14/05/2007

megabus.com, the UK’s leading budget inter-city coach service, has expanded its network to two new English cities.

Customers can now book travel from just £1* to and from Middlesbrough and Sunderland, with the first services scheduled to run on 21 May 2007.

Passengers will be able to travel from both Middlesbrough and Sunderland to Leeds, Sheffield and London, with one service a day operating in each direction.

Brian Souter, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group, said: “Our exceptional value fares from just £1 have already been extremely popular in the North East of England.

“With no direct rail services to London from either Middlesbrough or Sunderland, we believe we can create a new market for budget inter-city coach travel between these locations.”

Around 2 million passengers a year travel on the megabus.com network in the UK to around 40 locations.

Last year, the megabus.com concept was introduced in the United States where it now covers the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Stagecoach also operates megatrain.com, the Group’s innovative budget rail initiative, which has now attracted more than 200,000 passenger bookings since the service went live in autumn 2005.

Earlier this year, Stagecoach launched the UK’s first integrated budget coach and rail online booking service, allowing customers using megabus.com and megatrain.com to access both coach and rail options in one easy search.

The online retailing system gives visitors to the new consolidated website access to a total of 530 daily departures to around 50 locations across the UK from just £1*.

ENDS

For further information, please contact: Steve Stewart, Director of Corporate Communications, Stagecoach Group
Tel: 01738 442111 or mobile 07764 774680
email: steven.stewart@stagecoachgroup.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

• Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs around 27,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.
• To book or for further information go to www.megabus.com or www.megatrain.com
• Bookings are also accepted by phone on 09001 200 300. Lines are open 8am to 9pm & days a week. Calls cost 60p a minute from landlines. Mobile calls may vary.
• For customer services enquiries, please call 0901 331 0031. Calls cost 10p a minute from landlines. Mobile calls may vary.
• *All megabus.com and megatrain.com reservations are subject to a 50p booking fee.