By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A new bus service is about to roll into Chatham-Kent.
Trailways.com will soon be adding a stop in downtown Chatham as part of its daily run from Toronto to Detroit.
In an interview from his office in White Plains, NY, Trailways.com president Alex Berardi said the service is set to begin April 5.
On its way from the U.S., the bus will stop in Windsor, Chatham and London before heading to Toronto, with two runs a day. There will be two daily trips from Toronto to Detroit as well, meaning the bus will stop in Chatham four times a day, seven days a week.
Although the details have yet to be finalized, Berardi said the fees will be reasonable, with the average fare at around $45.
“It’s a great and affordable way to travel,” Berardi said, noting bus travel is convenient and environmentally friendly, with fewer CO2 emissions per passenger compared to other modes of transportation.
Berardi said the idea for the new route was conceived after the success of Trailways.com’s Toronto to New York City route.
“We appreciate the work of our operations team as they thought there’s a really big need for the service,” he said. “We’re excited to get started.”
Chatham-Kent officials said the new service definitely benefits the municipality.
Engineering director Chris Thibert said the local Trailways.ca stop “really puts Chatham-Kent on the map.
“We’re honoured the company considered us as a location,” Thibert said, noting the bus will be stopping right beside the municipal transportation hub in the downtown.
C-K council paved the way for service last year by tweaking the rules to allow large buses to stop in the area between Harvey Street and the current terminal.
“We’re extremely excited to get this up and running,” Thibert added.
Trailways currently provides bus service from the eastern United States to Denver and Chicago. The vertically integrated company owns its own buses and is affiliated with Amtrak and Megabus, allowing for seamless travel connections for the passenger.
The Chatham stop will be located at 35 Centre St. Tickets will be able to be purchased online when the Trailways.ca website is up and running.
The closure of Greyhound bus routes across Canada in 2021 left many residents in rural Ontario marooned without affordable options, with officials saying the void has created hardship for low-income Canadians.
