around the UK, from the Midlands, to Scotland, the South, the North and then landing in West 10 years ago.

She added: "Achieving my Managing Director role is another proud moment and it gave me the gift of leading the finest team of bus professionals in the UK."

She also reflected on the speed with which Satgecoach West had progressed on wellbeing and support, indocating that the sector needed to embrace such progress at a quicker pace.

She said: "Seeing and playing a small part in supporting so many of my team members flourish into industry stars, has to be one of the greatest gifts of a leadership role. I've had bucket loads of those moments...and you all know who you are!"

Looking ahead to her new role with GWR, she thanked Mark Hopwood, ceo of GWR, for the new opportunity.

"Knowing that it's a big world out there, now starts my new exciting chapter from buses to trains... similar in terms of connecting people to where they want to go, sustainably, and striving for it to be an excellent experience," she said.

● The date of Rachel's departure and any indication of who will replace her in the MD's chair remains as yet unknown.