04/10/2004

• UK’s first low-cost inter-city coach service arrives in North East
• Newcastle-London route will challenge budget airlines

megabus.com, the UK’s first low-cost inter-city bus service, is launching £1 travel between Newcastle and London in direct competition with the budget airlines.

Transport giant Stagecoach is expanding its megabus.com operation to offer two services a day between the North East and London. The Newcastle-London route will also call at Leeds. A new Liverpool-London service running twice a day is also being launched.

Passengers getting the bargain fares will be able to travel on the 274-mile route between Newcastle and London for just over a third of a pence a mile!

Recent research by megabus.com has found that that the low-cost concept is already attracting passengers from the rail network, with 35% of customers saying they had switched from the train.

The 86-seat double deck coaches on the Newcastle-London route will be equipped with on board toilets.

Services will depart from Newcastle Central Station and run into Greenline Coach terminal in London’s Victoria area.

Booking for the new routes, which will go live on 10 October, are being accepted from today (5 October 2004) at www.megabus.com. Two services a day will operate on the Newcastle-London route in each direction.

Brian Souter, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group, said: “megabus.com has already changed the face of inter-city travel. We are confident our new long-distance route from Newcastle to London can beat the budget airlines for value for money."

“Our super low fares are just that – there’s no added airport taxes, long check-in times or the extra hassle of transfers to get to your destination. megabus.com’s comfortable buses will take you in comfort direct to the heart of London.”

More than 900,000 people have already used megabus.com, which now links nearly 30 towns and cities across the UK.

megabus.com is based on the same concept as the low-cost airlines, with cheaper fares the earlier customers book. Research shows it is appealing to a wide market, including students, commuters, families and “silver surfers” - the over 55s market who use the internet.

Seats, which are booked on the web, start from £1, with higher fares for last-minute bookings or popular journeys. All reservations are subject to a 50p booking fee.

For further information, please contact:

Steve Stewart, Head of Media and Public Affairs, Stagecoach Group, tel 01738 442111 or 07764 774680.

Notes to Editors:

Full details of timetables are available at www.megabus.com.

Seats on megabus.com can be booked up to six weeks in advance or one hour before departure. All reservations are subject to a 50p booking fee.

megabus.com now operates on the following routes across the UK:

• Aberdeen-Dundee-Perth-Edinburgh
• Aberdeen-Dundee-Perth-Glasgow-Manchester-London
• Birmingham-London
• Bournemouth-London
• Brighton-London
• Bristol-London
• Cheltenham-Gloucester-London
• Edinburgh-Glasgow (in association with Motorvator)
• Inverness-Perth-Edinburgh
• Inverness-Perth-Glasgow-Manchester-London
• Leeds-Sheffield-Chesterfield-London
• Leicester-Milton Keynes-London
• Liverpool-London
• Newcastle-Leeds-London
• Oxford-London
• Plymouth-Exeter-London
• Portsmouth-London
• Southampton-London
• Swansea-Cardiff-London