# Denver-Billings via Thermopolis bites the dust



## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 16, 2014)

Yet another rural bus line is gone.

Arrow & Black Hills Stage Lines' daytime Denver-Billings service, which travels via Thermopolis and the Wind River Canyon, will no longer operate effective 1 January, 2015.

This route was operated once-daily in each direction and was the daytime companion to Black Hills' faster overnight service on I-25. Black Hills used MCI E4500, J4500, and D4505 equipment on this route.

Their website has posted the alert: http://www.blackhillsstagelines.com/.


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## fairviewroad (Dec 19, 2014)

So, what's the backstory to this?

Subsidy ending?

Company could make more $$ by using buses elsewhere?

Declining ridership? [due to population losses? better alternate options?]

It's certainly not new to see rural routes get axed, but I'm curious as to why certain routes get cut.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 20, 2014)

I do not know.


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## railiner (Dec 24, 2014)

Here's your answer....

http://www.blackhillsstagelines.com/news.asp?n=6


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## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 24, 2014)

Lack of ridership on the daytime run? Looks like people prefer the overnight run which is the one staying in operation via Sheridan.


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## railiner (Dec 27, 2014)

So there is nothing on the Wind River Canyon route, with its Yellowstone connections any longer....too bad...

And there are two buses at least from Buffalo, Wy to Billings....the other is the Jefferson bus coming from Rapid City.....

It would have been nice if they continued the Wind River Canyon route, and ran a shuttle from Casper to Buffalo to connect with the JL bus to reach Billings that way...that way both routes would have been preserved once a day....


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## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 28, 2014)

I guess they just didn't care any longer. Arrow & Black Hills recently sold two Model Es, which were running line-haul.


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## railiner (Dec 28, 2014)

I suppose its a wonder that they even run one trip from Cheyenne to Billings these days....

Looking back to circa 1970, that area had a whole lot more service, as everywhere else....ah, well....'now that's progress'


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## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 28, 2014)

That route is on I-25 and is a major north-south route. It should have more than once-daily service. Perhaps Arrow & Black Hills mismanaged the service or perhaps the daytime run should have simply been rerouted to I-25.

Or Arrow & Black Hills could have bought Temsa TS30s and continued running the route. TS30s could have made a profit where the D4505s couldn't.

The last action Arrow & Black Hills could have taken was to offer special tourist connection from Casper to Grand Teton / Yellowstone via Cheyenne and Riverton via US 26.


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## railiner (Dec 28, 2014)

They did have a seasonal connection to Yellowstone Park's East Entrance, via Powell, Cody, and Pahaska Tepee, but probably did not carry very many that way....


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## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 30, 2014)

So now it's going to suck for anybody east of SLC to get to Yellowstone without flying or driving. Before they cut the service, you could have taken Black Hills. Now you have to take Salt Lake Express from Salt Lake City or some other tourist service from Salt Lake City.

AFAIK, Salt Lake Express is not much better than Orange Belt or Silver State, DGAD companies.


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## railiner (Dec 31, 2014)

Yeah...back in the day, there were scheduled services to all of the Yellowstone Park entrances....and the old Yellowstone Park Company provided service across the Park between all of them...Nowadays, a very small fraction of park visitor's come by bus, unless they are on some extended bus tour....


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## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 31, 2014)

Are those old MC-5s still operating in Yellowstone?

Thankfully, I live west of SLC, so if I wanted to visit Yellowstone/Grand Teton by bus, it would not be very difficult. I sure hope SLE doesn't cancel their service.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Jan 19, 2015)

Added news release: http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/lack-of-riders-funds-stopping-bus-in-big-horn-basin/article_b9993de9-b288-54f7-b27b-1ca65a0b54a8.html.

The first picture clearly shows the vehicle is a D4505. I saw them in Denver a lot. Arrow & Black Hills will now have probably 2 extra D4505s.


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## railiner (Jan 21, 2015)

Sad article....but lucky they still have the I-25 route, I suppose.....


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