Megabus (North America): Difference between revisions

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*Service began on April 10, 2006 with a hub in Chicago. Passengers were able to book on the website starting on March 23, 2006. <ref name="megabususa1">[http://www.megabus.com/us/press_releases.php?pid=4 Low-cost, Daily, Express, Non-stop Bus Service for as low as $1.00 begins in Chicago April 10th (Mar 23, 2006) ], megabus.com, retrieved on 2009-07-27</ref> The Chicago hub consisted of the following daily departures to: Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis, Ann Arbor, Columbus, Louisville, Toledo, Detroit, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and State College, PA. State College was dropped and was later added to the New York hub.
*Service began on April 10, 2006 with a hub in Chicago. Passengers were able to book on the website starting on March 23, 2006. <ref name="megabususa1">[http://www.megabus.com/us/press_releases.php?pid=4 Low-cost, Daily, Express, Non-stop Bus Service for as low as $1.00 begins in Chicago April 10th (Mar 23, 2006) ], megabus.com, retrieved on 2009-07-27</ref> The Chicago hub consisted of the following daily departures to: Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis, Ann Arbor, Columbus, Louisville, Toledo, Detroit, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and State College, PA. State College was dropped and was later added to the New York hub.


*The Los Angeles hub began on August 8, 2007. Destinations from the hub includes: Phoenix, Tempe, Las Vegas, San Diego, and San Francisco via either San Jose and Millbrae, or Oakland. The last day for services from Los Angeles was June 22, 2008 due to low ridership.
*The Los Angeles hub began on August 8, 2007. Destinations from the hub included: Phoenix, Tempe, Las Vegas, San Diego, and San Francisco via either San Jose and Millbrae, or Oakland. The last day for services from Los Angeles was June 22, 2008 due to low ridership.


*Service for the New York hub started on May 30, 2008. Destinations from New York includes: Atlantic City (Contracted out to Academy Bus Lines), Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo (including Airport) , Philadelphia, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. Service was then expanded to Binghamton, Syracuse, Rochester, Hartford, and Niagara Falls, ON. Binghamton, Hartford and Niagara Falls were dropped due to low ridership.
*Service for the New York hub started on May 30, 2008.<ref> [http://www.stagecoachgroup.com/scg/media/press/pr2008/2008-03-25/], megabus.com launches new East Coast routes in major expansion of United States budget network</ref> Destinations from New York includes: Atlantic City (Contracted out to Academy Bus Lines), Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo (including Airport) , Philadelphia, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. Service was then expanded to Binghamton, Syracuse, Rochester, Hartford, and Niagara Falls, ON. Binghamton, Hartford and Niagara Falls were dropped due to low ridership. Niagara Falls was later added to the Toronto hub.


*On August 12, 2009 Megabus started a new hub in Toronto. Prior to this expansion, in 2007 Coach Canada had already began to offer "$10 seat sale" to Montreal. In addition to destinations to Buffalo (including Airport), Rochester, Syracuse and New York, Montreal was added and Coach Canada purchased 15 Van Hool TD925 coaches to facilitate the new hub. A year later Coach Canada repainted some of their MCI J4500s into Megabus' livery and began destinations to St. Catherines and Nigara Falls. The MCI J4500s are also used for destinations to Philadelphia and Washington D.C. when those cities became hubs.
*On August 12, 2009 Megabus started a new hub in Toronto.<ref> [http://ca.megabus.com/stagecoachLaunchesMegabusinCanada.aspx], Stagecoach Launches megabus.com in Canada </ref> Prior to this expansion, in 2007 Coach Canada had already began to offer "$10 seat sale" to Montreal. In addition to destinations to Buffalo (including Airport), Rochester, Syracuse and New York, Montreal was added and Coach Canada purchased 15 Van Hool TD925 coaches to facilitate the new hub. A year later Coach Canada repainted some of their MCI J4500s into Megabus' livery and began destinations to St. Catherines and Nigara Falls. The MCI J4500s are also used for destinations to Philadelphia and Washington D.C. when those cities became hubs.


*On July 21, 2010 Philadelphia became a hub. Destinations includes: Harrisburg, State College, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo (including Airport), Syracuse, Toronto and Washington, D.C. Atlantic City was dropped due to low ridership and possibly fierce competition with NJ Transit and Greyhound's LuckyStreak service.
*On July 21, 2010 Philadelphia became a hub.<ref> [http://us.megabus.com/newroutestwo.aspx], Megabus.com Expands Philadelphia Service to and from Nine Northeast Cities</ref> Destinations includes: Harrisburg, State College, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo (including Airport), Syracuse, Toronto and Washington, D.C. Atlantic City was dropped due to low ridership and possibly fierce competition with NJ Transit and Greyhound's LuckyStreak service. Atlantic City still remains on the New York hub.


*On December 15, 2010 Washington D.C. became a hub. Destinations includes: Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo (including Airport), Charlotte, Christiansburg, Durham, Hampton, Harrisburg, Knoxville, New York, Pittsburgh, Richmond and Toronto.
*On December 15, 2010 Washington D.C. became a hub.<ref> [http://us.megabus.com/washingtonhub.aspx], Megabus Expands Washington DC Service to and from 11 Cities </ref> Destinations includes: Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo (including Airport), Charlotte, Christiansburg, Durham, Hampton, Harrisburg, Knoxville, New York, Pittsburgh, Richmond and Toronto.


   
   

Revision as of 17:05, 6 February 2011

Megabus is a low cost inter-city bus service from Stagecoach Group. The service originated in the United Kingdom and is operated by Stagecoach Group. Services started up a few years later in Canada and the United states where the service is operated by Stagecoach Group subsidiaries Coach USA and Coach Canada.

History

  • Service began on April 10, 2006 with a hub in Chicago. Passengers were able to book on the website starting on March 23, 2006. [1] The Chicago hub consisted of the following daily departures to: Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis, Ann Arbor, Columbus, Louisville, Toledo, Detroit, Kansas City, Minneapolis, and State College, PA. State College was dropped and was later added to the New York hub.
  • The Los Angeles hub began on August 8, 2007. Destinations from the hub included: Phoenix, Tempe, Las Vegas, San Diego, and San Francisco via either San Jose and Millbrae, or Oakland. The last day for services from Los Angeles was June 22, 2008 due to low ridership.
  • Service for the New York hub started on May 30, 2008.[2] Destinations from New York includes: Atlantic City (Contracted out to Academy Bus Lines), Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo (including Airport) , Philadelphia, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. Service was then expanded to Binghamton, Syracuse, Rochester, Hartford, and Niagara Falls, ON. Binghamton, Hartford and Niagara Falls were dropped due to low ridership. Niagara Falls was later added to the Toronto hub.
  • On August 12, 2009 Megabus started a new hub in Toronto.[3] Prior to this expansion, in 2007 Coach Canada had already began to offer "$10 seat sale" to Montreal. In addition to destinations to Buffalo (including Airport), Rochester, Syracuse and New York, Montreal was added and Coach Canada purchased 15 Van Hool TD925 coaches to facilitate the new hub. A year later Coach Canada repainted some of their MCI J4500s into Megabus' livery and began destinations to St. Catherines and Nigara Falls. The MCI J4500s are also used for destinations to Philadelphia and Washington D.C. when those cities became hubs.
  • On July 21, 2010 Philadelphia became a hub.[4] Destinations includes: Harrisburg, State College, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo (including Airport), Syracuse, Toronto and Washington, D.C. Atlantic City was dropped due to low ridership and possibly fierce competition with NJ Transit and Greyhound's LuckyStreak service. Atlantic City still remains on the New York hub.
  • On December 15, 2010 Washington D.C. became a hub.[5] Destinations includes: Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo (including Airport), Charlotte, Christiansburg, Durham, Hampton, Harrisburg, Knoxville, New York, Pittsburgh, Richmond and Toronto.


Service Overview

Megabus offers trips at a cost as low as $1 USD with a 50 cent booking fee. Booking is done through the internet, and the earlier the trip is booked, the lower the price.[1]

Fleet

Active

Fleet Number(s) Thumbnail Year Manufacturer Model Engine Transmission Notes
MCI 102EL3
2007 MCI J4500 8 units of 15 unit Coach USA order[6]
58--- 2008 MCI D4505
DD001-DD017 Megabus DD005-a.jpg 2007 Van Hool TD925 Cummins ISM Allison B500R 17 units [7]
DD018-DD113 Megabus DD030-a.jpg 2008-2009 Van Hool TD925 Cummins ISM ZF AS Tronic? 96 units[8]
SD--- 2010 Van Hool C2045E Cummins ISM ZF AS Tronic?

Incidents

  • At around 04:00 Thursday, December 10, 2009, a TD925 overturned on its side on the New York Thruway at Exit 49, near Buffalo. The coach was was doing a run from New York to Toronto during high winds and a snowstorm. 12 people were injured in the accident and eight of the injured were taken to hospital.[9]
  • At around 07:15 Sunday, December 20, 2009, a TD925 slid of the Interstate 90 in Le Roy, New York, outside Buffalo. The New York to Toronto coach was carying 40 passengers at the time. None suffered any serious injuries.[10]
  • At around 02:30 Saturday, September 11, 2010, a TD925 (number DD090) traveling from Philadelphia to Toronto hit a low railway bridge on the Onondaga Lake Parkway is Salina, New York. The top front section of the coach was crushed around a third of the length back. The coach turned partially on its side and the front doorside corner slammed into the bridge support. Of the 28 passengers onboard, 25 were taken to hospital. Four passengers were killed in the crash. It is reported that the driver missed the turn-off of the Interstate for the scheduled stop at the Regional Transportation Centre in Syracuse.[11][12]

Canada

In 2007 Coach Canada began operating certain Toronto-Kingston-Montreal runs in the fashion of Megabus. Booking was done online and fares were advertised as sarting from $10 CAD and $1 CAD during the winter. As of mid July 2009, Megabus Van Hools have been spotted running between Toronto and Montreal.[13] Megabus was officially launched on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 with a media event on King Street West in Toronto, Ontario.[14]

Fleet

Active

Fleet number(s) Thumbnail Year Manufacturer Model Engine Transmission Notes
DD42450-DD42464 File:Megabus dd42456-a.jpg 2009 Van Hool TD925 Cummins ISM ZF AS Tronic
53462, 53467 Coach Canada 53462-a.jpg 2005 MCI J4500 Detroit Diesel Series 60 ZF AS Tronic Transfered from Coach Canada; used on Niagara runs

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Low-cost, Daily, Express, Non-stop Bus Service for as low as $1.00 begins in Chicago April 10th (Mar 23, 2006) , megabus.com, retrieved on 2009-07-27
  2. ↑ [1], megabus.com launches new East Coast routes in major expansion of United States budget network
  3. ↑ [2], Stagecoach Launches megabus.com in Canada
  4. ↑ [3], Megabus.com Expands Philadelphia Service to and from Nine Northeast Cities
  5. ↑ [4], Megabus Expands Washington DC Service to and from 11 Cities
  6. ↑ Coach USA takes delivery of 15 new 2007 MCI® J4500 coaches, Megabus.com gets eight, mcicoach.com, retrieved on 2009-07-28
  7. ↑ MEGABUS.COM INVESTS $10 MILLION IN AMERICA’S FIRST INTER-CITY DOUBLE DECKER COACHES, megabus.com, retrieved on 2009-07-27
  8. ↑ Demand for low-cost travel spurs $60 million bus purchase, megabus.com, retrieved on 2009-07-27
  9. ↑ Toronto-bound bus accident injures 12, cbc.ca, retrieved on 2010-09-12
  10. ↑ 2nd accident involving Toronto-bound Megabus, cbc.ca, retrieved on 2010-09-12
  11. ↑ Bus crash kills 4 in northern New York, cnn.com, retrieved on 2010-09-12
  12. ↑ Canadians not among 4 killed in bus crash, theglobeandmail.com, retrieved on 2010-09-12
  13. ↑ Megabus US/Canada, cptdb.ca, retrieved on 2009-07-27
  14. ↑ [5], toronto.ca, retrieved on 2009-08-11
  • Personnal Notes
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