In 1928, James River Bus Lines began operating a single bus along the James River from Goochland into Richmond for commuters and shoppers. Since that time, the company has been a case study for surviving an ever-changing industry landscape. All aspects of the bus business have seen dramatic changes including passengers’ needs, government regulation and technology. Throw in the occasional war and terrorism threat and the team at James River has overcome it all.
In the early days, bus transportation was primarily to transport individuals into town for work or shopping. There were also longer distance bus routes that took passengers across the country. As the automobile became more popular, the reliance on public transportation faded and scheduled bus service was dramatically reduced. For James River, it was no different and the company began chartering its vehicles for more leisure activity, family reunions, sporting events, church trips and beach vacations. The company also provided chartered transportation to most branches of the armed forces.
For decades, the company has met the changing needs of customers and continued its expansion by creating a variety of transportation services with different types of vehicles. Today, the fleet has large and small buses, vans and sedans in multiple Virginia locations including Norfolk and Richmond Airports. The company has grown into one of the largest ground transportation services in North America.
James River Transportation is currently owned by the Story family. Chairman, L. Woodrow Story first started working at James River as General Manager in the 1950s and purchased it in 1976. A daughter and son currently manage the business. Diane Story Hall is Vice President and Stephen Story is President. Dr. L. Woodrow Story, Jr. is Secretary and a retired Optometrist.
Additional information can be found at https://jamesrivertrans.com/anniversary/ . A short slide show of historic photos can be viewed there as well.
James River Transportation is a full-service transportation provider and event planning organization with facilities located in Richmond and Norfolk. The company also has on-site operations at Richmond International Airport and Norfolk International Airport. Services include motorcoach and minicoach transportation, airport transfers, transportation management, contract services, and convention shuttles.
The company has been in business for over 90 years and is a Certified Member of the International Motorcoach Group (IMG). The IMG is an invitation only partnership of the top transportation companies in North America. IMG members are committed to high levels of safety, service and reliability