DURHAM, N.H.  - On Feb. 14, 2011, Valentine's Day, C&J Lines will launch direct executive class coach service from the University of New Hampshire and the Portsmouth Transportation Center to the New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal in the heart of midtown Manhattan. This new reservation-based bus service will operate seven days a week. 

"As with our existing Logan Airport and Boston service, we want this to be an experience, not just a ride," said Jim Jalbert, president of C&J. "We are pleased to be working with our partners at the university to provide this service. Both UNH and the Seacoast will be one of only a handful of areas on the eastern seaboard with dedicated bus service to New York City when we begin our daily trips in February. Now travelers will be able to board one mode of transportation without changes direct to the Big Apple."

While schedules are still in the developmental phase, C&J anticipates that Monday through Friday the bus will leave from the UNH campus at 6:30 a.m. with one additional stop in Portsmouth at the Transportation Center at 7 a.m. Riders can expect to be at the Port Authority, just one block from Times Square, before noon. The bus will make a return trip at 2 p.m. On weekends, the bus will travel from New York City to Portsmouth to Durham in the morning and into the city in the afternoon in hopes of best accommodating students and others traveling for the weekend.

"C&J has been a great partner with the university," said UNH President Mark W. Huddleston. "The recent addition of direct bus service from Durham to Boston on the weekends has proven very popular with our campus community, and I'm confident the added service to New York City will be another hit. I imagine it will also add to UNH's appeal for prospective students from the mid-Atlantic states."

Passengers will be transported aboard customized 30-passenger executive class motor coaches featuring two and one leather seating, power outlets at each seat, complimentary Wi-Fi, tray tables, in-service seatback audio and feature, full-length movie. Another unique highlight will be the addition of a full-service galley, located in the rear of the coach where passengers can enjoy complimentary refreshments. Other amenities include newspapers, headsets, pillows and blankets. Guaranteed seating will be available only via online reservations shortly after the New Year. The fare each way is $75. 

"The service provided by C&J is a great asset not only for residents of the city but for the tens of thousands of visitors we welcome each year," said City of Portsmouth Mayor Thomas Ferrini. "Portsmouth is fortunate to have a number of public transportation options, including COAST Bus, and we are very supportive of efforts to expand them."

"We have learned from Restaurant Week and other events that Portsmouth and the Seacoast continually attract visitors from the greater New York City market," said Doug Bates, president of the Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce. "This is a great opportunity for visitors and vacationers to travel directly to Portsmouth and the Seacoast to sample our great food, shops, and culture in not much more time and with less hassle than a flight from Boston would take."

Founded in 1968, C&J is the second largest provider of intercity bus transportation in Northern New England serving five destinations with over 30 daily departures from the New Ha Seacoast, and Newburyport to Logan Airport and Boston, Massachusetts. It has become a regional icon, providing a unique, safe and dependable transportation experience to over 500,000 passengers each year. For more information or to buy tickets go to http://www.ridecj.com/ or www.facebook.com/ridecj. 

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.