Greyhound buses take to British roads, increasing low-cost market competition
19 August 2009

LONDON (AP) - The Greyhound bus, an icon of long-distance travel in the United States, is coming to Britain.

FirstGroup PLC, the British rail and bus operator that owns Dallas-based Greyhound Lines Inc., said Wednesday it will start running budget Greyhound services here next month.

Fares on the routes from London to Portsmouth and Southampton in southern England will start at 1.50 pounds ($2.46), including a 50 pence booking fee, for a service that includes leather seats, free wi-fi, airconditioning and complimentary newspapers.

In keeping with Greyhound's role in U.S. culture, the 41-seat coaches are all named after women featured in popular American songs, such as Sweet Caroline, Barbara Ann, Jolene and Peggy Sue.

"For 95 years Greyhound has been an icon of American life carrying millions of people across the USA and Canada," said FirstGroup Chief Executive. "Since FirstGroup took over Greyhound in 2007, we have hoped to bring this famous brand across the Atlantic and I am absolutely delighted to reveal the first authentic Greyhound coaches in the U.K."

The new service will be competing with National Express coaches and Stagecoach PLC-owned Megabus in the low-cost market.

FirstGroup, which bought Greyhound's parent company Laidlaw International for 1.9 billion pounds, plans to roll out more services next year.

Greyhound services were started in Minnesota in 1914 by Swedish-born Carl Wickman.

will they be the same type of buses with the same livery?

will they be the same type of buses with the same livery?

The bus on display in London was a Scania/Irizar PB in the latest livery of Greyhound USA.

Photo from the Daily Mail:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/08/19/article-1207576-061B9F12000005DC-369_468x379.jpg

Thats a nice looking bus!

The bus on display in London was a Scania/Irizar PB in the latest livery of Greyhound USA.

Photo from the Daily Mail:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/08/19/article-1207576-061B9F12000005DC-369_468x379.jpg

How come we don't have that kind of bus in U.S? I'm completely jealous.

It really intrigue me with the covered the front face.

It's an Irizar PB, most probably on a Scania Chassis.

Meanwhile Greyhound in Canada has a ramshackle collection of badly-maintained buses, often still bearing the logos of the lines they took over to get them. Megabus has appeared on the Toronto-Montreal run with new double-deckers, and I hope they give Greyhound a run for its money.

They are gonna give National Express a run for their money

I'd like to know how many people actually travel on scheduled coaches here.

I've got them a couple of times, but only because they were very cheap compared to the train as I didnt book in advance.

The main station in London is Victoria, and its not very big, or busy, so I guess most people get the train really. There are few routes that are quicker by coach than train.

Surprising that they would pick the UK as a market to go into when considering this.

I would have thought developing countries were a better one to go into, as they often have highly extensive coach networks, and even small towns have huge intercity coach stations.

How come we don't have that kind of bus in U.S? I'm completely jealous.

What buses do Greyhound run there?

I'd like to know how many people actually travel on scheduled coaches here.

I've got them a couple of times, but only because they were very cheap compared to the train as I didnt book in advance.

The main station in London is Victoria, and its not very big, or busy, so I guess most people get the train really. There are few routes that are quicker by coach than train.

Surprising that they would pick the UK as a market to go into when considering this.

I would have thought developing countries were a better one to go into, as they often have highly extensive coach networks, and even small towns have huge intercity coach stations.

I use National Express alot but since London Midland have been running 14 pounds return to London from Stoke, I've been using the train. Mrs Zim uses them to get up to Blackpool as they have a direct run about a year ago she got a fun fair for 2 pounds return.

The coaches are always busy and it's very organised, it does take a while but the cost of them often beats the train. Most people that use them seem to be immigrants, students and tight arses like me :).

Ooh the bus looks very nice!

What buses do Greyhound run there?

This fleetlist (http://www.cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php/Greyhound_USA) should give you an idea of what they run. Their newest coaches, the 2009 Prevost X3-45s, are in the same livery as the UK buses and have the same amenities.

New greyhound buses have free wireless with a power cord in them :banana:

The bus on display in London was a Scania/Irizar PB in the latest livery of Greyhound USA.

Photo from the Daily Mail:
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/08/19/article-1207576-061B9F12000005DC-369_468x379.jpg

Greyhound in Canada uses that livery as well.

This fleetlist (http://www.cptdb.ca/wiki/index.php/Greyhound_USA) should give you an idea of what they run. Their newest coaches, the 2009 Prevost X3-45s, are in the same livery as the UK buses and have the same amenities.

Yeah but it looks like the 1990s. I want a new design. Something like the European one. If I were the management, I will go ahead and purchase the European one so that this country will develop a better lookin and much innovative bus. The Prevost X3-45 looks obselete by the way i've seen it.

Will the British ones have Wi-Fi? that would be amazing, I hope they start a rout from London-Manchester, I bloody hate the Megabus.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/8254700.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/aug/19/greyhound-buses-launch-london-service

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/aug/19/firstgroup-launch-greyhound-bus-service

http://www.greyhounduk.com/


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Whoa that looks amazing!! I've taken the National Express quite a few times and it never gets as comfortable as this...

I experienced Greyhound's trips in NA and didn't let me a good impression at all... I hope in Europe their service will be better (and improve it even in NA, of course)