The new service will operate five days a week from Thursday to Monday
Northwestern Stage Lines, a sister company of Salt Lake Express, has recently started operating more bus schedules between Spokane, WA and Boise, ID. There is now an additional daily shuttle service between the two cities from Thursday to Monday every week.
As the customers speak, Northwestern Stage Lines listens, and the people said they needed more options throughout the week on the route between Spokane and Boise.
The nearly 400 mile stretch between the two cities hits multiple destinations along the way, including McCall, Moscow, Pullman, Lewiston, and more. The increased flexibility on this route has already proved its worth as riders have been enjoying multiple options between the two hubs.
“Oftentimes we look at how full our buses are before we consider adding additional schedules,” said Jacob Price, owner of Northwestern Stage Lines. “While there is a need for more schedules on this particular route, we definitely heard our customers asking for more flexibility. We are happy to be able to provide them with more and better options.”
Spokane and Boise are very similarly sized cities, both with a robust college population and young professional population. That lends itself to needing multiple transportation solutions. Combine that with the college towns along the route in Pullman and Moscow, and you have an even greater need.
“This solution is going to help a lot of our riders,” Price said. “When you are able to help people make more connections to where they want and need to go, it definitely serves the greater good.”
The company has also added additional schedules to many of their lines and regions to better accommodate the higher demand of travelers throughout the country.
Northwestern Stage Lines has recently purchased more buses this year as they show no signs slowing down. The two new MCI coaches were delivered to the company’s main office last month and were out on the road in less than 24 hours.
“As we open more and more routes to accommodate our riders, we have an immediate need for more buses,” said Jacob Price, owner of Northwestern Stage Lines. “We have a good relationship with MCI and they were able to deliver the new coaches very quickly as we needed them out on current routes as quickly as possible.”
The purchase of these new coaches illustrates the commitment of Northwestern Stage Lines to provide for their current riders who have transportation needs. In addition to meeting the needs of their customers, the shuttle and charter company also has a strong desire to continually provide the safest and cleanest buses to those who ride them.
“We truly care about the safety and cleanliness of our buses,” Price said. “We have earned very high marks in the industry for our safety and maintenance and plan to keep that track record up. And while safety is our top priority, we also care a great deal about the comfort and amenities our riders experience. That’s why we regularly swap our older buses with new ones.”
The investment in the company and its staff shows that Northwestern Stage Lines isn’t going anywhere when it comes to providing transportation services to those in the Inland Northwest, Intermountain West, and beyond. Whether it’s booking a simple fare for yourself or chartering a bus for the local high school or group, Northwestern Stage Lines is committed to being flexible and available for customers.
In recent years, the company has added new routes with more destinations in an effort to better serve the entire Intermountain West along with the Pacific Northwest. As a result, there has been a need for more drivers. If you’re interested in driving for Northwestern and already have your CDL, visit northwesternstagelines.com/careers and apply today.
Making purchases online is easier than ever, so why should it be any different when it comes to booking travel? We're happy to announce that *Apple Pay and Google Pay will now show up as available payment options when booking on northwesternstagelines.com.
One goal that we are always trying to accomplish is making things easier for the customer. We feel that this is a good step in that direction and hope it makes the checkout process just a little simpler to those who use Apple Pay and Google Pay.
*Apple Pay will only show up if the user is on a device where it's enabled.
SPOKANE, WA - On September 1, 2023, NWS began operating a new route connecting Spokane and Seattle after a lot of interest was expressed. The route runs through the night between the two Washington cities and accommodates those with a need to travel during non-working hours.
“We have seen really good connectivity with Jefferson Lines in Spokane and with Greyhound/FLIX in Seattle,” said Jacob Price, owner of Northwestern Stage Lines. “We are still working with other transportation partners to provide even more accessibility and flexibility to this new route.”
Not only does this new route connect two Washington state’s largest cities, but it makes transportation more accessible for those who can’t travel during a normal workday.
“One of the biggest things we want to accomplish with the addition of this route is to provide a solution for a large population that needs more travel options,” said Price. “Our end goal is always to transport our riders safely to their destinations. But, not far behind that is our goal of wanting to provide the most available options for our passengers.”
Seattle offers so much in the way of culture, food, sports, entertainment, and more, but many people don’t realize how much there is to do and see in Spokane. From beautiful scenery to great food, vibrant art to top-shelf entertainment, Spokane is definitely a destination itself.
For more information about this addition to the Northwestern Stage Lines network, contact Kathy Pope, the company’s regional relations director, at 208-317-8211 or at kathy.pope@busnws.com.
As of 2023, Northwestern Stage Lines now operates 365 days a year. Meaning that if you or someone you know needs to get somewhere, even on Christmas day, we can get you there. This update applies to schedules 732, 733, 736, 737, 801, & 802.
We understand that even during the holidays, you still might have places to go, and we're here to accommodate those travel needs.
We’re pleased to announce the launch of our latest upgrade, our online bus tracker, where you can see the progress of your ride in real time, view the bus’s current location, track unexpected delays, and more.
Just take a look at the screenshot below. Once you find your route and bus, the bus tracker will show your bus’s progress as it passes through towns and makes pick-up and drop-off stops in other destinations. Plus, if you tap on the yellow “Alerts” button it will let you know if there is an accident or slowdown somewhere on your bus’s route.
Another great feature that the bus tracker possesses is the ability to not only let you know where your bus is, but to actually show you on a digital map. All you have to do is tap on the “See Map” button and the tracker will display your entire route from start to finish including stops along the way. You can zoom in and see exactly where your bus is on the road.
Over our decades of business and operation, Northwestern Stage Lines has continued to upgrade our technology to ensure the best possible experience for our riders. Our bus tracker is one more step along that ongoing journey, and we look forward to offering you even more great perks in the coming year, and beyond!
Visit northwesternstagelines.com/track to check out and use this new feature.
As of 2024, the route between Omak & Ellensburg (schedules 801 & 802) will operate 7 days a week. The bus will depart Omak for Ellensburg at 8:00 AM, and leave Ellensburg at 12:40 PM headed for Omak.
For any questions please give us a call or shoot us a message.
Northwestern Stage Lines has been awarded the "Apple Line" service contract by the Washington State Department of Transportation. A new mini-coach has been purchased and is dedicated to this service. Please visit the Apple Line website at AppleLine.us for more information.
Salt Lake Express is pleased to announce the acquisition of Northwestern Stage Lines, a transportation company based in Spokane, Washington and Boise-Winnemucca Stages in Boise, Idaho. The deal closed on October 4th, 2022 and includes a further expansion of routes and destinations offered by Salt Lake Express.
These 2 companies will join Salt Lake Express’ bus network, giving passengers the ability to book rides from Seattle to Las Vegas and many places in between. Currently, Northwestern Stage Lines/Boise-Winnemucca travels to more than 25 destinations with connections to Airports, Amtrak and intermodal bus stations.
Salt Lake Express hopes to honor the legacy created by these 2 companies and continue to provide the service that these regions have come to know and expect.
“I’ve been fortunate to be a part of a successful family company that’s been in business since the mid 1930s,” said Cleto Achabal, owner of Northwestern Stage Lines and Boise-Winnemucca. “I’ve worked with excellent employees and served amazing customers. We’ve always concentrated on the customer, one customer at a time, by keeping the basics in focus. Providing a clean bus that’s on time and delivers a safe and uneventful trip.”
“We are thrilled about this new opportunity,” said Jacob Price, owner of Salt Lake Express. “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.”
Price said that it was really important to them that they kept Northwestern’s reputation and standard of service intact. He stated that Salt Lake Express isn’t looking to come in and change everything. What they really hope to do is just continue to provide transportation solutions to the good people of Washington and northwestern Idaho while improving the customer experience through technology and better connectivity throughout the west coast.
The biggest change customers can expect to see in the future is the ability to purchase and manage their bus tickets online through an updated website.
“If there’s anything we can add to the already stellar reputation of these companies, it’s the ability to make routes more accessible,” Price said. “There are people in the region who rely on these buses and shuttles to get them where they need to go.”
In addition to these new routes, Salt Lake Express has recently added a direct route from Boise to Salt Lake as well as routes throughout eastern and southern Utah. Hitting destinations like Moab, Vernal, and even Blanding. If you’re interested in booking a trip visit SaltLakeExpress.com or call 800-356-9796.
For more information about this addition to the Salt Lake Express network, contact Lisa Young, the company’s regional relations director, at 208-356-9796 ext. 6145 or at lisa.young@saltlakeexpress.com.
Pullman, WA passengers will now be picked up in the courtyard by the Marriott Hotel at 1295 NE N Fairway Rd. The phone number will remain the same.