Salt Lake Express expands transportation services for customers
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REXBURG — Salt Lake Express, a busing transportation service based in Rexburg, recently acquired another company to provide additional routes for customers.
In a news release dated Oct. 3, Salt Express announced it recently acquired two divisions of Northwestern Stage Lines. One division is based in Spokane, Washington, and the other, Boise-Winnemucca Stage lines, serves customers on the western side of the state.
“We already have a route going from Salt to Boise and from Pocatello to Boise. Now you can go from Boise to Spokane and from Spokane to Seattle,” Lisa Young, Salt Lake Express spokeswoman, tells EastIdahoNews.com.
The company already offers shuttle rides through the Interstate 15 corridor in Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. It also connects with other carriers across the U.S.
Through this acquisition, Northwestern will join Salt Lake Express, and passengers will be able to book rides from Seattle to Las Vegas and many places in between. Northwestern Stage Lines travels to more than 25 destinations “with connections to airports, Amtrak and intermodal bus stations,” according to the news release.
“They are a wonderful company that’s been in business since 1930. Our goal isn’t to take them over, but to boost who they already are,” says Young. “They’re going to keep their name … and we’re going to build upon that legacy.”
The acquisition came about because Northwestern Stage Lines owner Cleto Achabal was looking to retire. Taking it over was a natural fit for Salt Lake Express because “it meets the edge of where SLE ends.”
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This comes nearly a year after Salt Lake Express expanded its service into eastern Utah. In November 2021, the business added routes into Vernal, Heber City, Moab and Blanding, Utah to accommodate people in smaller communities where there is no regular busing service.
Salt Lake Express was formed in Rexburg in 1994. Young says the original owner bought it because he needed a bigger vehicle to haul his 11 kids. His son, Jacob Price, now owns the company.
It started as a shuttle service for college students at then Ricks College and has grown to become the largest transportation service in the region, serving hundreds of thousands of customers.
Young says the last year has been the company’s busiest “in the history of motor coach transportation,” and the COVID-19 pandemic had something to do with that.
“A lot of people are moving away from flying and leaning more towards bus travel since the pandemic,” she says.
The reason for this, according to Young, is that fewer flights are available.
She’s excited about the growth and this acquisition. She’s eager to see how it will improve the business’s ability to serve customers.
“We are thrilled about this new opportunity,” owner Jacob Price says in a news release. “These companies have been a transportation staple in the states of Idaho and Washington for many decades, and we couldn’t be happier to carry on their legacy.”
To book a trip, visit the website or call (800) 356-9796.