Britain's first budget sleeper coach service hits the road

• Overnight megabus.com service with beds to run between Glasgow and London
• New service offers budget fares, free wi-fi, toilets and on board refreshments

Britain’s first budget sleeper coach service starts running between Glasgow and London from this evening (21 October 2011).

The new pilot service is operated by Stagecoach Group’s market-leading budget coach provider megabus.com and offers fares ranging from £1 to £40.

Passengers have their own berth, which is equipped with a reading light and curtain for extra privacy, as well as a duvet, pillow and blanket. Customers are also allocated a standard seat for their journey.

Specially-converted 60ft articulated coaches are used on the sleeper service. Fitted with 24 berths and 24 seats, the sleeper coach operates seven nights a week.

Customers have access to a toilet, free wi-fi, on-board refreshments and a complimentary overnight pack containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, a bottle of water, an eye mask and a luggage label.

The new service provides cost-conscious travellers with a cheaper alternative than more expensive overnight rail travel or the inconvenience of a "red-eye" flight from an airport with added transfer time and costs.

Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Sir Brian Souter said:

We’ve had huge interest in the sleeper coach. Feedback from the trials we have carried out over the past two months has been very positive about the extra comfort, facilities, and the great value prices.

We have seen particularly strong growth in demand for budget travel over the past two years with the combined effect of the tough economy, stretched household budgets and rocketing fuel prices. The sleeper coach is a great way to travel and make your money go further.

The sleeper coach service runs to the following timetable:

• Glasgow-London: depart 23.10; arrive 07.00
• London-Glasgow: depart 23.55; arrive 07.45

The sleeper coaches have been safety certified by VOSA and are fitted with CCTV. For additional safety and security, each berth is equipped with a button to alert the driver in the event of an emergency. The vehicles also meet Transport for London’s new Low Emissions Zone (LEV) requirements which come into force in the capital in January 2012.

megabus.com was launched in the UK in 2003 and revolutionised coach travel by offering fares from just £1 via a simple online booking system. Almost three million passengers now use megabus.com services in the UK every year, travelling between more than 60 towns and cities across the country.

In 2006, Stagecoach expanded the budget coach concept to North America where megabus.com has now been used by more than 10 million passengers.

For more information about Megabus or to book the sleeper coach services, visit www.megabus.com