Megabus.com invests $10.5m in new double-decker coaches as part of North America expansion plans

22 Jan 2014

  • Order for 15 state-of-the-art greener coaches from manufacturer Van Hool
  • 10 million passengers a year travelling on network covering 120 locations
  • Recent study highlights continued growth in low-cost inter-city bus sector

Stagecoach Group today (22 January 2014) announced a $10.5 million investment in new double-decker coaches for its growing megabus.com network in North America.

A fleet of 15 Van Hool TD 925 vehicles is expected to enter service within the next six months as the market-leading brand plans further expansion in 2014.

Megabus.com, which has created more than 1,000 new jobs over the past seven years, now operates in more than 30 states in the United States and two provinces in Canada, serving more than 120 destinations.

Around 10 million customers travel on more than 200,000 trips with megabus.com every year, with more than 50% of passengers previously driving by car.

Stagecoach Group reported last month that revenue from its megabus.com operations in North America increased by more than 20% in the six months ended 31 October 2013 and further expansion is planned in the next 12 months.

Customers already benefit from the most modern fleet of double-decker buses in North America.  The new 81-seat, green-certified and wheelchair accessible double-decker buses will be equipped with free Wi-Fi, power outlets, seat belts and toilets.

Dale Moser, President and Chief Operating Office of megabus.com, said: "megabus.com has transformed inter-city bus travel in North America. We believe there is a huge opportunity to encourage people to leave their car keys at home and take the bus to get to work, make a business trip, travel with friends or go on a vacation.

"These new state-of-the-art coaches are part of our exciting expansion plans for 2014 and will help bring safe, high-quality and affordable to travel to more people in North America."

The investment comes as independent research has revealed travellers in the United States saved $1.1 billion last year by taking megabus.com and other discount inter-city bus operators rather than the train or plane.

Research by the DePaul University Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development in Chicago found bus passengers saved 52% compared with trips by rail on the same route, while they paid 79% less than people who chose to fly to their destination.

The report, entitled Motoring into the Mainstream1, calculated that inter-city bus users paid an average of 38% less than motorists, with the savings exceeding 50% when the full costs of owning a car were taken into account.

Previous studies by the transportation institute have found that the launch of megabus.com in the United States in 2006 sparked a renaissance in inter-city bus travel after decades of decline.

Earlier this month, megabus.com received the American Bus Association's (ABA) 2014 Green Operator Award. The award was in recognition of megabus.com's commitment to eco-driving, the use of anti-idling techniques when the bus is not in use, recycling of oil and other engine fluids, and overall business practices that promote sustainability and environmental awareness.

megabus.com's double-decker coaches achieve 305 passenger miles per gallon of fuel. Two double-decker coaches transport nearly as many passengers as three standard coaches, reducing carbon emissions and fuel use.

The coaches on order will have a range of specialist safety features, linked to the company's 24/7 monitoring centre. megabus.com in North America has been recognised for its best-in-class safety standards and earlier this month become the first motor carrier to receive approval by the Transportation Safety Exchange (TSX) for all of its operations.TSX - based in Fairfax, Virginia - is an independent safety rating organization that provides assessments of more than 300,000 passenger and freight carriers.

ENDS

For further information, please contact Stagecoach Group Communications on 01738 442111 or email media@stagecoachgroup.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

1The full study is online at http://las.depaul.edu/chaddick/docs/Docs/MotoringIntoTheMainstream.pdf

Stagecoach Group

  • Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The Group employs around 36,000 people, and operates bus, coach, train, and tram services.
  • Stagecoach is one of the UK's biggest bus and coach operators with around 8,000 buses and coaches. Around 2.5 million passengers travel on Stagecoach's buses every day on a network stretching from south-west England to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The Group's business includes major city bus operations in London, Liverpool, Newcastle, Hull, Manchester, Oxford, Sheffield and Cambridge. Low-cost coach service, megabus.com, operates between around 60 towns and cities across the UK.
  • Stagecoach is a major UK rail operator, running the South West Trains, Island Line and East Midlands Trains networks. It has a 49% shareholding in Virgin Rail Group, which operates the West Coast rail franchise.
  • Stagecoach also operates the Supertram light rail network in Sheffield.
  • In North America, Stagecoach operates around 2,600 buses and coaches in the United States and Canada. Megabus.com links around 120 key locations in North America. Stagecoach is also involved in operating commuter and transit services, contracted bus services, charters, sightseeing tours and a small number of school bus services.

Megabus.com

  • Megabus.com high-resolution and broadcast-quality content for download:
  • Megabus.com B-roll: http://bit.ly/y6yePs
  • Megabus.com photos: http://bit.ly/eTPSDl
  • Additional safety information about megabus.com can be found in the video here: http://youtu.be/lUOa48278mM
  • Visit www.megabus.com for fares, destinations and booking.
  • For the latest news and travel deals, follow megabus.com on Twitter at @megabus and Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/megabus.com.officialpage
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