Canadian Railroads > OT:'America without Greyhound & no replacement passenger train'

Article draws analogies with what just happened in Canada:

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/america-without-greyhound-and-no-replacement-passenger-trains/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1003



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/19 06:30 by joemvcnj.

Greyhound hinted that they would quit western Canada well before they did it. I think it was a trial balloon to test public reaction. Beyond some local media, there was very little response.

Some regional carriers have stepped in to fill the gap on a trial basis, but some have quit after a few months due to low passenger counts.

Curiously, First Group, the UK company that took over Greyhound Canada has prospered as a contract operator for school buses and also as a transit bus operator for several communities.

Greyhound always claimed they made money on the parcels business, but made no public attempt to keep that aspect of the business operating.
The reason I say "public" is that I am aware of several locations where former Greyhound staff have started up small courier companies using the old Greyhound customer base.

Greyhound was a pioneer on the roads of western Canada, and is fondly remembered by many. During the construction of the Alaska Highway, the 'Northern Transport Command" was a US Army operation to carry soldiers and contractors to work on the highway. Greyhound carried these people in a fleet of US Greyhound buses built just for the service. Bus drivers from all over North America were recruited to operate the service.Mid WW2, the US Army Transport Command took over operating the Alaska Highhway with more conventional military transport vehicles.
Many vehicles were lost into the muskeg, and others simply abandoned near the road. A Prince George entrepreneur purchased all the abandoned vehicles "as is, where is" on the BC and Yukon section of the highway, and restored many to service. No buses , however.

When Greyhound ended service to western Canada, the Alaska highway service ended too, and many communities along the route were greatly saddened.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/19 11:24 by eminence_grise.

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10 years ago, they had 3 or 4 transcons a day. I last took one from the Soo to Toronto on a 2nd section. Bus's livery was for Vancouver GrayLine.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/19 05:57 by joemvcnj.

I am pasting this froma poster on a NY area buschat griup on how to cross Canada by bus now:

Toronto-White River Via ONTC 7:15PM- 3:50PM next day Everyday except Sunday I believe (8 hrs, 35 minutes)
A night layover at White River (15 hr + 20 minutes)
Kasper White River-Thunder Bay 7:10AM next morning to thunder Bay at 12:20PM (5 hr 10 minutes)
A night layover at Thunder Bay (21 hrs and 10 minutes)
Kasper Thunder Bay- Winnipeg 9:30AM to 7:40PM (10 hr + 10 minutes)
This is essentially 3 nights since leaving Toronto.(60 hrs 25 minutes)
From Winnipeg, there are multiple operators heading up to Flin Flon Via Dauphin (50 min layover at best, otherwise add 24 hr)
Kelsey leaves at 8:30PM (It is very unlikely to connect from Kasper to Kelsey due to different station) gets to Dauphin, MB at 12:50AM (4 hrs + 20 min)
OR 
Brandon Air service provides transportation between Winnipeg to Brandon leaving WPG at 11A, 3 and 8PM taking 2 hours in a half
NO SERVICE BETWEEN BRANDON/DAUPHIN TO MELVILLE OR YORKTON.
Yorkton Shuttle provides daily service btw Yorkton and Regina at 8 AM, (2 hr + 30 min)
DiCal service starts at Melville to Regina at 6:30AM getting there at 8:45AM. (2 hr + 15 Min)
ONE DAY LAYOVER AT REGINA,SK (22 hr 45 minutes)
Riders Express leaves Regina at 7:30AM M-F and arrives at Edmonton at 4:20PM Via Saskatoon (8 hr + 50 minutes)
Edmonton Layover (1 hr 25 min at best otherwise (most probable +24 hrs)
(Btw Cold Shot have not begin service to Dawson Creek yet, they still currently end at GP) 
E Bus at 5:45PM (most likely will not connect with rider express due to stop differences so most likely +1 night at Edmonton), gets to Calgary at 9:30PM (3 hr + 45 min)
Calgary layover 22 hr + 45 min)
Rider Express at 7:15AM FRIDAYS ONLY leaves Calgary and finally gets to Vancouver at 8PM (12 hr + 45 minutes)

Total journey time from WPG to Van excluding the gap- 79 hr 55 min Total Journey time between in total Toronto to Vancouver excluding 100 mile gap of no service 140 hr + 20 min AT BEST (impossible) or around 200 hours (8.3 days) (reasonable) 

Essentially that is one way to see most of Western Canada with a 100 miles of hitchhiking. 
 

I lucked into seeing one of the Trans Canada Greyhound operations on a lengthy trip last fall. The bus was actually towing a trailer for package business. Trailer was even painted to match the bus.  I’d never heard of this before. Was that routine?

trailers are standard

Upon further review, there may be other econ8mic solutions that require far less HEAVY CAPITAL train sets or heav buses.

EXAMPLE

BlaBlaCar, the world’s largest long-distance ridesharing community, announced recently a surprise offer to acquire Ouibus, the French intercity bus operator.

”Stat tuned”...   cheers!

First Group did issue detailed financial statements of the losses regarding Greyhound, and they were substantial.

The whole intercity bus industry is in a period of great change.

Here in BC, a couple of partial solutions have been devised. There is a network of buses subsidized by the health care system that carry patients to regional hospitals and there is BC Bus, a subsidized intercity operation in northern BC.

Southwest is the new greyhound, people don't like flyover country, not as instagramable, world biggest ball of yarn  and the corn palace just don't do it for millienials  unless there is a festival, brewpubs and scooters.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/19 11:08 by dan.