Megabus (North America)
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| USDOT# | MC/MX # | Full Legal Name |
|---|---|---|
| 50611 | MC-115432 | MEGABUS SOUTHWEST LLC operated by Kerrville Bus Company |
| 1759030 | MC-643228 | MEGABUS NORTHEAST LLC operated by Coach USA of Elizabeth, NJ |
| 523524 | MC-263222 | MEGABUS SOUTHEAST LLC |
| 352751 | MC-218583 | MEGABUSCOM operated by All West Coachlines |
| 2218149 | MC-153635 | Keeshin Tour & Travel, LLC |
Megabus is the brand of a low cost inter-city bus service from Stagecoach Group. The brand originated in the United Kingdom and started up a few years later in the United States, followed later by Canada, where services are operated by Stagecoach Group subsidiaries Coach USA and Coach Canada.
Megabus' legal business names in North America are Megabus USA LLC, Megabus Northeast LLC, Megabus Southeast LLC, Megabus Southwest LLC, and Megabus West LLC. These operating businesses conduct business as megabus.com.[1]. In addition, Academy Express LLC & Academy Lines LLC, and DATTCO, Inc. are non-Stagecoach Group companies that are permitted to use the Megabus.com name on their services that operate as Megabus branded routes.
With the bankruptcy of Coach USA in 2024, Megabus began selling off much of its familiar fleet of Van Hool TDX double decker buses, but still vowed to continue operating during its bankruptcy.
History
- Service was introduced in the United States on Monday, April 10, 2006, with their first hub located in Chicago, IL.[2] Passengers were able to book on the Megabus website starting on March 22, 2006. The Chicago hub is comprised of daily departures to: Milwaukee, WI; Indianapolis, IN; Cincinnati, OH; Cleveland, OH; St. Louis, MO; Ann Arbor, MI; Columbus, OH; Louisville, KY; Toledo, OH; Detroit, MI; Kansas City, MO; Minneapolis, MN; and State College, PA. The State College stop was dropped, but returned later as a destination from the New York City hub.
- 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 starting from $10 CAD and $1 CAD during the winter.
- The Los Angeles, CA hub began on Wednesday, August 8, 2007.[3] Destinations from the hub included: Phoenix, AZ; Tempe, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; San Diego, CA; and San Francisco, CA; via either San Jose, CA and Millbrae, CA or Oakland, CA. Service ceased on Sunday, June 22, 2008 due to low ridership, but was modified service was reinstated on Wednesday, December 12, 2012.
- Service for the New York hub started on Friday, May 30, 2008.[4] Destinations from New York includes: Atlantic City (Contracted out to Academy Bus Lines[5]), 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.
- As of mid-July 2009, Megabus Van Hools were spotted running between Toronto and Montreal.[6] Megabus was officially launched on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 with a media event on King Street West in Toronto, Ontario.[7] Later, Trentway-Wagar bus line-run services were folded in, under the Megabus brand. Cities included Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Grimsby, and also included added service to Buffalo and the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, with Canadian Megabus service using the airport as an outbound terminus from Toronto.
- On Wednesday, July 21, 2010, Philadelphia became a hub.[8] 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 Wednesday, December 15, 2010, Washington D.C. became a hub.[9] Destinations includes: Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo (including Airport), Charlotte, Christiansburg, Durham, Hampton, Harrisburg, Knoxville, New York, Pittsburgh, Richmond and Toronto.
- On Thursday, August 4, 2011, service began from Omaha, Nebraska.[10] Omaha residents can now travel to Chicago, Des Moines, Iowa; and Iowa City, Iowa, for as low as $1.
- On Tuesday, October 25, 2011, Atlanta was announced as the seventh hub, with service to begin November 16, 2011. [11]Passengers originating in Atlanta could now travel to 11 cities: Birmingham, Ala.; Charlotte, N.C.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Gainesville, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Memphis, Tenn.; Mobile, Ala.; Montgomery, Ala.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Orlando, Fla.
- On Thursday, May 31, 2012, Texas was announced to be a new hub, with service from Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio to Austin, TX; Norman, Okla.; Memphis, Tenn.; Little Rock, Ark.; and New Orleans, La. Service began on June 16.[12]
- On Wednesday, December 12, 2012 (as mentioned above), California service was reintroduced with service from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Oakland, Calif., Riverside, Calif., Las Vegas, Sparks/Reno, Nev., Sacramento, Calif., and San Jose, Calif.
- On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, Coach USA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the state of Delaware, leaving the future of the company in doubt.
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.[13]
- At around 07:15 Sunday, December 20, 2009, a TD925 slid off the Interstate 90 in Le Roy, New York, outside Buffalo. The New York to Toronto coach was carrying 40 passengers at the time. None suffered any serious injuries.[14]
- At around 02:30 Saturday, September 11, 2010, a TD925 (number DD090) travelling from Philadelphia to Toronto hit a low railway bridge on the Onondaga Lake Parkway in 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 William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center in Syracuse.[15][16]
- Thursday, August 2, 2012, a TD925 (number DD478) travelling from St. Louis to Chicago crashed into a concrete pillar on Interstate 55 in Montgomery County, Illinois. One female passenger was killed and 35 were injured.[17]
- On the afternoon Wednesday, August 8, 2012, a TD925 (number DD540) travelling from Atlanta to Charlotte blew a tire and caught fire on Interstate 85 near the South Carolina border. The coach was carrying about 80 passengers at the time. [18]
- Monday, June 30, 2014, a TD925 (number DD030) caught fire due to a tire blowout on the New York State Thruway, near Portland, NY. All passengers were able to evacuate the vehicle before it was engulfed in flames. The bus was reported to be heading to Buffalo from Cinncinati, Ohio.[19]
- Saturday, December 20, 2014, a Megabus flipped onto its side in slick conditions Saturday near Seymour, Ind., sending 26 passengers to the hospital.Indiana State Police said 68 passengers were on the double-decker bus, bound for Louisville, Ky., then Nashville, TN on route M9, when it flipped over on Interstate 65, near the mile-marker 55 just north of Seymour. Rescue crews responded to the scene at around 5:30 a.m., police said. The bus driver, Christopher Kelley, 50, of Olympia Fields, Ill., lost control of the bus while moving into the right lane of the highway.[20]
- Sunday, May 22, 2022, a Megabus traveling on Interstate 95 near Baltimore, MD on a trip from New York City to Washington, DC. 27 of 47 passengers were injured.[21]
- On Tuesday, August 9, 2022, a Megabus TD925 en route to Philadelphia from New York overturned at an entrance ramp to a service area on the New Jersey Turnpike. Two people aboard the bus died from their injuries, and about a dozen aboard the bus were hurt, including the driver.[22]
Service overview
Megabus operates schedules on the yield-management format. This summarizes that particular trips may operate at a reduced fare early into the times the seats are offered, in hopes of allowing passengers to choose trips earlier, at a lower price, than waiting until the last minute and purchasing the seat at the regular or increased fare.
In most cases, seats are offered as low as $1 (USD) with a 50 cent booking fee added. All seats are also booked through the internet, on Megabus' website.
Cities served
See Routes of Megabus (North America) for details on routes served.
United States fleet
All-time Roster
Note: Fleet numbers are mainly based on observations.
| Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Hub(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD221, SD233, SD234 | 2010 | Van Hool | C2045E | Cummins ISM | Allison B500R | Philadelphia Washington, D.C. |
||
| 822 | 1999 | MCI | 102-EL3 | New York City |
| |||
| 941 | 1998 | MCI | 102-EL3 | New York City |
| |||
| SD956, SD957 | 20?? | Van Hool | C2045E | Cummins ISM | Allison B500R | New York City | ||
| SD1576 | MCI | J4500 | ZF AS Tronic | Washington, D.C. | ||||
| 4944, 21050, 75941 | MCI | 102-EL3 | Chicago | |||||
| 27681 | Chicago | |||||||
| 29026, 29030, 29045, 29054 | 2006 | MCI | 102-EL3 | Chicago | ||||
| SD41280 | MCI | J4500 | Detroit Diesel Series 60 EGR | Allison B500R | Philadelphia | |||
| 44943 | MCI | J4500 | Chicago | |||||
| SD45--- | 2010 | Van Hool | C2045E | Cummins ISM | Allison B500R | |||
| 47543, 47544 | Van Hool | C2045E | Cummins ISM | Allison B500R | Chicago | |||
| 51104 | 1997 | MCI | 102-DL3 | New York City |
| |||
| 57969, 58266, 58279, 58304, 58306, 58332 | 2008 | MCI | D4505 | Caterpillar C13 | ZF AS Tronic | New York City | ||
| 58500-58539 | 2008 | MCI | D4505 | Caterpillar C13 | Allison B500R | New York City | ||
| 61400, 61402-61410 | 2007 | MCI | J4500 | Caterpillar C13 | Los Angeles |
| ||
| SD63533 | MCI | J4500 | Washington, D.C. | |||||
| SD64159 | MCI | J4500 | ||||||
| 64182-64186, 64188, 64189 | MCI | J4500 | Caterpillar C13 | ZF AS Tronic | Chicago New York City Washington, D.C. |
|||
| 64508-64511 | 2008 | MCI | J4500 | Cummins ISM | ZF AS Tronic | Washington, D.C. | ||
| 64631 | 2008 | MCI | J4500 | Caterpillar C13 | VIN 2M93JMFAX8W064631 | |||
| SD64778 | 2008 | MCI | J4500 | New York City | ||||
| 64780-64787 | 1/2008 | MCI | J4500 | Detroit Diesel Series 60 | ZF AS Tronic | Washington, D.C. |
| |
| SD65255 | 2009 | MCI | J4500 | Cummins ISM | ZF AS Tronic | Washington, D.C. | VIN 2MG3JMEA89W065255 | |
| 71805 | Dodge | Sprinter | New York City | |||||
| 75243-75244 | 2012 | Setra | S 407 CC | Mercedes-Benz OM 471 | Allison B500R | New York City |
| |
| 75715-75718 | 2007 | Van Hool | C2045E | New York City |
| |||
| 78207 | 2012 | Van Hool | TD925 | New York City |
| |||
| 78901 | 2009 | Van Hool | TD925 | New York City |
| |||
| DD001-DD017 | 
|
2007-2008 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISM | Allison B500R | Chicago New York City Dallas |
|
| DD018-DD113 | 
|
2008-2009 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISM | ZF AS Tronic | Chicago New York City |
|
| DD388-DD449 | 
|
2010 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISM | Allison B500R | New York City Philadelphia |
|
| DD450-DD509 | 2011 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISX11.9 | ZF AS Tronic | Atlanta Chicago Philadelphia Washington, D.C. |
| |
| DD511-DD597 | 2012 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISX12 | ZF AS Tronic | Dallas |
| |
| DD600-DD615 | 2012 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISX12 | ZF AS Tronic | Los Angeles | ||
| DD6xx | 2013 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISX12 | ZF AS Tronic | |||
| DD7xx | 2014 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISX12 | ZF AS Tronic | |||
| DD8xx | 
|
2015 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISX12 | ZF AS Tronic | ||
| DD9xx | 201? | Van Hool |
Canadian fleet
Active
| Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DD42631-DD42645 | 
|
2012 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISX12 | ZF AS Tronic |
|
| DD42720-DD42721 | 
|
2013 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISX12 | ZF AS Tronic | |
| DD42728-DD42729 | Van Hool | TD925 |
| ||||
| DD42735 | 
|
Van Hool | TD925 |
| |||
| DD42737 | Van Hool | TD925 |
| ||||
| DD42739 | 2014 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISX12 | ZF AS Tronic | ||
| 42767-42768 | Van Hool | TD925 |
| ||||
| 42775-42776 | Van Hool | TD925 |
| ||||
| DD884 | Van Hool | TD925 |
| ||||
| 42888 | 2016 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISX12 | ZF AS Tronic | Has an updated interior. |
Retired or transferred
| Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DD42326 | 
|
2008 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISM | ZF AS Tronic | Transferred from Coach USA Megabus fleet. |
| DD42450-DD42464 | 
|
2009 | Van Hool | TD925 | Cummins ISM | ZF AS Tronic | |
| 53462-53468, 53472 | 
|
2005 | MCI | J4500 | Detroit Diesel Series 60 | ZF AS Tronic |
|
| 53476-53477 | 
|
2004 | MCI | J4500 | Detroit Diesel Series 60 | Allison B500R | Transferred from Coach Canada and Coach USA Western New York. |
| 83928-83929 | 
|
2006 | MCI | D4505 | Detroit Diesel Series 60 | ZF AS Tronic | Transferred from Coach Canada and Coach USA Suburban Trails. |
References
- ↑ SAFERSYS stats for Megabus
- ↑ [1], Stagecoach Group launches budget inter-city coach operation in United States
- ↑ [2], megabus.com expands United States operation with new West Coast hub
- ↑ [3], megabus.com launches new East Coast routes in major expansion of United States budget network
- ↑ [4], Thread: Bus options for day trip to Atlantic City
- ↑ Megabus US/Canada, cptdb.ca, retrieved on 2009-07-27
- ↑ [5], toronto.ca, retrieved on 2009-08-11
- ↑ [6], Megabus Expands Philadelphia Service to and from Nine Northeast Cities
- ↑ [7], Megabus Expands Washington DC Service to and from 11 Cities
- ↑ Megabus Begins Service From Omaha
- ↑ Megabus Announces Service From Atlanta
- ↑ Megabus.Com Expands Service To/From Dallas, Houston, San Antonio And Five Cities
- ↑ Toronto-bound bus accident injures 12, cbc.ca, retrieved on 2010-09-12
- ↑ 2nd accident involving Toronto-bound Megabus, cbc.ca, retrieved on 2010-09-12
- ↑ Bus crash kills 4 in northern New York, cnn.com, retrieved on 2010-09-12
- ↑ Canadians not among 4 killed in bus crash, theglobeandmail.com, retrieved on 2010-09-12
- ↑ http://www.examiner.com/article/megabus-crash-illinois-18-ambulances-on-the-scene-video
- ↑ http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/19228057/fire-guts-megabus-closing-northbound-i-85-near-sc-line
- ↑ http://wivb.com/2014/06/04/flames-break-out-on-megabus/ Megabus catches fire on Thruway; no one injured
- ↑ UPDATE: 68 passengers on board MegaBus that crashed in Seymour, 22 December 2014
- ↑ The Barnes Firm, Megabus crash injures 27 people.
- ↑ 2 killed when Megabus overturns on New Jersey Turnpike outside service plaza, WABC-TV, 10 August 2022.
- ↑ Coach USA takes delivery of 15 new 2007 MCI® J4500 coaches, Megabus.com gets eight, mcicoach.com, retrieved on 2009-07-28
- ↑ MEGABUS.COM INVESTS $10 MILLION IN AMERICA’S FIRST INTER-CITY DOUBLE DECKER COACHES, megabus.com, retrieved on 2009-07-27
- ↑ Demand for low-cost travel spurs $60 million bus purchase, megabus.com, retrieved on 2009-07-27
- ↑ http://wivb.com/2014/06/04/flames-break-out-on-megabus/ Megabus catches fire on (NY) Thruway; no one injured
- ↑ New buses on Toronto-Montreal route have smoother ride, says Coach Canada. Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved on 04 February 2013.
- Personal Notes