15/08/2007

• Improved facilities for passengers under contract with Transport for London
• Tickets on sale at Victoria Coach Station up to 10 minutes before departure
• New locations and journey options added to growing low-cost travel service

megabus.com, the UK 's leading budget inter-city coach service, in agreement with Transport for London, is to move its main hub in the capital to Victoria Coach Station.

The move comes as megabus.com announces a further expansion of its UK network, with new locations and journey options for passengers in Scotland, the Midlands and the South Coast.

The first megabus.com services will start running out of Victoria Coach Station from 1 October 2007, moving from the existing location at Greenline Terminal in Bulleid Way.

megabus.com links 38 locations across the UK from London and the new base will bring significant improvements for passengers.

Customers will benefit from significantly better infrastructure and facilities, including a new Mobility Assistance Lounge, refreshments, seating, toilets, retail outlets and electronic information screens.

Passengers will also be able to buy tickets from the Victoria Coach Station ticket office for travel up to ten minutes before departure.

megabus.com will have access to a distinct set of adjacent departure stands at Victoria Coach Station as well as office accommodation, giving control staff online access to provide up-to-the-minute boarding information for drivers.

A range of improvements have also been made to the megabus.com network, including:

• Chester and Newport added to the destination options
• Chester will have a once a day link to London. Newport will have a twice a day link to London and a once a day link to Bristol.
• New service linking Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth and Winchester in the South with Oxford, Leamington Spa, Coventry and Birmingham in the Midlands.
• New link between Birmingham and Preston, Glasgow and other locations in Scotland, as well as a later departure from London in the evening and an earlier departure to London in the morning.
• Three additional daily journeys between Cardiff and London, one additional daily journey between Bristol and London and two additional daily journeys between Preston and London.

Brian Souter, Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, said: “The new base for our London services at Victoria Coach Station is excellent news for our passengers and our growing operation.

“It will give customers access to a range of improved facilities, as well as the opportunity to book last minute trips direct at the ticket office. The convenient departure stands and office accommodation will also assist in the smooth running of the operation for our customer service team.

“We are delighted with the development of the megabus.com brand, which offers a winning package of budget fares and a high-quality travelling environment. The new destinations and additional services will give even more areas of the country access to affordable inter-city travel.”

Malcolm Wildridge, General Manager at Victoria Coach Station, said: ”Last year alone, around nine million passengers travelled through Victoria Coach Station.

“We are pleased that megabus.com customers will soon be able to benefit from the various facilities we offer, which includes toilets, a hotel booking service and mobility assistance for elderly or disabled passengers who might need additional help.”

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

Earlier this month, Stagecoach expanded its megabus.com operation in the United States with the launch of a major new West Coast hub in Los Angeles. Combined with the Midwest hub in Chicago, the network in the United States now covers 20 key locations. Nearly 500,000 passengers have travelled with megabus.com in the United States since it was launched in April 2006.

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
• Bookings are also accepted by phone on 09001 200 300. Lines are open 8am to 9pm 7 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 reservations are subject to a 50p booking fee.
• Services to and from Stoke on Trent will cease to operate from 30 September 2007.

Victoria Coach Station

• The new Mobility Assistance Lounge is open between 7am and 10pm and is located opposite gate 21 in the East Departures Terminal Building. It caters for up to 25 people with luggage at any one time and also offers disabled toilet facilities.
• To book mobility assistance, passengers can call 020 7824 0000 or complete an online request form through the Transport for London website at the following address: www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/vcs-mobilityassistance
• Victoria Coach Station was built in 1932 and celebrated its 75 th anniversary in March 2007
• The Coach Station has 21 departure gates, 36 coach bays and six arrival bays. It covers 3.3 acres