Scottish rival FirstGroup initially won the contract to run the line, with Stagecoach's joint bid with Virgin losing out.

BBC: Stagecoach group's profits up 29%

Stagecoach's Megabus.com service covers more than 100 cities in North America.

BBC: Stagecoach invests $20m in new US coaches

The other is Stagecoach which, like First, went into railways, buying half of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Rail.

ECONOMIST: The man who took the bus from Aberdeen to America