Orléans Express

[webfil]

Orléans Express is a interurban motorcoach company serving mostly communities along Saint Lawrence river in the province of Québec, although its services pointed once towards La Tuque, Thetford Mines and Percé, at maximum network extent.

If in 2012, an expanded schedule served several transit terminuses around Montréal, such as Cartier, Mortagne, Panama, Radisson and Terrebonne, lines' profitability has severly crashed and Cartier will remain the sole remnant of service to the suburbs as of February 14th 2016, by decision of the Commission des Transports du Québec.

CTQ had already authorized Orléans to abandon service its local service between Montréal and Québec (including La Tuque), as well as Thetford Mines and Percé in 2014 and Acadien services (an Orléans subsidiary) in 2012.

[TheAverageJoe]

NEW AGREEMENT BETWEEN KEOLIS CANADA AND PREVOST

Orléans Express Renews Fleet of Intercity Coaches

 

https://www.prevostcar.com/news-and-media/media-center/news/new-agreement-between-keolis-canada-and-prevost

[Swadian]

Glad to see that they have not gone for MCIs, Van Hools, or X3-45s.

[webfil]

Orléans Express is suspending all its departures except for 3 return trips between Québec and Montréal, and 1 between Québec and Rimouski.

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/regional/2021-01-27/trajets-d-orleans-express-suspendus/nos-regions-sont-encore-prises-en-otages.php

[Megabus Rider]

I heard Orleans put in a temporary application to operate between Ottawa and Montreal. I checked the Ontario Gazette and there is no Extra Provincial application besides the applications from the Flixbus Operators and Equinox Bus Lines.

[MCIBUS]

That temp application might just turn into a full time license.

[Rapidbus]

21 hours ago, MCIBUS said:

That temp application might just turn into a full time license.

Without Quebec Deregulating, I think it will be for the best. The Ottawa routes will fit in pretty well with Orleans Express's overall network

[brianc1981]

I am not sure what is happening but Rider Express is applying for routes into Ontario and Quebec, possibly to replace the greyhound runs that were cancelled

[anyfong]

Orleans will start Montreal-Ottawa-Gatineau trips this Thursday. Currently planned for 4 trips per day.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/orleans-express-resumes-daily-bus-trip-to-ottawa

[sdgta2008]

As much as I'm gratified to see a return to service between Ottawa/Gatineau and Montreal, I'm disappointed that municipalities like Cornwall and Brockville aren't taking advantage of the federal government's rural transit funding and lobbying for companies to be innovative like in southern and southwestern Ontario, and provide services to and from Ottawa.

[MCIBUS]

1 hour ago, sdgta2008 said:

As much as I'm gratified to see a return to service between Ottawa/Gatineau and Montreal, I'm disappointed that municipalities like Cornwall and Brockville aren't taking advantage of the federal government's rural transit funding and lobbying for companies to be innovative like in southern and southwestern Ontario, and provide services to and from Ottawa.

There was a commuter service between Ottawa & Cornwall, not sure if still running or not I think it was run by Delany(or something like that), but I think either Leduc or 417 took it over but not sure.

18 hours ago, anyfong said:

Orleans will start Montreal-Ottawa-Gatineau trips this Thursday. Currently planned for 4 trips per day.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/orleans-express-resumes-daily-bus-trip-to-ottawa

I'm just curious as to how many passengers get picked up from Gatineau? Not sure how many passengers Greyhound/Voyageur before Greyhound picked up from Gatineau? I can understand the routing Students from Ottawa U and the stop at VIA Rail. By the two stops on Albert & Metcalf/Bank it appears they will be using the Portage Bridge to get to Gatineau.

[Chris W]

10 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

There was a commuter service between Ottawa & Cornwall, not sure if still running or not I think it was run by Delany(or something like that), but I think either Leduc or 417 took it over but not sure.

You're referring to the Rural Partner route 515 that was taken over by 417 Bus Lines after they bought Delaney. As far as I know, those runs will be reinstated once the pandemic ends (if it ever ends). Here's the bus they normally used on it, bus 32-97 leaving Place du Portage on the afternoon commuter trip.

[sdgta2008]

45 minutes ago, Chris W said:

You're referring to the Rural Partner route 515 that was taken over by 417 Bus Lines after they bought Delaney. As far as I know, those runs will be reinstated once the pandemic ends (if it ever ends). Here's the bus they normally used on it, bus 32-97 leaving Place du Portage on the afternoon commuter trip.

These commuters runs were for the most part reserved for monthly pass holders (mainly workers commuting to and from Ottawa).  I hope with deregulation now in play, that 417 bus lines (or any other local bus line) will offer a more efficient service for medical appointments or leisure travel to Ottawa.

[MCIBUS]

I can't comment on the Cornwall runs but as it stands now this what Ottawa has(as I know of)

 

Ottawa-Sudbury/North Bay- Ontario North Land(not sure # runs)

Ottawa-Montreal-Orleans Express-2 trips either way, (not sure of days of the week)

Ottawa-Toronto-MegaBus, Rider Express & ONEX(new)-not sure of schedules for 3 carries.

 

[roeco]

2 hours ago, MCIBUS said:

I can't comment on the Cornwall runs but as it stands now this what Ottawa has(as I know of)

 

Ottawa-Sudbury/North Bay- Ontario North Land(not sure # runs)

Ottawa-Montreal-Orleans Express-2 trips either way, (not sure of days of the week)

Ottawa-Toronto-MegaBus, Rider Express & ONEX(new)-not sure of schedules for 3 carries.

 

who is onex

 

[MCIBUS]

It's a company out of Mississauga. It has buses & Limo's. There a thread on it in this section.

[MCIBUS]

I wonder how there first day went yesterday(Thursday)? Not even sure what there schedule is(Days) I know the times?

[sdgta2008]

38 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

I wonder how there first day went yesterday(Thursday)? Not even sure what there schedule is(Days) I know the times?

I believe it runs every day.  It was featured on CTV News Ottawa last night.  From what they said, it was a very good first day.

[sdgta2008]

Long shot question, but has anyone noticed the ridership levels so far of the new Ottawa-Montreal service?  I've seen some scheduled trips on the website that are almost sold out.

[MCIBUS]

According to the news segment on CJOH it steaded a full coach is 24 seats(for Montreal, not sure for Toronto), if that's the case, two things:

either they will adding an extra bus or more trips, in any case by it Orleans Express, Rider, Onex, Mega, or whom ever I say by Christmas we'll have several trips(4+/each way to both Montreal & Toronto). I can't comment on other cities, but For Ottawa-Montreal/Toronto I see that happening.

[sdgta2008]

55 minutes ago, MCIBUS said:

According to the news segment on CJOH it steaded a full coach is 24 seats(for Montreal, not sure for Toronto), if that's the case, two things:

either they will adding an extra bus or more trips, in any case by it Orleans Express, Rider, Onex, Mega, or whom ever I say by Christmas we'll have several trips(4+/each way to both Montreal & Toronto). I can't comment on other cities, but For Ottawa-Montreal/Toronto I see that happening.

That makes sense.  Both Rider and Onex are eyeing trips to Montreal from Ottawa.  I spoke to Onex yesterday and told them that Casselman and Cornwall seem to have been left out of new services to Ottawa so far.  They've seem receptive on exploring options for those areas.

[webfil]

Orléans is adding two new afternoon departures to their Ottawa service, one in each direction.

[sdgta2008]

2 hours ago, webfil said:

Orléans is adding two new afternoon departures to their Ottawa service, one in each direction.

That would likely explain why I saw an Orleans Express/Keolis G5 minibus on Highway 417 this morning…  nice bus though.

[Gerbil]

I tried out the Montreal-Ottawa service today, and I must say I was impressed. Unlike Via Rail (which is seating people next to each other now) and Megabus (which has a  $20 surcharge for a "socially distant seat"), Orléans Express is still putting one person per two seater. For my departure (7am MTL-OTT), they sent two buses: 6958 went took all the passengers going to the Ottawa Via Rail station, while 7062 did the other stops.

This felt much more like a premium service than Greyhound or Megabus. I took 7062, which seems to be a nearly brand new 2020 H3-45 equipped with leather seats and tables. They distributed a form we could choose to sign if we wanted to give our support to them for their bid to permanently operate the route. 

[Oc4526]

On 7/31/2021 at 9:44 PM, Gerbil said:

I tried out the Montreal-Ottawa service today, and I must say I was impressed. Unlike Via Rail (which is seating people next to each other now) and Megabus (which has a  $20 surcharge for a "socially distant seat"), Orléans Express is still putting one person per two seater. For my departure (7am MTL-OTT), they sent two buses: 6958 went took all the passengers going to the Ottawa Via Rail station, while 7062 did the other stops.

This felt much more like a premium service than Greyhound or Megabus. I took 7062, which seems to be a nearly brand new 2020 H3-45 equipped with leather seats and tables. They distributed a form we could choose to sign if we wanted to give our support to them for their bid to permanently operate the route. 

It seems Orlèans express as an agreement with the Sto (Gatineau trips) 

I this coach laying up at Terminus Les Promanades in Gatineau this evening. 


From what I saw . There’s 3 platforms dedicated for Orlèans Express.