The existing partnership between First Bus and FlixBus UK will expand from spring 2026 when the operator places a further 11 Yutong GT12 coaches into service on behalf of the travel technology company.
That will see FlixBus operations taken up by the First Bus Leicester business and existing coach operations in West Yorkshire, adding capacity to routes in the Midlands and the North of England. FlixBus provision already delivered from depots in the West of England will also grow.
Such expansion will see the First Bus coach fleet for FlixBus work grow to 32, with the 11 new vehicles sitting alongside 21 Yutong GT12 models that entered service on the initial phase earlier in 2025 under a five-year contract.
Such an uplift represents a continued diversification of the First Bus portfolio into markets other than stage carriage services, work that has seen large-scale growth of its presence in coaching through the purchase of several formerly independent businesses.
First Bus Managing Director, Business to Business, Andrew Jarvis says: “Our partnership with FlixBus is delivering strong results, so we are expanding the long-term contract to involve more of our depots across England.
“This further investment reinforces our strategic focus on growing our involvement in long-distance coach.”
FlixBus advises that its UK network will see “significant expansion” in 2026 as it continues a bid to provide the most extensive coverage in the country. FlixBus UK Senior Managing Director Andreas Schorling adds: “The demand for our modern, comfortable and affordable coach services continues to rise, and we have a fantastic relationship with First Bus.
“Together we plan to build an even stronger network and move FlixBus closer to UK market leadership, which we see as inevitable.”
Dedicated FlixBus operations teams within First Bus will continue to manage service delivery under the expanded partnership, which the travel tech firm says will create 40 jobs.
