NatEx acquires Clarkes

National Express (UK Coach) has completed the acquisition of Clarkes of London. A statement on Clarkes of London’s website attributed to The Kings Ferry MD, Ian Fraser, said, ‘We are pleased to announce that Clarkes of London have joined the National Express Group and we are delighted to welcome you onboard. It will be business as usual for our customers and the Clarkes team. There are no changes to the pricing structure, timetable or operation of the commuter services. Tickets will be available for purchase in the normal way and there is no change to the validity of your ticket. Your contact for commuter questions and queries will also remain unchanged.’

‘National Express already operates award winning commuter services from Kent into London with The Kings Ferry Ltd and we believe the inclusion of Clarkes’ services will further strengthen our offering to customers. We invest more than £4m each year in our vehicles as part of our ongoing fleet replacement programme to allow us to deliver continual improvements offering value for money and excellent customer service.’

A statement on The Kings Ferry (part of National Express) website said, ‘This is a really exciting time for us as we further strengthen our service offering with the inclusion of the multi-award winning Clarkes team. Clarkes’ is a fantastic company with a proud history and an excellent record of delivering high quality services and is a welcome addition to our business. We look forward to an exciting future together.’

As well as quality coach operations in Londons, Clarkes operates 18 vehicles on commuter services, serving the Medway towns, New Ash Green, Longfield, Vigo, Meopham and surrounding villages.