A new inter-city bus service has pulled into Sarnia.
A new inter-city bus service has pulled into Sarnia.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Germany-based FlixBus has extended its Ontario routes to include stops in Sarnia, at the Bayside Terminal on George Street, and Strathroy’s Tim Hortons on Center Road, linking the two communities to Toronto and other North American cities.
Article content
The new service began Jan. 25 and is doing well, said the company’s Andrew Schloss.
“We’ve been trying to start service in Sarnia for some time now,” he said. “The market conditions were right and we’re really excited to provide the service to the community.”
Information about tickets and routes can be found at flixbus.com.
Friday morning, the site listed a trip that day from Sarnia to London for $14.99, and $44.99 for a 4.5 hour trip to Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Prices can vary depending on when tickets are purchased, Schloss said.
Advertisement 3
Article content
The company also has an app available.
“We find that this is just a super-easy way to connect with customers,” Schloss said.
The company began operating in the “really exciting” Ontario market almost two years ago, he said.
“Sarnia in on a line going to the station in Toronto, via London,” Schloss said. “And then from Toronto, passengers can connect to other destinations. . . , including Hamilton, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Oshawa, Kingston and Ottawa.”
They also can transfer to buses going to Detroit, New York City, Buffalo and other North American cities, Schloss said. FlixBus serves more than 2,300 destinations in North America, in conjunction with partner brand Greyhound.
“Our customers are a vast array of folks,” Schloss said. “A lot of the time we find we’re serving students and young people, young professionals. . . people from all walks of life.”
Advertisement 4
Article content
The company, started in Germany about a decade ago, “quickly became one of the largest inter-city transportation models in Europe,” Schloss said. It came to North America about five years ago.
FlixBus uses Ontario-based bus operators for all services in the province, he said.
Its arrival in Ontario followed provincial deregulation of inter-city busing in 2021. “That allowed operators like FlixBus, and some of our peers in the industry, to begin inter-city service,” Schloss said.
Intercity Buses began offering service connecting Sarnia, London and Toronto in December.
The City of Sarnia website, sarnia.ca/community-busalso has information about inter-community bus service by Voyago.
Article content