Gray Coach was an inter-city bus line based in Toronto, Ontario, from 1927 to 1992. It was owned by the Toronto Transportation Commission until 1990 when sold to Stagecoach. In 1992 the business was sold to Greyhound Canada with the brand name ceasing to be used.

Overview and history

Gray Coach Lines was a suburban bus and sightseeing tour operator founded in 1927 by the Toronto Transportation Commission (TTC). From 1927 to the 1930s, Gray Coach acquired numerous and smaller competitors in the Greater Toronto Area. The operator eventually dominated inter-urban bus service by the end of the 1930s, replacing or succeeding many Toronto and area interurban radial lines that had previously provided interurban transportation by light rail.

Gray Coach used inter-urban coaches to link Toronto to outlying areas throughout Southern Ontario, such as Owen Sound, London, Kitchener, Guelph, Niagara Falls, Sudbury, North Bay, Barrie and Hamilton. Gray Coach also offered service to Buffalo, New York and in a pooling agreement with Greyhound, to New York City. In addition, Gray Coach operated sightseeing tour service in and around Toronto, eventually in association with Gray Line tours. Gray Coach Lines also provided one-hour Motor Launch Tours of the lagoons off Toronto's harbour and of the waterfront (used Amsterdam canal style boats with large glass top now run by Toronto Harbour Tours). The main bus terminal was at the Toronto Bus Terminal on Elizabeth Street, downtown. A secondary terminal for parcel service was operated at the corner of Front and Sherbourne Streets and a secondary bus terminal, the Sunnyside Bus Terminal was located at Queen Street West and Roncesvalles in Toronto's west end.

Gray Coach was contracted to operate some GO Transit bus services when the latter was started in 1971. Eventually GO Transit took over some Gray Coach routes were, including the Hamilton, Oshawa and Port Perry runs. The contracting for GO Transit ended in 1985, when GO began to completely operate its own buses.

By the 1980s, Gray Coach faced fierce competition in the Greater Toronto Area. To strengthen its position, Gray Coach bid to acquire inter-urban operator Trentway-Wagar. However, facing budgetary pressure, the TTC decided to focus on its core urban transit service. In October 1990 the TTC sold Gray Coach Lines to Stagecoach who then sold it to Greyhound Canada and Ontario Northland Motor Coach Services in 1992. Gray Coach's Gray Line franchised sightseeing operations were taken over by Greyhound Canada.