Surprising demand sees NatEx increase services

High demand for travel has prompted National Express to increase its services earlier than expected.

National Express has responded to booking enquiries by making significant additions to its timetable, just two weeks after getting back on the road. From Monday 13 July, 12 new services will be introduced, nine will increase their frequency and just over 40 new stops will be added to the national network of scheduled coach services.

National Express data has revealed its passengers are planing journeys ahead of time by purchasing tickets in advance, with less customers buying tickets on the day of travel. The company also notes there is an increased expectation of flexible booking.

The operator has put COVID-secure measures in place, including reduced capacity, temperature screening and additional air conditioning filters.

Chris Hardy, managing director of National Express UK Coach, said: “After a three month suspension our iconic white fleet restarted services on 1 July, running at a reduced frequency with a focus on major towns and cities. Overall demand and bookings have been really positive and the level of requests for travel meant we decided to add to our timetable sooner than anticipated.

“We’re working hard to quickly add to our timetable so more people can enjoy the summer safely.

“Journey requests are being monitored and we’ve added a short survey on our website to capture the information. We will use this to help make decisions as we continue to add new services and increase frequency on existing routes.”