virginia service area united states canada germany netherlands service type intercity coach service operator cooperative chief executive sheila ryba 1 website www.trailways.com the trailways transportation system is a us based network of approximately 70 independent bus companies that have entered into a brand licensing agreement . the company is headquartered in fairfax virginia . 2 contents 1 history 2 current trailways members 3 see also 4 references 5 external links history edit a santa fe bus used to transport workers to defense plants during world war ii . the predecessor to trailways transportation system was founded february 5 1936 by burlington transportation company santa fe trails transportation company missouri pacific stages safeway lines inc. and frank martz coach company . the system originated with coast to coast service as the national trailways bus system ntbs . greyhound lines had grown so quickly in the 1920s and 1930s that the interstate commerce commission encouraged smaller independent operators to form the ntbs to provide competition . unlike greyhound which centralized ownership trailways member companies became a formidable competitor while staying an association of almost 100 separate companies . in the 1950s morgan w. walker sr. of alexandria louisiana became head of the southern division of the company . he had entered the business on a small scale during world war ii as the interurban transportation company of alexandria . 3 during the 1950s and 1960s consolidation among bus operators resulted in four of the five original trailways members becoming part of a new company continental trailways which eventually operated the majority of trailways routes . 4 5 6 7 8 in 1968 under the leadership of major stockholder kemmons wilson holiday inn acquired continental trailways which remained a subsidiary of holiday inn until 1979 when holiday inn sold trailways to private investor henry lea hillman sr. of pittsburgh pennsylvania . in the years during which trailways was a subsidiary of holiday inn television commercials for holiday inn frequently showed a trailways bus stopping at a holiday inn hotel . regular route bus ridership in the united states had been declining steadily since world war ii despite minor gains during the 1973 and 1979 energy crises . by 1986 the greyhound bus line had been spun off from the parent company to new owners which resulted in greyhound lines becoming solely a bus transportation company . it was sold off to new owners headed by fred currey a former executive with the largest member of the national trailways bus system . the old greyhound parent had changed its name to dial corporation . under the new ownership in 1987 led by currey greyhound lines later acquired the former continental trailways company the largest member of the rival national trailways bus system effectively eliminating a large portion of bus competition . 9 although greyhound negotiated cooperative schedules with carolina coach company and southeastern trailways two of the larger members of the trailways system many smaller carriers were effectively forced out of business . greyhound later acquired carolina and the intercity operations of southeastern . 10 11 most of the survivors diversified into charters and tours . current trailways members edit today trailways members are spread across north america . they provide charter bus service bus tours and scheduled route services with some members providing regular route service to areas not served by any other bus company on an interlining basis with greyhound lines each other and independent companies . members also offer motorcoach charters and tours in competitive markets . as of april 2015 trailways members are 12 abbott trailways roanoke va adirondack trailways hurley ny amador trailways of ca sacramento ca amador trailways of nv reno nv americanstar trailways pismo beach ca as midway trailways baltimore md arrow trailways of tx killeen tx birnie trailways rome ny burlington trailways west burlington ia capital trailways of al montgomery al capital trailways of ga columbus ga capital trailways of huntsville madison al cavalier coach trailways boston ma central states trailways hazelwood mo coastal georgia trailways brunswick ga colonial trailways mobile al cross country tours trailways spartanburg sc dakota trailways spearfish sd david thomas trailways philadelphia pa dean trailways of mi lansing mi echo trailways ft. worth tx echo trailways tyler tx elbo trailways the netherlands heino holland excursions trailways of in ft. wayne in excursions trailways of oh ottawa oh first class trailways st. petersburg fl first priority trailways district heights md flagship trailways cranston ri fullington trailways clearfield pa gentry trailways knoxville tn gold line trailways tuxedo md great canadian trailways kitchener ontario harlow s trailways bismarck nd heartland trailways st. joseph mo huskey trailways festus mo huskey trailways of columbia columbia mo kobussen trailways kaukauna wi kobussen trailways of west wi bloomer wi lancaster trailways the carolinas lancaster sc lancaster trailways of charleston lancaster sc lancaster trailways of myrtle beach myrle beach sc lone star trailways tyler tx louisiana trailways marrero la martz trailways wilkes barre pa mississippi trailways mccomb ms mississippi trailways of madison madison ms mlaker trailways davidsville pa national coach trailways fredricksburg va new york trailways hurley ny northeast trailways of me lewiston me northwestern trailways spokane wa orange belt trailways visalia ca pacific coachways trailways garden grove ca pine hill trailways hurley ny prairie coach trailways dell rapids sd prairie coach trailways of nd fargo nd prairie trailways chicago il precious cargo trailways newbury oh red river trailways shreveport la salter trailways jonesboro la samson trailways atlanta ga southern trailways of al jackson s gap al seitz reisen trailways of germany ruhmansfelden bayern regen sun travel trailways beaumont tx susquehanna trailways williamsport pa thrasher brothers trailways birmingham al utah trailways salt lake city ut via trailways of az tempe az via trailways of ca merced ca viking trailways joplin mo west point tours trailways vails gate ny west valley trailways campbell ca see also edit virginia portal cooperatives portal buses portal atlantic greyhound lines dixie greyhound lines florida greyhound lines greyhound lines jefferson lines laidlaw list of bus transit systems in the united states peter pan bus lines southeastern greyhound lines teche greyhound lines tennessee coach company references edit trailways names new president ceo . metro magazine.com . home . trailways transportation system . retrieved on june 30 2010 . 3554 chain bridge road suite 202 fairfax va 22030 2709 . leslie 5 august 2006 . deep roots and high branches walker family history morgan wailes walker . longrootshighbranches.blogspot.com . heads bus system . the courtland journal . june 3 1947 . retrieved january 6 2012 . united press october 9 1948 . american buslines may merge with subsidiary . pittsburgh press . retrieved january 6 2012 . would take over line . st. joseph news press . september 18 1952 . retrieved january 6 2012 . intercity bus routes history . retrieved january 6 2012 . trailways remembers marvin e. walsh october 27 1906 november 5 2008 pdf . trailways traveler . retrieved january 6 2012 . thomas c. hayes june 20 1987 . greyhound in deal for trailways . the new york times . retrieved january 6 2012 . the dispatch google news archive search . google.com . greyhound acquires southeastern trailways business free online library . thefreelibrary.com . bus companies listings by company name . trailways.com . retrieved april 8 2015 . external links edit wikimedia commons has media related to trailways transportation system . trailways website v t e trailways companies eastern united states abbott trailways adirondack trailways as midway trailways atlantic coast trailways bieber trailways birnie trailways cavalier coach trailways first priority trailways flagship trailways fullington trailways gold line trailways king ward trailways martz trailways myers trailways national coach trailways new york trailways northeast trailways paradise trailways pine hill trailways susquehanna trailways west point tours trailways midwestern united states burlington trailways central states trailways dean trailways excursions trailways heartland trailways huskey trailways kobussen trailways miller trailways prairie trailways saint cloud trailways southern united states anchor trailways capital trailways carolina trailways colonial trailways cross country tours trailways endeavor trailways gentry trailways lancaster trailways little rock trailways lone star trailways louisiana trailways memphis trailways royal tours trailways salter trailways samson trailways south texas trailways swept away trailways thrasher brothers trailways viking trailways western united states amador trailways americanstar trailways arrow trailways dakota trailways eagle trailways el camino trailways express trailways first class trailways got ta go trailways northwestern trailways orange belt trailways pacific coachways trailways prairie coach trailways rimrock trailways sierra trailways silver state trailways sun travel trailways utah trailways via trailways canada great canadian coaches la chaudiere trailways europe elbo trailways seitz reisen trailways retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title trailways transportation system & oldid 733193986 categories companies based in fairfax virginiacompanies established in 1936cooperatives in the united statesfranchisesintercity bus companies of the united stateshidden categories commons category with page title same as on wikidata navigation menu personal tools not logged intalkcontributionscreate accountlog in namespaces article talk variants views 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