Heading home for Thanksgiving? Off to visit friends? Want to try the famous schnitzel at Oktoberfest?

BUSU is launching a test-run of a new bus service for you. We have partnered with Coach Canada to offer you a new deal with CHEAPER prices and FASTER service back home for you.

If you're headed to Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock or Brantford this new service can save you about 25% off your ticket with the "other guys", and cut more than an hour off your travel time.

Tickets are now on sale at Subcetera South and General Brock convenience stores during all regular hours

Kitchener-Guelph Route

Price: $22.00 one way, tax included

Friday Service, October 9th, 2009:

Departs Brock University Tower at 4:00pm

Arrives in Guelph (MacDonell Street, outside Greyhound terminal) at 5:30pm

Arrives in Kitchener (Charles Street, outside downtown terminal) at 6:00pm

Monday Service, October 12th, 2009:

Monday Service is currently sold out.

London-Woodstock-Brantford Route

Price: $30.00 each way, tax included

Friday Service, October 9th, 2009

Departs Brock University Tower at 4:00pm

Arrives in Brantford (Lynden Park Mall - transit hub) at 5:30pm

Arrives in Woodstock (Canadian Tire on Norwich at the 401) at 6:15pm

Arrives in London (White Oaks Mall) at 6:50pm

Arrives in London (VIA Rail terminal on York Street) at 7:00pm

Monday Service, October 12th, 2009

Departs London (VIA Rail terminal on York Street) at 7:00pm

# Departs London (White Oaks Mall) at 7:10pm

# Departs Woodstock (Canadian Tire on Norwich at the 401) at 7:45pm

# Departs Brantford (Lynden Park Mall - transit hub) at 8:30pm

Arrives in St. Catharines (downtown) at 9:45pm

Stops available upon request at:

- Glenridge at Glendale

- Brock Tower

- Collier at Sullivan

- Confederation at Keefer

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# - When purchasing your ticket for the Monday trip, please specifically request if you need a pickup at White Oaks Mall, Woodstock or Brantford. If there are no advance requests, the bus will not be stopping at these locations to pick up passengers

* Please advise your cashier if you require an accessible bus for mobility purposes

** All schedule times are approximate and may vary with traffic and weather conditions

*** This is a first-time trial service. Please leave contact information when you purchase your tickets in case any information about your route changes, and to gather feedback about the service

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What type of bus is this. Do I have to ride on a crowded schoolbus?

A: This is a highway coach, complete with air conditioning and padded seats. The same coach used by Greyhound and Coach Canada for their regular runs

Q: Can I purchase tickets at the bus, or do I need to buy them in advance?

A: You must buy your tickets in advance at Brock. The drivers cannot accept cash, and the terminals or malls at your destination are not set up to sell our tickets at the present time. Subcetera and General Brock convenience stores are the only locations for this service.

Q: I need to get to another city, how do I do that?

A: This trial service currently only services five cities to test demand. If you need to get to Waterloo or Cambridge, a cash fare on Grand River Transit is only $2.50 extra from Kitchener. All other cities can be serviced through intercity coach buses. Hamilton and Toronto are not offered as destinations because none of those buses currently require connections, and service is very frequent. Destinations north and east of Toronto are not offered at the moment, but please e-mail your comments and suggestions to Rob Lanteigne at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . If enough demand exists, we may try out your city/town as well.

Q: These bus times are not convenient for me, can you move them earlier or later?

A: We have these buses scheduled to get you home at a reasonable time on Friday evening, but late enough that most students with Friday classes will be able to take them. For your return trip on Monday, these are the latest possible buses. No other "public" bus on a regular route leaves your city later that night (except Guelph), so we have given you the longest possible time with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day, and time to stuff yourself with as much turkey as possible. If there is overwhelming demand for your route and we need to order a second bus, we may choose to offer the second bus at another flexible time. This is why we ask that you leave your contact information when you buy your tickets, so we can let you know if a second flexible departure time is available for you.

Q: I need an accessible bus for my wheelchair, can I use this service?

A: We can accomodate any accessibility needs, however you must let us know of this need when you purchase your ticket. If we do not know about your needs, Coach Canada may place their accessible buses on other routes.

Q: Is this a one-time service? Can I use this to get home next weekend?

A: This a test-run which may become a permanent service, based on demand. If you would like to see this route continue regularly, please e-mail Rob Lanteigne at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to let us know your thoughts, and how frequently you would use this service on regular weekends throughout the school year (the return trip would be on Sunday nights).

Q: Do I need to show my student card or any other identification to buy my ticket?

A: No. While BUSU is a student-run organization providing services for students, if there are other people who wish to take advantage of our special routes and pricing, we welcome them as well. Professors, staff, your friends at Niagara College or from elsewhere, everyone can ride this bus. If enough of them do, we might be able to lower your ticket price as a student even further in the future.

Q: Will you do the routes in reverse? Can friends visit me for the weekend and then return to their hometowns?

A: Not at this time, but we are exploring partnership opportunities with other universities for the future. Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo, University of Guelph, and University of Western Ontario could potentially be serviced on these routes in the future. Please e-mail Rob Lanteigne at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like to see partnerships formed where buses run in both directions on Friday afternoons, and both directions on Sunday nights.

Q: I bought a ticket, but then decided not to use it or missed my bus. Can I get a refund or use the ticket later?

A: Because this is a one-time service at the moment, your ticket is valid ONLY for the route that you have chosen, and is non-refundable. If service is extended in the future, tickets may become valid for multiple travel dates, but that is not possible at this time. Tickets will never be refundable.

Q: Can the bus pick me up or drop me off at a different location?

A: No. We must make arrangements far in advance for every stop location, and multiple stops adds time on the trip for everyone else. We have carefully chosen these destinations to maximize the speed of our service. Please look carefully at the locations for your city, the bus does not necessairly stop at your transit terminal.

Q: Do I need to make any connections or transfer buses?

A: No. Unlike the usual routes to your city, these are direct routes on one bus, and require no transfers.

Q: Is this service actually cheaper than the regular buses?

A: Absolutely. A ticket to Kitchener costs $30.24 when you include tax, and a ticket to Guelph is $28.64. These are savings of 27% and 22% respectively. London costs $34.02 two to four times per day, and $42.10 the rest of the time, for savings of 12% or 29%. Woodstock costs $35.58 normally, which is 18% savings for you. Brantford is slightly more expensive using this service. However, because this bus can drop you off at multiple locations within St. Catharines and Thorold on your return trip, you can probably save a few dollars on your taxi fare as well. The "other guys" will only offer you stops in downtown St. Catharines. Plus, this service is faster for you as well. You will be on the bus for an hour less than the "other guys", saving you not just money, but time as well.

Q: I have another question that you haven't answered yet.

A: Please e-mail Rob Lanteigne, BUSU Vice President University Affairs at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  with all your questions. Please do not ask Coach Canada's service staff or ticket vendors, as this is a private chartered service and they probably do not have the answers you are looking for.