Millennium Transit Services
 | |
| Industry | Transit |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Defunct | 2011 (Bankruptcy) |
| Headquarters | Roswell, New Mexico, United States |
| Products | Rapid Transit Series |
| Parent | Ludvik Co. |
| Website |
www |
Millennium Transit Services, LLC is a bus manufacturer formed in 2003 to take over the former NovaBus manufacturing plant in Roswell, New Mexico and continue construction of the Rapid Transit Series (RTS) buses that were built there. The company was composed mostly of former NovaBus employees and financed by the city of Roswell, the State of New Mexico, and Pioneer Bank.
On July 27, 2005, the company announced its first major order: 68 transit and 221 suburban buses for New Jersey Transit. Full delivery of this order was expected to commence late in the third quarter of 2006, but "the inability to obtain necessary funds" forced the cancellation of the order.[1] All units completed for New Jersey Transit at that point were rejected and resold to Foxwoods Resort Casino (five transit), Somerset County Transportation (Somerset County, New Jersey) (one transit and one suburban), and Texas A&M University (25 transits).
Besides the New Jersey Transit order, MTS had secured a contract from the City of El Paso, Texas, to convert 25 Transportation Manufacturing Corporation-built RTS buses from diesel to clean-burning CNG. The second order was from Pueblo Transit for two transit buses. The New Jersey Transit order was actually the third order for MTS. Other orders included those from Santa Fe Trails and Beaumont Municipal Transit System. These latter two have since been canceled.
On August 29, 2008, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[2] The company has cleared Chapter 11 and is poised to return to full production, pending any significant orders.
On February 26, 2012, Millennium suspended production of its buses in order to do a full inventory of its Roswell facility.[3] The factory reopened in the summer of 2012; however, Millennium has yet to win any significant orders to date, since the cancellations.
Models
| Model | Type | Length | Floor height | Door width | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTS Legend | Transit | 30, 32½, 35, 37½, 40 foot | high | narrow or wide | |
| RTS Express | Suburban/Coach | 30, 32½, 35, 37½, 40, 42½ foot | high | narrow or wide | |
| RTS Extreme | Transit | 32½, 35, 40, 42½ foot | low | wide | offered from 2012 |
| RTS Evolution | Minibus | varies | high | narrow | RTS body for a cutaway van chassis; none built |
Pueblo Transit 106, in Pueblo, Colorado. The first production bus manufactured by MTS.
NJ Transit RTS Legend 4101 at Greenville Garage in Jersey City, New Jersey, during a maintenance burn-in.
References
- ↑ "Millennium gearing up again: Roswell factory has a contract for 16 buses". Tmcnet.com. 2007-08-23. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
- ↑
- ↑ "KOB Eyewitness News 4, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Local News, Breaking News | KOB.com". Kobtv.com. 2012-04-24. Retrieved 2012-07-31.