Stratford has a new year shuttle bus shuffle

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Just days after popular bus service Onexbus announced the ceasing of its Stratford line, another private organization announced a new stop for the Festival City, filling in a gap that had just erupted.

FlixBus, a fast-growing intercity bus service, announced a new stop in Stratford on Feb. 3. The new line connects Stratford to Toronto, Hamilton, Guelph and Kitchener, offering access to the Greater Toronto Area.

In an announcement from the company, Stratford’s position as an educational hub (with Conestoga College, UWaterloo and the Stratford Chefs School) as well as its arts and tourism draws were highlighted as the onus for expansion.

“This launch marks just the start of our continued expansion across Canada in 2026,” said Karina Frayter, head of communications for Flix North America, in a media release. “By adding Stratford into (our growing) network, we’re improving year-round, car-free access to a major cultural and education hub while creating more convenient travel options for both residents and visitors.” 

Onexbus had been offering a similar service for about two years, first announcing its service in late 2023. At the time it was meant to fill the gap left by the ending of the pilot Go Train service that same year. When asked about Onexbus’ closure, representatives of the company said the Stratford trips have been suspended due to “operational requirements,” but did not further elaborate when asked.

Mayor Martin Ritsma informed the Times the problem came down to ridership. From his conversations with Onexbus’ ownership, there just weren’t enough riders to justify the fuel, insurance and maintenance costs.

“I'm disappointed that Onex can't continue because they were good,” Ritsma said. “They were a small company, a family company, trying to make it go, but (I’m) pleased that there is another bus service that's looking to pick up where Onex left off.”

Ritsma has long been an advocate for interregional transit. The City of Stratford continues to operate the PC Connect service though municipal and provincial funding (even when Perth County ended the rural route due to growing costs) and he has personally delegated at various governmental levels for more rural public transport.

Reflecting on the balance between public needs and private markets, Ritsma said that tension was a priority during this year’s Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA)’s annual conference, where he and other Perth County municipalities advocated for more funding for PC Connect. In his words, public and private transit are needed for a robust service for residents.

“Our ridership was 22,500 individuals, and that's continuing to grow,” Ritsma said. “And that was our message loud and clear to the Minister of Transportation when we were at ROMA, saying this is something our residents are saying we need, but we can't float that totally on our tax levy, neither.”

The new service from FlixBus launches Feb. 9 with two daily departures in each direction. Like all of Stratford’s public transit, it will arrive and depart from the Cooper Terminal.

For more information, or to book a ticket, visit https://www.flixbus.com/.