Coach USA owner of Megabus files for bankruptcy

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This is a company with many tentacles. It sounds like the bankruptcy will affect more than just their core route structure and is not limited to the US. In addition to the Megabus franchise here in Canada, they own or operate several regional bus companies and even some local transit in smaller communities.
 
Fenway said:
Is Megabus completely shut down?

Peter Pan has taken over all service from Boston to DC

https://w42st.com/post/megabus-detours-to-bankruptcy-while-peter-pan-comes-to-the-rescue/

https://www.masslive.com/business/2...s-over-megabus-service-from-boston-to-dc.html

https://www.kvue.com/article/travel...ptcy/269-b03c0914-8da8-4500-aecd-6106ead80b6c

Looking at their website service to and from Chicago no longer exists. Burlington Trailways seems to have taken over Iowa service.
Click to expand...
Burlington Trailways already was in the market. They run from Denver to Chicago and Indianapolis, with branches in between.

Here's the latest.
 
Fenway said:
Is Megabus completely shut down?

Peter Pan has taken over all service from Boston to DC

https://w42st.com/post/megabus-detours-to-bankruptcy-while-peter-pan-comes-to-the-rescue/

https://www.masslive.com/business/2...s-over-megabus-service-from-boston-to-dc.html

https://www.kvue.com/article/travel...ptcy/269-b03c0914-8da8-4500-aecd-6106ead80b6c

Looking at their website service to and from Chicago no longer exists. Burlington Trailways seems to have taken over Iowa service.
Click to expand...
Mega Bus has stopped all Service in Texas including between Houston,Dallas,Austin and San Antonio, not sure what is going on with the Operation, these used to be well patronized routes!???
 
I just watched that video the other day.

I recently had a bizarre run around with CoachUSA's customer service which I found out as almost entirely run by AI, and not all that intelligent. I can see why the company is failing, they did not make it easy to ride with them.
 
Willbridge said:
Burlington Trailways already was in the market. They run from Denver to Chicago and Indianapolis, with branches in between.

Here's the latest.
Click to expand...

That's too bad. Sounds like the Megabus was a fairly decent ride. Peter Pan has somewhat of a mixed reputation. If you go over to Tripadvisor there are some fairly horrific reviews there along with some good ones.
 
toddinde said:
Megabus was a mega mess, but so is most transportation in the U.S. Deregulation simply doesn’t work. Private companies cherry pick a few routes (or run ridiculously long trains and haul a small percentage of the freight) in search of big profits leaving the country stranded.
Click to expand...
In the case of intercity bus operation, there seems to be a sea of mediocrity or worse, with a few decent operators that at least try. Most likely they make most of their money on charters while the scheduled operations basically break even if they are lucky.
 
Harmon Shay said:
Toddinde is so right. It's time for serious government intervention in the intercity bus industry in both the U.S. and Canada. I know about all the problems of Amtrak and VIA, but without government, we'd be worse off than we are now. We'd have nothing.
Click to expand...
Here comes "Ambus!"

Some states have started taking matters into their own hands, e.g., Bustang in Colorado, but something more is needed for Interstate service.
 
BlackDiamond said:
In the case of intercity bus operation, there seems to be a sea of mediocrity or worse, with a few decent operators that at least try. Most likely they make most of their money on charters while the scheduled operations basically break even if they are lucky.
Click to expand...
I agree, although some states are providing subsidies to private operators to run otherwise unprofitable routes, by way of direct cost recovery funding, and/or no cost leases of new buses…

MARC Rider said:
Here comes "Ambus!"

Some states have started taking matters into their own hands, e.g., Bustang in Colorado, but something more is needed for Interstate service.
Click to expand...
I agree. Most of the few state supported intercity operations are understandingly geared to serve the interests of the residents within their respective states. Typically bringing people from rural areas into major urban centres, for healthcare, shopping, cultural activities, and transportation; and sometimes to bring urban residents to recreational locations. Connecting to a national network is usually not part of their purpose.
It would probably require federal assistance to provide for such a network to grow…
 
IMO Greyhound is a goner. The sharks split Greyhound up and all the good assets are being sold off not to help Greyhound bus lines. Now other intercity bus lines are mostly in peril to go bankrupt. The only solution IMHO is a major expansion of Amtrak both rail and thruway bus lines where passenger trains are not feasible or have too much capacity for a given route.

Of course, we will see many start up bus lines that sucker investors will finance. The start ups will grab a quick buck for a few months then go into bankruptcy and shut down.
 
west point said:
IMO Greyhound is a goner. The sharks split Greyhound up and all the good assets are being sold off not to help Greyhound bus lines. Now other intercity bus lines are mostly in peril to go bankrupt. The only solution IMHO is a major expansion of Amtrak both rail and thruway bus lines where passenger trains are not feasible or have too much capacity for a given route.

Of course, we will see many start up bus lines that sucker investors will finance. The start ups will grab a quick buck for a few months then go into bankruptcy and shut down.
Click to expand...
Apparently, the new Greyhound CEO has a different opinion…

https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/new...rcity-bus-operator-sees-bright-future/724000/
 
BlackDiamond said:
In the case of intercity bus operation, there seems to be a sea of mediocrity or worse, with a few decent operators that at least try. Most likely they make most of their money on charters while the scheduled operations basically break even if they are lucky.
Click to expand...
Agreed. They seem to want to provide mediocre service to very poor people who have no options, and thus will bear the ridiculously poor service.
 
toddinde said:
Agreed. They seem to want to provide mediocre service to very poor people who have no options, and thus will bear the ridiculously poor service.
Click to expand...
Having worked the Fish tank (ticket counter) at one of these bus stations/services. (Not anymore obviously else I would be sitting it out. )
Yes.
We knew we were going to get people who were often already in a bad situation.
We would try the best we could to accommodate. the passengers needs but there are limits. Now I wasn’t working the big urban centers.
I worked a local station and the old Springfield station.
The majority of my customers were College students who arguably are one of the most common class of people who use intercity services.
However we knew anyone coming through could be someone evicted from their home forced to move in with relatives and start over from scratch, Burying a loved one, going into a rehab program. From my perspective I was trying to off the best service I could within the limits I had.

Intercity services have inherent limitations. Bus stations have a bit of a bad reputation and the facilities are often abused farther discouraging people from use by fear or reputation. Some pick up locations aren’t even stations they are curbs.
Motor coach’s are machines they break Down overheat, maintenance makes mistakes.
Drivers get sick, overheat, get hungry, need to use the bathroom. But they don’t have luxury to just pulling off the side of the road. Still they are regulated by the same rules as other professional CDLs but often on very long days without much of the autonomy on roads with yahoos in tiny cars easily run over by 40 foot+ 40+ passanger diesel powered bus. They often have to pull additional duties like luggage and customer service.
In the past passengers used to get upset as they thought drivers were just aimlessly yanking on their phones. Often they were talking to their dispatchers giving their counts, requesting delays for connections, fuel and maintenance requests today it’s more tablet based.
Traffic jams, accidents occur weather makes driving unsafe.
Delays pile up. One delay to another to another. If I held your transfer for 10 minutes that’s one thing but that 10 minutes for you is about 470 minutes because everybody one else is going to be delayed by 10 minutes on your connection. Maybe things go well and the driver can make it up. Maybe the bus is a through bus and it doesn’t matter, but if it does and that bus has to get to something like another mode of transportation usually a ferry. That’s a P.O’ed customer. ( One route I remember it was a constant fight because of a Ferry.)
A delayed arrival often encourages expedited departure meaning less time to clean the coach. With rushed passengers farther less likely to clear their seats and pick up all their belongings. Leading to lost and found. Searches for lost items.

Passengers are people and some people are inconsiderate or unhygienic. Particularly if they are stuck on a long haul trip as well many intercity couches have a head aboard they lack showers, drinking water and refrigeration. The longer the trip abroad the more discomfort the passengers.

Like much of mass transit many routes are subsidized to maintain service. Others are highly competitive and saturated with competition from the established to the discount. So that route that has demand gets attention that one that doesn’t is getting cuts. These are businesses and everyone is looking for the next fourth olive.
 
BlackDiamond said:
His rhetoric doesn't seem to match what is actually happening on the ground, where former Greyhound routes and frequencies are being cut.
Click to expand...
Right. And here's an answer that is purely a wish.

"State-supported intercity bus services, like Virginia Breeze and Bustang in Colorado, are growing. How does Flix work with those services?​

State-level support is really a critical resource as well as an opportunity for the sector. For all operators, it’s essential to provide that equitable access to long distance travel for all residents living in the United States. State support is critical to establish long-distance bus service for these communities so they can connect with the rest of the country."

Note that he didn't answer the question.

Colorado's Bustang meets Greyhound in Denver Union Station, but that was set up through the Regional Transportation District. There is no through ticketing. For example, Grand Junction does not currently exist in the Greyhound ticketing system, although it is served by Bustang.
 
Lcon said:
Having worked the Fish tank (ticket counter) at one of these bus stations/services. (Not anymore obviously else I would be sitting it out. )
Yes.
We knew we were going to get people who were often already in a bad situation.
We would try the best we could to accommodate. the passengers needs but there are limits. Now I wasn’t working the big urban centers.
I worked a local station and the old Springfield station.
The majority of my customers were College students who arguably are one of the most common class of people who use intercity services.
However we knew anyone coming through could be someone evicted from their home forced to move in with relatives and start over from scratch, Burying a loved one, going into a rehab program. From my perspective I was trying to off the best service I could within the limits I had.

Intercity services have inherent limitations. Bus stations have a bit of a bad reputation and the facilities are often abused farther discouraging people from use by fear or reputation. Some pick up locations aren’t even stations they are curbs.
Motor coach’s are machines they break Down overheat, maintenance makes mistakes.
Drivers get sick, overheat, get hungry, need to use the bathroom. But they don’t have luxury to just pulling off the side of the road. Still they are regulated by the same rules as other professional CDLs but often on very long days without much of the autonomy on roads with yahoos in tiny cars easily run over by 40 foot+ 40+ passanger diesel powered bus. They often have to pull additional duties like luggage and customer service.
In the past passengers used to get upset as they thought drivers were just aimlessly yanking on their phones. Often they were talking to their dispatchers giving their counts, requesting delays for connections, fuel and maintenance requests today it’s more tablet based.
Traffic jams, accidents occur weather makes driving unsafe.
Delays pile up. One delay to another to another. If I held your transfer for 10 minutes that’s one thing but that 10 minutes for you is about 470 minutes because everybody one else is going to be delayed by 10 minutes on your connection. Maybe things go well and the driver can make it up. Maybe the bus is a through bus and it doesn’t matter, but if it does and that bus has to get to something like another mode of transportation usually a ferry. That’s a P.O’ed customer. ( One route I remember it was a constant fight because of a Ferry.)
A delayed arrival often encourages expedited departure meaning less time to clean the coach. With rushed passengers farther less likely to clear their seats and pick up all their belongings. Leading to lost and found. Searches for lost items.

Passengers are people and some people are inconsiderate or unhygienic. Particularly if they are stuck on a long haul trip as well many intercity couches have a head aboard they lack showers, drinking water and refrigeration. The longer the trip abroad the more discomfort the passengers.

Like much of mass transit many routes are subsidized to maintain service. Others are highly competitive and saturated with competition from the established to the discount. So that route that has demand gets attention that one that doesn’t is getting cuts. These are businesses and everyone is looking for the next fourth olive.
Click to expand...
You have given an excellent summation of the current state of the intercity bus industry, especially as it applies to Greyhound in particular.
Other carrier’s have done somewhat better, especially smaller family-owned ones, that seem to care more for their customers and employees.
 
Lcon said:
Having worked the Fish tank (ticket counter) at one of these bus stations/services. (Not anymore obviously else I would be sitting it out. )
Yes.
We knew we were going to get people who were often already in a bad situation.
We would try the best we could to accommodate. the passengers needs but there are limits. Now I wasn’t working the big urban centers.
I worked a local station and the old Springfield station.
The majority of my customers were College students who arguably are one of the most common class of people who use intercity services.
However we knew anyone coming through could be someone evicted from their home forced to move in with relatives and start over from scratch, Burying a loved one, going into a rehab program. From my perspective I was trying to off the best service I could within the limits I had.

Intercity services have inherent limitations. Bus stations have a bit of a bad reputation and the facilities are often abused farther discouraging people from use by fear or reputation. Some pick up locations aren’t even stations they are curbs.
Motor coach’s are machines they break Down overheat, maintenance makes mistakes.
Drivers get sick, overheat, get hungry, need to use the bathroom. But they don’t have luxury to just pulling off the side of the road. Still they are regulated by the same rules as other professional CDLs but often on very long days without much of the autonomy on roads with yahoos in tiny cars easily run over by 40 foot+ 40+ passanger diesel powered bus. They often have to pull additional duties like luggage and customer service.
In the past passengers used to get upset as they thought drivers were just aimlessly yanking on their phones. Often they were talking to their dispatchers giving their counts, requesting delays for connections, fuel and maintenance requests today it’s more tablet based.
Traffic jams, accidents occur weather makes driving unsafe.
Delays pile up. One delay to another to another. If I held your transfer for 10 minutes that’s one thing but that 10 minutes for you is about 470 minutes because everybody one else is going to be delayed by 10 minutes on your connection. Maybe things go well and the driver can make it up. Maybe the bus is a through bus and it doesn’t matter, but if it does and that bus has to get to something like another mode of transportation usually a ferry. That’s a P.O’ed customer. ( One route I remember it was a constant fight because of a Ferry.)
A delayed arrival often encourages expedited departure meaning less time to clean the coach. With rushed passengers farther less likely to clear their seats and pick up all their belongings. Leading to lost and found. Searches for lost items.

Passengers are people and some people are inconsiderate or unhygienic. Particularly if they are stuck on a long haul trip as well many intercity couches have a head aboard they lack showers, drinking water and refrigeration. The longer the trip abroad the more discomfort the passengers.

Like much of mass transit many routes are subsidized to maintain service. Others are highly competitive and saturated with competition from the established to the discount. So that route that has demand gets attention that one that doesn’t is getting cuts. These are businesses and everyone is looking for the next fourth olive.
Click to expand...

Every single word of this rings true from a rider's view, powerful piece of writing. With your understanding of the realities of running intercity and long distances buses why are you not in the top job?

4 or 5 years ago we were on a 30+ hour bus ride, the longest leg was the most intersting piece of travel ever. The story is perhaps not for this forum, but at the start it made us begin to reconsider ever riding a long distance bus again... only to reaffirm not to take everything at face value.

Thank you for sharing your insight.
 
Some friends of ours used to use Megabus to visit family in Tallahassee, leaving from the Gainesville area. They used to like the service and remarked on how nice it was with clean comfortable busses and very affordable prices. They mentioned how the service was declining, to their dismay. Now, the service doesn't even exist.

It is a real shame that public transportation between two key State Universities has disappeared. The affordable busses are no longer servicing this route, and the RR tracks have been removed.
 

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