FlixBus

[ns8401]

City leaders in Windsor are trying to get FLIX and the other bus companies currently curbside to come to the transit terminal. Concerns about shelter and wandering passengers among other things are a big reason the city is looking at making it happen.  They charge $50,000 per company per year to dock at the terminal. 
 

https://www.iheartradio.ca/am800/news/ward-3-councillor-wants-out-of-town-buses-to-use-windsor-s-bus-station-1.21543148

[roeco]

On 1/25/2024 at 2:02 PM, MCIBUS said:

I wish one of the providers be it Flex, Rider Express, Megabus, Ontario Northland, Book A Ride don't care which would go back to the Schedule Greyhound had and start a Ottawa-Toronto run at 6 or 7 Am and 2-3 hours during the day IE 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM, etc) and have a overnight exprees. It takes about 4 &1/2 to 5 hours(depending on weather & traffic conditions) to get to Toronto from Ottawa. That's the one thing I hate about how Coach service is between Ottawa & Toronto, not all providers from one location!!! and buying a ticket on line(why no place you get the ticket from a Ticket Agent?). Also why can. all providers end at Union Station instead of all over the GTA!!!

The way it is now if I where to go to Toronto again I.d rather spend rthe extra $$, buy a VIA Rail Ticket, have more leg room, buy a ticket from a ticket agent at the train station, buy a meal on the train, when catching the train at leat your in Heated/A/C station, drops you off at Union Station(not all over the place in the GTA/GOA like some of the providers do, like some Hitch Hiker on the street.), and has more convenient times to go and come back Toronto/Ottawa.

Rider has a pretty extensive Toronto to Ottawa schedule I could see them doing an overnight run from Ottawa to Toronto  in each direction to connect with Ontario Northland since they already have a working relationship with them in Winnipeg. 

[A. Wong]

Hello, a couple of posts were removed here due to inappropriate sharing of information. If you were an author of one of the posts and want the content, you can PM me or one of the admins directly. Thank you.

[ns8401]

FLIX May start a run from Toronto to Owen Sound soon:

https://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/news/local-news/intercity-transit-company-in-talks-to-extend-service-to-owen-sound/wcm/2ec90842-2080-46d4-ba6f-98a53e6eb011/amp/

[leylandvictory2]

flix (toronto branch) has hired Eastern bus line or somethng like that do some of its ottawa runs.

[MCIBUS]

On 1/28/2024 at 6:52 AM, dev161 said:

Keep an eye out in the near future for news on a new Bus “terminal” which is in the works, should be finalized in the next few months from what I heard when speaking with one of the carriers serving Ottawa. 
 

 

Any more news on this "possible new bus terminal"? If it does pan out to be true, I'm just wondering where it might be?

[FutureHeartsJunkie]

On 2/29/2024 at 6:05 PM, ns8401 said:

FLIX May start a run from Toronto to Owen Sound soon:

https://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/news/local-news/intercity-transit-company-in-talks-to-extend-service-to-owen-sound/wcm/2ec90842-2080-46d4-ba6f-98a53e6eb011/amp/

It would have been nice if FlixBUS were to offer some form of service to Collingwood and the Blue Mountain resort (all-year round).

If the Blue Mountain resort were to win a "bid" to host the Winter X-Games or even the Dew Tour, then it will definitely make spectators and athletes commutes - easier.

[ns8401]

FLIX will add a 4th trip from Detroit to Canada starting on April 19th this one ending in Ottawa. This is the second bus from Detroit that goes all the way to Ottawa. The bus arrives from Ottawa at 1210am and leaves Detroit for Ottawa at 1200pm. Like the others this is a Skyway run. 

[MCIBUS]

I'm surprised they added another run. I can't see that many riders going from Detroit to Ottawa? I'm guessing they are counting on having riders Between Toronto & Ottawa/ Ottawa & Toronto?

[Articulated]

On 3/6/2024 at 10:38 PM, leylandvictory2 said:

flix (toronto branch) has hired Eastern bus line or somethng like that do some of its ottawa runs.

Eastern Charter joined as a Flixbus contractor in late 2023. They operate some of the runs normally done by Gallexy Tours. In this capacity they replaced Coach Western, which jumped to newly-launched competitor OurBus operating the same Toronto-Ottawa route.

On 3/29/2024 at 8:51 AM, MCIBUS said:

I'm surprised they added another run. I can't see that many riders going from Detroit to Ottawa? I'm guessing they are counting on having riders Between Toronto & Ottawa/ Ottawa & Toronto?

They're not counting on through riders, and I suspect the majority of passengers are travelling to Toronto. But having Toronto as an intermediate stop on a through route (rather than two separate routes) means they can get away with scheduling shorter stops, squeezing more productivity out of the buses. There might also be some added attraction by people from the western GTA (Hamilton, Mississauga, etc.) having one-stop rides to Kingston/Ottawa.

[Rapidbus]

Like everyone suspected, 

Flix will begin service in Alberta starting this Friday

First routes seem to be Edmonton - Calgary 

Edmonton - Lethbridge and Lethbridge to Calgary

From the website the prices are extremely cheap and Lethbridge is served everyday except midweek

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/new-bus-routes-alberta-flixbus

 

 

On 3/29/2024 at 8:51 AM, MCIBUS said:

I'm surprised they added another run. I can't see that many riders going from Detroit to Ottawa? I'm guessing they are counting on having riders Between Toronto & Ottawa/ Ottawa & Toronto?

Det - Ottawa probably have three distinct ridership pair, Detroit - Toronto, connecting pax from Greyhound from Chicago/Cleveland/Wherever in the US, London - Toronto and Toronto - Ottawa. In addition you may have some turnover at the smaller city pairs

Interestingly, that route actually serves Highway 7 through Peterborough, ON and Pearson Airport, so you will get the airport traffic as well

[Lu Haobang]

Unlike Rider Express and Red Arrow/Ebus, this bus service has only 1 stop in Edmonton and 1 stop in Calgary. There is no option to get on/off in South Edmonton or North Calgary.  This makes it possible to cover the trip (allegedly, per their schedule) in only 3.5 hours.  The only Calgary stop is at Southcentre, about 12km south of downtown, definitely less convenient for those with a more central final destination. 

[ns8401]

FLIX is starting a route from Toronto to Sudbury terminating at the Ontario Northland Terminal. One bus each way making intermediate stops at:

Pearson International Airport

 Barrie

Waubaushene 

Port Severn

Parry Sound

Sudbury (The Four Corners)

 

This runs 6 days a week Wednesday thru Monday. Operated by…. Well it doesn’t actually say on the FLIX site this time. 
 

https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/bus-company-now-offering-service-from-sudbury-to-other-major-ontario-cities-1.6833801

[GTAmissions1]

1 hour ago, ns8401 said:

FLIX is starting a route from Toronto to Sudbury terminating at the Ontario Northland Terminal. One bus each way making intermediate stops at:

Pearson International Airport

 Barrie

Waubaushene 

Port Severn

Parry Sound

Sudbury (The Four Corners)

 

This runs 6 days a week Wednesday thru Monday. Operated by…. Well it doesn’t actually say on the FLIX site this time. 
 

https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/bus-company-now-offering-service-from-sudbury-to-other-major-ontario-cities-1.6833801

Looking at the itinerary, it will stop at Terminal 1 where the P4 column is for out of town buses located at Gate P. 

The stop in Barrie is at the Tim Hortons parking lot at 354 Bayfield Street. Though the big challenge is that the parking lot is pretty small and trying to turn left from Bayfield Street would be a complete nightmare. Unless they are going to change it to somewhere in the Bayfield Mall parking lot where it is more designed to handle larger vehicles. I think it will be a logistical nightmare trying to get a large vehicle out of a small parking lot. 

Most likely the reason why the downtown transit terminal wasn't chosen is because it is too far away from Highway 400 along with no available bus platforms. Go Transit and Ontario Northland already assigned platforms and Mary Street is unavailable because of buses on stand-by parked most of the time in case they need to cover a trip or two.

Since it would simply use the off-ramp on Bayfield Street, drop off passengers and then loop back onto Highway 400 to continue further north. 

Final comments:

Will be interesting how it works out. Especially since the trip is around 5 hours depending on traffic conditions. Especially when Ontario Northland does offer two trips that require a transfer in North Bay while three are direct trips to Sudbury without changing vehicles. Ontario Northland being more well known and a loyal clientele. 

Here are the departures noted below for Flixbus:

From Toronto Union Station: 8:30 PM arriving in Sudbury at 1:30 PM. 

From Sudbury Ontario Northland Terminal: 2:30 PM arriving at Toronto Union Station at around 7:30 PM

Also comparing prices. Flixbus charges $48 before the seat selection fee which would bump it up to $59. Ontario Northland charges around $91.02 including taxes for an adult ticket. 

At the same time, it is generating completion for the Toronto to Sudbury corridor. 

[Articulated]

7 hours ago, ns8401 said:

Operated by…. Well it doesn’t actually say on the FLIX site this time. 

Flixbus hasn't been great lately about announcing which of their contractors are operating which runs; I think one of the other recently-added trips (likely Detroit-Toronto) also did not list the contractor. But photos that I have seen show a Gallexy Tours bus in Sudbury, so it's likely them running it.

In general in Ontario, it seems to be Gallexy Tours getting the daytime round trips starting/ending in Toronto, with Eastern Charter providing extra capacity on Toronto-Ottawa. Skyway Coach Lines does all of the cross-border, overnight, and trips operating through Toronto (i.e. Detroit-Toronto-Ottawa). McCoy Bus Service based in Kingston does a single Kingston-Pearson Airport daily round trip.

[Lu Haobang]

11 hours ago, ns8401 said:

FLIX is starting a route from Toronto to Sudbury terminating at the Ontario Northland Terminal. One bus each way making intermediate stops at:

Pearson International Airport

 Barrie

Waubaushene 

Port Severn

Parry Sound

Sudbury (The Four Corners)

 

This runs 6 days a week Wednesday thru Monday. Operated by…. Well it doesn’t actually say on the FLIX site this time. 
 

https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/bus-company-now-offering-service-from-sudbury-to-other-major-ontario-cities-1.6833801

The Pearson Airport stop is a nice option.  YSB is a long cab ride from Sudbury proper; this is cheaper, and still gets you to YYZ in time to catch a red eye flight to somewhere.  It would be red eyes in both directions though, since the return bus to Sudbury leaves at 9:05 AM. 

Also a good option for those travelling to downtown Toronto; ONTC's 2:00 PM bus terminates at Yorkdale, not Union Station.

 

[roeco]

I wonder how itll work with Flix stopping at ONTC Sudbury terminal, I assume its on the street beside it as I doubt ONTC would let Flix compete against them and stop at their terminal. Unless they plan on stopping at the mall beside the terminal.

[Lu Haobang]

11 hours ago, roeco said:

I wonder how itll work with Flix stopping at ONTC Sudbury terminal, I assume its on the street beside it as I doubt ONTC would let Flix compete against them and stop at their terminal. Unless they plan on stopping at the mall beside the terminal.

It's at the terminal, not streetside.  Greyhound also used this terminal from 2016-2020.

[roeco]

On 4/8/2024 at 10:08 AM, Lu Haobang said:

It's at the terminal, not streetside.  Greyhound also used this terminal from 2016-2020.

Greyhound and ONTC were also interline partners, and Greyhound did not directly compete on the exact same run. 

I did read somewhere that Flix wants to connect BC to Alberta within a year or two...Well thats not gonna be as easy as they think as bc is still regulated, so should be interesting to watch.

Edited April 11 by roeco
change

[ns8401]

2 hours ago, roeco said:

Greyhound and ONTC were also interline partners, and Greyhound did not directly compete on the exact same run. 

I did read somewhere that Flix wants to connect BC to Alberta within a year or two...Well thats not gonna be as easy as they think as bc is still regulated, so should be interesting to watch.

I wonder if FLIX will get ONTC on board at some point as an interline partner the way they’ve done with the interline carriers in the US?

[Rapidbus]

On 4/10/2024 at 9:44 PM, roeco said:

Greyhound and ONTC were also interline partners, and Greyhound did not directly compete on the exact same run. 

I did read somewhere that Flix wants to connect BC to Alberta within a year or two...Well thats not gonna be as easy as they think as bc is still regulated, so should be interesting to watch.

Towards the end around 2014-5 or so, GLC and ONTC no longer interlined, and you can no longer grab a ticket on ONTC directly from Greyhound.ca. Most likely had something to do with ONTC beginning the Ottawa - Sudbury route

GLC wasn’t allowed to compete with ONTC due to regulations, but in Northern ON, ONTC can start any routes 

[roeco]

On 4/10/2024 at 10:02 PM, ns8401 said:

I wonder if FLIX will get ONTC on board at some point as an interline partner the way they’ve done with the interline carriers in the US?

what they need is Rider Express to get onboard  in the West as right now their the only ones who cover Winnipeg to Vancouver and have operating authority in BC to operate into Alberta.And Ontario Northland in the East, As Rider Express  have a working relationship with ONTC in Winnipeg.