17/12/2009

• Only national coach operator running services on Christmas Day
• Budget services run for first time throughout Christmas
• 17 locations across UK to benefit from low-cost coach links from £1

Market-leading budget coach operator megabus.com will help keep Britain moving this festive season by running low-cost inter-city coach links on Christmas Day.

megabus.com will be the only national coach operator to give customers the chance to keep in touch with friends and family throughout the entire festive season.

The popular inter-city coach network, operated by Stagecoach Group, will offer services linking 17 towns and cities across the country on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Passengers will be able to travel between London and Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry, Cardiff, Newport, Bristol, Swindon and Reading.

Stagecoach Group Chief Executive, Brian Souter, said: “Demand for high quality good value travel is increasing and, for the first time, we have decided to operate our megabus.com services over the entire festive period including Christmas Day, itself.

”We know there are people who want to travel on Christmas Day to keep in touch with friends and family and we are pleased to be able to help by running our low cost services to some of the most popular locations.”

megabus.com was launched in the UK in 2003 and revolutionised coach travel by offering fares from just £1 via a simple online booking system. More than 2million passengers now use megabus.com services in the UK every year.

For more information on all megabus.com services visit www.megabus.com.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

• There is a photo to go with this press release available on request by emailing lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com

Stagecoach Group
Stagecoach Group is a leading international public transport group, with extensive operations in the UK, United States and Canada. The company employs 30,000 people, and operates bus, coach, rail, and tram services.

For further information contact:

Lindsay Reid
Corporate Communications Manager
Stagecoach Group
10 Dunkeld Road
Perth
PH1 5TW
Phone: 01738 442111
Fax: 01738 443076
Mobile: 07500 446896
email: lindsay.reid@stagecoachgroup.com