Australian-based Kelsian filed with the United States Surface Transportation Board (STB) to acquire All Aboard America Holdings (AAAHI), which includes All Aboard America, Hotard Coaches, Sun Diego Charter, Ace Express Coaches, Lux Bus America, and First Class Transportation.

“Over the past six years, AAAHI has invested in our people, our safety culture, and our technology to create a strong and stable foundation for six of the most impressive motorcoach companies in the United States. When we were looking for a new partner, we knew the best choice would be a company that recognizes the value of combined charter and contract operations, believes EV is the future and supports the independence of our local brands. We are excited to work side-by-side with the Kelsian team to grow our footprint, our customer base and our team in the USA,” said CEO Bill Trimarco.

The AAAHI approach to motorcoach operations directly aligns with the Kelsian belief that “Our people are the best in the business, committed to providing our customers with brilliant experiences every time,” according to the company’s release.

Since Hotard Coaches and All Aboard America joined together in 2012, AAAHI has given generational family businesses and entrepreneurs a place to call home. No one predicted the extraordinary value of combining strong local brands with a large, contiguous, regional network of motorcoach operators in the U.S., but since 1989, Kelsian has been building a similar model with more than 25 brands operating ferries, buses, and light rail in Australia, UK, and Singapore. Once finalized, the deal will create one of the largest and most comprehensive managed transportation and logistics networks in the world.

Kelsian Group CEO Clint Feuerherdt said: “We are thrilled to bring AAAHI into the Kelsian global platform. Our businesses are highly complementary, our operating portfolios span across multiple locations in the transport and tourism sectors and we both share the same commitment to maintaining high safety standards for our employees and our customers.”

Kelsian believes in the AAAHI vision and will continue to support the team, invest in EV, expand contracts with current and new clients, and provide market-leading charter operations. As the businesses look to the future, the US-based operations will grow by adhering to their shared core values: safety drives all decisions and when you take care of your team, your team takes care of your customers, and the rest takes care of itself, the company said.