Michigan’s Indian Trails added five new Prevost 56-passenger motorcoaches to its fleet for the comfort and safety of passengers at a cost of nearly $3 million, or $600,000 per bus.

“We invest in new coaches with the latest safety, comfort, and eco-friendly features because of our commitment to customers, communities, and the environment,” says Indian Trails President Chad Cushman. “One of our guiding principles for 113 years has been to pour profits into new equipment so our fleet remains the newest in Michigan.”

Three of the new coaches are designated for the Michigan Flyer fleet, which currently provides nine daily roundtrips between East Lansing, Brighton, Ann Arbor, and Detroit Metro Airport for both intercity  and airline passengers.

The other two new buses are being deployed in the Indian Trails charter service, which transports groups of all kinds from anywhere in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana to whatever destinations they choose in the continental U.S. or Canada.

“These are groups from major colleges and universities, K-12 school districts, sports teams, corporations, associations, churches, and many others,” notes Cushman.

In addition, Indian Trails operates daily scheduled routes serving passengers in 80 towns throughout Michigan and into Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, connecting them with one another as well as with airports, Amtrak, and the rest of the national transportation network.

Altogether, the Indian Trails fleet includes 56 vehicles, of which 44 are over-the-road coaches, plus shuttle buses used to provide contract shuttle services. Each year, the company’s vehicles travel over 3.5 million miles and transport more than one million passengers.

About the New Coaches

• Safety features of the new 2023 Prevost H3-45 coaches include an electronic stability system that enables drivers to avoid danger on slippery roads; an engine fire-detection and suppression system; a backup camera with color monitor; a GPS and electronic logging device (ELD) system; and a tire pressure monitoring system. All the coaches are equipped with three-point retractable seatbelts for passengers, ADA-compliant wheelchair lifts, a large under-floor luggage compartment, and electronic destination signs.

• Comfort features include ergonomic seating with gray, leather-like upholstery; ample leg room; individual climate controls, reading lamps and cup holders; tinted, thermopane side windows; USB outlets at each seat for charging mobile devices; free Wi-Fi; on-board lavatories; and enclosed, overhead parcel racks. Also, the coaches offer several high-definition color monitors connected to a DVD player and premium audio system. These enable charter groups to display movies or presentations while on the road.

• Eco-friendly aspects of the coaches include engine technology that exceeds EPA standards by reducing exhaust pollutants to near zero while achieving high fuel economy of about 240 passenger miles per gallon on average. Also, each coach has the potential to remove up to 56 automobiles from the highway, further reducing air pollution and traffic congestion.