Bus Oberthurgau

Bus Oberthurgau, written in its own style as BUS Oberthurgau, is the brand of Autokurse Oberthurgau (AOT), a Swiss public transport operator headquartered in Amriswil in the canton of Thurgau. The company operates regional bus lines linking Amriswil, Arbon, Romanshorn and Bischofszell, with the Amriswil–Muolen route acting as a feeder to the Romanshorn–Muolen–St. Gallen railway line. Since 2019 the operation has belonged to the Bus Ostschweiz group, while the company itself, Autokurse Oberthurgau AG, remains legally independent. The business traces its origins to 4 September 1921, when the company Amriswil – Muolen – Bischofszell (AMB) put two Saurer buses with 18 seats and solid rubber tyres into service, replacing horse-drawn carriages. The municipalities of Amriswil (55 percent), Bischofszell (20 percent), Zihlschlacht (15 percent) and Muolen (10 percent) were the original shareholders. Today Arbon, the most populous town in the Oberthurgau region, is the largest shareholder. A third vehicle was acquired a few years later because of strong demand. In 1930 a bus line from Amriswil via Neukirch to Arbon was opened; in 1967 it merged with AMB to form Autokurse Amriswil und Umgebung. In 1987 the company changed its name to Autokurse Oberthurgau (AOT). In November 1997 it moved into a new garage on Kreuzlingerstrasse in Amriswil. On 1 January 1999 the joint-stock company Autokurse Oberthurgau AG (AOT) was founded. On 28 May 2000 AOT became a member of the Ostwind fare network. Since 1 July 2019 the AOT has been operated by Bus Ostschweiz. On 4 September 2021, exactly one hundred years after operations began, the renaming of Autokurse Oberthurgau to the brand name Bus Oberthurgau was announced. The company itself remains independent. In connection with the name change, the vehicle livery was changed from orange to blue and white. Since December 2021, line 942 has run only hourly instead of every half hour to Muolen because of low demand; instead, as part of a pilot project, the bus makes a loop via Mühlebach, giving the stops on Weinfelderstrasse a quarter-hourly service together with other bus connections.

The history of Bus Oberthurgau begins on 4 September 1921, when the company Amriswil – Muolen – Bischofszell (AMB) started operations with two Saurer buses seating 18 passengers and fitted with solid rubber tyres, replacing horse-drawn carriages. The original shareholders were the municipalities of Amriswil (55 percent), Bischofszell (20 percent), Zihlschlacht (15 percent) and Muolen (10 percent). Strong demand led to the purchase of a third vehicle a few years later. Today Arbon, the most populous town in the Oberthurgau region, is the largest shareholder. In 1930 a bus line from Amriswil via Neukirch to Arbon was opened. In 1967 this operation merged with AMB to form Autokurse Amriswil und Umgebung. In 1987 the company changed its name to Autokurse Oberthurgau (AOT). In November 1997 it moved into a new garage on Kreuzlingerstrasse in Amriswil. On 1 January 1999 the joint-stock company Autokurse Oberthurgau AG (AOT) was established. On 28 May 2000 AOT became a member of the Ostwind fare network. Since 1 July 2019 the AOT has been operated by Bus Ostschweiz. On 4 September 2021, exactly one hundred years after the start of operations, the renaming of Autokurse Oberthurgau to the brand name Bus Oberthurgau was announced; the company itself remains independent. In connection with the name change, the vehicle livery was changed from orange to blue and white. Since December 2021, line 942 has run only hourly instead of every half hour to Muolen because of low demand; instead, as part of a pilot project, the bus makes a loop via Mühlebach, giving the stops on Weinfelderstrasse a quarter-hourly service together with other bus connections.

• Amriswil – Muolen – Bischofszell (AMB) begins operations with two Saurer buses, replacing horse-drawn carriages.

• Bus line from Amriswil via Neukirch to Arbon opened.

• Merger with AMB to form Autokurse Amriswil und Umgebung.

• Company renamed Autokurse Oberthurgau (AOT).

• Move to new garage on Kreuzlingerstrasse in Amriswil.

• Founding of the joint-stock company Autokurse Oberthurgau AG (AOT).

• AOT becomes a member of the Ostwind fare network.

• AOT begins operation by Bus Ostschweiz.

• Renaming of Autokurse Oberthurgau to the brand name Bus Oberthurgau announced; livery changed from orange to blue/white.

• Line 942 to Muolen reduced to hourly service; pilot loop via Mühlebach introduced.

Regional public transport brand in the Oberthurgau area, integrated into the Ostwind fare network and operated within the Bus Ostschweiz group.

• Regional bus lines between Amriswil, Arbon, Romanshorn and Bischofszell

• Amriswil–Muolen feeder line to the Romanshorn–Muolen–St. Gallen railway

• Line 942 to Muolen (hourly since December 2021, with pilot loop via Mühlebach)

1. 1Bus Oberthurgau – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
2. 2Bus Oberthurgau – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3BUS Oberthurgau websiteaotbus.ch