June 1 Ceremony at Golden Gate Bridge to Mark Trailways' Return to San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO--May 23, 2006--Trailways, best known as North America's leading organization of independent motorcoach owners and operators, lost its 870-mile route between San Francisco and Seattle when its largest member company, the former Continental Trailways, was sold to Greyhound Lines in 1987.But Trailways left its heart in San Francisco, and absence truly has made the heart grow fonder. In a ceremony starting at 2 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday, June 1, at Ft. Baker at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, Trailways will return to the City by the Bay - in luxury style.
El Camino Lines, a prominent charter-and-tour operator based in the Bay Area for the past four decades, has been awarded a Trailways Transportation System franchise and adopted the name El Camino Trailways. Originally limited to motorcoach companies with scheduled routes, Trailways launched a Charter and Tour Division in 1997, and since then has broadened its scope to offer not only motorcoach operations but a variety of travel-and-transportation-related services.
El Camino Trailways will bring the famous Trailways brand name back again to the roadways of California along the historic route of the El Camino Real and beyond, from Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada, north through Oregon, Washington State and into British Columbia.
Over the past few months, the company has increased its fleet size by 30 percent.
During the June 1 ceremony, El Camino Trailways will christen its two newest acquisitions: 56-passenger, Setra S 417 luxury motorcoaches with sophisticated European styling. Setra is a brand of DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America.
Designed to pamper passengers, the Setra S 417 features such comforts as panoramic-view windows, reclining seats with ample leg room and retractable foot rests, a restroom and a Blaupunkt audiovisual system that includes a DVD player, a CD player and seven LCD flat-panel video monitors throughout each coach. The two new El Camino Trailways coaches also are fitted with WiFi Internet access, Direct TV, XM Radio and a GPS satellite navigation system.
Participating in the christening and celebration of Trailways' return to San Francisco will be:
Gale Ellsworth, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Trailways Transportation System
Dr. Andreas Strecker, President and Chief Executive Officer,
DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America
Patrick Scully, Chief Commercial Officer,
DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America
"El Camino Trailways has a rich history in providing luxury motorcoach transportation in the Bay Area," said Scully. "We are pleased that Setra's high-end, luxurious motorcoaches will be part of this historic moment when the Trailways brand returns to San Francisco. We look forward to the continued success of El Camino Trailways."
Scully will present the keys to the new coaches to Kumar Shah, Chairman of El Camino Trailways.
Also participating from El Camino Trailways will be:
Michael Watson, Managing Director
Robert Graf, Vice President of Operations
Michele Twers, Director, Customer Relations
Lin Henry, Director, Dispatch & Operations
Jillian Caparros, Internet Marketing Manager
San Francisco civic officials, including Mayor Gavin Newsom, have been invited as well. Confirmation of their attendance is still pending.
A champagne reception with light hors d'oeuvres will follow the ceremony, from approximately 2:20 to 3 p.m.
Directions to Ft. Baker
Ft. Baker is in Marin County at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, immediately east of the Marin bridge anchorage at the north perimeter of the marina. Please refer to this Internet link for directions: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=internal&addtohistory =&latitude=uIXO%2bY6L%2bME%3d&longitude=3TORndfMyCaI1mTylI6MkA%3d%3d& name=Physician%20Search%20Baker%20Group&country=US&address=475%20Gate% 205%20Rd&city=Sausalito&state=CA&zipcode=94965&phone=415%2d289%2d9610& spurl=0&&q=Ft%2e%20Baker&qc=Medical%20Management%20Consultants (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)
About El Camino Trailways
Headquartered in South San Francisco, California, El Camino Trailways provides charters for corporate and cultural events, airport transfers, Amtrak Thruway service, school field trips, adventure/sports outings, religious retreats and group tours to destinations throughout the San Francisco Bay area, including San Jose and Oakland. It also runs day and overnight trips to Oregon, Washington State and British Columbia as well as to national parks in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. The company's interactive Website at www.elcaminotrailways.com serves as a convenient portal for travelers and travel planners selecting destinations, planning itineraries and chartering transportation.
For more information, please contact:
Kumar Shah, Chairman El Camino Trailways Tel: (650) 588-0256 Mobile: (408) 472-5662 E-mail: kumar@elcaminolines.com or Michael Watson, Managing Director El Camino Trailways Tel: (650) 588-0256 Mobile: (415) 272-8730 E-mail: mike@elcaminolines.com
About Trailways Transportation System, Inc.
Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, Trailways was founded in 1936, as North America's first organization supporting and promoting independent motorcoach owners and operators. Trailways is expanding once again across the continent from east to west. Besides scheduled-route and charter-and-tour transportation, Trailways offers a variety of travel-related services, including air, rail and cruise ship connections. Besides El Camino Trailways, other Trailways transportation member-companies in California include: AmericanStar Trailways, Pismo Beach; Orange Belt Trailways, Visalia; Pacific Coachways Trailways California, Garden Grove; Amador Stages Trailways of California, Sacramento, Silver State Trailways, Placentia; and VIA Trailways, Merced. Trailways' Website address is www.trailways.com, and its toll-free number is 1-877-GoRedGo.
For more information, please contact:
Gale Ellsworth, President and CEO Trailways Transportation System Tel: (703) 691-3052 E-mail: BusTrails@trailways.com
About Setra of North America, Inc.
Setra is the worldwide leader in luxury motorcoach design, safety and technology. Setra is a brand of DaimlerChrysler and utilizes the engineering, research and development, and financial backing of the world's largest bus and motorcoach manufacturer to provide superior products worldwide. In North America, bus and motorcoach products are organized under DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America (DCCBNA), which in addition to Setra includes the Orion transit bus brand and the Dodge Sprinter shuttle bus. Setra motorcoaches are produced in Ulm, Germany, and are delivered from its North American headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. Setra motorcoaches are supported through a comprehensive North American parts and service network. For more information, please visit www.dcbusna.com or www.setra-coaches.com
For more information, please contact:
Bryan C. Allen, Manager, Marketing & Corporate Communications DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America Tel: (336) 878-5437 Mobile: (336) 456-2283 E-mail: bryan.allen@dcbusna.com
