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© 2022 Peter Pan Bus Lines, Inc.

85 years young, Peter Pan Bus Lines celebrates a major birthday with five new 2019 MCI J4500 models sporting leading edge Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

Peter Pan Bus Lines, one of the motor coach industry’s largest privately owned motor coach companies, has depended upon the reliability of MCI’s bestselling J4500 from the model’s inception.

Peter Pan was the very first operator to place a 12-coach order for the all-new J4500 in 2001, and has refreshed its fleet with J4500s every year since. Today Peter Pan has over 137 MCI J4500s in its fleet of 250 MCI coaches.

Its latest delivery of coaches arrived over the Thanksgiving holiday – five brand new 2019 J4500s with a full interior redesign including best-in-class legroom, enhanced baggage capacity, a spacious lavatory and upgraded lighting throughout.

Always dedicated to safety for its passengers and drivers, Springfield, MA-based Peter Pan added MCI’s optional Bendix Fusion, the next-generation Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) featuring a collision mitigation camera radar system with stationary vehicle braking, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and more.  Peter Pan also opted to install a six-camera security system.

These five new coaches come equipped with wheelchair lifts and feature signature Peter Pan seating by Kiel with made-to-order fabric from Lantel. Each of the 56 seats include 110-volt outlets that make it easy for passengers to use their laptops and other electronic devices.

Fuel efficiency was also on Peter Pan’s list, as the 2019 J4500’s new swing-out e-Fan system is showing fuel savings averaging 3 percent above the already exceptional standard fuel efficiency of the J4500 model as demonstrated in independent tests.  Also, Peter Pan coaches feature GPS systems to eliminate unnecessary idling and help monitor speed and braking to save 8 percent more on fuel.

“The J4500 is the flagship model of our fleet,” said Peter A. Picknelly, Chairman and CEO of Peter Pan Bus Lines.  “We like the overall innovation and the incremental updates MCI has given the model throughout the years. And of course, our passengers enjoy the interior amenities.”

“It’s a good-looking and durable coach,” said Tom Picknally, Senior Vice President, Maintenance, discussing Peter Pan’s nearly five-decade relationship MCI and most recently with the J4500. “Our routes face a wide array of challenges from weather, to road quality, to interior wear, and MCI has done a good job meeting our criteria in the models they offer. We’re especially excited about how the new e-Fan is designed for easier maintenance.”

A move and a milestone

Peter Pan turned 85 this year and recently moved its longtime corporate offices across the street to the renovated Springfield Union Station – a modern intermodal transit center like none other. Peter Pan serves 75 cities across the Northeast from this location, a hub for PVTA intercity buses, Amtrak trains and other area bus services. Noting the gentrification around Peter Pan’s new home, Picknelly says, “The City has come back, and access to convenient, reliable transportation is playing large role in that. We are very proud to be a part of this growth and that’s why we moved our corporate offices to this location.”

“MCI is so proud to have our J4500 as Peter Pan’s model of choice,” said Patricia Ziska, MCI Vice President of new coach sales. “Having one of the leading operators in the nation as our customer is something we’re very proud of. Peter Pan has always had high standards for safety and comfort and they demand highly reliable coaches. One more thing MCI and Peter Pan have in common – we’re both 85-year-old companies with rich histories, and we value and keep our longtime relationships.”

Peter Pan’s relationship with MCI began in the early 1970s. Picknally said the company first went with the MC-8 coach and added MCI models ever since.  “MCI understands multi-generational operators and what they need to continue building their business.”

As a long-distance and commuter bus carrier, Peter Pan operates throughout the Northeast Corridor of the United States with bus service in ConnecticutDistrict of ColumbiaMassachusettsMarylandNew JerseyNew YorkPennsylvania and Rhode Island. Over 4 million passengers per year travel on Peter Pan’s bus routes, logging 25 million miles annually.

In addition to its Springfield headquarters, Peter Pan operates office and garage facilities in Boston, Connecticut, Providence, New Jersey and Maryland employing 1,000 people companywide.

Learn more at www.ppb.dev.tdstickets.com.

 

About NFI Group

With nearly 6,000 team members, operating from 31 facilities across Canada and the United States, NFI is North America’s largest bus manufacturer providing a comprehensive suite of mass transportation solutions under several brands: New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit buses), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), MCI® (motor coaches), and NFI Parts™ (parts, support, and service). NFI buses incorporate the widest range of drive systems available including: clean diesel, natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, and zero-emission electric (trolley, battery, and fuel cell). For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, NFI posted revenues of US $2.4 billion. NFI common shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NFI. News and information are available at www.nfigroup.com.

 

About Motor Coach Industries

Motor Coach Industries (MCI) is North America’s motor coach leader in public and private markets, offering the J4500 (the industry best-seller for 13 consecutive years) and the all-new J3500 model (the workhorse D-Series including the breakthrough ADA-accessible MCI D45 CRT LE). MCI also supports nearly 30,000 MCI coaches on the road with maintenance, repair, 24-hour roadside assistance, and the industry’s only Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) accredited MCI Academy technician training center. Further information is available at www.mcicoach.com.

 

 

IMPORTANT TRAVEL ALERT Service is operating as scheduled to/from Baltimore, Silver Spring & Washington D.C.

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