National Express boosts capacity during rail strikes

National Express is to boost its capacity to meet demand during the upcoming rail strikes from 7 to 9 May. An additional 7,500 seats are to be made available on its most popular routes.

It comes as the company celebrates a year of passenger growth with over 19 million customers travelling on its coach network in 2023. The operator has seen a 25% increase in passengers, up from 15 million in 2022.

The company says the rise in rail fares and continuation of industrial action, now in its second year, are major contributing factors in the increase in passenger numbers. Since the rail strikes began in June 2022, National Express has recorded approximately 1.3 million new customers travelling on its services during rail strike days, with 15% of rail users reportedly switching to National Express for better value and reliability of service.

“The rail strikes have been a fantastic opportunity for us to highlight just how good our coach services are” – John Boughton, commercial director for National Express UK & Ireland

John Boughton, commercial director for National Express UK & Ireland, said: “The rail strikes have been a fantastic opportunity for us to highlight just how good our coach services are, especially to those who may not have considered travelling with us before. People are making the switch because we’re reliable, great value and they’re guaranteed a seat. That makes us very attractive compared to the train.

“With significant investment in our services and improvements to the customer experience, we are making it even easier for people to travel without having to worry about unaffordable fares or constantly wondering if the trains are running. National Express is the smart way to go!”