What Burlington Trailways does

Burlington Trailways (legal entity Burlington Stage Lines, LTD) was a privately held, family-owned motorcoach company headquartered at 906 Broadway Street, West Burlington, Iowa. Founded in its modern form in 1981 when Ron and Lori Moore acquired Iowa and Missouri operating authority from Continental Trailways, the company traced its lineage to a 1929 Burlington Transportation Company motorcoach operation started by the Chicago Burlington Quincy Railroad. The firm operated three interconnected lines: scheduled intercity bus routes across the Midwest, group charter rentals for schools, sports teams, businesses, churches, and private travelers, and a full-service fleet maintenance shop offering diesel repair, body work, collision repair, and custom painting. Service was delivered via a fleet of up to 26 Prevost luxury 44-passenger motorcoaches equipped with leather reclining seats, Wi-Fi, power outlets, an onboard restroom and kitchenette, and wheelchair lifts; connecting service to the rest of the USA and Canada was available through the company's founding-membership status in the National Trailways Bus System (since 1936).

The business made money through passenger ticket sales, charter transaction fees, professional-services revenue from its in-house maintenance shop (including work for external fleet operators), and resale of retired motorcoaches and parts. The go-to-market motion was direct-to-consumer for both ticketed travelers (via depot and website) and charter customers (via in-house sales), supplemented by an in-house travel agency at 3211 Division Street offering planned tours. Differentiators cited included Department of Defense certification (one of 460 out of 4,000+ applicants), ADA and Title VI compliance, a 59,000 sq ft owned maintenance facility with paint booth and body shop, and an extensive driver training program exceeding federal mandates. The company held 11-50 employees at its peak, served 206,000 passengers annually as of 2010, and covered 3 million miles per year as of 2007.

Burlington Trailways ceased all intercity bus operations on September 27, 2025 and closed shop services on December 31, 2025, with remaining work continuing into 2026. The company is currently liquidating its motorcoach and vehicle inventory and has wound down active service operations.

Name

Burlington Trailways

Legal name

Burlington Stage Lines, LTD

Website

https://burlingtontrailways.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Burlington Trailways was a family-owned Midwest motorcoach company operating scheduled intercity routes, group charters, and a full-service fleet maintenance shop, which ceased operations in late 2025 and is now liquidating assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intercity Motorcoach Transportation

NAICS

Charter Bus Industry (48551), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487), Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (485)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Services-Automotive Repair, Services & Parking (7500)

akta.pro primary industry

Motorcoach Charter (Private Group Hire) (THAIAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter & Tour Coach Operators (TLAFAFAB), National Intercity Coach Operators (Scheduled Network) (THAIADAA), Tour & Sightseeing Coach Charters (THAIAIAB)

Keywords

• Intercity bus service
• Motorcoach charter rentals
• Group tour transportation
• Fleet diesel repair
• Motorcoach equipment sales

Headquarters

HQ city

West Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Intercity Bus Tickets: Passenger ticket sales for scheduled intercity bus routes across the Midwest
2. Charter Services: Private charter rentals for schools, sports teams, businesses, churches, and private groups across the Midwest and beyond
3. Full-Service Shop: Expert diesel mechanic services, preventative maintenance, body shop and collision repair, and professional paint booth services
4. Vehicle Sales: Sale of motorcoaches (Prevost models) and non-commercial vehicles (Dodge Chargers) from retired fleet
5. Parts Inventory Sales: Sale of parts inventory from retired motorcoaches and shop operations
6. Travel and Tours: Professionally planned and hosted trips to destinations including cultural landmarks and natural wonders

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Burlington Trailways operated scheduled intercity motorcoach routes across the Midwest and provided private charter rentals for schools, sports teams, businesses, churches, and private groups. The company also offered professionally planned group tours, a full-service maintenance shop for diesel repair, collision repair, body work, and custom paint, and retail sales of used Prevost motorcoaches, Dodge vehicles, and parts from retired fleet inventory.

Product overview

Burlington Trailways operated as a family-owned motorcoach company offering three interconnected service lines: Trailways Travel (professionally planned and hosted trips), Bus Charters & Rentals (modern motorcoaches for various groups), and a Full-Service Shop (diesel mechanics, maintenance, body work, and collision repair). The company also sold its used motorcoaches and commercial vehicles. All services were grounded in a modern fleet of Prevost luxury motorcoaches equipped with amenities like Wi-Fi, power outlets, and entertainment systems. Intercity bus operations ceased in September 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Intercity Bus Service Scheduled passenger bus service running intercity routes across the Midwest with connecting service nationwide in the USA and Canada, sold via the company depot and online booking; included ADA-accessible service, online ticket purchasing, and on-board amenities such as Wi-Fi, power outlets, and restrooms. Operations ceased in September 2025.
• Bus Charters & Rentals Private motorcoach charter rentals serving schools, sports teams, businesses, churches, and private groups for trips across the Midwest and beyond, using luxury Prevost coaches with professional drivers and on-board amenities.
• Trailways Travel Professionally planned and hosted group trips showcasing destinations from cultural landmarks to natural wonders and seasonal getaways, sold through Burlington Trailways' in-house travel agency.
• Full-Service Shop Commercial vehicle maintenance service covering expert diesel mechanics, preventative maintenance, collision repair, body work, and a professional paint booth for motorcoaches and commercial fleets, working with most major insurance companies on collision claims.
• Prevost Motorcoaches for Sale Wheelchair-lift-equipped used Prevost H345 and X345 motorcoaches (model years 2009-2017, 44-56 passenger) sold from the company's retired fleet inventory.
• Dodge Vehicles for Sale Non-commercial Dodge Charger vehicles (model years 2016-2021, mileages ranging from 90,002 to 161,660 miles, prices from $9,000 to $21,000) sold from the retired fleet inventory.
• Parts Inventory Sales Sale of parts and miscellaneous inventory drawn from retired motorcoaches and shop operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 206,000 passengers annually as of 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• National Trailways Bus System (NTB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 1936Burlington Lines became a founding member of the National Trailways Bus System in 1936. NTB was formed to compete with Greyhound Bus Lines and was the first organization to support independent motor coach owners and operators. Burlington Trailways benefited from nationwide connections and the Trailways network brand recognition.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Arrow Stage Lines: Midwest-based charter and motorcoach services company serving schools, sports teams, corporations, and groups. Comparable in charter-centric model, customer mix, and Midwest operating geography.
• Jefferson Lines: Midwest-headquartered intercity motorcoach operator running scheduled routes across the central US. Directly comparable to Burlington Trailways in route structure, fleet type, target market, and reliance on the regional passenger base.
• Barons Bus Lines: Regional motorcoach operator providing scheduled and charter service across the Midwest and East Coast. Comparable to Burlington in business model, fleet composition, and reliance on group charter and scheduled routes.
• Indian Trails: Intercity and charter motorcoach operator headquartered in Michigan serving the Midwest. Comparable in scheduled-route + charter dual model and similar fleet of 44-56 passenger motorcoaches.

Broad incumbents

• Coach USA: Large multi-brand motorcoach company operating scheduled, charter, and tour services across the US. Comparable in product mix (charter + scheduled) but with substantially greater scale, fleet size, and geographic diversification.
• Greyhound Lines: Largest US intercity bus carrier with nationwide route network. Comparable as the dominant scheduled intercity motorcoach operator against which Burlington competed, with a vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Others

• National Trailways Bus System: Network and brand cooperative of independent motorcoach operators, of which Burlington was a founding member. Comparable as the distribution/network partner that enabled Burlington's nationwide reach without owning those routes.
• Prevost (Volvo Group): Manufacturer of the luxury motorcoaches operated by Burlington Trailways. Comparable as the supplier of the primary fleet asset and the source of capital expenditure burden for the operating model.

Emerging players

• Vonlane: Premium motorcoach service operating scheduled routes between major US cities with luxury amenities. Comparable in fleet (luxury Prevost-style motorcoaches) and amenity positioning, with a different (premium scheduled) business model.
• Megabus: Low-cost intercity bus operator with a digital-first booking model and a smaller double-decker fleet. Comparable as a scheduled intercity competitor applying a different (budget/digital) model to similar routes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BurlTrailways
• Facebookfacebook.com/Burlington.Trailways

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burlington Trailways