National Express boosts capacity during rail strikes

National Express is adding 15,000 extra seats on its services this bank holiday weekend (26 – 28 August). The company says it is helping keep the country moving over the weekend as rail strikes are planned.

National Express is increasing capacity on its popular intercity routes to meet demand, including services to and from London Victoria and major airports. It is also running dedicated coach services to Leeds and Reading festivals.

Services to Manchester are particularly busy as people flock to the city for a number of large events including its biggest Pride festival, Manchester United vs. Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford and Noel Gallagher’s gig at Wythenshawe Park. The operator is expecting to carry 22% more passengers travelling to and from Manchester between Friday and Monday.

“Judging by our forward bookings, travelling by coach is clearly becoming the preferred choice – it’s reliable, great value and you’re guaranteed a seat” – John Boughton, commercial director at National Express

John Boughton, commercial director at National Express, said: “People deserve decent public transport and customers are yet again having a difficult experience on the railways. Judging by our forward bookings, travelling by coach is clearly becoming the preferred choice – it’s reliable, great value and you’re guaranteed a seat.

“We’ve added extra capacity on our busiest routes to meet demand, however tickets are selling fast. Our network will be a lot busier than usual so we strongly encourage customers to plan in advance, allow plenty of time for travel or onward connections, and to be patient with our teams who are working hard to help people get to their destination safely.”