INTERCITY BUS COMPANIES
PEORIA ROCKFORD BUS CO.
1948 MAP
1976 MAP
Began operations in 1933. The basic Peoria Rockford Bus Co. route structure was formed in the early 1940's, out of route segments which had been acquired by Blue Motor Coach Lines in the late 1920's and early 1930's. The remainder of Blue Motor Coach Lines became Santa Fe Trail Transportation, a bus subsidiary of the Santa Fe Railway. In 1943, Peoria Rockford Bus Co. acquired the Charter Coach Co. Routes were introduced in the years indicated, by the companies indicated.
Dixon-Mendota-La Salle (1926, Northern Illinois Service Co.)
La Salle-Wenona (1928, Oglesby Motor Transportation Co.)
Wenona-Bloomington (1928, Peoria Bus Transportation Co.)
Rockford-Mendota (1929, Royal Rapid Transit Co.)
De Kalb-Woodstock-Waukegan (1941, Charter Coach Co.)
Milwaukee-Rockford (1946, Peoria Rockford Bus Co.)
1937-1942 was a Trailways member, operating as Central Trailways. In 1955, acquired Carbondale-Harrisburg Coach Line. In 1962, acquired former Santa Fe Trail Transportation route from Continental Trailways, between Chicago and Peoria. In 1964 introduced route from Rockford to Chicago's O'Hare Airport. And in 1966, discontinued remaining former Carbondale-Harrisburg routes. All service discontinued 1990 except O'Hare route, renamed Rockford Coach Lines and owned by Greyhound. O'Hare route discontinued 2004, remaining operations sold to Van Galder Bus Co., which had operated competing service on route between O'Hare and Janesville and Madison, Wisconsin. Route between Chicago and Peoria operated 1990-1994 by Blue Star Coaches under name Illinois Valley Coaches, since 1994 operated by the new Burlington Trailways.
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