Stagecoach expands megabus.com North American network to Texas
31 May 2012
- Budget coach services to run out of Dallas, Houston and San Antonio
- Links to locations in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana
- Network now covers over 80 destinations in United States and Canada
- Expanding low-cost coach service has created around 600 jobs
Stagecoach Group announced today (31 May 2012) that it is expanding the North American network run by its market-leading budget coach operator megabus.com to the major state of Texas.
Services will start running from 19 June out of Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, the state’s three biggest cities with a combined population of around 4.6 million people
Residents will be able to travel to five cities: Austin, Texas; Norman, Oklahoma; Memphis, Tennessee; Little Rock, Arkansas; and New Orleans, Louisiana.
The new routes will be operated using a $17.5 million fleet of 25 new state-of-the-art double-decker coaches. The environmentally-friendly vehicles have seatbelts, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and restrooms. They are also equipped with GPS technology and a host of advanced safety features.
Bookings for the new services are being accepted from today at www.megabus.com. During the first week of sales, all tickets for the new routes will be no more than $1 and the company is also offering 10,000 free seats.
Texas is the second biggest state in the United States in terms of population. The latest expansion brings the number of locations in North America covered by the successful budget coach brand to more than 80.
Around 600 new jobs have been created by megabus.com throughout the United States and Canada. It has expanded rapidly to service new cities, attracting more than 18 million passengers in the past six years.
The new Texas routes will initially be operated under contract by Coach America. It also runs the megabus.com hub in Atlanta, Georgia, which serves 11 cities in the states of Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida.
Stagecoach announced earlier this month that it had agreed a deal to acquire a number of businesses and assets from Coach America, subject to court and regulatory approval. These businesses include Coach America operations in San Antonio, Dallas and Atlanta. Stagecoach intends to operate the megabus.com services in these locations directly in due course.
The Coach America deal, which is expected to be completed within three months, also includes businesses in Sacramento and Anaheim, California. It will provide depot infrastructure to expand the megabus.com network to the Golden State. California is the biggest state in the United States with a population of more than 37 million people.
Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, Sir Brian Souter, said: "megabus.com has sparked a revival in inter-city coach travel in the United States, particularly in the current climate with rising fuel prices and stretched household incomes.
"The roll-out of megabus.com's successful package of low fares and high quality service to Texas will give us access to one of the biggest potential markets in North America. We look forward to extending our geographic footprint further as we deliver on our growth strategy for the brand."
megabus.com, which offers fares from $1, is one of the largest intercity express bus service providers in North America and its other hubs are located in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C. and Toronto.
Visit www.megabus.com for additional information about service, schedules, arrival and departure times and fares.
ENDS
For media enquiries, please contact: Stagecoach Group Communications on 01738 442111 or email media@stagecoachgroup.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
Stagecoach Group
- Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 35,000 people and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
- Stagecoach operates around 1,900 buses and coaches in North America, where it runs inter-city coaches, commuter and transit services, as well as tours, charters, sightseeing tours and a small number of school bus services.
megabus.com
- Budget coach service megabus.com first launched in North America in 2006 and the brand now links more than 80 key locations in the United States and Canada.
- For the latest news and travel deals, follow megabus.com on Twitter at @megabus and Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/megabus.com.officialpage.
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