 The next major change made by FirstGroup was the launch of a brand of premium bus routes called "Greyhound Express" in 2010. This came at the same time that competitor Megabus launched its third and fourth US hubs at Philadelphia and Washington D.C. and began to emphasize express services. Greyhound's express routes make fewer stops between major cities (compared to regular Greyhound routes), use only newer model or refurbished buses, have guaranteed seating, and tickets start at $ 1. Expansions in Greyhound's network and upgrades in its services in the early 2010s were at least partly a competitive response to Megabus. In 2014, Greyhound CEO David S. Leach claimed a profit of $ 73 million on revenues of $ 990.6 million, and attributed the company's success to mix of changing urban populations, less attractive driving options, and competition that was benefiting all carriers.
