Park says it will modify contract to protect Red Buses

The National Park Service announced Jan. 30 that it will modify the terms of a prospectus for the concessions operations at Glacier National Park to reinforce the Park’s intention to retain operation of its entire fleet of Red Buses.

“We love the Red Buses, and our intent has been to retain this iconic symbol of the Park,” acting Park superintendent Kym Hall said.

NPS owns all 33 Red Buses in the fleet and intends to monitor their condition and rehabilitate them as needed over the course of the 16-year contract.

Hall said modifications to the prospectus for the new concessions contract are being developed to clarify those requirements. The modifications will be posted online in mid-February at www.concessions.nps.gov/prospectuses.htm.

“We want to maintain and continue the tradition of the iconic Red Buses on the road in Glacier National Park,” Hall said.

As the historic buses age, rehabilitation work is required to keep the fleet safe and operational. The buses have 1930s–era bodies adapted to modern chassis. NPS recognizes that the required custom rehabilitation work on the buses will be very expensive.

Restoration of the buses was last completed in 2002 with assistance from the Ford Motor Company through the National Park Foundation. The cost to rehabilitate the buses at that time was more than $6 million.

“We appreciate the advocacy for the Red Buses by the Glacier Park Foundation and others, and their dedication to preserving the fleet of 33 iconic and historic buses,” Hall said.