Rail strikes drive a surge in passengers switching to coach travel

National Express says it’s booting capacity to meet demand during the upcoming rail strikes from 7-9 May with an additional 7,500 seats available on its most popular routes.

Members of Aslef union at 16 rail companies will walk out on different days from 7 to 9 May. Additionally, all members will refuse to work any overtime from 6 May to 11 May.

The strikes affect Great Western Railway on Wednesday 8 May. Transport for Wales services are not affected by the current round of strikes.

National Express’ announcement comes as the company celebrates a year of passenger growth with over 19 million customers travelling on its coach network in 2023. The UK’s leading scheduled coach operator has seen a 25 per cent increase in passengers, up from 15 million in 2022. 

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 percent of rail users reportedly switching to National Express for better value and reliability of service.  

The coach operator says it also continues to invest in its fleet, with 150 brand new vehicles expected to hit the roads this year.

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!”