Atlantic Express (bus company)

Atlantic Express

250px An Atlantic Express school bus operates through Oceanside, New York.
Parent	Atlantic Express Transportation Group
Founded	1964
Defunct	2014 (purchased by Durham School Services)
Headquarters	7 North Street Staten Island, NY 10302

Atlantic Express was an operator of transit buses, paratransit and school buses in the United States, specializing primarily in school bus service, while operating transit buses in New York City. At the time of its closure, Atlantic Express was the fifth largest school bus operator in the United States and Canada, behind First Student/First Student Canada, Durham School Services, Student Transportation of America and the MTA of New York's bus division (to which Atlantic Express had been a contractor).

In late 2013, Atlantic Express declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy

File:Atlantic Express MCI 312.jpg

Atlantic Express MCI #312 seen operating Staten Island bound on the X23 to Huguenot/Drumgoole (Hug/Drum) at 5 Av and 34 St, Manhattan, in the afternoon of June 21, 2011.

See also: List of express bus routes in New York City

See also: Hudson Rail Link

In New York City, Atlantic Express operated two express bus routes under contract to the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the X23 and X24 from Staten Island to Manhattan, sharing the same fare structure as all express buses operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The operating rights to these routes were awarded to Academy Bus in bankruptcy proceedings, although most of the coach fleet was excluded from the sale.

Under the name Hudson Rail Link, Atlantic Express had operated ten bus-to-rail shuttle routes in The Bronx, under contract to Metro-North, to Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil stations on the Hudson Line. The Hudson Rail Link contract was awarded to Logan Bus Company in bankruptcy proceedings.

School bus service

In addition to fixed route service, Atlantic Express also served approximately 104 school districts in five states with yellow school bus service, primarily in the Northeast. Atlantic Express at its peak had operations in twelve states, but had significantly downsized and had exited the mid-western and southwestern United States, and Florida well before its closure. The failure and closure of the company was a direct result of the mismanagement and theft from Dominic Gatto. Although he was not the only high ranking employee to steal. It's bankruptcy was cemented by former Mayor Bloomberg, as he is well known for being a Union buster. ATU 1181 was much too weak of a union (and still is) to dispute contracts with Bloomberg and said company.