Winnipeg major link in new Flix passenger bus Prairies route

An international bus company will launch next month a route connecting Manitobans to Regina and Calgary.

It’s the start of what could be a greater expansion, according to Flix North America leadership.

“We’re really excited to be able to expand into what we feel like is an underserved market,” said Rafi Tumarkin, Flix’s business development team lead in Canada.

Beginning in May, Flix will run motorcoaches between Winnipeg and Regina four times per week. The motorcoaches will leave at night and stop in Brandon on the way west.

From Regina, riders can take another line that stops in Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Calgary.

Flix North America is picking up the mantle from Greyhound, which vacated the Prairie provinces in 2018. Parent company Flix SE — based in Germany — now owns Greyhound Lines.

It’ll compete in Manitoba with Rider Express, a bus company also transporting people between Winnipeg and Regina.

“Time will tell” whether there will be enough demand for both businesses, said Barry Prentice, a University of Manitoba supply chain management professor. “The mere fact that there is a choice, I think consumers would prefer that.”

Greyhound was encumbered by needing to serve communities that didn’t make financial sense, Prentice said, adding regulations have since changed.

Flix’s route crosses communities lacking good air access, Prentice noted: “This … gives those places a better connectivity.”

The bigger the gap between air and bus fare, the more traction Flix may get, said Paul Larson, a U of M supply chain management professor.

“Of course, heading west, the bus also competes with private vehicles (cars) and the train,” Larson wrote in an email. “The onboard experience will also be very important.”

High fuel prices could drive Manitobans to Flix, Larson added.

The company touts itself as a low-cost intercity bus provider. It operates on a dynamic pricing model, meaning prices change in real time based on demand. Tickets are cheaper the farther in advance they’re booked, Tumarkin said.

On Wednesday, a round trip from Winnipeg to Regina — leaving May 8, returning May 10 — cost $97.97 for one person. Seat and baggage charges would raise the checkout price.

A one-way ticket from Winnipeg to Brandon could cost $15, depending on when the customer books, Tumarkin said.

Flix hasn’t been adding fuel surcharges to tickets despite the skyrocketing price of fuel due to the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. Pricing is something Flix reviews weekly, Tumarkin said.

“We’re trying to maintain our costs as low as possible, to still allow for passengers to be able to travel uninterrupted,” he said. “Of course, there’s a lot of external factors … that can influence that.”

Gas prices jumped year-over-year, to $1.78 per litre from $1.35/L in Manitoba on Wednesday, according to fuel tracking firm GasBuddy. The ongoing Middle East conflict has thrown global oil markets into disarray.

Flix buses will depart from the Grey Wolf Terminal at 936 Sherbrook St., (Greyhound’s former hub) and Southdale Centre in Winnipeg, eventually hitting Brandon. More stops in Manitoba could come in the future, Tumarkin said. Route frequency may also increase.

Flix unrolled in Saskatchewan last year. It has routes throughout Alberta and Ontario.

Flix North America covers more than 1,800 communities across the continent. Flix SE, which umbrellas Flix North America, operates in at least 40 countries and four continents.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com