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FlixBus

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FlixBus (German pronunciation: ['flɪksbʊs]; styled FLiXBUS) is a German brand that offers low-cost intercity bus service in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. It is owned by Flix SE [de], which also operates FlixTrain, FlixCar, Kâmil Koç, and Greyhound Lines. FlixBus operates buses or, in many cases, just handles marketing, pricing, and customer service for a commission, on behalf of bus operators.[1][2][3] In 2023, FlixBus had revenues of €2 billion and carried 81 million passengers of which 55 million were in Europe, 14 million were in Turkey, and 12 million were in North America.[4]

FlixBus
A FlixBus Setra S 431 DT at Berlin Messe in 2016
ParentFlix SE [de]
Founded2011 (13 years ago) (2011)
HeadquartersMunich, Bavaria, Germany
Service areaEurope
United States
Brazil
Chile
Canada
India
Service typeIntercity bus service
Websitewww.flixbus.com Edit this at Wikidata
Countries in which FlixBus operates

History

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FlixBus was founded in 2011 in Munich by Daniel Krauss, Jochen Engert and André Schwämmlein. They had met in university and began discussing the concept in 2009 after plans were made to deregulate the bus industry in Germany.[5]

FlixBus launched its first three routes in February 2013 in Bavaria, Germany, to take advantage of Germany opening up its bus market to competition.[6] In the following years, it added routes across Europe.[7]

In April 2018, FlixBus was the first to use all-electric vehicles on a long distance bus route, between Paris La Défense and Amiens.[8]

FlixBus expanded to the United States in 2018, first operating from Los Angeles,[9] then expanding to the East Coast in 2019 through a partnership with Eastern Bus.[10] FlixBus also launched service in Brazil in 2021,[11] Canada in 2022,[12][13][14] Chile in 2023, and India in 2024.[15]

In April 2022, the company converted from a GmbH structure to an SE structure and was renamed Flix SE.[16]

On 13 November 2024 at the Euro Bus Expo at the National Exhibition Centre, an announcement was made regarding a new partnership between FlixBus and Derbyshire-based bus operator Trentbarton.[17]

Financing history - parent company, Flix SE

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In 2013, the company received equity financing from Mercedes-Benz Group and the Technical University of Munich.[5]

In July 2019, the company raised €500 million in a Series F financing round led by TCV and Permira, valuing the company at over €2 billion.[18]

In June 2021, FlixMobility GmbH raised $650 million in a Series G financing round at a valuation of US$3 billion from investors including General Atlantic, Permira, TCV, HV Capital, BlackRock, Baillie Gifford, and SilverLake.[19]

In July 2024, EQT AB and Kuehne + Nagel acquired a 35% stake in the company for €1 billion.[20][21]

Acquisitions

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# Date Company Seller Notes Ref(s).
1 January 2015 MeinFernbus Received investment from General Atlantic [22]
2 November 2015 LIINITA Provider of trips of up to 15 kilometers [23]
3 July 2016 Megabus Europe Stagecoach Group Stagecoach became an operating partner [24]
4 August 2016 Postbus Deutsche Post German bus lines [25]
5 May 2017 Hellö coach network Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) Austrian bus lines [26]
6 May 2018 Swebus Express Nobina Swedish bus lines [27]
7 April 2019 Eurolines and Isilines Transdev Acquisition of Eurolines operating businesses including France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic and Spain and excluding Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ireland, Switzerland and Serbia [28][29]
8 August 2019 Kâmil Koç Private equity firm Actera Group Turkish bus lines [30]
9 October 2021 Greyhound Lines FirstGroup U.S. bus lines; price was $78 million [31][32][33][34][35]

Accidents

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  • In May 2017, the driver of a double-decker bus outside Berlin, Germany, attempted to drive under a bridge with insufficient clearance, completely ripping off its roof. No passengers were on board.[36]
  • In May 2018, a bus rolled and crashed near Udine, Italy. There were 43 people on board, of whom 26 were injured.[37]
  • In August 2018, a bus traveling from Stockholm to Berlin crashed in Germany after veering off a highway, seriously injuring sixteen passengers.[38][39]
  • In December 2018, a bus crashed on a motorway near Zurich, Switzerland, killing two people including the driver.[40]
  • In May 2019, a bus crashed in Germany. At least three passengers were seriously injured. Initial police findings were that the bus driver was not at fault for the accident.[41]
  • In May 2019, a bus rolled and crashed into a road safety barrier in Germany. One person was killed and 60 were injured. The local police found early indications the driver had fallen asleep.[42]
  • In October 2019, a bus rolled and crashed near Bizanet, France. One person was killed and 17 were injured.[43]
  • In November 2019, a bus rolled and crashed near Amiens, France, injuring more than 30 people.[44]
  • In February 2023, an Uber Eats bicycle courier was struck and killed by a Flixbus coach in Brussels, Belgium.[45] Two months after the incident, the government and FlixBus were criticized for not moving the bus stop away from the bike lane.[46]
  • In June 2023, a bus crashed in Avellino, Italy, when it swerved to avoid another car, resulting in one death and injuries to 26 passengers. The company was criticized by a passenger for the lack of support offered after the incident.[47][48]
  • In July 2023, a bus crashed into another bus in the Czech Republic, killing one of the drivers and injuring 76 people.[49]
  • In September 2023, a 19-year-old Austrian woman died after the bus overturned near Micheldorf, Austria, injuring 20 people.[50]
  • In December 2023, an overcrowded Flixbus from Vienna, Austria to Kyiv, Ukraine overturned in Trebišov district of the Košice region of Slovakia, injuring 9 passengers.[51]
  • On 5 January 2024, one person died and 11 others were injured in NY State, USA, after a Flixbus that was bound for New York City from Montreal, Canada, rolled over on Interstate 87.[52]
  • On 24 March 2024, one person died in Italy after a Flixbus travelling between Milan and Rome crashed close to Modena.[53]
  • On 27 March 2024, five people died and 20 others were injured when a Flixbus crashed near Leipzig, Germany, after veering off a highway bound for Zürich from Berlin.[54]
  • On 7 November 2024, around 7:10am, a Flixbus operated by Tribal Sun Bus LLC left the roadway and rolled over on I-490 just west of Rochester, NY. All 28 passengers injured and transported, one critical patient died at the hospital that night.[55] The bus left New York City around midnight, bound for Niagara Falls. The driver received tickets including fatigued driving, excessive speed, unsafe lane change, and no seatbelt. [56][57]

Controversies

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Working conditions for drivers in Germany

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In 2016, FlixBus was accused by a German government agency of forcing its partners to make drivers work excessive hours at low wages.[58]

Use of infrastructure without toll payments in Germany

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Unlike train services and trucks, buses do not pay any road toll in Germany; this was criticized as a "hidden subsidy" by some German politicians in the spring of 2015.[59] bdo, an association of German bus companies, responded that buses pay for infrastructure use in the form of related taxes (on fuel, for example) while billions in subsidies are paid to national rail provider Deutsche Bahn.[60]

Dominant market share in Germany

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In August 2016, following the acquisition of Postbus, FlixBus had control of roughly 80% of the German long-distance bus market, a move criticised by various media outlets as a de facto monopoly and harmful to competition. It was also suggested at the time that FlixBus' control of the market could lead to higher prices and less service to smaller destinations.[61][62][63]

Buses inaccessible for wheelchair users in California

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On 14 May 2020, the Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC) filed a federal class action lawsuit in a California U.S. District Court against FlixBus and other bus operators alleging that buses were inaccessible for wheelchair users and staff was untrained on how to accommodate wheelchair users.[64]

Tribal Sun Bus LLC - Conditional Safety Record

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Tribal Sun Bus LLC (Rockland, MA) operates buses under the Flixbus brand. As of 6 November 2024, the FMCSA SAFER system reported 6 crashes in the last 24 months (starting 6 November 2022.) 1 fatal, 3 injury, and 2 towable. [65] In FMCSA SMS, Out of 77 driver inspections in 2 years, 21 had Hours of Service (HOS) violations. [66] Prior to a rollover accident on 7 November 2024,[56] the FMCSA listed a Carrier Safety Rating[67] of "Conditional; Records indicate that the carrier was out of compliance with one or more safety requirements." [68]

Logos

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  • Flixbus – 2015 
    Flixbus – 2015
  • Meinfernbus.de 
    Meinfernbus.de
  • MeinFernbus Flixbus – 2015 
    MeinFernbus Flixbus – 2015
  • Flixbus – 2015–2016 
    Flixbus – 2015–2016
  • FlixBus – 2016 
    FlixBus – 2016
  • Flixbus Meinfernbus – 2016 
    Flixbus Meinfernbus – 2016
  • FlixTrain 2020 
    FlixTrain 2020
  • Kâmil Koç 
    Kâmil Koç
  • Flixmobility 
    Flixmobility

References

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  1. ^ Wembridge, Mark (6 June 2019). "Flixbus aims 'to make coach travelling cool again'". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Bus Partners". FlixBus. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  3. ^ Ellingson, Annlee (15 May 2018). "European FlixBus brings tech-driven bus network to L.A." American City Business Journals.
  4. ^ "Another record year: Flix reports EUR 2 billion total revenue in 2023" (Press release). Flix SE. 7 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b "FlixMobility". Technical University of Munich (in German). Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  6. ^ "How Flixbus conquered the European coach market". The Economist. 10 May 2018. Archived from the original on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  7. ^ "German bus firm Flixbus opens new Vaasa to Warsaw route". Yle. 18 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Europe's FlixBus inaugurates 1st 100% electric long-distance bus line". Metro Magazine. 12 April 2018. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  9. ^ O'Brien, Chris (15 May 2018). "Germany's data-driven FlixBus launches in the U.S. to make bus travel cool again". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  10. ^ Schwieterman, Joseph; Antolin, Brian (11 July 2019). "How Greyhound, Coach USA sales will impact intercity bus lines". Metro Magazine. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Flixbus starts up in Brazil". Buses. 12 January 2022.
  12. ^ Dunne, James (8 April 2022). "Giant German bus company hits the highway in Canada". CBC News. Archived from the original on 10 April 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  13. ^ Chan, Cheryl (24 May 2022). "FlixBus launches new bus service between Vancouver and Seattle". Vancouver Sun.
  14. ^ Chan, Kenneth (27 May 2022). "FlixBus: Vancouver to Seattle bus service launches in June with $18 fares". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Massive step as Flix launches in India". Bus & Coach Buyer. 1 February 2024.
  16. ^ "Flixbus parent company is now called Flix". Startbase. 20 April 2022.
  17. ^ Render, Stuart (15 November 2024). "Trentbarton is latest partner operator for FlixBus services". routeone. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  18. ^ Busvine, Douglas; Hübner, Alexander; Schuetze, Arno (18 July 2019). "Transport app FlixMobility gets Germany's biggest tech funding round to drive growth". Reuters. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  19. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (2 June 2021). "FlixMobility raises $650M+ at a $3B valuation to double down on buses and other transport in the US". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  20. ^ "EQT and Kühne Holding invest in Flix, the global travel company" (Press release). EQT AB. 4 July 2024.
  21. ^ "EQT, German Tycoon Buy €1 Billion Stake in Greyhound Owner Flix". SWI swissinfo. 4 July 2024.
  22. ^ "MeinFernbus and FlixBus Become One" (Press release). General Atlantic. 17 January 2015. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  23. ^ "FlixBus Acquires LIINITA". Mergr. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  24. ^ "Megabus Europe retail operations sold to FlixBus". CBW (Press release). 4 July 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  25. ^ "Deutsche Post sells long-distance bus unit, confirms 2016 targets". CNBC. Reuters. 3 August 2016. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  26. ^ "Flixbus buys out Austria's Hellö". Buses. 15 June 2017. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  27. ^ "Nobina divests express bus operations" (Press release). Nobina. 2 May 2018. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Negotiations successfully completed: FlixBus buys Eurolines/isilines from Transdev Group" (Press release). Transdev. 2 May 2019. Archived from the original on 13 June 2019.
  29. ^ Lundgren, Ingrid (4 March 2019). "FlixBus, the German Uber-like bus service, is buying rival". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  30. ^ "German FlixBus moves to acquire prominent Turkish bus company Kamil Koç". Daily Sabah. 21 August 2019. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  31. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (21 October 2021). "Germany's FlixMobility acquires Greyhound Lines, the iconic". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  32. ^ "Germany's Flixbus acquires US Greyhound bus company". Deutsche Welle. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  33. ^ "FlixBus owner hitches ride with Greyhound as FirstGroup exits". Reuters. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  34. ^ O'Donnell, Paul; Walters, Natalie (21 October 2021). "Dallas-based Greyhound sells to Europe's largest long-distance bus network". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  35. ^ "FlixBus owner hitches ride with Greyhound as FirstGroup exits". Reuters. 21 October 2021. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  36. ^ "Flixbus roof sheared off by bridge". Deutsche Welle. 12 May 2017. Archived from the original on 23 July 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  37. ^ Treppo, Paola (19 May 2018). "Bus della Flixbus si ribalta sull'A4 in provincia di Udine: 26 feriti, uno grave". Il Messaggero. Archived from the original on 24 March 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  38. ^ "Several injured in mystery Flixbus crash". Deutsche Welle. 17 August 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  39. ^ "Update: 16 injured after Flixbus travelling from Stockholm to Berlin tips over in crash". The Local. 17 August 2018. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  40. ^ "Zurich coach accident claims second victim". Swissinfo. 2 January 2019. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  41. ^ "Drei Schwerverletzte Zwei Flixbus-Unfälle in einer Nacht". Berliner Zeitung (in German). 5 June 2019.
  42. ^ "One dead, many injured in German Flixbus crash". Deutsche Welle. 20 May 2019. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  43. ^ "Un mort et 17 blessés, dont un grave, dans un accident de car Flixbus dans l'Aude" [One dead and 17 injured, including one seriously, in a Flixbus bus accident in Aude]. L'Obs (in French). 6 October 2019.
  44. ^ "Dozens injured in France Flixbus bus crash". Deutsche Welle. 3 November 2019. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  45. ^ Ro.Ma (24 February 2024). "Près de trois mois après le décès de Sultan, livreur percuté par un Flixbus, des poteaux sont installés boulevard Albert II, proche de la Gare du Nord". La Dernière Heure (in French).
  46. ^ "'Twee maanden na dood fietskoerier nog niks veranderd'". BRUZZ (in Dutch). 16 April 2023.
  47. ^ Doyle, Michael (5 June 2023). "Australian involved in fatal Italian bus crash says company offered $16 meal voucher". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  48. ^ Parker, Benjamin (5 June 2023). "Flixbus passengers offered just €10 meal voucher after fatal bus crash". The Independent. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  49. ^ "1 dead and 76 injured in a bus crash on a major highway in southeastern Czech Republic". ABC News. 17 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 September 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  50. ^ "One dead and 20 injured after Flixbus travelling from Berlin overturns in Austria". The Local. 19 September 2023. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  51. ^ Lisnychuk, Maryna (17 December 2023). "An overcrowded bus from Ukraine overturns in Slovakia: children are among the victims". Obozrevatel. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  52. ^ Olson, Issac (5 January 2024). "1 dead, 11 injured after bus coming from Montreal crashes in New York's Adirondacks". CBC News. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  53. ^ "Milan, the Flixbus accidente heading to Rome:here's who the victim is, Vindou Illumine". Italy 24. Archived from the original on 28 March 2024.
  54. ^ Langner, Markus; Proft, Johannes; Keim, Karl; Meinfelder, Laura; Fischer, Thomas (27 March 2024). "A9 bei Leipzig: Fünf Tote und 20 Verletzte bei Flixbus-Unfall". Bild. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  55. ^ Bourtis, Evan (7 November 2024). "Passenger on bus that crashed on I-490, injuring over 20 people, has died". WHEC.com. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  56. ^ a b Staff, Christian Garzone, Tyler Diedrich & WHAM (7 November 2024). "'It was surreal': 28 injured, 1 critically, in tour bus crash on 490". WHAM. Retrieved 8 November 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  57. ^ Bourtis, Evan (7 November 2024). "Bus crash on I-490 injures 28 people, 1 critically". WHEC.com. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  58. ^ "Einhaltung der Sozialvorschriften im Straßenverkehr und der Arbeitszeiten bei Fernlinienbusunternehmen ..." (in German). North Rhine-Westphalia. 9 August 2016.
  59. ^ "Verkehrsminister fordern Maut für Fernbusse" [Transport ministers call for tolls for long-distance buses]. Die Zeit (in German). 14 April 2016. Archived from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  60. ^ "bdo weist Forderungen nach einer Fernbusmaut zurück" [bdo rejects calls for a long-distance bus toll]. www.bdo.org (in German). 18 April 2015.
  61. ^ Arzt, Ingo (3 August 2016). "Flixbus schluckt Postbus: Die Fernbuskrake" [The long-distance bus cracks]. Die Tageszeitung (in German).
  62. ^ Jahns, Christin; Schultz, Stefan (3 August 2016). "Flixbus kauft Postbus: Was die Fernbusfusion für Fahrgäste bedeutet" [What the long-distance bus merger means for passengers]. Spiegel Online (in German).
  63. ^ Doll, Nikolaus (3 August 2016). "Das bedeutet das neue Fernbus-Monopol für Kunden" [That means the new long-distance bus monopoly for customers]. Die Welt (in German). Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  64. ^ "Class Action Lawsuit Alleges "Discrimination and Humiliation" by FlixBus Passengers with Disabilities Repeatedly Denied Accessible Vehicles". Disability Rights Legal Center. 14 May 2020. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  65. ^ "FMCSA SAFER Web". FMCSA SAFER Web. 6 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  66. ^ "Safety Measurement System - HOS Compliance - Tribal Sun Bus LLC". ai.fmcsa.dot.gov. 6 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  67. ^ "FMCSA Carrier Safety Rating". FMCSA SAFER. 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  68. ^ Rose, Lowell (7 November 2024). "Records reveal string of violations by company of tour bus that crashed on 490". WHAM. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
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